Apollonius of Rhodes: Argonautica Book IV

Apollonius' epic, the Argonautica, is not just a masterpiece of Hellenistic poetry drawing on the entire tradition of previous Greek literature, but was enormously influential on Latin epic, especially Virgil's Aeneid. Book IV tells the story of the Argonauts' return to Greece with the Golden Fleece, their nightmarish trips through the uncharted rivers of central Europe and the desert wastes of North Africa, the terrible killing of Medea's brother, and the anguish of the young girl which foreshadows her bloody future. This is the first modern commentary in English. Problems of syntax and language are fully explained, and there is a sophisticated discussion of the poem as literature. It will be useful for advanced undergraduates and graduate students studying Greek poetry, as well as of interest to scholars.

• Syntax and grammar are fully explained, often with the aid of translation, ensuring that Apollonius' difficult Greek is made accessible to students
• Poetic echoes, especially of Homer and Callimachus, are fully explained where they are important, and the Introduction discusses how the technique of allusion contributes to poetic meaning
• Explains geographical references and sets them in the context of contemporary geographical knowledge