Argonautica
Apollonius of Rhodes' epic poem narrating Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece
The Meaning of Argonautica
The Argonautica, composed by Apollonius of Rhodes in the third century BCE, tells the story of Jason and the crew of the Argo as they voyage to Colchis at the eastern edge of the Black Sea to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The poem opens with Jason assembling a crew of Greek heroes including Heracles, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux, and Atalanta. Their journey takes them through the Clashing Rocks, past the island of the Amazons, and into encounters with kings both hospitable and hostile. Upon reaching Colchis, King Aeetes sets Jason seemingly impossible tasks: yoking fire-breathing bulls and sowing dragon's teeth. The goddess Hera arranges for Eros to make the king's daughter Medea fall in love with Jason, and her sorcery proves decisive. The return voyage follows an alternate route through European rivers. The Argonautica is notable for its psychological portrayal of Medea's conflicted passion, which later influenced Virgil's depiction of Dido.
Parents
None recorded
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Fun Fact
The Argonautica was the first epic poem to place a love story at the centre of its plot, breaking with the martial tradition of Homer
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Aeneid
💭 conceptLiterature
Virgil's epic poem following the Trojan hero Aeneas from the fall of Troy to the founding of Rome
Quest for the Golden Fleece
💭 conceptNarrative
Jason's expedition aboard the Argo to retrieve the golden fleece from the distant land of Colchis
Iliad
💭 conceptLiterature
Homer's epic poem recounting the wrath of Achilles during the final year of the Trojan War
Voyage of the Argo
💭 conceptNarrative
The legendary sea journey of the Argonauts through uncharted waters to reach the kingdom of Colchis
Dionysiaca
💭 conceptLiterature
Nonnus's sprawling epic poem narrating the life and conquests of the god Dionysus in forty-eight books
Return of Odysseus
💭 conceptNarrative
The hero's perilous ten-year journey home from Troy and his reclamation of his kingdom in Ithaca
Argonauts
💭 conceptCrew of the ship Argo
The Argonauts were the band of heroes who sailed with Jason on the Argo to retrieve the Golden Fleece — the greatest ensemble adventure in Greek mythology.
Nonnus
💭 conceptEpic poetry, Dionysus
Late antique poet who composed the Dionysiaca, the longest surviving epic poem from Greco-Roman antiquity
Virgil
💭 conceptEpic poetry, Rome, fate
Roman poet who composed the Aeneid linking Rome's founding to the Trojan War through Aeneas's journey
Eros and Psyche
💭 conceptNarrative
The love story between the god of desire and a mortal princess that became an allegory of the soul's journey
Odyssey
💭 conceptLanguage and literature
An English word meaning a long, eventful, and often difficult journey, derived from the title of Homer's epic poem describing Odysseus's ten-year voyage home from Troy
Golden Fleece
💭 conceptThe prize sought by Jason and the Argonauts
The fleece of a golden-wooled ram, hung in a sacred grove in Colchis and guarded by a sleepless dragon. Its recovery was the object of Jason's legendary voyage.