Anatole Mori - The Politics of Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica.pdf - World Literature & Myths - piotrzachu69

This page intentionally left blank

THE POLITICS OF

APOLLONIUS RHODIUS’

ARGONAUTICA

Apollonius Rhodius’ epic poem, the Argonautica , is one of the most

important and inﬂuential literary productions of the Hellenistic

period. This book shows how the retelling of a heroic adventure set

in the generation before the Trojan War engages the political, reli-

gious, and ethical dynamics of its day by alluding to the real-world

context of the early Ptolemaic dynasty as well as to poetic and other

models. Through a hegemonic typology that ranges from the just and

theocratic to the duplicitous and lawless, Apollonius characterizes the

political heirs of Alexander the Great as pious, civilized rulers. This

interpretation goes beyond previous studies by examining the political

resonance of religious activity in the poem, and by relating these for-

mulations (especially where they concern Apollonius’ departures from

his literary predecessors) to the ideological construction of Hellenic

identity in third-century Egypt.

anatole mori is Associate Professor of Classics at the University

of Missouri-Columbia.

Bronze cult statuette of Alexander Aigiochos (“Aegis-Bearing”) with chlamys -shaped

aegis. Roman copy from Alexandria (London, British Museum). Original dated to

late fourth century BC. Photo courtesy of the British Museum,

The Trustees

of the British Museum

THE POLITICS OF

APOLLONIUS RHODIUS’

ARGONAUTICA

ANATOLE MORI

Anatole Mori - The Politics of Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica.pdf