Timewise, the Argonautica epic is a mythological prequel to the Iliad and the Odyssey. Jason is selected as the leader of a group of heroes who go on a quest to obtain the Golden Fleece. Many of these heroes are the fathers of those we encounter in the Iliad.
Apollonius of Rhodes wrote this poem over 500 years after Homer. In this episode, I compare verse and prose translations, and discuss the heroes, gods, fate, Eros, and reading guides in this exciting epic.
Books Mentioned in the Episode:
Jason and the Argonauts - translation by Aaron Poochigian - Penguin Classics
Jason and the Golden Fleece - translation by Richard Hunter - Oxford World’s Classics
The Coming of Arthur by Malcolm Guite
Working on a Song: The Lyrics of HADESTOWN by Anaïs Mitchell
The Odes by Pindar
Medea by Euripides - translation by Philip Vellacott - Penguin Classics
Reading companions
Download the PDF documents mentioned in the episode:
