His argonautica had a profound impact on latin poetry. Valerius flaccus argonautica, book 1 andrew zissos. Mozley 1 no longer then did the father of the gods endure to turn thereon indifferent eyes, but pitying the loyal affection of his son, in blazing wrath he sternly rebuked the trembling juno. Parental grief and vergilian allusion this paper examines valerius flaccuss use of vergilian intertexts in his narrative of the abductions of phrixus and hylas, which he uses to intensify vergils preoccupation with the deaths of young men in order to demonstrate the primacy of the argonautica. Two translations of the argonautica, by gaius valerius flaccus. Full text of the argonautica of gaius valerius flaccus. Valerius effectively rehandles the story already told by apollonius rhodius, recalls virgilian language and thought, displays. By reading the argonautica as an artifact of vespasia nic rome ad 709, i propose a somewhat unorthodox date for the work. Click download or read online button to get valerius flaccus argonautica book now. The first new penguin classics translation of the argonautica since the 1950s now in a riveting new verse translation, jason and the argonauts also known as the argonautica is the only surviving full account of jasons voyage on the argo in quest of the golden fleece aided by the sorceress princess medea.
This book gives a full philological and literary commentary of the turbulent book vi of the argonautica. Gaius valerius flaccus only surviving work, the argonautica, was dedicated to vespasian on his setting out for britain. Gaius valerius flaccus was a roman poet who lived in the first century ad. Valerius flaccus, argonautica book 4 theoi classical. Aspects of transgression in valerius flaccus argonautica thesis. The orphic argonautica, written centuries later, actually has the argonauts coming back home by way of ireland. A commentary on book 4 of valerius flaccus argonautica. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The argonautica of gaius valerius flaccus setinus balbus. Translated into english prose with introduction and notes see other formats. A copy of the incomplete valerius flaccus text was discovered by poggio bracciolini and his friends during the council of constance, in the summer of 1416. The work differs in many respects from the likethemed argonautica of apollonius rhodius, composed four centuries earlier in greek.
Valerius flaccus, gaius, latin poet who flourished in the period ca. His name appears in the manuscripts with the addition of balbus setinus, or setinus balbus, but we do not know whether setinus should be referred to setia, and if so whether it is the italian or either of the two spanish towns of that name. This is the first commentary in english directly tailored to the needs of graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. The argonautica of valerius flaccus is the only latin epic in which hercules. Flaccus argonautica lends keen roman touches to the tale, developing further the sense of adventure and the erotic passion found in the greek. Medeas awakening love for jason is the great theme of the third book of apollonius rhodius argonautica. Valerius flaccus, argonautica, book vi a commentary brill.
The hylas episode in valerius flaccus argonavtica the. His only surviving work is an unfinished epic poem entitled the argonautica, describing the voyage of the argonauts in their quest for the golden fleece. For the romans, the argo was the first ship in existence. This volume consists of an introduction, the text of book 4 of valerius flaccus argonautica, commentary, bibliography and index. The works of the few scholars who have since attempted a literary assessment lie, for the. Full text of the argonautica of gaius valerius flaccus setinus balbus. In spite of an increased interest over the last ten years in the 1st century ad roman poet valerius flaccus, involving the production of several commentaries, part of his work argonautica was still lacking a modern commentary. Aspects of transgression in valerius flaccus argonautica. Quotations quotations in english are taken from the voyage of argo, trans. The argonautica penguin classics, 2nd edition, 1971, isbn 9780140440850. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. The key objectives of my project are to offer a radically new appraisal of the argonautica of valerius flaccus. Valerius effectively rehandles the story already told by apollonius rhodius, recalls virgilian language and thought, displays learning, and alludes to contemporary rome.
It influenced catullus and ovid and it provided virgil with a model for his roman epic, the aeneid. Only six copies are known of the incomplete valerius flaccus, for a complete text was found only a. Valerius flaccus was a roman poet who flourished in the late c1st a. For a selection of quotations from books iiiiv of the argonautica with translations by c. Their heroic adventures and jasons relationship with the colchian princesssorceress medea were already well known to hellenistic. Classical texts library valerius flaccus, argonautica book 4 valerius flaccus 4.
This paper examines the main similarities and differences in the portrayal of the minor mortal female character polyxo in apollonius rhodius and valerius flaccus argonautica as well as statius thebaid. A commentary mnemosyne, supplementum 262, leidenboston. The silver latin authors peculiar phraseology and choice of words is highlighted. Some of his finest passages have been appropriated and improved upon by virgil by the divine right of superior genius. The only surviving hellenistic epic, the argonautica tells the myth of the voyage of jason and the argonauts to retrieve the golden fleece from remote colchis. The scene reminds us of iliad 24 where priam asks achilles to give back his sons corpse wijsman 2000b. My song is of the straits first navigated by the mighty sons of gods, of the prophetic ship that dared to seek the shores of scythian phasis, that burst unswerving through the clashing rocks, to sink at length to rest in the starry firmament. Although it contains textual criticism but only where meaning and appreciation are substantially affected and explanation of sense and references a vital.
As the eruption of vesuvius in 79 ad is alluded to, its composition must have occupied him a long time. Argonautica valerius flaccus harvard university press. The poem is typical of his age, being a free rehandling of the story already told by apollonius rhodius, to whom he is superior in arrangement, vividness, and description of character. I argue that valerius attempts to refound the epic genre in the wake of lucans iconoclastic pharsalia. Gaius valerius flaccus, epic poet, author of an argonautica, an epic which, though indebted to other sources, is written with vivid characterizations and descriptions and style unmarred by the excesses of other latin poetry of the silver age. A text with apparatus criticus, translation, and commentary, with introduction, of the first book of valerius flaccus argonautica, an unfinished roman epic extending to eight books and several thousand lines, written in the flavian period 6996 ce. Translated into english prose with introduction and notes by valerius flaccus, caius. Gesanders treatment of defenseless priests valerius. I think that would automatically make it an appealing subject for a youngish irish scholar white would have been in his late 30s when translating it. Brills companion to valerius flaccus edited by mark heerink and gesine manuwald leiden boston this is a digital offprint for restricted use only 2014. Silius italicus, punica, and valerius flaccus, argonautica.
Valerius completed five books and part of a sixth, drawing on apollonius and a plethora of ancient sources, many of which are now lost or known only by fragments. Valerius flaccus, argonautica book 1 theoi classical texts. This work provides a full commentary on the first book of valerius flaccus argonautica, an epic which has received increased attention in the last few decades, as may be seen from two recent editions 1997 and 2003. Valerius flaccus argonautica download ebook pdf, epub. Even though she speaks only once in oratio recta and merely appears in propria. Valerius flaccus, argonautica loeb classical library. Valerius flaccus argonautica is one of the most significant surviving works of flavian epic, which has recently become much more popular as a field of study and teaching in latin literature. Reception of valerius flaccus argonautica springerlink. This article undertakes a diachronic survey of the literary and artistic reception of valerius flaccusargonautica, from the flavian period down to the 20th century. At the opening of that bookthat is to say, at the very centre of the fourbook epicthe hellenistic poet signals a programmatic redirection, invoking the muse erato to inspire his tale of jasons winning of the golden fleece, aided by the love of the colchian princess. Summers in a study of the argonautica of valerius flaccus called for a fair reappraisal of the muchneglected poet. When read as a product of the 70s, a number of valerius formal gestures take on new significance. Gesanders treatment of defenseless priests valerius flaccus argonautica 6.
The commentary addresses both textual and semantic matters and broader questions of stylistics, poetics, thematics, and cultural context. Gaius valerius flaccus only surviving work, the argonautica, was dedicated to vespasian on his setting. My song is of the straits first navigated by the mighty sons of gods, of the prophetic ship that dared to seek the shores of scythian phasis, that burst unswerving through the clashing rocks, to sink at length to rest in the starry firmament phoebus, be thou my guide, if there stands in a pure home the tripod that shares the secrets of the. The hylas episode in valerius flaccus argonavtica the hylas. Valerius flaccus argonautica pdf epub download cause of. Gesanders treatment of defenseless priests valerius flaccus. Valerius flaccus, argonautica book 4 theoi classical texts. Ad 90 was a 1st century roman poet who flourished during the silver age under the flavian dynasty, and wrote a latin argonautica that owes a great deal to apollonius of rhodes more famous epic.
Pdf the epics of statius and valerius flaccus argonautica ruth. Tu mihi nunc causas infandaque proelia, clio, pande virum. Its first aim is to clarify the text, which is sometimes rather difficult and, in places, still not established with certainty. Argonautika is a greek epic poem written by apollonius rhodius in the 3rd century bc. Flavian epic argonautica, hylas initially seems to fulfil an epic role. Very little is known of valerius flaccus life, but he. The argonautica was translated by varro atacinus, copied by ovid and virgil, and minutely studied by valerius flaccus in his poem of the same name. It offers vicarious travel to exotic lands, gripping heroism in the face of wondrous monsters and an allstar cast of famous greek heroes. The argonautica argonautika is a greek epic poem written by apollonius rhodius in the 3rd century bc. The epic was influential in its own time, but has left fewer marks on the literature of later antiquity. This work provides a full commentary on the first book of valerius flaccus argonautica, an epic which has received increased attention in the last few decades. It appears to have been in only limited circulation in the medieval period. It was translated by varro atacinus and imitated by valerius flaccus.
In a close reading of the three epics, polyxo is identified as the key character of the lemnian episode. The work differs in many respects from the likethemed argonautica of apollonius rhodius, composed four centuries earlier in. Valerius flaccus, argonautica book 1 theoi classical. Gaius valerius flaccus, flourished 1st century ad, epic poet, author of an argonautica, an epic which, though indebted to other sources, is written with vivid characterizations and descriptions and style unmarred by the excesses of other latin poetry of the silver age very little is known of valerius flaccus life, but he may have died about ad 90, because quintilian mourns his recent. Virtually nothing certain is known about gaius valerius flaccus gayuhs vuhlihreeuhs flakuhs except that he was the author of the argonautica first century c. Valerius completed five books and part of a sixth, drawing on apollonius and a plethora of ancient sources, many of which are now lost or known. Valerius is describing the action of the sea as caused by the rapid movement of the rocks. This study sets out to interrogate the complex ways in which valerius engages with transgression, offering new readings of his argonautica in.
His name appears in the manuscripts with the addition of balbus setinus, or setinus balbus, but we do not know whether setinus should be referred to setia, and if so whether it is the italian or either of. His most famous work, the argonautica is an updated, more detailed, and considered a more enjoyable work concerning jason. Trypanis 1971, see a dictionary of classical greek quotations, ed. Valerius flaccus, argonautica, book i a commentary brill. Valerius flaccus argonautica pdf epub download cause of you. However, it is not a standard philological commentary. The hylas episode in valerius flaccus argonautica jstor.
Jan 16, 2019 valerius flaccus argonautica is one of the most significant surviving works of flavian epic, which has recently become much more popular as a field of study and teaching in latin literature. Ultimately, in valerius flaccus argonautica all roads lead to peuce, with several transgressive ideas converging on this site in book 8 of the poem. In a literary era seemingly obsessed with transgression, valerius own interest in the theme should come as no surprise. The silver latin authors peculiar phraseology and choice of. Gaius valerius flaccus was a 1st century roman poet who flourished during the silver age.
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