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Jason and the Argonauts (Penguin Classics) by Apollonius of Rhodes
Here begins the fantastic tale of Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece. Written in the third century BC, the story of Jason and the Argonauts has thrilled adventure lovers for ages. A noble band of heroes sets out from Greece aboard the ship Argo in search of the fabled Golden Fleece of a magical ram. Under the watchful gaze of the gods, they encounter obstacles both horrible and seductive that test their very limits. This selection is taken from E.V. Rieu's stirring translation of the Argonautica, published in full as The Voyage of Argo.
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Published January 1, 1886
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About the author
Apollonius of Rhodes
96 books116 followersApollonius of Rhodes (Ancient Greek: Ἀπολλώνιος Ῥόδιος Apollṓnios Rhódios; Latin: Apollonius Rhodius; fl. first half of 3rd century BCE), is best known as the author of the Argonautica, an epic poem about Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. The poem is one of the few extant examples of the epic genre and it was both innovative and influential, providing Ptolemaic Egypt with a "cultural mnemonic" or national "archive of images",[1] and offering the Latin poets Virgil and Gaius Valerius Flaccus a model for their own epics. His other poems, which survive only in small fragments, concerned the beginnings or foundations of cities, such as Alexandria and Cnidus – places of interest to the Ptolemies, whom he served as a scholar and librarian at the Library of Alexandria. A literary dispute with Callimachus, another Alexandrian librarian/poet, is a topic much discussed by modern scholars since it is thought to give some insight into their poetry, although there is very little evidence that there ever was such a dispute between the two men. In fact almost nothing at all is known about Apollonius and even his connection with Rhodes is a matter for speculation.[2] Once considered a mere imitator of Homer, and therefore a failure as a poet, his reputation has been enhanced by recent studies, with an emphasis on the special characteristics of Hellenistic poets as scholarly heirs of a long literary tradition writing at a unique time in history.
Alternate spelling:
Spanish: Apolonio de Rodas
Alternate spelling:
Spanish: Apolonio de Rodas
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 7, 2023
From my Dad’s stash of Penguin 60’s classics. Enjoyable romp albeit short
March 13, 2017
This Penguin 60s edition is an excerpt from The Voyage of Argo.
I expected to enjoy this - I was enthralled by Tim Severin's The Jason Voyage. The Quest For The Golden Fleece, which traced a (theoretical) route of the classic Argo voyage.
However, this was hard work - an I don't know whether this is related to the translation, or whether the nature of the original writing. It just didn't flow as a story. There was a painful list of those aboard the Argo, which dragged for several pages, and each time there was a battle, it was explained which characters fought each other (often resorting to listing their fathers name too). It was just hard to get involved in.
Just a 3 star book, because I still picked up some of the references I expected, I just found it easy to put down, hard to pick backup.
I expected to enjoy this - I was enthralled by Tim Severin's The Jason Voyage. The Quest For The Golden Fleece, which traced a (theoretical) route of the classic Argo voyage.
However, this was hard work - an I don't know whether this is related to the translation, or whether the nature of the original writing. It just didn't flow as a story. There was a painful list of those aboard the Argo, which dragged for several pages, and each time there was a battle, it was explained which characters fought each other (often resorting to listing their fathers name too). It was just hard to get involved in.
Just a 3 star book, because I still picked up some of the references I expected, I just found it easy to put down, hard to pick backup.
May 9, 2022
ENGLISH: As usual, the original is better than modern adaptations. This is the second time I read it. The other was five years ago.
ESPAÑOL: Como siempre, el original es mejor que las adaptaciones modernas. Esta es la segunda vez que leo este libro. La primera fue hace cinco años.
ESPAÑOL: Como siempre, el original es mejor que las adaptaciones modernas. Esta es la segunda vez que leo este libro. La primera fue hace cinco años.
May 30, 2016
Apollonius of Rhodes lived in Alexandria during the Ptolemaic reigns, shortly after the death of Alexander the Great. Around early to mid 300 BCE. Long after the Homeric epics telling the tales of the Trojan War and Odysseus' journey home thereafter, and Virgil's account of Aeneas' journey to found Rome after the fall of Troy, and in no ancient Hellenic poetry is it more evident the evolution of storytelling than this bridge between Homeric antiquity and the later poems of the renaissance, a thousand years later. While Homer and Virgil both used metaphor and metonym to convey certain aspects of the human condition, and the intervention of onlooking Gods to explain motifs, Apollonius endows Jason, Heracles, Medea and the others with far more human emotions and interactions. Their motivations are issued more from themselves than from intervening Gods. Not lacking the traditional use of anachrony (the intervention of fateful circumstances overlaps of time) but also incorporating the breaking of the fourth wall, where the narrator addresses the reader directly, not found in the earlier epics.
While that should captivate literary fans, the mythology and the beautiful, almost modern-era to renaissance style will hypnotize and dazzle lovers of pure and brilliant storytelling, by a pioneer of his time. What's fascinating about this era of pre-monotheistic literature is the way all poets honored a specific timeline. Homer tells the story of Troy, wherein Achilles is a hero. As the Argonauts embark on their quest, Achilles is held up as an infant so his father, one of Jason's crew, can wave to him. In the Odeyssey, Circe mentions that only the Argo has ever passed through the clashing cliffs. Orpheus accompanies Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece, he the - or one of the tellers - of the tale of Cronos and his fatherhood of Zeus, a kind of Biblical account of the history of the world's creation according to their religion. Euripides of course told the doomed ending of Medea and Jason's love story, however these writers all existed at widely conflicting times. Homer lived hundreds of years before Apollonius. Euripides as well.
Most exciting for a writer such as myself, however, is Jason the character. As far removed from the courageous but savage Achilles as can be, and not near as thoughtful or intelligent as Odysseus, he is blundering, often cowardly, and I think no coincidence that his first heroic act, the slaying of his host, is a terrible mistake. While Achilles remains a great champion throughout the Illiad, and Odysseus a strong leader throughout The Odyssey, Jason's leadership is often called into question, and it is Heracles who uses his brawn to save the day most of the time, as with the Earthly Giants, and - most fascinatingly - the sorceress Medea. Upon Jason's acquisition of the Golden Fleece, he prances around with it like some bedazzled fool, while Medea is left to slay the guarding dragon. A sort of pre-feminism not properly honored today by most authors.
While that should captivate literary fans, the mythology and the beautiful, almost modern-era to renaissance style will hypnotize and dazzle lovers of pure and brilliant storytelling, by a pioneer of his time. What's fascinating about this era of pre-monotheistic literature is the way all poets honored a specific timeline. Homer tells the story of Troy, wherein Achilles is a hero. As the Argonauts embark on their quest, Achilles is held up as an infant so his father, one of Jason's crew, can wave to him. In the Odeyssey, Circe mentions that only the Argo has ever passed through the clashing cliffs. Orpheus accompanies Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece, he the - or one of the tellers - of the tale of Cronos and his fatherhood of Zeus, a kind of Biblical account of the history of the world's creation according to their religion. Euripides of course told the doomed ending of Medea and Jason's love story, however these writers all existed at widely conflicting times. Homer lived hundreds of years before Apollonius. Euripides as well.
Most exciting for a writer such as myself, however, is Jason the character. As far removed from the courageous but savage Achilles as can be, and not near as thoughtful or intelligent as Odysseus, he is blundering, often cowardly, and I think no coincidence that his first heroic act, the slaying of his host, is a terrible mistake. While Achilles remains a great champion throughout the Illiad, and Odysseus a strong leader throughout The Odyssey, Jason's leadership is often called into question, and it is Heracles who uses his brawn to save the day most of the time, as with the Earthly Giants, and - most fascinatingly - the sorceress Medea. Upon Jason's acquisition of the Golden Fleece, he prances around with it like some bedazzled fool, while Medea is left to slay the guarding dragon. A sort of pre-feminism not properly honored today by most authors.
November 6, 2018
Another book that's been in the "library" forever, not even sure how I got it in the first place.
Decided to finally give it a read, and it would have been 5-stars easily, but for the fact it's only part of the story.
I could look into why they would release it like this, but I don't find it that important.
It has whetted my appetite, however, to seek out the complete tale.
April 4, 2023
Second half a lot better than the first
February 4, 2024
Gosh, I love the Greek epics!!
January 14, 2025
Herakles and Hylas stan. Sorry Megs.
July 8, 2025
Fire. Get a bit tedious reading through all the names and lineages but once it kicks off man does it go crazy. Medea is insanely OP, makes you want to go on a quest with your closest friends.
March 14, 2024
Really enjoyed this. Faster action than the Illiad. Echoes of and interplay with the Odyssey. Can't wait to read it again
December 15, 2023
Dating from the third century BCE, this epic poem, originally written in Latin, retells the classical myth in a style reminiscent of Homer’s work. The author is apparently actually from Alexandria, but came to be associated with Rhodes for some reason, possibly because he was exiled there. The epic tells of the adventures of Jason, a handsome guy who mostly lets everyone else do things for him. But then, maybe that’s a hard thing to avoid when the crew of the Argo includes so many heroes of other myths, including the big guy himself, Hercules. There’s even some discussion early on that maybe he should be the one who leads the expedition, but he’s not known for his leadership abilities, and stays behind on an island after his companion Hylas drowns, leading to suspicion that Jason left him there on purpose. The Dioscuri are also there, and Polydeuces kills the belligerent King Amycus in a boxing match. Zetes and Calais, sons of the North Wind Boreas, chase away the Harpies who are tormenting the blind seer Phineas. Hera and Aphrodite conspire to make Medea fall in love with Jason, enough so to betray her family and kill her brother Apsyrtus to help out her new lover. And he has the audacity to marry someone else in Corinth, although that’s not part of this story. Jason compares their situation to that of Theseus and Ariadne, conveniently leaving out the part where he leaves the Cretan Princess alone on an island. It’s also weird because Theseus is often said to have encountered Medea when he first arrived in Athens. There’s also a mention that Theseus isn’t himself one of the Argonauts because he’s trapped in the Underworld, which again would presumably have been after he met Medea. It’s one of the hazards of tying together different stories with the same characters, I suppose; the people who told these myths didn’t have a continuity guide to work with. I’ve heard indications that some versions of the story have the Argonauts encountering the Hesperides, who are said to live in the far west, way out of the way of any route from Colchis to Iolchus. The explanation here is that the ship is blown off course after almost getting back to Iolchus, in a manner reminiscent of Odysseus with Ithaca. When Jason and company reach the home of the Hesperides, they’re told that Hercules had just been there and taken their apples, so I guess they’re not going with the version I heard first, that Atlas got the apples for Hercules. It fits with how the more famous hero is always on the periphery of this story even when he’s not in it. The Argonauts also visit the part of Italy where Phaethon fell to Earth. I’ve seen indications that he landed in the mythical northern land of Hyperborea, but I believe the Italian location has to do with how the Po River was associated with the constellation Eridanus. Phaethon, as a son of Helios, would also have been Medea’s uncle. Her aunt, Circe, also plays a role, performing a ritual to absolve her and Jason of their murder of Apsyrtus. There are a lot of references throughout the poem of the Argonauts establishing various shrines and cultic centers, presumably ones that still existed in Apollonius’ time. And that’s not even getting into the six-armed giants.
January 14, 2025
Apollonius of Rhodes lived in Alexandria during the Ptolemaic reigns, shortly after the death of Alexander the Great. Around early to mid 300 BCE. Long after the Homeric epics telling the tales of the Trojan War and Odysseus' journey home thereafter, and Virgil's account of Aeneas' journey to found Rome after the fall of Troy, and in no ancient Hellenic poetry is it more evident the evolution of storytelling than this bridge between Homeric antiquity and the later poems of the renaissance, a thousand years later.
While Homer and Virgil both used metaphor and metonym to convey certain aspects of the human condition, and the intervention of on-looking Gods to explain motifs, Apollonius endows Jason, Heracles, Medea and the others with far more human emotions and interactions. Their motivations are issued more from themselves than from intervening Gods. Not lacking the traditional use of anachrony (the intervention of fateful circumstances overlaps of time) but also incorporating the breaking of the fourth wall, where the narrator addresses the reader directly, not found in the earlier epics.
While that should captivate literary fans, the mythology and the beautiful, almost modern-era to renaissance style will hypnotize and dazzle lovers of pure and brilliant storytelling, by a pioneer of his time. What's fascinating about this era of pre-monotheistic literature is the way all poets honored a specific timeline.
Homer tells the story of Troy, wherein Achilles is a hero. As the Argonauts embark on their quest, Achilles is held up as an infant so his father, one of Jason's crew, can wave to him. In the Odyssey, Circe mentions that only the Argo has ever passed through the clashing cliffs. Orpheus accompanies Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece, he the - or one of the tellers - of the tale of Cronos and his fatherhood of Zeus, a kind of Biblical account of the history of the world's creation according to their religion. Euripides of course told the doomed ending of Medea and Jason's love story, however these writers all existed at widely conflicting times. Homer lived hundreds of years before Apollonius. Euripides as well.
Most exciting for a writer such as myself, however, is Jason the character. As far removed from the courageous but savage Achilles as can be, and not near as thoughtful or intelligent as Odysseus, he is blundering, often cowardly, and I think no coincidence that his first heroic act, the slaying of his host, is a terrible mistake. While Achilles remains a great champion throughout the Iliad, and Odysseus a strong leader throughout The Odyssey, Jason's leadership is often called into question, and it is Heracles who uses his brawn to save the day most of the time, as with the Earthly Giants, and - most fascinatingly - the sorceress Medea. Upon Jason's acquisition of the Golden Fleece, he prances around with it like some bedazzled fool, while Medea is left to slay the guarding dragon. A sort of pre-feminism not properly honored today by most authors.
While Homer and Virgil both used metaphor and metonym to convey certain aspects of the human condition, and the intervention of on-looking Gods to explain motifs, Apollonius endows Jason, Heracles, Medea and the others with far more human emotions and interactions. Their motivations are issued more from themselves than from intervening Gods. Not lacking the traditional use of anachrony (the intervention of fateful circumstances overlaps of time) but also incorporating the breaking of the fourth wall, where the narrator addresses the reader directly, not found in the earlier epics.
While that should captivate literary fans, the mythology and the beautiful, almost modern-era to renaissance style will hypnotize and dazzle lovers of pure and brilliant storytelling, by a pioneer of his time. What's fascinating about this era of pre-monotheistic literature is the way all poets honored a specific timeline.
Homer tells the story of Troy, wherein Achilles is a hero. As the Argonauts embark on their quest, Achilles is held up as an infant so his father, one of Jason's crew, can wave to him. In the Odyssey, Circe mentions that only the Argo has ever passed through the clashing cliffs. Orpheus accompanies Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece, he the - or one of the tellers - of the tale of Cronos and his fatherhood of Zeus, a kind of Biblical account of the history of the world's creation according to their religion. Euripides of course told the doomed ending of Medea and Jason's love story, however these writers all existed at widely conflicting times. Homer lived hundreds of years before Apollonius. Euripides as well.
Most exciting for a writer such as myself, however, is Jason the character. As far removed from the courageous but savage Achilles as can be, and not near as thoughtful or intelligent as Odysseus, he is blundering, often cowardly, and I think no coincidence that his first heroic act, the slaying of his host, is a terrible mistake. While Achilles remains a great champion throughout the Iliad, and Odysseus a strong leader throughout The Odyssey, Jason's leadership is often called into question, and it is Heracles who uses his brawn to save the day most of the time, as with the Earthly Giants, and - most fascinatingly - the sorceress Medea. Upon Jason's acquisition of the Golden Fleece, he prances around with it like some bedazzled fool, while Medea is left to slay the guarding dragon. A sort of pre-feminism not properly honored today by most authors.
November 20, 2022
My essay on "Ekphrasis in Apollonius: Jason's Cloak" is posted at http://williamseaton.blogspot.com/201....
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March 19, 2025Compared to this, Wikipedia articles on the same topic are easier to understand and more interesting.
April 28, 2025
its so sad how jason ended in medea´s story
but it was one of the most entertaining greeks books ive read
i´ve read this in 2014 thanks to my dad who also liked mithology and buyed me this book
but it was one of the most entertaining greeks books ive read
i´ve read this in 2014 thanks to my dad who also liked mithology and buyed me this book
July 18, 2025
The translation felt needlessly high brow and unreadable. DNF at 70% but will try again with a different translation.
May 20, 2025
dnf bc life is too short
January 24, 2016
Jason and the Argonauts (extract) by Apollonius of Rhodes - Good
This was a Penguin 60s classic, so only an extract of the full book. It's the prose of the opening verses detailing the start of the quest. If you like greek classics (I do, I've read the Illiad and Odyssey, plus the Latin classic The Aeneid... the latter in Latin a looooong time ago), then you'll love this. If not, then avoid.
This was a Penguin 60s classic, so only an extract of the full book. It's the prose of the opening verses detailing the start of the quest. If you like greek classics (I do, I've read the Illiad and Odyssey, plus the Latin classic The Aeneid... the latter in Latin a looooong time ago), then you'll love this. If not, then avoid.
October 3, 2021
Great classic - despite being only 55 pages, it does give off quite a heavy read vibe throughout the text - so def recommend to those who want a short complex read.
Also - bought a copy of this from the Southbank book market under Waterloo Bridge - definitely a place worth visiting if you're in London.
Also - bought a copy of this from the Southbank book market under Waterloo Bridge - definitely a place worth visiting if you're in London.
February 8, 2025
(i bought the physical copy from a bookstore in newtown, many moons ago.)
a short part of The Argonautica — pretty good, i liked the second half more specifically since the ‘action’ is there. first part was about gathering everyone for the voyage. very keen to read the rest of the myth because of this!
a short part of The Argonautica — pretty good, i liked the second half more specifically since the ‘action’ is there. first part was about gathering everyone for the voyage. very keen to read the rest of the myth because of this!
September 29, 2021
A short extract from the Argonautica, beginning with the gathering of the ship's crew and ending while the Argo is still heading towards Colchis. Better to read the whole poem really, because it's not very long. I noticed several misprints in this Penguin 60s Classics selection.
January 24, 2008
I'm a sucker for mythology. I just love it! And the epic struggles in this story continue to amaze me.
June 19, 2016
Wonderful to read a Greek Classic instead of watching it on tv
April 13, 2019
This translation was a real slog but the story was there. It just needed unearthing.
April 21, 2020
3.5 stars
September 4, 2021
4.5 stars😌😌would’ve been five but i did not enjoy the list of irrelevant names at the start🤭cant wait to read the whole book one day
October 10, 2021
While I would have to learn anceint Greek to get the full scope of rhyme and rhythm, being able to read a foundational myth hundreds of years later is something to marvel at.
September 2, 2024
Listened in 2016
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