About this title: The "Argonautika", the only surviving epic of the Hellenistic era, is the retelling of the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Apollonios Rhodios, the author of the "Argonautika", was appointed Chief Librarian in the legendary library of Alexandria c.265 BC, composing the epic on Rhodes.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: 11-30-97
ISBN-13:9780520076877ISBN:0520076877
Description: FINE. Superb, crisp, clean, unread paperback with very light shelfwear to the covers and publisher's mark to one edge-GREAT! 0.75 lbs. read more
Edition: 3rd Printing
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Univ of California Pr, Ewing, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780520076877ISBN:0520076877
Description: Good. No Dust Jacket as Issued. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. Book shows moderate wear/ spine tight, pages clean/ covers creased; moderate edge wear/ corners creased/ several page tips creased. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780520076877ISBN:0520076877
Description: Very Good. *** Great condition *** clean copy *** no highlights ***G4E Excellent condition *** No highlighting *** Shipped promptly *** Great customer service *** read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: 1997-11-30
ISBN-13:9780520076877ISBN:0520076877
Description: Good. University of California Press [Published date: 1997]. Soft cover, 301 pp. Reprint. Good/NO dust jacket. Pictorial soft cover has light bumping to edges and creasing to corners with a bit of fraying to the tips of the corners. Light overall rubbing. Binding tight. Pages clean and unmarked. NOT Ex-library. NO remainder marks. read more
Edition: Text is Free of Markings
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University of California Press, Berkeley, CA
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780520076877ISBN:0520076877
Description: Near Fine. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 301 pp. Tightly bound. Spine not compromised. read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: University of California Press
ISBN-13:9780520076877ISBN:0520076877
Description: Good. 0520076877 21068 PB: spine creased, text clean, cover has slight shelf wear-allow up to 21 business days for standard USPS media m a i l. wt2lbpf. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: 1997-11-30
ISBN-13:9780520076877ISBN:0520076877
Description: Very Good. Very good paperback copy. Spine is uncreased, maps, binding and text also in very good condition. Shelfwear is very minor. read more
Description: Very good; Collectible. No writings/underlines/highlights. Pages are very nice and clean. back cover sligtly bended. Minor brown mark on top of edge. Satisfaction guaranteed! Fast! read more
Binding: PAPERBACK
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: 1997-01-01
ISBN-13:9780520076877ISBN:0520076877
Description: New. 0520076877 The first commentary since 1912 on all four books of the Argonautika, the tale of Jason and the quest for the Golden Fleece, is accompanied by a dynamic translation of the Hellenistic epic which was a radical depature from the Homeric tradition, featuring a rather unsensational hero whose best quality is being a hit with the ladies, and a heroine who is a major chracter in her own right: a virgin sorceress whose magic brings Jason's triumph yet cannot save her from her own ... read more
"The Argonautika is an epic from late ancient Greece, after Alexander but before the Roman invasion. It is about Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece, for which he voyages to the remote reaches of the Black Sea. There he survives the ordeal which king Aiêtês, the owner of the Fleece, assigns him, then steals the fleece and escapes with the king's daughter Mêdeia who has been secretly helping him.
It is less than half as long as the Homeric epics and so the details of plot and character are a lot less vivid. Has some great descriptions, though, and I particularly liked the part in Aiêtês's kingdom."
"Here is an adventure tale that continues to impress itself upon our lives. Though little is known about the author, the story is one of iconic legend accompanied by many a commentary on Hellenic origin myths. The writing is often quite lyrical, and many situations are dealt with in a humorous combination of overstatement and wry remark.
What impressed me the most as I read this book was the author's keen eye for human nature and the dramatic moment. This story is in many ways still as lively and entertaining as when it was written. Part of the success of this work is that Apollonius portrays Jason not as an epic hero but as an ordinary man. This distinction becomes quite clear when Jason is faced by task he must complete to win the Golden Fleece. Ultimately love wins the day, which becomes one of the genuine surprises of this book. The narrative very skillfully changes from a tale of violent conquest into a highly-symbolic romance.
Further, this story is in a way the antipodes of Homer's Odyssey in that Odysseus is fighting to find his way home to his wife while Jason is fighting to find the woman he is destined to marry. In the end, The Voyage of Argo has a great deal to say about the fickleness of love. The passages on Medea's romance still strike the right chords. There are moments that are downright heartbreaking, and one is left wondering at how little people have changed in all these many years."
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