the argonautica-第1节

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The　Argonautica　
by　Apollonius　Rhodius　



INTRODUCTION

Much　has　been　written　about　the　chronology　of　Alexandrian　literature　and　the　famous　Library；　founded　by　Ptolemy　Soter；　but　the　dates　of　the　chief　writers　are　still　matters　of　conjecture。　The　birth　of　Apollonius　Rhodius　is　placed　by　scholars　at　various　times　between　296　and　260　B。C。；　while　the　year　of　his　death　is　equally　uncertain。　　In　fact；　we　have　very　little　information　on　the　subject。　　There　are　two　〃lives〃　of　Apollonius　in　the　Scholia；　both　derived　from　an　earlier　one　which　is　lost。　From　these　we　learn　that　he　was　of　Alexandria　by　birth；　（1）　that　he　lived　in　the　time　of　the　Ptolemies；　and　was　a　pupil　of　Callimachus；　that　while　still　a　youth　he　composed　and　recited　in　public　his　〃Argonautica〃；　and　that　the　poem　was　condemned；　in　consequence　of　which　he　retired　to　Rhodes；　that　there　he　revised　his　poem；　recited　it　with　great　applause；　and　hence　called　himself　a　Rhodian。　　The　second　〃life〃　adds：　〃Some　say　that　he　returned　to　Alexandria　and　again　recited　his　poem　with　the　utmost　success；　so　that　he　was　honoured　with　the　libraries　of　the　Museum　and　was　buried　with　Callimachus。〃　　The　last　sentence　may　be　interpreted　by　the　notice　of　Suidas；　who　informs　us　that　Apollonius　was　a　contemporary　of　Eratosthenes；　Euphorion　and　Timarchus；　in　the　time　of　Ptolemy　Euergetes；　and　that　he　succeeded　Eratosthenes　in　the　headship　of　the　Alexandrian　Library。　　Suidas　also　informs　us　elsewhere　that　Aristophanes　at　the　age　of　sixty…two　succeeded　Apollonius　in　this　office。　　Many　modern　scholars　deny　the　〃bibliothecariate〃　of　Apollonius　for　chronological　reasons；　and　there　is　considerable　difficulty　about　it。　　The　date　of　Callimachus'　〃Hymn　to　Apollo〃；　which　closes　with　some　lines　（105…113）　that　are　admittedly　an　allusion　to　Apollonius；　may　be　put　with　much　probability　at　248　or　247　B。C。　Apollonius　must　at　that　date　have　been　at　least　twenty　years　old。　Eratosthenes　died　196…193　B。C。　　This　would　make　Apollonius　seventy…two　to　seventy…five　when　he　succeeded　Eratosthenes。　　This　is　not　impossible；　it　is　true；　but　it　is　difficult。　　But　the　difficulty　is　taken　away　if　we　assume　with　Ritschl　that　Eratosthenes　resigned　his　office　some　years　before　his　death；　which　allows　us　to　put　the　birth　of　Apollonius　at　about　280；　and　would　solve　other　difficulties。　　For　instance；　if　the　Librarians　were　buried　within　the　precincts；　it　would　account　for　the　burial　of　Apollonius　next　to　CallimachusEratosthenes　being　still　alive。　　However　that　may　be；　it　is　rather　arbitrary　to　take　away　the　〃bibliothecariate〃　of　Apollonius；　which　is　clearly　asserted　by　Suidas；　on　account　of　chronological　calculations　which　are　themselves　uncertain。　　Moreover；　it　is　more　probable　that　the　words　following　〃some　say〃　in　the　second　〃life〃　are　a　remnant　of　the　original　life　than　a　conjectural　addition；　because　the　first　〃life〃　is　evidently　incomplete；　nothing　being　said　about　the　end　of　Apollonius'　career。

The　principal　event　in　his　life；　so　far　as　we　know；　was　the　quarrel　with　his　master　Callimachus；　which　was　most　probably　the　cause　of　his　condemnation　at　Alexandria　and　departure　to　Rhodes。　This　quarrel　appears　to　have　arisen　from　differences　of　literary　aims　and　taste；　but；　as　literary　differences　often　do；　degenerated　into　the　bitterest　personal　strife。　　There　are　references　to　the　quarrel　in　the　writings　of　both。　　Callimachus　attacks　Apollonius　in　the　passage　at　the　end　of　the　〃Hymn　to　Apollo〃；　already　mentioned；　also　probably　in　some　epigrams；　but　most　of　all　in　his　〃Ibis〃；　of　which　we　have　an　imitation；　or　perhaps　nearly　a　translation；　in　Ovid's　poem　of　the　same　name。　　On　the　part　of　Apollonius　there　is　a　passage　in　the　third　book　of　the　〃Argonautica〃　（11。　927…947）　which　is　of　a　polemical　nature　and　stands　out　from　the　context；　and　the　well…known　savage　epigram　upon　Callimachus。　（2）　　Various　combinations　have　been　attempted　by　scholars；　notably　by　Couat；　in　his　〃Poesie　Alexandrine〃；　to　give　a　connected　account　of　the　quarrel；　but　we　have　not　data　sufficient　to　determine　the　order　of　the　attacks；　and　replies；　and　counter…attacks。　　The　〃Ibis〃　has　been　thought　to　mark　the　termination　of　the　feud　on　the　curious　ground　that　it　was　impossible　for　abuse　to　go　further。　　It　was　an　age　when　literary　men　were　more　inclined　to　comment　on　writings　of　the　past　than　to　produce　original　work。　　Literature　was　engaged　in　taking　stock　of　itself。　　Homer　was；　of　course；　professedly　admired　by　all；　but　more　admired　than　imitated。　　Epic　poetry　was　out　of　fashion　and　we　find　many　epigrams　of　this　periodsome　by　Callimachusdirected　against　the　〃cyclic〃　poets；　by　whom　were　meant　at　that　time　those　who　were　always　dragging　in　conventional　and　commonplace　epithets　and　phrases　peculiar　to　epic　poetry。　　Callimachus　was　in　accordance　with　the　spirit　of　the　age　when　he　proclaimed　〃a　great　book〃　to　be　〃a　great　evil〃；　and　sought　to　confine　poetical　activity　within　the　narrowest　limits　both　of　subject　and　space。　　Theocritus　agreed　with　him；　both　in　principle　and　practice。　　The　chief　characteristics　of　Alexandrianism　are　well　summarized　by　Professor　Robinson　Ellis　as　follows：　〃Precision　in　form　and　metre；　refinement　in　diction；　a　learning　often　degenerating　into　pedantry　and　obscurity；　a　resolute　avoidance　of　everything　commonplace　in　subject；　sentiment　or　allusion。〃　　These　traits　are　more　prominent　in　Callimachus　than　in　Apollonius；　but　they　are　certainly　to　be　seen　in　the　latter。　　He　seems　to　have　written　the　〃Argonautica〃　out　of　bravado；　to　show　that　he　could　write　an　epic　poem。　　But　the　influence　of　the　age　was　too　strong。　　Instead　of　the　unity　of　an　Epic　we　have　merely　a　series　of　episodes；　and　it　is　the　great　beauty　and　power　of　one　of　these　episodes　that　gives　the　poem　its　permanent　valuethe　episode　of　the　love　of　Jason　and　Medea。　This　occupies　the　greater　part　of　the　third　book。　　The　first　and　second　books　are　taken　up　with　the　history　of　the　voyage　to　Colchis；　while　the　fourth　book　describes　the　return　voyage。　　These　portions　constitute　a　metrical　guide　book；　filled　no　doubt　with　many　pleasing　episodes；　such　as　the　rape　of　Hylas；　the　boxing　match　between　Pollux　and　Amyeus；　the　account　of　Cyzicus；　the　account　of　the　Amazons；　the　legend　of　Talos；　but　there　is　no　unity　running　through　the　poem　beyond　that　of　the　voyage　itself。

The　Tale　of　the　Argonauts　had　been　told　often　before　in　verse　and　prose；　and　many　authors'　names　are　given　in　the　Scholia　to　Apollonius；　but　their　works　have　perished。　　The　best　known　earlier　account　that　we　have　is　that　in　Pindar's　fourth　Pythian　ode；　from　which　Apollonius　has　taken　many　details。　　The　subject　was　one　for　an　epic　poem；　for　its　unity　might　have　been　found　in　the　working　out　of　the　expiation　due　for　the　crime　of　Athamas；　but　this　motive　is　barely　mentioned　by　our　author。

As　we　have　it；　the　motive　of　the　voyage　is　the　command　of　Pelias　to　bring　back　the　golden　fleece；　and　this　command　is　based　on　Pelias'　desire　to　destroy　Jason；　while　the　divine　aid　given　to　Jason　results　from　the　intention　of　Hera　to　punish　Pelias　for　his　neglect　of　the　honour　due　to　her。　　The　learning　of　Apollonius　is　not　deep　but　it　is　curious；　his　general　sentiments　are　not　according　to　the　Alexandrian　standard；　for　they　are　simple　and　obvious。　　In　the　mass　of　material　from　which　he　had　to　choose　the　difficulty　was　to　know　what　to　omit；　and　much　skill　is　shown　in　fusing　into　a　tolerably　harmonious　whole　conflicting　mythological　and　historical　details。　　He　interweaves　with　his　narrative　local　legends　and　the　founding　of　cities；　accounts　of　strange　customs；　descriptions　of　works　of　art；　such　as　that　of　Ganymede　and　Eros　playing　with　knucklebones；　（3）　but　prosaically　calls　himself　back　to　the　point　from　these　pleasing　digressions　by　such　an　expression　as　〃but　this　would　take　me　too　far　from　my　song。〃　　His　business　is　the　straightforward　tale　and　nothing　else。　　The　astonishing　geography　of　the　fourth　book　reminds　us　of　the　interest　of　the　age　in　that　subject；　stimulated　no　doubt　by　the　researches　of　Eratosthenes　and　others。

The　language　is　that　of　the　conventional　epic。　　Apollonius　seems　to　have　carefully　studied　Homeric　glosses；　and　gives　many　examples　of　isolated　uses；　but　his　choice　of　words　is　by　no　means　limited　to　Homer。　　He　freely　avails　himself　of　Alexandrian　words　and　late　uses　of　Homeric　words。　　Among　his　contemporaries　Apollonius　suffers　from　a　comparison　with　Theocritus；　who　was　a　little　his　senior；　but　he　was　much　admired　by　Roman　writers　who　derived　inspiration　from　the　great　classical　writers　of　Greece　by　way　of　Alexandria。　　In　fact　Alexandria　was　a　useful　bridge　between　Athens　and　Rome。　　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。　　Some　of　his　finest　passages　have　been　appropriated　and　improved　upon　by　Virgil　by　the　divine　right　of　superior　genius。　（4）　　The　subject　of　love　had　been　treated　in　the　romantic　spirit　before　the　time　of　Apollonius　in　writings　that　have　perished；　for　instance；　in　those　of　Antimachus　of　Colophon；　but　the　〃Argonautica〃　is　perhaps　the　first　poem　still　extant　in　which　the　expression　of　this　spirit　is　developed　with　elaboration。　　The　Medea　of　Apollonius　is　the　direct　precursor　of　the　Dido　of　Virgil；　and　it