The Argonautica, Jason and the Argonauts: Parallel English/Greek (Forgotten Books) Book

Book Description: "The Argonautica tells the story of the journey of Jason and the Argonauts to the land of Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece. The story of the Argonauts was a traditional cycle of myths which Apollonius of Rhodes wove into this saga at the turn of the third century BCE. Apollonius, born about 270 BC, was a librarian at the great Library of Alexandria. He composed the Argonautica in his youth, but it got a poor reception in Alexandria. Rejected, he moved to Rhodes where he gained fame as a teacher, and his poem got more respect. Eventually he returned to Alexandria, where the Argonautica was finally acclaimed. Opinions differed in antiquity on the Argonautica; some Romans such as Virgil held it in high esteem. Quintillian and Longinus criticized it as mediocre.In the Argonautica, Jason is impelled on his quest by King Peleas, who receives a prophecy that a man with one sandal would be his nemesis. Jason, a hero-in-training, loses a sandal in a river, arrives at the court of Peleas, and the epic is set in motion. So Peleas sends Jason off on the ultimate scavenger hunt for 'The Golden Fleece.' Jason assembles an 'A list' of Greek heroes, including Odysseus, Orpheus, Heracles and dozens of others. They journey in a great ship, the Argo, to the eastern end of the Black Sea, essentially to the ends of the earth. This story is also retold for young adults at this site in The Heroes, by Charles Kingsley.The Argonautica has impacted our culture from the Aeneid to Star Trek. The Golden Fleece has become a byword for 'an unobtainable object.' And who can forget Ray Harryhausen's classic stop motion animation in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts? The pre-Raphaelite John William Waterhouse painting above, which is a favorite college dorm room poster, depicts an incident from the Argonautica where Hylas (or Aeolas), the companion of Heracles, is seduced and carried away by a water-nymph, to Heracles' inconsolable sorrow." (Quote from sacred-texts.com)Table of Contents: Publisher's Preface; Book 1; Line 1; Line 105; Line 202; Line 306; Line 402; Line 512; Line 609; Line 700; Line 834; Line 910; Line 1012; Line 1103; Line 1207; Line 1315; Book 2; Line 1; Line 145; Line 209; Line 301; Line 408; Line 500; Line 611; Line 714; Line 811; Line 911; Line 1002; Line 1123; Line 1200; Book 3; Line 1; Line 100; Line 210; Line 304; Line 401; Line 502; Line 609; Line 705; Line 802; Line 912; Line 1008; Line 1102; Line 1225; Line 1326; Book 4; Line 1; Line 109; Line 206; Line 303; Line 410; Line 503; Line 627; Line 718; Line 833; Line 922; Line 1014; Line 1110; Line 1228; Line 1318; Line 1422; Line 1502; Line 1601; Line 1731About the Publisher: Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, Esoteric and Mythology. www.forgottenbooks.orgForgotten Books is about sharing information, not about making money. All books are priced at wholesale prices. We are also the only publisher we know of to print in large sans-serif font, which is proven to make the text easier to read and put less strain on your eyes.Read More