Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Apollonius of Rhodes

Role / Field:

3rd-century BC Greek epic poet, renowned for the influential poem, the Argonautica.

Born:

295 BC

Died:

215 BC

Century / Era:

-295s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Apollonius of Rhodes (Ancient Greek: Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Ῥόδιος, Apollṓnios o Rhódios; Latin: Apollonius Rhodius; fl. first half of 3rd century BC) was an ancient Greek author, best known for 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", 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, which were places of interest to the Ptolemies, whom he served as a scholar and librarian at the Library of Alexandria.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

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...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Antiochus IV Epiphanes — Contemporary (Born in -215) (-215): Seleucid King known for persecuting the Jews and initiating the Maccabean Revolt.
• Hiero II of Syracuse — Contemporary (Died in -215) (-215): Tyrant King of Syracuse, pivotal figure in Greek Sicily's history.
• Cassander — Contemporary figure (Died in -296) (-296): King of Macedonia and a key Diadochus who ruled over parts of Greece after Alexander the Great's death.
• Chandragupta Maurya — Contemporary figure (Died in -297) (-297): Founder of the Maurya Empire, establishing the first great imperial power in India.
• Song Yu — Contemporary figure (Born in -298) (-298): A renowned Chinese poet of the late Warring States period, famous for the Verses of Chu.
• Appius Claudius Caecus — Contemporary figure (Died in -300) (-300): Influential Roman statesman, writer, and architect of the Appian Way and Aqua Appia.
• Aristoxenus — Contemporary figure (Died in -300) (-300): A 4th century BC Peripatetic philosopher, known for his works on music and ethics.
• Megasthenes — Contemporary figure (Died in -290) (-290): Ancient Greek ethnographer renowned for his lost work, Indica, describing India.
• Menander — Contemporary figure (Died in -290) (-290): Master of Athenian New Comedy, Menander wrote 108 influential Greek comedies.
• -295 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -295
• -215 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from -215

Frequently Asked Questions about Apollonius of Rhodes