The most famed account of the Argonauts’ journey from Greece to Colchis is the epic poem “the Argonautica” written by Apollonius Rhodes during the third century BC, however, many accounts of the journey have been told over time and award us a vast range of tales regarding the adventure to secure the Golden Fleece.
The Argonauts themselves consisted of some of the most skilled warriors during the Age of Heroes. Led by Jason, son of Aeson, the Argonauts comprised of heroes such as Heracles, Orpheus, Idmon, gifted with prophecy, Peleus, father of Achilles and Kalais and Zetes, the sons of Boreas.
There is a general consensus amongst authors that the Argonauts stopped initially on the island of Lemnos. The Lemnians comprised solely of women as
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Having been gifted with prophecy by Phoebus Apollo, Phineus was cursed to endure eternal starvation due to the Harpies of Zeus who constantly stole food from the seer (Apollonius. Argonautica. 2. 178). Phineus recited a prophecy which stated that the sons of Boreas, Zetes and Kalais, had the ability to rid Phineus of the Harpies (Paus. 3. 18. 15). They attempted to do so using violence but were ordered not to strike the “hounds of Zeus” by Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, who swore that she would forbid the Harpies from terrorising Phineus. In gratitude, Phineus rewarded the Argonauts with knowledge of the location of Colchis, advising them to pass through the clashing Cythaen Rockss in order to reach their desired land (Apollonius, Argonautica.2. 316) These crucial pieces of information guided the Argonauts to the shores of Colchis and therefore the meeting with Phineus, the seer, is an episode of great importance in the myth of …show more content…
They released a white dove and observed whether the bird would succeed in flying through them. According to Apollodorus, the dove succeeded in the passage, losing but a few feathers from her tail, and the Argonauts managed to mimic the bird’s good fortune with the assistance of Hera. (Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, 1.9.22) Homer reveals in the Odyssey that Hera guided the ship through the rocks (Hom, Od. 12.36. 70). It is indicated by Apollonius, however, that is was with the aid of Athena that the Argonauts passed through the rocks unharmed, as the war goddess held both cliffs open for the Argo’s passage.
Apollonius claims that the Argonauts sailed to the island of King Lycus, who ruled over the land of the Mariandyni and who rewarded the sailors with gifts for ending the tyrannous rule of Amycus (Apollonius, Argonautica,2. 752). During their time spent on the island, Idmon perishes, as he previously had foretold, at the hands of a boar. Another Argonaut, Tiphys, was killed by an unknown sickness during their stay. Ancaeus assumed the position of steering the ship following the death of Tiphys, the original Helmsman of the
“The Odyssey” is an epic written by Homer between 750 and 650 B.C. It is the tale of the main hero’s, Odysseus’s, journey home to Ithaca from Troy. It takes place after the Trojan War and is the sequel to “The Iliad.” Odysseus and his men set sail from Troy and come across the lair of the lotus eaters. After escaping, they run into the cyclops,
Greek mythology is a beloved part of literature that has given humans thousands of stories to tell. From stories about deadly quests, powerful deities, to the even more famed aspect of Greek Mythology, its epic heroes. One of the many authors who took inspiration from Greek Mythology, and will serve as reference for this paper, is Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. 1988. The most well known epic heroes from Greek Mythology which Edith Hamilton writes about in her book are Hercules, Jason, Perseus, and Theseus, but the debate lies in which of these heroes is the best. To which the answer is, Theseus is the better epic hero because he possessed superior strength, intelligence, and courage, he was the most just from all other heroes,
Homer’s famous work, The Odyssey, is the epic tale of Odysseus’ decade-long journey to return home from the Trojan War. It was during the finale of the war, Battle of Troy, that Odysseus employed his celebrated Wooden Horse stratagem. His treacherous journey home is marked by catastrophe after catastrophe, but Homer uses these challenges to develop Odysseus’ character, to humble him and to give him knowledge. This essay will examine Odysseus’ identity and its progression throughout the book; the explanation of the metaphor of “home”; ancient Greek society; and the character development of Penelope, Telemachus and the Suitors. Odysseus began his journey after the Battle of Troy and the conclusion of the Trojan War.
The decision of Achilleus is a crucial moment in understanding how fate works in epic (Homerian) literature. Thetis tells Achilleus of his opportunity to win renown as the greatest warrior of all time, earning glory through his fearless acts in battle against a foe who is sure to overcome the Achaians. The fate of ten years of attack on Troy hinge upon the decision of Achilleus, who is given the choice to win glory for the Achaians and, more importantly, himself.
Olsen, S. D. "The Stories of Agamemnon in Homer's Odyssey." Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-) 120 (1990): 57-71. JSTOR. Web. .
In this essay I will compare and contrast the qualities and plights of both Aeneas and Gilgamesh. These two epic heroes share similar fates, yet are very different in personality.
During this time Mediterranean Sea trade was starting to boom and sea travel was a norm. Being that Greece had a sea based economy stories of sea travel were very common. This is why Homer created the odyssey following the character named Odysseus on his travels across the sea and faced many challenges but triumphed over them proving his arête The Odyssey was meant to inform the audience of the struggles of Odysseus a great general and member of the elite on his voyage home from the battle of troy. The section of the odyssey that was read in class was taken from “Book 9: In the one-eyed giants cave”. In this part Odysseus leads his men to an island only to discover that it is inhabited by Cyclopes one in particular takes him and his men hostage. The main point that stands out in this story is how cunning Odysseus is when dealing with ...
In conclusion, one sees that honor is central to the Greeks because honor is the foundation of family and society. Both texts, the Iliad and Antigone depict the goal of every Greek hero is to ensure his place in the social memory of his society by seeking honor in his lifetime and performing a proper burial after he passes away. The pursuit of honor is the driving force for what Greeks have done to their society, family and friends. Both texts imply that family’s love is a main ingredient in making decisions. Because of love, Achilles, Priam and Antigone are willing to sacrifice themselves in order to gain honor for themselves as well as for their families.
Homer's Iliad is replete with "bitterness," a term employed for its absolutist depictions of the ferocity and prolonged spite of ancient Greek warriors. The weight of this term is made apparent in the opening passage: "What god was it then set [Achilleus and Agamemnon] in bitter collision?" (I. 8). The seeds of bitterness have been planted and this story--an epical account of the Greeks pillaging the land of Troy in the final year of the Trojan War--is narrated not to recreate history, but to furnish a backdrop of wartime valor that brings to fore the struggles of pride entertained by Achilleus vis-à-vis Agamemnon. Their fueled interactions form the basis of The Iliad, advancing the plot-line and revealing peculiar insights into their self-absorbed and selfish natures--the ultimate focus of The Iliad.
We have read two myths of great heroes this semester, Virgil’s The Aeneid and Homer’s The Odyssey. In both of these tales we get to go along with two great heroes on their journey home and all of the troubles that they face. Although these stories tell us about two great heroes and their journey there are a lot of differences. In this paper I will compare and contrast scenes from both myths and suggest a reason that this borrowing was appropriate for what Vergil was trying to do with his version of the myth.
Arthur Ashe, a renowned tennis player who contributed his later life to research for AIDS, once said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” By stating this, Ashe expresses that a true hero does not look to win against people but will help them along the way. The Odyssey, an epic centered around a so called “hero,” from the Trojan War, narrates the struggles and difficult decisions the main character Odysseus makes in order to get back to his son Telemachus and wife Penelope. Although Odysseus shows many gallant qualities, like being courageous, strong, and brave, he shouldn’t be considered a hero because he doesn’t meet
Jason sent on an impossible mission by a king in order to remove him from the country. Both Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece and Odysseus' journey home is thrust upon them. Jason does not feel the same need to complete his journey unlike Odysseus whom yearns to return home out of a feeling of nostos. Jason's story is more a story of multiple heroes where the Odyssey surrounds the story of one man, a king, and his followers. Odysseus was the "thinking man's hero," One of the famous warriors of the Trojan War, it was Odysseus who retrieved the slain body and armor of Achilles in the thick of heavy fighting. It was Odysseus who devised the stratagem of the Trojan Horse. His virtue was his mind, a supernatural type of ingenuity and intelligence that he used to overcome the trials of his journey, such as: The Cyclops, Circe, and how to deal with his wife's multitude of suitors. Jason is much more human with less personal devices to help him achieve his goal. Jason must rely on the supernatural talents and gifts of his fellow-man in order to survive. Yet both men are very human when it comes to their faults and both can be seen and the anti-hero. Odysseus can be seen as such because is the new form of hero, the think before you kill, type of hero. His cr...
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.
However, while en route to find the Golden Fleece they first stopped on the island of Lemnos. This was an island inhabited solely by women. As punishment for their neglect of their worship to the goddess Aphrodite, she made the women so
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both are held in high respect by literature analysts and historians alike for the characterization of the hero and his companion, the imagery brought to mind when one of them is read, and the impressive length in relation to the time period it was written in. The similarities that these two epics share do not end with only those three; in fact, the comparability of these works extend to even the information on the author and the archetypes used. However, The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh contrast from one another in their writing styles, character details, and main ideas. Both epics weave together a story of a lost man who must find his way, but the path of their stories contrast from one another.