The Hour
25 Book Club will host a discussion on Apollonius Rhodius Argonautica
Book 3, via Google+ Hangout on Tuesday, August 11 at 11 a.m.
You can find R.C.
Seaton’s translation of the text online for free here,
or you can read any other edition you prefer.
Here is my first random notes in preparation for August 11;
I just thought the
followinger were beautiful and dreadful;
(283) “and
he shot at Medea; and speechless amazement seized her soul. But the god himself
flashed back again from the high-roofed hall, laughing loud; and the bolt burnt
deep down in the maiden's heart like a flame; and ever she kept darting bright
glances straight up at Aeson's son, and within her breast her heart panted fast
through anguish, all remembrance left” (297)
“Love the destroyer;”…“shone the son of Aeson for beauty and grace; and the
maiden looked at him with stealthy glance, holding her bright veil aside, her
heart smouldering with pain; and her soul creeping like a dream flitted in his
track…”
Some where I got the
impression the sovereignity of Colchis was dependent on ownership of the Golden
Fleece, sort of like King Nisus of Megara’s purple lock of hair [HYGINUS, FABULAE 198] .
But I haven’t seen that mentioned yet in the Argonautica. What I have seen is “the heart of ruthless Aeetes” (492). Aeetes who would have killed his future son-in-law
and bringer of the golden fleece “Phrixus, who surpassed all strangers in gentleness
and fear of the gods” (584)
if the gods hadn’t stopped him. Aeetes
who had “bitter foes the Sauromatae”
on his borders and feared the betrayal of his relatives. Now admitted this all predisposes King Aeetes
to be leary of Jason and the Argonauts, but what if he’d said “Yes, that nasty
old goat skin is yours!” In that case,
the neighboring nasty tribe would have been vanquished, his son and heir would
have survived making his crown more secure and he would have gotten rid of
Medea. Bad decision little influenced by
the gods I think. [i]
I keep seeing
examples of indecision standing on the threshold or some other liminal
spot. (525)“refrain and abide in your ship a little longer as before, for it is
better to forbear than recklessly to choose an evil fate.” (647). “she
desired to go to her sister, and crossed the threshold. And for long she stayed
there at the entrance of her chamber,”
(663) “Thrice she made the attempt and thrice she
checked herself, the fourth time she fell on her bed face downward,” Doesn’t Apollo warn off some warrior three
times in The Iliad and on the fourth attempt the guy ends up face down in the
dirt?
[i] Do all the kingdoms adjoining the Black Sea
kill strangers? As in the Land of
Taurians where Iphigenia sacrificed strangers to Artemis. HYGINUS, FABULAE 120 and Hdt. 4.103
