The Renewal of Epic considers various modes of allusion to Homer in the Argonautica of Apollonius, dealing not only with similarities in phraseology but also with thematic and structural resemblances.
After an introduction, two chapters discuss Apollonian techniques in treating repeated Homeric scenes: sacrifice, shipwreck, boxing and battle. The central section of the work considers the multiple links between the adventures of the Argonauts and Odysseus' wanderings. A final chapter explores Apollonius' innovative treatment of the divine, both generally and in particular scenes.
The work shows convincingly that the Argonautica reproduces many of the patterns which have been found in the Iliad and Odyssey. It demonstrates the presence of allusion at every level in the poem, linking it to its predecesors and acting as an essential interpretative aid to the reader.
Virginia Knight studied at Merton College, Oxford and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, obtaining a Ph.D. in Classics from Cambridge University in 1990. She now works at the University of Manchester and has published articles on Hellenistic literature.
'I was particularly impressed by K.'s exegesis of the Lemnos episode as a further case in point.
Steven Jackson, Classical Review, 1998.
Anyone studying the Argonautica, Greek literature of the Hellenistic period, epic poetry in general and allusion in literature.