EUR  â¬154.80EUR  â¬129.00 excl. VAT
Valerius Flaccus and the rewriting of the Argonautica
An intertextual commentary on book 1.481â850
Series: - Mnemosyne, Supplements, Volume: 508
Author:
This book offers an intertextual study of the Argonautsâ departure from Pagasae in Book 1 (ll. 481â850) of Valerius Flaccusâ Argonautica. The episode is examined from structural and verbal perspectives to show how the poetâs literary models interact in shaping the text. The three main scenes â the council of the gods, the storm and the death of Jasonâs parents â are analyzed in their broader development and through a line-by-line intertextual commentary, with attention to Valerius Flaccusâ imitative techniques. The final chapter (Venturing beyond) presents a metapoetic reading that explores the reworking of the Flavian poetâs principal models.
Lorenzo Vespoli, Ph.D. (Université de Genève, 2024), is a post-doctoral fellow at the Justus Liebig-Universität GieÃen. His research focuses on Greek and Latin literature of the Imperial period and on the reception of classical texts in Humanism. He has published books and many articles, including the critical edition of Angelo Polizianoâs (1454â1494) marginal notes on Virgilâs Eclogues (Olschki, 2024) and an edition with translation and commentary of Plutarchâs Life of Cicero (Rusconi, 2025).
Primarily aimed at specialists in Flavian epic, the book also reaches a wider audience, as its method is broadly applicable to other classical authors. It will interest academic institutes, libraries, specialists, and postgraduate students.