Description
Book SynopsisBy the time the Roman poet Valerius Flaccus wrote in the first century CE, the tale of Jason and his famous ship had been retold so often it was a byword for poetic banality. Why, then, did Valerius construct his epic
Argonautica? Jessica Blum-Sorensen argues that it was precisely the myth’s overplayed nature that appealed to Valerius.
Trade ReviewThis exciting new study of Valerius Flaccus’
Argonautica brings out the richness of this often underrated poem, showing its political sophistication and its importance for understanding the culture of Roman exemplarity. Anyone interested in Roman epic and its development should read this for an astute overview of the generic complexity and a balanced assessment of Valerius’ politics." - Helen Lovatt, author of
The Epic Gaze: Vision, Gender and Narrative in Ancient Epic "Blum-Sorensen’s focus on the ambivalence of mimetic behavior allows for a middle path between optimistic and pessimistic readings of Valerius’
Argonautica. This is an original and compelling interpretation, one that enhances our understanding of Valerius’ text and the politics of Latin epic more broadly." - Tim Stover, author of
Epic and Empire in Vespasianic Rome: A New Reading of Valerius Flaccus’ArgonauticaTable of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. Conflicting Agendas
- 2. Hercules in the Jovian Age
- 3. Exemplary Translation
- 4. Juno’s Tragedy
- 5. Mistaken Identities
- 6. Through the Looking Glass
- 7. Rome Refracted
- Conclusion
- References
- Index
- Index Locorum
