The Tale of the Argonauts

Chapter 9: TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

About This Book

The poem recounts a young leader's quest to retrieve a prized golden object, assembling a crew of renowned companions and commissioning a crafted ship with divine guidance. Their sea voyage passes a series of episodic adventures—an island of wronged women, encounters with hostile coastal peoples and supernatural challengers, aid given and received by prophetic figures, and navigation through dangerous, moving rocks. Upon reaching a distant kingdom they confront imposed tasks, win assistance from a powerful sorceress, and secure the prize. The narrative follows their perilous return and reflects on fate, divine intervention, collective heroism, and the mixture of skill and persuasion required for success.

FOOTNOTES

[1] To him is attributed the saying, ‘A great book is a great evil.’

[2] ‘The Bird of the Nile’ in satirical allusion to Apollonius’ birthplace being beside that river.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

Alterations to the text:

[Book I, l. 1263] Change “In fury in flung to the earth the pine...” to he.

[Book IV] Add missing line numbers: 20 to “And there had the maiden beyond...”, and 1170 to “So soon as the dawn with her...”.

[Book IV, l. 754] Change “Tidings to her, whan she spied...” to when.

Note: minor spelling inconsistencies (e.g. Arês/Ares, Lêto/Leto, Tritônis/Tritonis, etc.) were left as-is.

[End of Text]