Apollonius of Rhodes facts for kids

Apollonius of Rhodes (who lived in the first half of the 3rd century BC) was an ancient Greek writer. He is most famous for his epic poem called the Argonautica. This poem tells the exciting story of Jason and the Argonauts. They went on a dangerous quest to find the magical Golden Fleece.

The Argonautica is one of the few long epic poems from that time that we still have today. It was very new and important for its time. It even inspired later Roman poets like Virgil to write their own epics. Apollonius also wrote other poems, but only small parts of them remain. These poems were often about how cities like Alexandria and Cnidus were founded.

Apollonius worked as a scholar and librarian at the famous Library of Alexandria. He served the rulers of Ptolemaic Egypt. Some people think he had a disagreement with another famous poet and librarian, Callimachus. However, there is not much proof that this argument actually happened. We don't know a lot about Apollonius's life, and even his connection to the island of Rhodes is a bit of a mystery.

For a long time, people thought Apollonius was just copying the famous poet Homer. But recently, experts have started to appreciate his unique style. They see him as a smart poet who built on a long history of literature.

Life of Apollonius

We don't have much clear information about Apollonius of Rhodes. Most of what we know comes from a few old writings. These include two texts called Life of Apollonius, a 10th-century encyclopedia called the Suda, and an old papyrus from the 2nd century BC. These sources often don't agree with each other.

Early Life and Education

• Birth: The old texts say Apollonius's father was Silleus or Illeus. But these names are very rare. Some think they might come from a funny old play. The texts also disagree about where he was born. Some say Alexandria, while others say Naucratis, a city south of Alexandria. We don't know exactly when he was born.
• Student of Callimachus: Many sources say Apollonius was a student of the poet and scholar Callimachus. This might mean that Callimachus's writing influenced Apollonius. Their poems do show some similarities in style and themes.

Working at the Library

A coin showing Ptolemy III Euergetes, who may have been a pupil of Apollonius

• Head of the Library of Alexandria: Apollonius held an important job as the head of the famous Library of Alexandria. This library was a huge center for learning in the ancient world. He was likely in charge after 247/246 BC. This was when Ptolemy III Euergetes became king. Ptolemy III might have even been taught by Apollonius. There was another librarian named Apollonius, which has caused some confusion about his exact time in this role.

Connection to Rhodes

• Why "Rhodian"? Apollonius is called "Rhodian" because of some connection to the island of Rhodes. Some old stories say he moved there from Alexandria. They even disagree about whether he died in Rhodes or came back to Alexandria. He might have been a famous teacher in Rhodes. But it's also possible he was called "Rhodian" simply because he wrote a poem about the island.

Stories About His Life

Old stories sometimes say famous poets had to leave their cities. This was often because their work wasn't liked. Similarly, some stories say Apollonius moved to Rhodes because his poem, the Argonautica, wasn't popular in Alexandria at first.

One story says he rewrote the Argonautica in Rhodes. It became so good that he returned to Alexandria as a hero. There, he supposedly got a job at the library. These stories might have been made up to explain why there were different versions of his poem.

For a long time, people thought there was a big fight between Apollonius and Callimachus. Some old writings mention Callimachus writing a harsh poem. And an old poem blamed Callimachus for something. But other sources say Apollonius and Callimachus were friends. Some even say they were buried together. Most experts today think the idea of a big feud has been greatly exaggerated. It might not have happened at all.

Apollonius as a Scholar

Apollonius was also a very important scholar. He studied the works of Homer deeply. He even wrote the first scholarly book about Homer's poems. His own poem, Argonautica, seems to show his research into Homer's style. Some people even call it a "poetic dictionary of Homer."

He also wrote scholarly works about other poets and about geography. He tried to combine new scientific knowledge about the world with the old mythical maps. His Argonautica can even be seen as a teaching poem about geography.

His Poetry

The Argonautica

The Argonautica is Apollonius's most famous work. It is an epic poem, but it's different from Homer's epics in some ways.

• Shorter Length: Homer's Iliad has over 16,000 lines. But the Argonautica has only four books and fewer than 6,000 lines. This shorter length might have been influenced by other poets of his time.
• Human Characters: Unlike Homer's mighty heroes, Jason, the main character, is more human and sometimes weaker.
• Gods: The gods in the Argonautica are less active and involved. This was a common trend in writing at that time.
• Love Stories: The poem focuses more on love between men and women, like the famous love story between Medea and Jason in the third book. Many critics think this part is the best and most memorable.

For a long time, some people thought the poem was not very good. But recently, many scholars have become very interested in it. They now see its special qualities and how it influenced later poets like Virgil.

Other Poems

Only a few small pieces of Apollonius's other poems still exist. Most of these were "foundation-poems." They told stories about how different cities were founded. Apollonius also mentioned city foundations in his Argonautica.

• The Founding of Alexandria: We only know the title and one small note. It says that all biting creatures came from the blood of the Gorgon.
• The Founding of Caunus: This poem seems to have told different stories, like those of Lyrcus or Byblis. This might mean his foundation poems had many separate stories.
• The Founding of Cnidus: We only know a small part of this poem. It mentions Heracles cooling off in a place called "Cooling" in Thrace.
• The Founding of Naucratis: This poem included a story about the god Apollo and a fisherman named Pompilus. The fisherman was turned into a fish of the same name.
• The Founding of Rhodes: This poem might have explained why people in Rhodes sacrificed without fire. It was because they hated the fire-god Hephaestus.
• The Founding of Lesbos: This poem told the story of Princess Peisidice. She betrayed her city for the man she loved, Achilles.

Other Works

• Canobus: This poem was written in a different style of verse. It might have been about Canobus, the helmsman of Menelaus, or about the city named after him.
• Callimachus Epigram: There is a short poem that criticizes Callimachus. It was found in an old collection and is sometimes linked to Apollonius. But it might have been written by a different Apollonius.

Apollonius's Poetic Style

Only recently have people truly understood how skilled Apollonius was as a poet. Experts now see how well he combined his deep knowledge and research with beautiful poetry.

See also

In Spanish: Apolonio de Rodas para niños