An innovative critical study emphasizing thematic and narrative complexities arising from the poet's use of language.

In the Argonautica, Valerius Flaccus not only recounts a voyage, that of the Argonauts in their quest for the golden fleece, but takes a journey himself, a poetic one, during which he explores new, unconventional paths in the epic genre. The present volume examines this aspect of Valerius’ poetic program, locating its primary source of inspiration in the works of Ovid, especially his epic, the Metamorphoses, and his exile poetry. It argues that the Metamorphoses influences not only discrete – often digressive – episodes in the Argonautica, but Valerius’ view of his poem as a “secondary” form of epic, which broadly deviates from the generic norms of his day. Echoes of the Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto complement this approach by identifying many of Valerius’ characters, who are similarly displaced to the edges of the civilized world, with the exiled Ovid and even Valerius himself, who, at the end of the epic, finds his own “ship”, the epic itself, stranded roughly where Ovid lived out his days in exile. From this study, readers will gain a greater appreciation for the importance of Ovid to Valerius’ conception and execution of his epic program and one of its central themes, the journey.

Sent by his uncle on a mission from which he's not expected to return. Impossible obstacles and dangers stacked against him. Inexperienced captain of a crew of heroes and demi-gods with mysterious powers. It's going to be epic.

You've read the myth of the Golden Fleece. Now find out how it really was for Jason and the Argonauts in this gripping reimagining of the famous Ancient Greek tale, and first book in the breathtaking Blades of Bronze series. Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller, Neil Gaiman and Natalie Haynes. He has come to take what is yours... Iolkos, Greece, 1230 BC. King Pelias has grown paranoid, tormented by his murderous past and a prophecy of the man who will one day destroy him. When a stranger arrives to compete in the Games of Poseidon, Pelias is horrified, for this young man should never have grown to manhood. He is Jason, Pelias' nephew, who survived his uncle's assassins as a child. Now Jason wants his revenge – and the kingdom. But Pelias is cunning as well as powerful. He gives Jason an impossible challenge: to claim the throne, he must first steal the fabled Golden Fleece of Colchis. Jason assembles a band of Greece's finest warriors. They are the Argonauts, named for their trusty ship. But even with these mighty allies, Jason will have to overcome the brutal challenges hurled his way. His mission and many lives depend on his wits – and his sword. PRAISE FOR THE BLADES OF BRONZE SERIES AND MARK KNOWLES 'A bold and thrilling voyage that plunges you deep into the world of ancient myth' Daisy Dunn 'Mark Knowles has taken the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece, and stripped it down to its bare bones... A deeply researched historical epic, so brilliantly brought to life I could taste the salt air on my tongue... Epic battles, well-rounded characters sailing through a brilliantly described world' Adam Lofthouse 'What a spectacular triumph! Knowles has taken a reassuringly familiar legend and elevated it into a new, realistic and engrossing story' Sam Taw 'Knowles has combined historical realities with sure-footed imagination... brilliant' Dr Paul Millett '[Knowles] has teamed his love of learning classics and childhood love of sword-and-sandals epics to accomplish something remarkable' Boarding Schools' Association

In an epic poem narrated by a self-declared opponent of epic poetry, the hero and his 50 Argonauts are thrust aside by the first heroine of third-person narrative and a forerunner of the powerful women in fiction.

The story of Jason and the Argonauts is one of the most famous in Greek myth, and its development from the oldest layers of Greek mythology down to the modern age encapsulates the dramatic changes in faith, power and culture that Western civilization has seen over the past three millennia. From the Bronze Age to the Classical Age, from the medieval world to today, the Jason story has been told and retold with new stories, details and meanings. This book explores the epic history of a colorful myth and probes the most ancient origins of the quest for the Golden Fleece--a quest that takes us to the very dawn of Greek religion and its close relationship with Near Eastern peoples and cultures.