Commentary
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Book 1
Summary
Summary
Invocation of Phoebus (1-4)
Origin of the quest of the golden fleece (5-22)
Catalogue of the Argonauts (23-227)
Why called Minyae (228-233)
They assemble at Pagasae; grief of Alcimede at parting with her son; Jason comforts her (234-305)
Jason leaves his home; his wondrous beauty (306-316)
Acastus and Argus join the assembled heroes (317-330)
Jason exhorts them to choose a leader (331-340)
Jason is chosen, and ordains a sacrifice to Phoebus (341-362)
Launch of the Argo (363-394)
The rowers cast lots for the benches (395-401)
An altar built to Phoebus; prayer of Jason (402-424)
The sacrifice; Idmon declares the will of Phoebus (425-447)
Vaunts of Idas; rebuked by Idmon; Jason stays the quarrel (448-495)
Song of Orpheus (496-518)
The Argo leaves the harbour (519-558)
They pass the headland of Tisa; song of Orpheus (559-579)
The voyage to Lemnos (580-608)
Story of the Lemnian women (609-639)
Aethalides sent as herald to Hypsipyle (640-656)
Council of the Lemnian women; speech of Hypsipyle (657-666)
Speech of Polyxo (667-696)
Iphinoe sent as envoy to the Argonauts (697-720)
Jason sets forth for the city; his mantle described (721-773)
He comes to the palace of Hypsipyle (774-792)
Her deceitful speech (793-833)
The Argonauts are brought as guests to the city (834-860)
Feasting and revelry; Heracles upbraids his comrades; they prepare to leave the island (861-874)
Grief of the Lemnian women (875-885)
Parting of Jason and Hypsipyle (886-909)
The Argonauts land at Samothrace, and are initiated in the rites (910-921)
Voyage to the Propontis (922-935)
They reach the land of the Doliones (936-960)
Cyzicus, the king, welcomes them (961-988)
Fight with the giants (989-1011)
They set out, but are driven back by a tempest; struggle with the Doliones in the darkness; Cyzicus is slain; funeral rites and honours (1012-1077)
The winds are contrary; a favourable omen appears, and is interpreted by Mopsus (1078-1102)
They sacrifice to Rhea, and leave the Doliones (1103-1152)
The heroes vie in rowing; Heracles breaks his oar; they reach the Mysian land (1153-1186)
Heracles goes into the forest in quest of an oar (1187-1206)
Hylas carried off by the Nymphs (1207-1239)
Polyphemus tells Heracles of the loss of Hylas (1240-1260)
Wild grief of Heracles; his search for Hylas (1261-1272)
The others set sail; they discover the loss of Heracles and Polyphemus; Telamon chides Jason (1273-1295)
The sons of Boreas oppose Telamon (1296-1309)
Prophecy of the sea-god Glaucus (1310-1328)
Telamon and Jason are reconciled (1329-1344)
The destiny of Heracles and Polyphemus (1345-1357)
Arrival at the land of the Bebryces (1358-1362).
Commentary on line 1
*)arxo/menos: ἄρχομαι was the vox propria for the opening invocation of a hymn, cf. Arat. Phaen. 1, Ἐκ Διὸς ἀρχώμεσθα, Hom. Il. 9. 97, ἐν σοὶ μὲν λήξω, σέο δ' ἄρξομαι. It has here a special appropriateness, as the oracle of Apollo brought to pass the quest of the golden fleece.
kle/a fwtw=n: cf. Il. 9. 189, ἀειδε δ' ἄρα κλέα ἀνδρῶν. Since the α is shortened in Homer in the phrase κλέα ἀνδρῶν, Ap. regards himself as justified in treating the α as short generally. We find the same expression in h. Hom. 32. 18, σέο δ' ἀρχόμενος κλέα φωτῶν ᾄσομαι ἡμιθέων.
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