PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY

Close Notification

Your cart does not contain any items

In Search of the Argonauts

The Remarkable History of Jason and the Golden Fleece

Helen Lovatt

$160

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

QTY:

English
I B TAURIS
07 October 2021
Few classical stories are as exciting as that of Jason and the Golden Fleece. The legend of the boy, who discovers a new identity as son of a usurped king and leads a crew of demi-gods and famous heroes, has resonated through the ages, rumbling like the clashing rocks, which almost pulverised the Argo. The myth and its reception inspires endless engagements: while it tells of a quest to the ends of the earth, of the tyrants Pelias and Aetes, of dragons' teeth, of the loss of Hylas (beloved of Hercules) stolen away by nymphs, and of Jason's seduction of the powerful witch Medea (later betrayed for a more useful princess), it speaks to us of more: of gender and sexuality; of heroism and lost integrity; of powerful gods and terrifying monsters; of identity and otherness; of exploration and exploitation. The Argonauts are emblems of collective heroism, yet also of the emptiness of glory.

From Pindar to J. W. Waterhouse, Apollonius of Rhodes to Ray Harryhausen, and Robert Graves to Mary Zimmerman, the Argonaut myth has produced later interpretations as rich, salty and complex as the ancient versions. Helen Lovatt here unravels, like untangled sea-kelp, the diverse strands of the narrative and its numerous and fascinating afterlives. Her book will prove both informative and endlessly entertaining to those who love classical literature and myth.

By:  
Imprint:   I B TAURIS
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 156mm, 
Weight:   558g
ISBN:   9781848857148
ISBN 10:   1848857144
Pages:   256
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Helen Lovatt is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Nottingham and the author of Statius and Epic Games: Sport, Politics and Poetics in the Thebaid (2005).

Reviews for In Search of the Argonauts: The Remarkable History of Jason and the Golden Fleece

This book, the outgrowth of a college course, is an ambitious project, meticulously researched and rich in detail, a tour de force that brings to bear well over the 57 literary works, children's books, comics and films. * The Classical Review * In Search of the Argonauts draws a vivid treasure map to follow the Argonaut story wherever it lands - from ancient epics to modern children's books to contemporary film and television. On this journey, Lovatt uncovers rich veins of meaning about heroism, masculinity, and leadership stowed within the various adaptations of the Argonaut tradition. -- Monica S. Cyrino, Professor of Classics, University of New Mexico USA This is a wide-ranging study of many different versions of the Argonautic myth from antiquity to the present and in a broad range of media: poetry, novels, paintings, films. Lovatt skillfully shows how various retellings of the story bring out important issues, especially those concerned with gender and ethnicity, and shows the myth's centrality in many stages of western culture. -- William Thalmann, Professor Emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature, University of Southern California, USA


See Also