6 h 53 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 6 h 53 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the quest that makes you a hero is meant to send you to your death?
Jason must bring back the Golden Fleece from the edge of the known world. Pelias, king of Iolcus, expects him never to return. In The Argonautica, the Greek epic poem by Apollonius of Rhodes, a young leader who doubts his own strength sails with famous heroes while the gods quarrel and scheme above him.
The voyage carries the Argonauts past Lemnos and through the Clashing Rocks toward Colchis, where King Aeetes guards the fleece. There, Medea faces a struggle between her family and her love. In hexameter verse, sea adventure meets the uncertainty of a hero who needs help, and a woman pulled between duty and desire.
What you’ll discover
- A hero who needs others Follow Jason as he leads great heroes without great strength or cunning of his own.
- A sea full of danger Approach the Clashing Rocks, where a dove tests the narrow passage before the ship.
- Medea between love and family Meet a priestess skilled in magic, caught between loyalty to her family and love.
- Music aboard the Argo Discover Orpheus, whose singing keeps the rowers in time and calms quarrels aboard.
- A king's deadly challenge Enter Colchis, where Aeetes sets Jason a trial that puts his life at stake.
Who will love it
This is for readers who love sea voyages, monsters, meddling gods and the origins of the myths of Medea, Heracles and Orpheus. It suits anyone drawn to quests and strong heroines.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A deadly mission begins the voyage
- Darkness turns friends into enemies
- Good guidance makes survival possible
- Love becomes part of the plan
- Medea chooses to help Jason
- Counsel carries Jason through the trial
- Fate still leaves room for choice
- Ordinary images illuminate heroic action
- Leadership means knowing how to listen
Who’s who
- JasonA young man from Iolcus sent by King Pelias to fetch the Golden Fleece, who must lead stronger men and win the help of others.
- MedeaDaughter of King Aeetes and a priestess of Hecate, skilled in magic herbs, who must decide whether to help the stranger and defy her father.
- AeetesThe proud king of Colchis, son of the Sun, who guards the fleece and sets Jason a deadly contest.
- HeraclesThe strongest of the crew, who refuses to lead and is separated from the voyage after the loss of his companion Hylas.
- OrpheusThe singer whose lyre calms quarrels, drowns out the Sirens and guides the crew in prayer and ritual.
- TiphysThe skilled helmsman who steers Argo by stars and storms through the Clashing Rocks.
- PhineusA blind prophet tormented by Harpies who gives Jason the route to Colchis in return for rescue.
- PeliasThe king of Iolcus who fears an oracle about a one-sandaled man and sends Jason on a voyage meant to kill him.
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Myths & LegendsFree shelf
The Argonautica
A king fears a man with one sandal and sends Jason across the sea after a golden fleece guarded by a dragon.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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In short
What would you do if a king sent you on a mission meant to kill you? Jason, a young man from Iolcus, faces exactly that.
The Argonautica at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 50 min3 h fast, 4 h 35 min slow
- Length
- 54,500 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- about 250 BCby Apollonius of Rhodes
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A frightened king sends a rival on a deadly errand
The poem opens with fear. An oracle has told King Pelias that a man wearing one sandal will cause his death. Jason loses a sandal in the mud of the river Anaurus, walks into the king's hall, and Pelias understands.
The king fears the fate foretold by the oracle, so he invents a perilous voyage. Jason must sail to Colchis and bring back the Golden Fleece. Pelias hopes he will die at sea or among strangers. Then the poet stops to name the crew. Orpheus carries his lyre, Heracles comes with the boy Hylas, and the seer Idmon already knows he will die.
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Details
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 4 h 30 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Apollonius of Rhodes. The Argonautica. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-argonautica.
Apollonius of Rhodes. (2026). The Argonautica. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-argonautica (Original work published ca. 250 B.C.E.)
Apollonius of Rhodes. The Argonautica. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-argonautica.
@book{apollonius2026argonautica,
author = {Apollonius of Rhodes},
title = {The Argonautica},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-argonautica},
note = {First published ca. 250 BCE}
}
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What is the Argonautica about?
It tells how Jason and a crew of heroes sail the ship Argo to Colchis to bring back the Golden Fleece, helped by the gods and by Medea, the king's daughter, who falls in love with him.
Who are the Argonauts?
They are the crew who sail with Jason. Among them are Heracles, Orpheus, Peleus, Telamon, Castor and Polydeuces, Zetes and Calais, the helmsman Tiphys, the seer Idmon and Idas.
Who was Medea in the Argonautica?
Medea is the daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis, a priestess of Hecate and a skilled user of magic herbs. After Eros pierces her with love, she gives Jason the means to survive the king's trials.
The author
Apollonius of Rhodes
294 BC–214 BC · Ancient Greek epic poet
3rd century BC Greek epic poet.
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