Apollonius Rhodius and a Homeric Gloss

Abstract

This paper examines Apollonius Rhodius’s use of a Homeric gloss, ὁμαδέω. It argues that Apollonius adopts a double strategy in his intertextual engagement with Homer: Apollonius differentiates himself from his epic model on the one hand and establishes continuity on the other. For their appreciation, the two contrasting strategies require varying levels of familiarity with the Homeric original and Apollonius’s own epic. This reflects, I argue, the fact that Apollonius addresses different expectations from his audiences, and that he, accordingly, variously presents himself as an innovative poet or as a meticulous scholar. The double strategy lends Apollonius authority as poet and scholar.