There are many different dates given as the birth dates of Apollonius of Rhodes. These dates range from "295 BC" (Apollonius of Rhodes) to "296 to 260 BC" (Seaton vii). It is estimated that his birth was in 280 B.C. (ix). The dates of his death are just as mysterious, although he has buried near his mentor Callimachus, the date of his death remains a mystery.

Apolloinus of Rhodes is considered to be an Alexandrian writer The Alexandrian age is the earliest know literary age. This was the first time that "a literary class catered for select, though numerous readers" (Jebb 262). As a learned poet Apollonius was a master of classical Greek language and vocabulary. His works were," the works of study, artificial, elaborate, charged with allusions (263) as a result of his reading in Greek classical literature.

As a pupil of Callimachus, Apollonius follows very closely in his footsteps. "Like Callimachus, Apollonius of Rhodes works in the Alexandrian library; he was in fact at on time the head librarian," (Green ). It is reported that he " succeeded Zenodotus and precedes Eratosthenes'' (Apollonius of Rhodes), as head librarian. Here the similarities end.

Apollonius began a revolt against the Alexandrians. During this time he was know as "the Rodian" (Mackail 241). He uses both classical Greek stylized writing and his new fund style of writing romanticism. He could not seem to separate them one from the other. Apollonius is considered to be both a classicist and a romanticist. Although his revolt was not successful, his style of writing can be credited as the foundation for Virgil's Aeneid. As a pupil of Apollonius , Virgil not only absorbs, he transcends the depth of Apollonius' work. His genius allows him to improve upon this new founded style of writing, know known as romanticism.

As for his life the principal account tells of his quarrel with Callimachus after his first reading of the Argonautica. From this he retires to Rhodes to become the Rhodian and a great scholar in his own right. Among his works the Argonautica, which is his most work was revised during this time. His style of writing is very similar to Homer. "He uses Homer's hexameter line and his epic dialect" (Green) the use of the long poems, the epic. But his hero is flawed and his heroine has more depth than what fan be seen in the works of Homer. His goddesses are more in the likeness of the ladies of an eighteenth-century royal court (Green).

It is said that Apollonius wrote the Argonautica, in his youth. "he composed and recited in public his 'Argonautica', and that the poem was condemned" (Talley). From this episode in his life a rift is made between the two. Apollonius will retire to Rhodes, where he will become recognized as "a teacher or rhetoric" (Seaton ix). During his self-imposed exile (Mackail 246) Apollonius found a more sympathetic place to work. He not only gathered a new circle of followers he gave a already established group a new direction and new vitality to an already existing school (246).

There are two life accounts of Apollonius, in the Scholia, which are both derived from an earlier version of his story which has been lost. Both chronicles of his life are in conflict with one another. From the first we learn "that he lived in the time of the Ptolemies' and from the second he returns to Alexandria to recite his poem with the utmost success. In his second life story he is a contemporary of Eratosthenes, Eurphorion, and Timarchus" (Talley).

The Argonautica is by far his greatest work, although it is not an original work. Pindar's fourth Pythian is where much of Apollonius' details are derived. (Talley) In fact there are many sources from which Apolloniuses works are derived.. His works have derived from, Homeric poems, other ancient epic poems, early logographers and geographers, previous writers of the Argonautca and Alexandrian poets (Mooney) just to name a few. He did not intend to imitate Homer in fact his intention was to be as unalike Homer as possible, while using the same type of meter. His study of the early historian and geographers may have lent to his ability to detail places and people in his writings. The fact that there were many other authors to the story of the Argonautica can not help but to lend some of their stories to his one great revision.

In Apollonius' Argonautica, his tale is one of a love story where the hero is not always virtuios. Jason cannot succeed without the help of Medea , and Medea is so blinded by her love for Jason she commits terrible deeds in order for him to have success. The Argunautica is a classic love story with tragedies that unfold that are horrific in there content. But it is also the weaving together local legends, history the founding of cities, strange customs and the arts (Talley). In recent years, "scholars have begun to look more carefully at the narrative dynamics of the epic, and the particular ways in which Apollonius is often at pains to create the illusion of a traditional oral performance" (Barnes). There are three distinguishing factors in the Argonautica, the epic, the chronicle and the romance. All of these combine to tell a tell to the audience of love and history. Apollonius seems to be trying to create an intimate setting between the orator and his audience (Barnes). It is a great literary work that combines an adventure with a love story. Apollonius has created a story rich in "beautiful episodes, exquisite similes, and descriptive passages" (Mackail 248).

Apollonius did not have the genius of Virgil but he is backbone of Virgil's writings. He lacked the ability to separate his work into individual stories with emphasis on his romance. Because of his indecision in choosing a writing style there is no unity within the Argonautica. He seems to take great pains to create a work that uses the classical style of Homer but that is also different from his work. The fact that he revises his work in an attempt to satisfy his critics shows his immaturity in the beginning of his literary career. Apollonius does not blend his work into a perfect harmony as Virgil does his stories are detached and inconsistent. Apollonius never made the transition into the romantic poet he was hampered by his study of the classics of the Greeks. He opened doors to creative writing of others after him although he never quite makes the transition himself. He can be called the father of romantic literature.

In writing the Argonautica, the unity and romance found in the story of Jason and Media in the third bookstands out from the writing style used in writing books one, two, and four. From the story of Media and Jason flourishes a work full of creativity and romance something not found in early Alexandrian writing. As an innovator of his time, Apollonius' Argonautica was thought to be a vulgar work by its main critic Callimachus, who in his own time was also considered to be an innovator. Here the likeness of the two is bought out again. The student does not surpass the instructor, as it happens in the case of Apollonius and Virgil.

Apollonius wrote other poems and epigrams, some of which are; against Zenodotus, Foundation of Alexandria, Foundation of Kaunos, Foundations of Naucratis and Foundation of Rhodes.

Works Cited

"Apollonius Rhodes" Encyclopedia Britannica Deluxe Edition 2004 CD

Barnes, Michael. Oral Traditions and Hellenistic Epic: New Directions in Apollonius of Rhodes. 19 March 2004 Academic Search Pre Muse University of Central Oklahoma Library < http:// 80-muse.jhu.edu.vortex.ucok.edu:2050/journals/oral_tradition/v018/18.1barnes.html >

Green, Peter. Apollonius Rhodius. from Argonautica. 19 March 2004 < http:// www..southwestern.edu/academic/classical.languages/grkciv/apollonius.html >

Mackail, J.W. Lectures On Greek Poetry. New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1966

Mooney, George. Commentary on Apollonius: Argonautica. < http://www.chlt.org /cgi-bin/ptext >

R.C. Jebb, Litt. D. Growth and Influence of Classical Greek Poetry. New York: Kennikat Press, 1893

Seaton , R. C. Apollonius Rhodius The Argonautica. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1912