Classical Literature and the tale of Jason and the Argonauts
There are hundreds of adaptations of the myth of Jason and the Argonauts including the famous movie of 1963 and 2001 radio drama adaptation of Apollonius’ Argonautica on National Public Radio.
Based upon the Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius, a third century B.C. Greek poet who composed the oldest surviving record of the myth, which was formerly passed down through the generations by oral verse. Note: Most records were destroyed when the library of Alexandria burned. I tried to write a version in modern English, but couldn’t help be heavily influenced by the wonderful prose of the original. This version is much shorter, leaving out a lot of the history and side-stories that the modern reader may find tedious.
The Argonautica by Valerius Flaccus, a Roman poet in the first century. Another one of the earliest written recordings of Jason and the Argonauts, attributed as an imitation of the above.
Great commentary on The Argonautica by Apollonius.
Overview of the adventures of the Argonauts.
Another overview of the Argonauts adventures.
Simple kid’s version of Jason and the Argonauts with illustrations.
Jason and the Argonauts (1963 film). Columbia Pictures.
And arguably, Jason’s wife, Medea is the true hero of the story. The story of Jason and the Argonauts is told from Medea’s point of view in Book VII of The Metamorphoses, by the poet Ovid.
The Myth of Jason and the Argonauts video
If you liked the above story, you’ll like this video from TEDEd. Though, keep in mind, this myth was originally an epic poem, which is a very different medium and, arguably, still the best.
