The Return Journey of the Argonauts and Mythical Geography in Apollodorus's Library

Abstract

The return voyage of the Argonauts described in the Library presents remarkable differences compared to the model provided by Apollonius of Rhodes. Here we focus specifically on two aspects of the trip in Apollodorus's version, with the aim of providing new insights on these elements of the story that deviate from Apollonius: the order of the stages in the Adriatic Sea and the absence of the Libyan episode. As a result, our analysis allows us to appreciate, beyond the canonical value acquired by Apollonius's text in the early imperial period, the important role played by other local myths, even glimpsing the influence of more ancient traditions about the journey of the Argonauts. Moreover, Apollodorus' authorial choices seem to reveal a general scepticism for the part of the mythographer regarding the possibility of adapting the landscape of the mythological traditions to the geographical knowledge of his time.