Poetic Health: Literary and Medical Traditions in Apollonius' Argonautica

Poetic Health: Literary and Medical Traditions in Apollonius' Argonautica

Erez, Yelena

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Greek and Latin

This dissertation examines the role of ancient medicine in Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica as a fundamental component of the work's narrative structure. I use the writings of Empedocles, the Hippocratic physicians, Aristotle, and Herophilus to expand upon and develop a more nuanced understanding of the medical references which previous scholarship has identified. The first chapter provides historical context for the interdependence of medicine and poetry in the Hellenistic period. The second chapter explores the intersections of medical and literary traditions in the characterization of the hero, Jason. The third chapter untangles Apollonius' nuanced understanding of contemporary medicine through analysis of Medea's lovesick distress. The fourth chapter explores the invisible threats of medical miasma and spontaneous generation in the final book of the Argonautica. I interpret the use of medical terminology not as a way for the poet to display his erudition in the history of medicine, but as an intentional representation of varying interpretations of health, healing, and the body.

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Committee: Benjamin Acosta-Hughes (Advisor); Jackie Murray (Committee Member); Mark Fullerton (Committee Member); Dana Munteanu (Committee Member)