Herculeo sub nomine pendent. An intertextual research into the character of Hercules in Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica.

(1)

Herculeo sub nomine pendent

An intertextual research into the character of Hercules in Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica

Name: M. Liebregts

Study: MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations: Classics Student number: 10173730

University: University of Amsterdam Thesis supervisor: dr. M.A.J. Heerink Second reader: dr. P.S. Gerbrandy

Date: 30-06-2016

(2)

I hereby declare that this thesis is an original piece of work, written by myself alone.

Any information and ideas from other sources are fully acknowledged in the text and notes.

(3)

Introduction

Herculeo sub nomine pendent.

Val. Fl. Arg. 3.600 It’s Hercules upon whose name they hang.1

Hercules is an important character in Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica. Although research into the intertextual relationships of this epic pertaining to the literary tradition is thriving, a character analysis with this particular focus is lacking. In this study, I hope to show that the examination of scenes in which one specific character, Hercules, features, will yield new insights into the interpretation of this character and of Valerius Flaccus’ poem. I will conduct three case studies in three different chapters, in order to better understand Hercules’ remarkable role in the Argonautica. I will now introduce my subject and research question.

1. The Argonautica: a belated epic

In Greek mythology, the Argo is believed to be the very first ship to have traversed the seas. The primacy of this event is highlighted in the opening lines of Valerius

Flaccus’ epic about Jason’s famous quest for the Golden Fleece in Colchis, the Argonautica:

prima deum magnis canimus freta pervia natis faticidamque ratem, Scythici quae Phasidis oras ausa sequi mediosque inter iuga concita cursus rumpere flammifero tandem consedit Olympo.

Val. Fl. Arg. 1.1-2

First crossing of the sea I sing, by the gods’ | own mighty sons, and the prophetic ship | that dared to seek the shores of Scythian Phasis | and forge a path between the Crashing Rocks, | to rest at last with heaven’s fiery stars.

(5)

This declaration of primacy could also be read in a metapoetical way: the poet is claiming to embark upon something that has not been done before.2_Valerius,

however, was certainly not the first to write on Jason’s quest. References to the Argonautic myth can already be observed in the Homeric epics.3 By stating to be the first, Valerius Flaccus is in fact, paradoxically, calling attention to the epic’s relatively

late position in the literary tradition: the Latin poem is written in the first century CE,

during the Flavian era.4 This way, the ‘belated’ Argonautica is able to respond to and interact with a multi-generic tradition.5

Between texts, interconnections exist, that may be deliberate or accidental. Especially since the last quarter of the twentieth century, scholars have paid attention to these intertextual relationships in Latin poetry, for, as Braund puts it, ‘an awareness of intertextuality and of literary texture is crucial to an understanding of Latin literature’.6 Multiple theoretical concepts regarding referentiality, allusions, and repetition in Latin texts have been outlined.7 These tools are useful to detect the way in which texts respond and react to each other. This interplay is not limited to Latin literature. By contrast, many Latin texts are deeply indebted to Greek literature too. Scholars agree that Apollonius of Rhodes’ Greek epic on the same mythological expedition, written in the third century BCE, is Valerius Flaccus’ primary source model.8 The language and style, however, are mostly Virgilian.9 Therefore, the poem has been regarded for a long time as imitative. In the early twentieth century, Wilamowitz-Moellendorf judged Valerius Flaccus for ‘seine sklavische Abhängigkeit von Virgil’ and Mehmel concludes that ‘Valerius glaubte Virgils imitator zu sein’.10

Nowadays, in general, this ‘Virgilization’ is not seen as imitation anymore; rather, it is understood that Valerius Flaccus uses the Virgilian intertext to create and innovate.11 It is not only allusions to Apollonius’ and Virgil’s works, however, that

2_{Hershkowitz (1998) 35.}

3_{For example Od. 12.70: Ἀργὼ πᾶσι µέλουσα. ‘Argo famed of all’. Translation by Murray (1919).} 4_{On the possible dating of the poem, see Zissos (2008) xiv-xvii.}

5_{See Hershkowitz (1998) 35-8 on the Argonautica’s belatedness.} 6_{Braund (2002) 203.}

7_{See for example Hinds (1998), Wills (1996), Thomas (1986), and Conte (1986).}

8_{See for example Mehmel (1934) 5-40 on Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica as Valerius Flaccus’}

primary source model.

9_{See for example Barnes (1995) 273-8.}

10_{Wilamowitz-Moellendorff (1924) 165n.2; Mehmel (1934) 132.}

11_{Barnes (1995) 277: ‘Valerius’ language and style both accept and resist the influence of Virgil’s.’}

(6)

can be perceived in the Flavian epic: scholars have detected influences from inter alia Homer, Aratus, Dionysius Scytobrachion, Ovid, Virgil, Lucan, and Seneca.12_Thus,

Valerius Flaccus’ poem is deeply indebted to the literary tradition.

The Argonautica, then, self-consciously varies and reflects on this literary tradition. Paradoxically, the poem is presented as an archi-epic,13 the subject matter of which is situated before the events described in the monumental Homeric epics. This way, the narrator is able to both comment on the literary tradition and allude to events that will happen in the future, which are already known through other literary works. Meta-literary comments can often be detected in the Argonautica. For example, sometimes the narrator refers to versions of the Argonautic myth that differ from the one that the author chooses to tell.14 Moreover, Valerius presents the Argonautica as a ‘late proto-text’ by ‘allusions in the future tense’,15 which connect the narrative to the events in the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Aeneid.16 To uncover the literary play in Valerius’

Argonautica, intertextual research is fruitful.

2. Intertextuality and Valerius’ character Hercules as an intertextual test case Intertextual research into Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica is thriving17. This type of research, however, often focuses on the influences in one specific scene or from one specific literary work on Valerius’ epic. In my thesis, a different approach is applied; I will examine multiple intertextual influences in the portrayal of one specific character: Hercules. Intertextual research on this character individually has not been done before, despite the prominent role in the Argonautica. Because Hercules is the intertextual hero par excellence, it is likely that many allusions to previous literature can be found in scenes where this hero plays a role.18 I hope that my innovative focus will make this study a relevant addition to the current body of research on

12_{See for studies on Valerius’ Latin intertexts especially Heerink and Manuwald (2014). See Galli}

(2014) on Dionysius Scytobrachion, Castelletti (2014) on Aratus, and Zissos (2002) on Homer.

13_{Deremetz (2014) 61.}

14_{See for example Zissos (1999) on the Argonautic narrative that is not always univocal.} 15_{See Barchiesi (1993).}

16_{See Deremetz (2014) 61-2, and Zissos (2008) xl-xli.}

17_{See for example Heerink and Manuwald (2014) 249-358 for studies on the Argonautica’s interplay}

with Virgil, Lucan, Ovid, Seneca, Statius and Silius Italicus. I assume that Valerius Flaccus wrote his epic before Statius and Silius Italicus, as the majority of scholars does, so I excluded their epic works from my intertextual research.

18_{See Galinsky (1972) and the more recent work by Stafford (2012) on Hercules’ pluriform character}

(7)

Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica and its intertextual ratio with respect to the literary tradition. My research question is:

How does intertextuality add meaning to episodes in Valerius Flaccus’

Argonautica in which the character of Hercules plays a role?

In Valerius’ narrative on the Argonautic enterprise, Hercules is not just one of the many crew members of the Argo:19 he is among the main characters in the poem, together with Jason and Medea. His presence and enormous strength are highlighted multiple times throughout the narrative. Nevertheless, he is one of the few Argonauts that will not reach Colchis. Instead, Hercules is physically left behind in Mysia, after the loss of his friend Hylas, as early as in book 3. In the additional 5 books, he remains present through his absence, in exclamations, comparisons, and allusions.20 In order to illustrate the significant part Hercules plays in the Argonautica, I have added an appendix to my study, which contains an overview of all scenes which feature Hercules. In the main part of this thesis, I will conduct a total of three case studies on the appearance of Hercules, in three individual chapters.

The first chapter focuses on five passages of book 1 of the Argonautica that are concerned with Hercules’ character.21 These multiple, relatively short, instances show how Valerius used other literary sources to shape his Hercules and how the poem’s belatedness is expressed.

Next, I will take a closer look at a single scene in close detail: chapter two examines the Hesione episode (2.445-598). Scholars have discussed the effect of this scene, because Valerius’ source model Apollonius of Rhodes does not tell this story. I will show how an intertextual approach is able to yield new insights into interpretations of this scene.

In the third chapter and final case study, I will look at a scene in which Hercules himself is not physically present (3.598-725). In this episode, the Argonauts are discussing whether they can continue their expedition without Hercules, after he and Hylas have not returned from the woods. The differences between the structure of the

19_{Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica records 52 Argonauts, including Jason. Zissos (2008) 240.}

20_{It is generally accepted that the transmitted Argonautica is not complete: the final part is lacking.}

However, most scholars agree nowadays the intended number of books was eight. See Hershkowitz (1998) 1-34 for a discussion on the possible endings of the Argonautica.

(8)

Argonauts’ debate and of that in the corresponding scene in Apollonius of Rhodes’ poem, as well as the intertextual allusions in Telamon’s and Meleager’s speeches, are significant for the function of this scene.

Thus, my three chapters cover book 1 of the Argonautica, Hercules’ major appearance in book 2, and the Argonauts’ crucial debate concerning him in book 3. Based on this corpus of three case studies, I will be able to draw multiple conclusions on the added value of intertextuality in episodes in Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica, which feature Hercules.

In the remainder of this introduction, I will give an interpretation of Hercules’ performance in Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, the main source model for Valerius Flaccus’ epic, followed by some remarks about his character in the Flavian

Argonautica.

3. The Apollonian Hercules: the archaic hero

In Valerius’ main model, Apollonius’ Argonautica, Hercules is presented as the ultimate hero.22_{He leaves the expedition prematurely, after the Argonauts have left}

him behind accidentally. It appears, however, that his departure is fated.23 Scholars have suggested that Hercules had to leave the expedition for dramatic reasons: with Hercules, there would have been no Argonautic poem, since he could have won the Golden Fleece through his outright superior force.24 According to DeForest, Apollonius’ story itself is an epic in Homeric fashion, but all the participants in the story are non-heroic, except for Hercules.25_{For this reason, this Greek Argonautica}

has been interpreted as an anti-epic, into which the non-heroic Jason fits well as the central figure and the individualist Hercules does not.26 The Argonautic enterprise is a story about team effort: right from the start, it is clear that Jason is not able to accomplish the quest on his own. Therefore, Clauss argues that ‘Hercules’ godlike strength and self-sufficiency are completely inappropriate for a group of highly

22_{In antiquity, many varying narratives circulated on Hercules’ share in the Argonautic expedition. In}

some versions, he is not a part of the crew at all, while in other accounts he does complete the journey to Colchis. In both Apollonius’ work and in Valerius’ epic, Hercules leaves the expedition after the Argonauts’ stay in Mysia. See Zissos (2002) 73n17 for an overview.

23_{See also Chapter 3.}

24_{See for example Clauss (1993) 176, Feeney (1986) 61.} 25_{See DeForest (1994) 8-9.}

(9)

talented, but interdependent, heroes engaged in a nautical ἄεθλος’.27 He stresses that the Herculean hero must have appeared too unrealistic for the audience of Apollonius’ Argonautic poem, which was written many centuries after the Homeric heroic epics.28

Consequently, the archaic Hercules has to leave the Argonautic expedition and the Argonautic poem: he is the wrong hero in the wrong epic.

4. Hercules in Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica

On the surface, Valerius’ Hercules seems to play the same role as Apollonius’ hero. Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautic story, however, is generally considered to be ‘recuperated’:29 the Argonauts, including Jason, are heroes again. If all Argonauts are heroes, the question remains which role Hercules fulfils in Valerius Flaccus’ poem. Does he still embody Apollonius’ archaic hero, who has to leave the poem because he is not in the right epic? The Valerian Hercules is an ambiguous character: there are distinctions between his human and divine form, his own status and Jason as leader, and between the collective adventure of the Argonauts and his personal itinerary.30 Ripoll argues that Hercules and Jason are both heroes, but they are acting on different levels. He stresses that Jason follows in the footsteps of Hercules: he is a Hercules on a human scale, and Hercules serves as an exemplum for him.31

In this study, I will focus on Hercules’ character, and consequently a thorough examination of his role in relation to Jason and the other Argonauts is beyond the scope of this thesis. However, my research will enable me to make some preliminary observations about their interrelationship. Intertextual allusions in my case studies will also allow me to make some suggestions about Hercules’ exceptional characterization and the implications of his departure for the continuation of Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica. I will now turn to the main part of my study.

27_{Clauss (1993) 196-7.} 28_{See Clauss (1993) 205.}

29_{See for example Hershkowitz (1998) 105-90.}

30_{See Ripoll (1998) 86-160. He examined Hercules’ role in as well Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica as}

in Statius’ Thebaid and Silius Italicus’ Punica.

(10)

1. Hercules’ Arrival (book 1)

In this first case study, I will deal with five passages from book 1 of the Argonautica, in which Hercules features.32 A study of intertextuality in these passages leads to multiple observations. After arguing that a Senecan intertext at the beginning of the poem underscores a link between Hercules and Jason, I will show that Hercules is characterized several times as a belated figure in light of the literary tradition. He, like multiple other characters, is in a later period of his life than he was in Apollonius of Rhodes’ epic. Characters in the epic seem to be aware of the poem’s belatedness. Moreover, I will demonstrate that Valerius Flaccus’ Hercules is given more emphasis than was the case in the Greek epic, which points the reader to Hercules’ significant part in the Argonautica. Finally, I will show that an intertextual play with Virgilian and Homeric intertexts, spread out over book 1, strengthens the connection of particularly Hercules with epic literature. It seems to characterize him as an epic hero of the past.

1. Pelias the poet (Arg. 1.31-7)

After the Argonautica’s proem (1.1-21), the actual narrative has only just started, when Hercules is invoked. Pelias, Jason’s cruel uncle, wants to commission the latter with an impossible task to get rid of him.33 He experiences difficulty, because Hercules already freed the world from all dangers and monsters:

ergo anteire metus iuvenemque exstinguere pergit Aesonium letique vias ac tempora versat,

sed neque bella videt Graias neque monstra per urbes ulla: Cleonaeo iam tempora clausus hiatu

Alcides, olim Lernae defensus ab angue Arcas et ambobus iam cornua fracta iuvencis. ira maris vastique placent discrimina ponti.

Val. Fl. Arg. 1.31-7

32_{Translations used in this chapter are by Barich (2009) for Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica, who bases}

his version on Ehler’s Teubner edition (1980). Other texts and translations used here derive from Race (2008) for Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, from Fitch (2002) for Seneca’s Hercules Furens, and from Rushton Fairclough (1999) for Virgil’s Aeneid.

(11)

So Pelias ventures to preempt his fear, | and liquidate the man, this son of Aeson [Jason]. | He ponders how and when to cause his death, | but wars or monsters can’t be found in all | the Grecian towns: Cleonae’s lion’s maw | already wrapped about Alcides’ [Hercules’] brow, | from Lerna’s snake Arcadia long ago | was saved, and both bulls’ horns already smashed. | He picks the angry sea, the perils met | upon the trackless deep.

Pelias’ thoughts, formulated as they are at the beginning of the epic, are clearly programmatic, for Hercules is presented as a foil for Jason. Just as the former used to be, Jason is now ordered by a king to perform a Herculean labour. Gärtner has shown that the specific Herculean labours mentioned above also serve as an analogy for the trials Jason will have to fulfil in Colchis, later in the poem: Jason has to fight against two bulls (7.573-606), encounters a serpent-like dragon (8.54-94), and will adorn himself with the Golden Fleece, as Hercules did with the skin of the Nemean lion (8.121-6).34The phrasing of Pelias’ difficulties strengthens the link between Hercules

and Jason, for neque bella videt Graias neque monstra urbes (1.33) recalls the prologue of Seneca’s Hercules Furens, where the goddess Juno struggles with devising an impossible assignment for her stepson Hercules:35

quae bella? quidquid horridum tellus creat inimica; quidquid pontus aut aer tulit terribile dirum pestilens atrox ferum, fractum atque domitum est.

… monstra iam desunt mihi,

minorque labor est Herculi iussa exequi quam mihi iubere.

Sen. HF 30-3, 40-2

What warfare? Any fearful thing the hostile earth produced, or sea or air brought forth, however frightening, monstrous, poisonous, dreadful, savage, has been broken and tamed. … Now there are no monsters left me, and it is less of a labour for Hercules to fulfil my commands, than for me to give them.

34_{See Gärtner (1994) 65-7.}

(12)

This allusion to Seneca’s tragedy has triggered scholars to read the entire Argonautica in a tragic light. According to Buckley, the Argonautica is framed as a kind of Senecan tragedy and ‘always aware that tragedy is just beyond its horizon’.36_Indeed,

tragedy-oriented backdrops, such as Cyzicus, Prometheus, and Medea, are omnipresent in the Argonautica. Epic, however, often incorporates elements of other genres, a phenomenon Harrison calls ‘generic enrichment’.37 Therefore, Buckley’s expression, that ‘Senecan tragedy is at the heart of what the Argonautica is really about’,38 seems somewhat overstated, although the Senecan intertext does make the reader aware of the tragic side of Hercules’ character.39 The allusion makes the established link between Hercules and Jason at the beginning of the Argonautica stronger: just as Pelias is a kind of Senecan Juno, Jason is portrayed as a kind of Hercules. No such explicit link between Hercules and Jason is present in Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica. In his work, Pelias orders Jason to traverse the Aegean, hoping that he would either die at sea or on land (1.15-7).40 Although the enterprise is indicated to be a (Herculean) labour (ἄεθλον, 1.15), Jason does not have to cross the sea because Hercules expelled all dangers from the countryside.41_{So, the deviation}

from the Greek Argonautica and the allusion to the prologue of Seneca’s tragedy signal to the reader that there is a link between Hercules and Jason right from the start in Valerius’ account of the Argonautic expedition.

Deremetz argues for a metapoetical reading of Pelias’ machinations.42 According to him, Pelias seems to represent the poet searching for a new subject, one that is different from all the traditional and hackneyed subjects, such as Hercules’ labours: Jason’s quest inaugurates a new epic tradition. The scene is a mise en abyme: an ‘embedded or inset scene which is a microcosm of its larger framework.’43

36_{Buckley (2014) 307.}

37_{See Harrison (2007) on ‘generic enrichment’ in epic and other genres in the Augustan age.} 38_{Buckley (2014) 325.}

39_{In Seneca’s Hercules Furens, Hercules eventually kills his wife and children, excited to madness by}

divine power. See Galinsky (1972) 167-84 on Seneca’s Hercules.

40_{Arg. 1.15-17: αἶψα δὲ τόν γ᾿ ἐσιδὼν ἐφράσσατο, καί οἱ ἄεθλον ἔντυε ναυτιλίης πολυκηδέος, ὄφρ᾿ ἐνὶ}

πόντῳ ἠὲ καὶ ἀλλοδαποῖσι µετ᾿ ἀνδράσι νόστον ὀλέσσῃ. ‘As soon as he saw Jason, he took note, and arranged for him the ordeal of a very arduous voyage, so that either on the sea or else among foreign people he would lose any chance of returning home.’

41_{According to Zissos (2008) 102, the absence of terrestrial monsters marks the completion of a phase}

of human advance: by turning to the sea, Pelias implements Jupiter’s Weltenplan, which is expressed later in the book (Arg. 1.531-60).

42_{See Deremetz (2014) 57-8.} 43_{Braund (2002) 219.}

(13)

Considering this interpretation, Hercules could embody the archaic epic tradition, because he already did it all, while Jason’s heroic exploits still have to start.44

Deremetz’ statement is in line with Clauss’ interpretation on Apollonius’ Hercules as the archaic, ‘outdated’ hero, who was not in the right place in the ‘renewed’ epic.45 When Pelias wants to give an order to Jason, he thinks of three specific dangers to which Jason can no longer be subjected, because of Hercules’s actions. Allusions to the Nemean lion and the Lernean hydra are obvious. The identity of the two bulls, whose ‘horns already smashed’, however, is unclear. Zissos seems to be sure that one of them is the Cretan Bull, but he does not succeed to ascertain the identity of the other bull.46 In all cases, the reference to the enemy in combination with the broken horns is odd. The phrase ambobus iam cornua fracta iuvencis (1.36) is therefore rather vague. I would like to suggest the possibility of an allusion to Apollonius of Rhodes’ poem. For, in his narrative, when all the preparations are done and the Argo is about to set sail, two bulls are sacrificed:

τὼ δ᾽ ἐπὶ βουσὶν ζωσάσθην, Ἀγκαῖος ὑπέρβιος, Ἡρακλέης τε. ἤτοι ὁ µὲν ῥοπάλῳ µέσσον κάρη ἀµφὶ µέτωπα πλῆξεν, ὁ δ᾽ ἀθρόος αὖθι πεσὼν ἐνερείσατο γαίῃ: Ἀγκαῖος δ᾽ ἑτέροιο κατὰ πλατὺν αὐχένα κόψας χαλκείῳ πελέκει κρατεροὺς διέκερσε τένοντας: ἤριπε δ᾽ ἀµφοτέροισι περιρρηδὴς κεράεσσιν.

Ap. Rhod. Arg. 1.425-31

Two comrades, proud Ancaeus and Heracles, girded themselves to slay the bulls. With his club the latter struck his bull in the middle of the head upon its brow; it fell immediately in a heap and lay on the ground. Ancaeus struck the broad neck of the other with his bronze ax and cut through the strong tendons; it fell forward on both horns.

44_{Iam … olim … iam (Arg. 1.34, 35, 36) emphasize that Hercules already did it all in the past.} 45_{See also Introduction.}

46_{Inter alia, the Minotaur and the river-god Achelous have been suggested, although these opponents}

are not part of Hercules’ twelve paradigmatic labours. See Zissos (2008) 104-5 for the full discussion on this topic.

(14)

In this scene, Hercules slays one of the two bulls mentioned, and there is an explicit reference to their horns. So, when Pelias states ‘both bulls horns already smashed’, this might be a reference to this Apollonian scene.47_{It could be a final comment of}

Pelias as a representation of the poet: because the Argonautic narrative has already been told by Apollonius of Rhodes, it is Valerius Flaccus’ difficult task to write an Argonautic epic that distinguishes itself from its Greek predecessor.

2. Hercules’ actual arrival (Arg. 1.107-19).

We have seen in the previous passage, that Hercules already defeated all terrestrial dangers at the beginning of Valerius’ Argonautic narrative. This implies that Hercules accomplished all his labours at the start of the Argonautic expedition.48 It is a clear signal of Valerius’ conscious belatedness, for in Apollonius’ epic, Hercules completed only a few of them.49 Apart from the notion at the beginning of the epic, it also becomes clear that Hercules is staged in a later period of his life in the scene where he physically arrives to participate in the expedition:

protinus Inachiis ultro Tirynthius Argis advolat, Arcadio cuius flammata veneno tela puer facilesque umeris gaudentibus arcus gestat Hylas; velit ille quidem, sed dextera nondum par oneri clavaeque capax.

Val. Fl. Arg. 1.107-11

In Valerius’ epic, Hercules is the very first Argonaut to arrive. The prominent position catches the eye of the reader. In Apollonius’ epic, by contrast, Hercules enters the story for the first time in Apollonius’ epic, in the middle of the catalogue of

47_{The forward movement of the bulls when they fall also implies that their horns will be ‘smashed’.} 48_{According to Zissos (2009) 104, olim (Arg. 1.35) also suggests the completion of Hercules’ labours}

prior to the Argonautic expedition.

49_{In several instances in Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, it is suggested that Hercules will return}

(15)

Argonauts (1.124-32). In the Greek poem, it is told that Hercules had just caught the Erymanthian boar when he decided to join the expedition, against the will of his master Eurystheus (αὐτὸς δ᾽ ᾗ ἰότητι παρὲκ νόον Εὐρυσθῆος ὡρµήθη, 1.130-1). He was on his way back from Arcadia to Argos, carrying the living animal (ἀπ᾽ Ἀρκαδίης … Ἄργος … ζωὸν φέρε κάπριον, 1.125-6), while Hylas (Ὕλας, 1.131) brings his weapons. The Apollonian narrative is invoked in Valerius’ introduction of Hercules’ character, signalled by striking similarities. For example, the recurrence of Argos (1.107) and Arcadian (1.107) venom can hardly be coincidental. Furthermore,

ultro (1.107) highlights Hercules’ own intent to participate, signalled by ἰότητι

(1.130) in the Greek epic, and Hylas once again carries Hercules’ weapons. However, Eurystheus’ former unwillingness is not mentioned in Valerius’ version.50 The omission of this information, which demonstrates that Hercules is still serving Eurystheus in Apollonius’ narrative, supports the notion that Valerius’ epic is self-consciously staged in a later period, where Hercules already accomplished his labours.

While the content of these lines is based on Apollonius’ narrative, influence from Virgil’s Aeneid is also visible. Verbal echoes suggest that the relationship between Hercules and Hylas as described here resembles the one of Virgil’s Aeneas and his son Ascanius: dextera and oneri allude to the scene, in which Aeneas has to flee from Troy and takes Ascanius by his right hand:51

haec fatus latos umeros subiectaque colla veste super fulvique insternor pelle leonis, succedoque oneri; dextrae se parvus Iulus

implicuit sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis. Verg. Aen. 2.721-24:

50_{Moreover, the deadly veneno (Arg. 1.108), possibly originating from the hydra of Lerna, could}

oppose Apollonius’ living (ζωὸν, Arg. 1.126) animal.

51_{See Hershkowitz (1998) 150-154. This resemblance between Hercules and Hylas and Aeneas and}

Ascanius recurs at the beginning of the Hylas episode (Arg. 3.481-780), where Valerius Flaccus says haeret Hylas lateri passusque moratur iniquos (Arg. 3.486), in agreement with Virgil’s sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis (Aen. 2.724). Hercules is also called pater Tirynthius (Arg. 3.565). See Heerink (2015) 113-117 on the relationship between Hercules and Hylas modelled on Virgil’s Aeneas and Ascanius.

(16)

So I spoke, and over my broad shoulders and bowed neck I spread the cover of a tawny lion’s pelt and stoop to the burden. Little Iulus clasps his hand in mine, and follows his father with steps that match not his.

In this scene, Virgil makes Aeneas look like Hercules in putting on a lion’s skin (pelle

leonis, 2.722). It is an example of window allusion, because Valerius Flaccus made

Hercules resemble Aeneas, who was in the alluded scene himself modelled on Hercules.52

Due to the adverb Inachiis (1.107), Zissos suggests that Valerius Flaccus links the passage with the singing rivers that were mentioned in the previous lines.53_The

combination Inachiis … Argis, however, is attested only once before Valerius Flaccus, in Virgil’s Aeneid (7.286), where it refers to Juno, who arrives from Argos.54 Indeed, she is the next character to appear in the narrative. Against the reader’s expectations, Hercules’ arrival does not indicate the start of the catalogue of crew members. Instead, the goddess interferes.55 Just as in the Aeneid, Juno is the dominant goddess in the Argonautica.56_{As she hated Aeneas, she now hates Hercules. This}

strengthens the resemblance of Valerius’ Hercules with Virgil’s Aeneas, outlined above. Whereas Juno hates Hercules, she supports Jason. Therefore, when Hercules reports himself to join Jason’s expedition, Juno rebukes the former:

quos talibus amens

insequitur solitosque novat Saturnia questus: ‘o utinam Graiae rueret non omne iuventae in nova fata decus nostrique Eurystheos haec nunc iussa forent. imbrem et tenebras saevumque tridentem iamiam ego et inviti torsissem coniugis ignem.

52_{See Thomas (1986) 188-9 on window allusion, which he calls ‘window reference’. See Hinds (1998)}

21-4 on the distinction and overlap of the terms ‘allusion’ and ‘reference’.

53_{Zissos (2008) 143. Arg. 1.105-6: canunt … amnes. Inachus was in mythology both river}

and river-god.

54_{Aen. 7.286-7: Ecce autem Inachiis sese referebat ab Argis saeva Iovis coniunx. ‘But the fierce wife}

of Jove was coming back from Argos, city of Inachus.’

55_{Hercules and Hylas are immediately set apart from the others. This might foreshadow their}

upcoming separation from the Argonautic expedition. Manuwald (2015) 27.

(17)

nunc quoque nec socium nostrae columenve carinae esse velim Herculeis nec me umquam fidere fas sit auxiliis comiti et tantum debere superbo.’

Val. Fl. Arg. 1.111-9

Against these two | mad Juno rails, renewing old complaints: | ‘I wish that all the glorious youth of Greece | would not to novel fortunes rush, but that | my own Eurystheus gave out these commands. | Storm and darkness and a ruthless trident, | all these long since would I have thrown at him [Hercules], | and lightning’s fire, though Jove my spouse forbid it. | Nor even now do I desire this man | as pillar of our ship and its ally, | for his help never could I rightly trust | and owe such a debt to this companion’s pride.’

Although Valerius’ main narrative is about Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece, in this passage, the attention is centred on Hercules and Juno’s hatred for him.57 Because Hercules is part of Jason’s expedition, Juno cannot get rid of him (yet). By the time Valerius Flaccus wrote his Argonautica, Juno’s complaints have become a common feature in Latin literature.58 The fact that she is ‘renewing’ (novat, 1.111) her ‘usual complaints’ (solitos … questus, 1.112), hints at Valerius’ self-conscious belatedness: it is a metaliterary comment.59

This Valerian speech of Juno recalls especially the goddess’ comparable oration in Virgil’s Aeneid, where she protests that she will not be able to prevent the Trojans from settling in Italy (1.37-49). An analogical relationship between these speeches exists, for both declamations appear at the beginning of the narrative. Moreover, both scenes are complaints of powerlessness: Juno is unable to persecute her enemies freely in the Argonautica as well as in the Aeneid.60 The Aeneid in its entirety is structured around two interventions on Juno’s part.61 Hardie observes that the overall Argonautic story does not allow for that same structure, but that the Herculean

57_{Jason and Hercules are paralleled once more, for Juno wishes that the commands (iussa, Arg. 1.115)}

would have been given by Hercules’ master, Eurystheus, instead of by Pelias.

58_{Similar scenes also appear in Ovid (Met. 2.508-30, 3.259-72, 4.420-31) and Seneca (HF 1.1-124)}

See Zissos (2002) 77.

59_{See Zissos (2008) xl, 146. Hardie (1990) 17 suggests that Juno’s complaints have become literary}

convention.

60_{See Zissos (2008) 145-6.}

(18)

subplot does allow for a close imitation of Virgil. 62 In this way, this ‘Hercules Theme’63_{that is interwoven into the Argonautic storyline, seems to}

constitute a kind of mini-Aeneid. Knowing that Virgil’s Juno did everything to counter Aeneas, the reader’s expectation is already raised at the beginning of the

Argonautica that Valerius’ Juno will not rest after these initial words. Indeed, she will

intervene for a second time in book 3, and, in contrast to the Aeneid, Juno gets her way: Hercules physically leaves the Argonautic enterprise.64 By getting rid of the hero who is paralleled to the epic hero Aeneas, Valerius suggests that his Argonautica will take a different direction than Virgil’s epic did. I will come back on this topic later, in chapter 3, when the Argonauts are discussing whether or not to leave Hercules behind.

3. The catalogue of Argonauts (Arg. 1.353-489)

The importance of Hercules in Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica is signalled by his arrival before all the other heroes that will man the Argo. In addition, a divergence from Apollonius of Rhodes’ catalogue of crew members in the Latin version (1.353-489) also alerts the reader to Hercules’ prominent role. For in the Greek epic only Meleager is linked to Hercules: he is said to become superior to all heroes, except for Hercules (1.195-8).65 In Valerius’ poem, by contrary, Hercules’ name is not only connected to Meleager, but also to Telamon, Cepheus, and Philoctetes. The connection with Telamon (1.353-5) could hint at the upcoming Hesione episode (2.455-578), just as Hercules’ initial link with Hylas (1.109-10) might foreshadow the Hylas episode (3.481-780). Cepheus is introduced as Hercules’ assistant against the Erymanthian boar (1.374-6). Because it is this labour that Hercules was performing at the moment he decides to join the Argonautic expedition in Apollonius’ epic, the link between Cepheus and Hercules could be a playful reference to alternative versions of the Argonautic narrative. Finally, Philoctetes is told that he will once handle

62_{See Hardie (1990) 5.} 63_{See Manuwald (2015) 23.}

64_{However, he remains in the background throughout the epic, in exclamations, comparisons and in}

stories about him. See appendix 1.

65_{Arg. 1.195-8: ὧδ᾿ ἔτι κουρίζων περιθαρσέα δῦνεν ὅµιλον ἡρώων· τοῦ δ᾿ οὔ τιν᾿ ὑπέρτερον ἄλλον}

ὀίω νόσφιν γ᾿ Ἡρακλῆος ἐπελθέµεν, εἴ κ᾿ ἔτι µοῦνον αὖθι µένων λυκάβαντα µετετράφη Αἰτωλοῖσιν. ‘Thus, while still a boy Meleager entered the very bold crew of heroes, and I do not believe that any other man would have come superior to him except, to be sure, Heracles, if he had stayed there and been raised for one more year among the Aetolians.’

(19)

Hercules’ arrows (1.391-3), which is an ‘allusion in the future tense’ to the upcoming Trojan War.66

In the catalogue of Argonauts, Valerius’ self-conscious belatedness with respect to Apollonius’ Argonautica can be perceived again. Whereas Meleager is said to be still a boy (ἔτι κουρίζων, 1.195) at the moment of the Apollonius’ Argonautic expedition, Valerius’ narrative does not contain such information. Instead, in the Latin poem, the width of Meleager’s proud breast is said to be vying with Hercules’ (spatiumque

superbi pectoris Herculeis aequum, 1.434-5). So, whereas the Greek Argonautica explains that Meleager will eventually become nearly as powerful as Hercules, he is portrayed as equal to Hercules immediately from the start in Valerius’ narrative.67 The hero has grown up, just like Valerius’ Argonautica is presented to be further developed.

4. The child Achilles (Arg. 1.255-70)

Before the actual expedition starts, the Iliad’s protagonist Achilles is staged to say goodbye to his father, Peleus (1.255-70).68_{The little boy is said to be fascinated by}

the Argonauts, and specifically by Hercules: stupet in ducibus magnumque sonantes haurit et Herculeo fert comminus ora leoni.

Val. Fl. Arg. 1.262-3.

He [Achilles] gapes at all the princes there, absorbed | in all their loud conversing, while he puts | his face right next to Hercules’ lion skin.

66_{According to some versions, the Greeks needed Hercules’ weapons, which he had given to}

Philoctetes, to eventually win the Trojan War. See Introduction on the device ‘allusion in the future tense’, and also Chapter 2 on allusions to the ‘future’ Trojan War.

67_{Meleager’s proud (superbus, Arg. 1.434) breast could be interpreted as an intratextual hint to his later}

arrogant speech, where he argues to continue the Argonautic enterprise without Hercules (Arg. 3.645-89). See Chapter 3 on this speech.

68_{This scene is modelled on Homer’s encounter of Hector and Astyanax (Il. 6.474-81). See Zissos}

(20)

Although a similar goodbye scene takes place in Apollonius’ Argonautica, the connection between Hercules and Achilles is innovative. It is implied that Achilles regards Hercules as his example.69_{Whereas the Valerian Hercules resembled the}

protagonist of the Virgilian Aeneid just some hundred lines ago, now he is linked to the major hero of Homer’s Iliad. The link between Hercules and these epic heroes suggests that Hercules is the major epic hero in this poem.70

Valerius’ belated composition of the poem continues in this scene: the Latin Achilles is older than he was in the Greek Argonautic epic. In Apollonius’ poem, the expectation was raised that he was just a baby, because Achilles’ mother is said to be holding him in her arms (ἐπωλένιον φορέουσα Πηλεΐδην Ἀχιλῆα, 1.557-8). Valerius, by contrast, calls Achilles a puer (1.257), and it appears that is already able to walk, for he jumps (adsiluit, 1.259) to his father. But, despite their difference in age, Achilles is in both epics still a child. Radke has examined the function of infant epic heroes in Callimachean epic. She notices that, with regard to Apollonius’ scene, Achilles’ childhood implies that the formation of the Iliadic hero is still in its infancy.71_{The scene is, to paraphrase, ‘an emotional and vivid announcement of the}

future that Homer had designed in the Iliad, although this future had not yet been written’.72 In this way, the illusion emerges, that the future is still wide open, although poets like Homer have already written about it.73 The appearance of little Achilles in Valerius Flaccus’ epic has the same impact: it strengthens the poem’s effort to present itself as the archi-epic, as a ‘late proto-text’ for the literary tradition.74

5. Jupiter’s speech (Arg. 1.563-7)

The culmination appears after Jupiter’s announcement of his Weltenplan (1.531-60) that the Argonautic expedition will eventually lead to shifts in the world power. Then, he directs his words to only Hercules and the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux:

69_{A link between the heroes Achilles and Hercules is already established in Homer’s epic. In the Iliad,}

Achilles compares himself with Hercules, who also could not escape death, although he was dear to Zeus (Il. 18.115-21).

70_{I do not claim that Hercules is the only hero that is linked to these epic protagonists. See for example}

Hershkowitz (1998) 109-10, to see that Jason is portrayed as Aeneas too.

71_{See Radke (2007) 271-3.}

72_{Radke (2007) 272: ‘Die Szene ist damit eine emotionele und anschauliche Ankündigung der}

Zukunft, die Homer in der Ilias entworfen hat. Doch diese Zukunft is noch nicht geschrieben.’

73_{See also Heerink (2014) 81n37, who calls this Hellenistic program ‘rejuvenation’.} 74_{Deremetz (2014) 61.}

(21)

'tendite in astra, viri: me primum regia mundo Iapeti post bella trucis Phlegraeque labores imposuit; durum vobis iter et grave caeli institui. sic ecce meus, sic orbe peracto Liber et expertus remeavit Apollo.'

Val. Fl. Arg. 1.563-7

‘Press onwards to the stars, | my men [Hercules, Castor, Pollux]: for only after war with fierce | Iapetus and toils on Phlegra’s plain | did kingship set me [Jupiter] at the cosmos’ helm. | A hard and toilsome journey I’ve decreed | for you to reach the heaven. Even so | it was, how very like my Liber’s [Bacchus’] path, | when he had crossed the world; Apollo too | returned this way, his sojourn done on earth.’

It is generally agreed that Hercules’ final apotheosis is pronounced here with the words tendite in astra.75 In the proem, the catasterism of the Argo was already predicted, and Jupiter’s apostrophe seems to confirm these opening words.76 However, because he only directs his words to Hercules and de Dioscuri, scholars have discussed whether or not all Argonauts are in effect being addressed.77_Because

all addressees are children of the god himself, Jupiter seems to favour his own progeny and to use the Argonautic expedition to promote his own sons to divinity.78 Ganiban argues that ‘the certain type of hero (his own progeny) and the certain type of heroic reward (apotheosis) Jupiter urges on, stands in meaningful contrast to the type of heroism and heroic reward voiced by other Argonauts, and especially their leader Jason, who rouses men to join him on his expedition with appeals to gloria and

religio (1.76-80)’.79 Hence, Jupiter’s words seem to differentiate Hercules (and Pollux and Castor) from the other Argonauts. It is a distinction that will recur more often in the epic.80

75_{See for example Castelletti (2014) 190 and Ripoll (1998) 100 on the announcement of Hercules’}

apotheosis in Jupiter’s words.

76_{See Arg. 1.1-4, cited in the Introduction.}

77_{See for example Kleywegt (2005) 312-3 and Feeney (1991) 333-4, who support the statement that all}

Argonauts are being addressed with Jupiter’s words.

78_{See Ganiban (2014) 261-7. See also Zissos (2014) 272-3, 279-84 on Jupiter’s favouring of his own}

progeny.

79_{Ganiban (2014) 266.}

80_{Jupiter’s full speech (Arg.1.531-67) reminds the reader immediately of Jupiter’s speech in book 1 of}

the Aeneid (Aen. 1.254-296), where he announces the coming imperium sine fine (Aen. 1.279). In this speech directed to Venus, he explains to his daughter about the future of her (and hence also his own)

(22)

In Valerius’ epic, Hercules’ final apotheosis is announced at the beginning of the Argonautic expedition. This stands in contrast to Apollonius’ narrative, where the sea-god Glaucus prophesies his apotheosis to the Argonauts once Hercules is no part of the expedition anymore.81 Both Jupiter and Glaucus emphasize that Hercules still has to prove himself before his catasterism: the Apollonian Glaucus imposes the precondition that Hercules will have to complete a few more labours (εἴ κ᾽ ἔτι παύρους ἐξανύσῃ, 1.1319-20), while Jupiter explains that Hercules ‘journey to heaven’ (iter … caeli, 1.555) will be durum and grave (1.555). Because Valerius’ Hercules is in a later stage in his life than Apollonius’ Hercules was, it is plausible that the Latin hero is closer to his apotheosis than he was in the Greek epic. Moreover, it is implied that Hercules receives his apotheosis within the time span of the epic, for near the end of the poem, when Jason is compared to Hercules, he is said to enjoy the heavenly banquet (8.230-1).82

6. Conclusion

Intertextuality in five different passages in book 1 of Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica has shown to be very effective to characterize Hercules.

First, the Senecan intertext at the beginning of Valerius’ poem (1.33) strengthens the established parallelism in book 1 between Hercules and Jason. Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece is presented as a kind of Herculean labour, as Pelias’ orders to Jason resemble Juno’s to Hercules. The striking difference is that Jason still has to perform his (first) labour at the start of Valerius’ Argonautic expedition, while Hercules already completed them. Because Hercules is portrayed as a hero who ‘already did it all’, before he is physically present in the poem, he seems to embody the ‘archaic’ hero. In this respect, he is presented as a different hero than the other Argonauts, including Jason, which is illustrated by Jupiter’s speech, in which Hercules is addressed and Jason is not.

descendants: the Romans and Augustus. See Ganiban (2014) 256-61 on allusions to and diversions from Jupiter’s speech in the Aeneid.

81_{See Chapter 3. In Diodorus Siculus’ narration of the Argonautic expedition, Glaucus is the one who}

prophesies immortality to both Hercules and the Dioscuri (Diod. Sic. 4.48.). This coincides with the prophecy of Valerius’ Jupiter.

82_{Arg. 8.230-1: seu cum caelestes Alcidae invisere mensas iam vacat et fessum Iunonia sustinet Hebe.}

‘Or when Hercules has leisure | to sit at heaven’s banquet tables: weary, | he finds support in Hebe, Juno’s handmaid.’

(23)

Valerius staged his Hercules in a later period of his life than Apollonius did, because the Latin Hercules already completed his ‘canonical’ works at the beginning of the narrative. This diversion can be interpreted as a metaphor of Valerius’ conscious belatedness. Also characters like Achilles and Meleager are older than they were in the Greek epic, which suggests that not only Hercules, but the entire poem is presented as belated. Moreover, it seems like Pelias is aware of the Argonautica’s belatedness: he encounters difficulties to devise a renewing quest for Jason, just like the Flavian poet has to search for a new subject. This way, Valerius expresses his belated position in the literary tradition through the character of Pelias. Finally, the reader is also pointed to the poem’s belatedness, when the poet stages the protagonist of the ‘future’ Iliad as a child, and therefore presents his Argonautica paradoxically as an archi-epic.

In book 1 of Valerius’ poem, Hercules is given more attention than he received in Apollonius’ epic. This is marked in all five examined passages: there is a link between Hercules and Jason at the beginning of the poem (1.31-7), Hercules is the very first Argonaut to participate in the expedition and is rebuked by Juno (1.111-9), he is connected multiple times to other Argonauts in the catalogue of crew members (1.353-489), and he is the only hero specified to attract Achilles’ attention in the goodbye scene (1.263). Finally, Jupiter directs his words to Hercules in particular in his imposing speech (1.563-7). This emphasis on the character of Hercules alerts the reader on his prominent role in the Argonautica, which suggests serving a purpose. Hercules’ uniqueness is signalled several times, for instance when little Achilles, the Iliadic hero par excellence, is said to be fascinated particularly by this hero (1.263). Not only Homer’s protagonist, however, is linked to Hercules. At the moment Hercules physically enters the narrative, intertextual correspondences between him and Virgil’s protagonist Aeneas occur. The former’s portrayal as a kind of Aeneas, who is persecuted by Juno’s wrath, hints at the Herculean subplot in Valerius’ Argonautica as a kind of mini-Aeneid. Thus, Hercules is associated with the major characters of previous epics. That Hercules is linked to these heroes, who are the protagonists in earlier epics, confirms the image of Hercules as the archaic epic hero.

(24)

2. The Hesione episode (Arg. 2.445-578)

In this chapter, I examine Valerius Flaccus’ Hesione episode (2.445-578), where Hercules defeats a sea monster and liberates the princess Hesione.83 I will state that the divergence from Apollonius of Rhodes offers a contrasting effect in Valerius’ scene, which proves that Hercules can operate best when he carries out a labour on his own. Furthermore, I will argue that an underlying Ovidian structure emphasizes that Valerius’ Hercules is characterized as an archaic epic hero that is not interested in physical love. The image of Hercules’ archaic heroism is strengthened in this episode by the multiple allusions to the future Homeric Trojan War, that serve to present the

Argonautica as the archi-epic, and by parallels with a Virgilian scene. Taking these

intertexts into consideration, Hercules is portrayed as an ‘old-fashioned’ hero, whose interests are very different from his fellow Argonauts. First, I will summarize the scene.

Valerius Flaccus’ Hesione episode contains the following events: after the Argonauts have landed at Troy (2.445-50), Hercules and Telamon move into the direction of a sound they hear, when they go together into the countryside (2.451-61). Hercules finds Hesione chained to the rocks (2.462-7) and asks who she is and why she is there (2.468-9). Hesione answers that she is about to be devoured by a sea monster (2.470-92), after which the place is described (2.493-6). Suddenly the sea monster appears, and the actual fight and the liberation of Hesione take place (2.497-549). King Laomedon arrives and tries to trick Hercules, for he does not want to reward him with the horses he promised to the liberator (2.550-66). After narratorial comments on Troy’s upcoming doom (2.567-73), Hercules answers that he will return later, and the Argonauts leave Troy (2.574-8). I will now turn to my analysis of the episode.

83_{Translations used in this chapter are by Barich (2009) for Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica, who bases}

his version on Ehler’s Teubner edition (1980). Other texts and translations used here derive from Race (2008) for Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, from Rushton Fairclough (2001) for Virgil’s Aeneid, and from Miller (1916) for Ovid’s Metamorphoses,

(25)

1. The divergence from Apollonius of Rhodes

Although Valerius Flaccus’ account of the Hesione episode is not narrated in the Greek Argonautica, the Hesione episode seems to be composed with the corresponding Greek scene in mind.84 Valerius tells about Hercules’ liberation of Hesione between the departure from Lemnos (2.428) and the arrival at king Cyzicus (2.634). Between these same events in Apollonius’ work, on the other hand, the narrator tells about the Eartborn men that dwell in Cyzicus’ land.85 Hera stages these monsters against Hercules as a labour (1.989-97), and the hero defeats them together with the other Argonauts (1.998-1011). So, Hercules is the initial protagonist in both Valerius Flaccus’ scene and in Apollonius’ passage. Moreover, cues to the Apollonian text can be perceived in the Hesione episode. Since, when the Valerian narrator reports that the Argonauts land on the Dardanian shore (Dardaniis … harenis, 2.445), the same appellation for Troy is used as in Apollonius’ account, when the reader is informed that the Argonauts leave Dardania (Δαρδανίην δὲ λιπόντες, 1.931). In addition, in Apollonius’ fight against the Earthborn men, a sea monster is mentioned in a simile (πόντιον … θῆρα, 1.991). Considering that Apollonius of Rhodes is Valerius Flaccus’ primary source model, these correspondences are highly significant. It seems that Valerius has exploited these Apollonian cues and included Hercules’ fight against the sea monster at Troy in his narrative. Thus, although the content differs vastly between the Greek and Latin Argonautica, the Latin episode seems to be a deliberate response to the Greek counterpart, based on the parallel position in the narrative and on mutual allusions. I will now illustrate how the variation should be interpreted.

84_{The story about Hesione was well known. References to elements of it can already be found in}

Homer (for example Il. 5.638-42, 7.452-3, and 20.145-8). Other examples that recount the story are Diodorus Siculus (4.32, 4.42), Ovid (Met. 11.194-220), and Hyginus (Fab. 89). Dionysius Scytobrachion is believed to be the first author to link these the liberation of Hesione with the Argonautic expedition in his prose Argonautica. See Galli (2014) on Dionysius Scytobrachion’s Argonautica.

85_{The Argonauts in Apollonius of Rhodes’ poem leave Lemnos in verse 1.910 and arrive in Cyzicus’}

(26)

In Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, Hera is told to stage the fight with the Earthborn men as a labour for Hercules specifically.86_{He is reported to ‘bring them to}

the ground one after another’ (ἐπασσυτέρους πέλασε χθονί, 1.994), which suggests that he will defeat the giants on his own.87 However, as soon as the other Argonauts join him in the fight, the fight ends up in carnage. This is illustrated by an elaborate comparison: ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε δούρατα µακρὰ νέον πελέκεσσι τυπέντα ὑλοτόµοι στοιχηδὸν ἐπὶ ῥηγµῖνι βάλωσιν, ὄφρα νοτισθέντα κρατεροὺς ἀνεχοίατο γόµφους: ὧς οἱ ἐνὶ ξυνοχῇ λιµένος πολιοῖο τέταντο ἑξείης, ἄλλοι µὲν ἐς ἁλµυρὸν ἀθρόοι ὕδωρ δύπτοντες κεφαλὰς καὶ στήθεα, γυῖα δ᾽ ὕπερθεν χέρσῳ τεινάµενοι: τοὶ δ᾽ ἔµπαλιν, αἰγιαλοῖο κράατα µὲν ψαµάθοισι, πόδας δ᾽ εἰς βένθος ἔρειδον, ἄµφω ἅµ᾽ οἰωνοῖσι καὶ ἰχθύσι κύρµα γενέσθαι.

Ap. Rhod. Arg. 1.1003-11.

And as when woodcutters throw down their long timbers, recently felled by their axes, in a line along the edge of the sea, so that by absorbing moisture they can receive the strong pegs, thus at the narrows of the white-capped harbour they [the Earthborn men] were laid out one after another, some in heaps dipping their heads and chests into the salt water while they stretched their lower limbs out on the land; others, conversely, rested their heads on the sandy shore and their feet in the deep water, both groups to become the prey of birds and fish alike.

According to DeForest, here, the story is ‘spoiled by too many heroes’: the participation of the other Argonauts turns Hercules’ glorious deed into a mechanical slaughter.88 Whereas in this Apollonian scene the Argonauts are compared to woodcutters, it is Hercules who is compared to a lumberman in the Latin epic, during the later fight against de Doliones:

86_{Arg. 1.996-7: δὴ γάρ που κἀκεῖνα θεὰ τρέφεν αἰνὰ πέλωρα Ἥρη, Ζηνὸς ἄκοιτις, ἀέθλιον Ἡρακλῆι..}

‘For no doubt the goddess Hera, Zeus’ wife, had been nourishing those terrible monsters too as a labour for Heracles.’

87_{DeForest (1994) 60.} 88_{DeForest (1994) 61.}

(27)

ac veluti magna iuvenum cum densa securi silva labat cuneisque gemit grave robur adactis iamque abies piceaeque ruunt, sic dura sub ictu ossa virum malaeque sonant sparsusque cerebro albet ager.

Val. Fl. Arg. 3.163-7.

As a dense forest totters from men’s great ax, | and oak groans deeply when the wedge is driven, | and the fir tree and the pines are falling, | just so beneath hard blows [of Hercules’ club] men’s bones and jaws | crack, and the land turns white, spattered with brains.

From Homer onwards, dying warriors are compared with felled trees.89 However, Valerius Flaccus emphasizes that Hercules can cut down a whole forest on his own! It implies that he does not need others to succeed in his actions. And this it is exactly what Valerius’ Hesione episode shows: Hercules is able to fight evil without any help. Thus, Valerius Flaccus replaces Apollonius of Rhodes’ fight against the Earthborn men, where Hercules does not get the chance to show his individual strength, with a combat that demonstrates the force of this hero’s individual power. The Argonautic expedition is a team effort, as Lovatt illustrates.90 Therefore, the Hesione episode shows perfectly well that Hercules is not the right character to participate in this enterprise.

2. An Ovidian narrative structure

Scholars have recognized long since that Valerius Flaccus reworks Ovid’s account of Perseus’ rescue of Andromeda (Met. 4.663-739) in Hercules’ fight against the sea monster.91 In both stories, Perseus and Hercules unexpectedly encounter maidens chained to the rocks, about to be devoured by sea monsters, and both heroes kill the monsters and save the women.92 The Ovidian Perseus is a suitable model for Valerius Flaccus’ Hercules, because the heroes have a common lineage.93 Valerius implicitly

89_{See See Gärtner (1994) 106-7 on this specific comparison and equivalent comparisons from Homer}

onwards.

90_{See Lovatt (2014) passim.}

91_{See for example Keith (2014) 273-5, Hershkowitz (1998) 72-78, Poortvliet (1991) 240-1, and Frank}

(1971).

92_{See Keith (2014) 274 for an overview of intrinsic parallels between the two episodes.} 93_{Keith (2014) 274.}

(28)

alludes to this at the beginning of the episode, through Hercules’ patronymic Alcides (2.451): his mortal grandfather Alcaeus was the son of Perseus. Moreover, Ovid endowed his Perseus already with Herculean resonances.94_{Finally, Hesione’s name is}

not explicitly mentioned throughout the entire episode: it becomes clear due to allusion and periphrasis.95 Therefore, it is easy to think of Ovid’s Andromeda, while reading the passage.

Frank stresses that the reader of Valerius’ Hesione episode is forced to compare Hercules with the Ovidian Perseus, because of the inclusion of the narrative structure of Perseus’ rescue of Andromeda. He states that the latter was a lesser hero than the former, and argues that Valerius portrayed by this Ovidian intertext ‘the moral greatness and physical might of Alcides more effectively than he could have done if he had related another Herculean adventure’.96 Indeed, the Ovidian interplay in this passage does force the reader to compare Hercules with Perseus. However, I do not think the contrast between them lies in the gradation of heroism. Instead, Valerius Flaccus exploits the Ovidian intertext to stress that his Hercules is an archaic epic hero who is not interested in love, in contrast to the Ovidan Perseus. I will now explain my argument.

The linguistic style of Ovid’s narrative is mainly epic.97 Moreover, Andromeda is described as Perseus’ pretium et causa laboris (Ov. Met. 4.739), ‘his award and reason for the effort’. His liberation of Andromeda, therefore, resembles a heroic labour. Only, Perseus liberates the girl because he immediately fell in love with her at the moment they saw each other:

trahit inscius ignes

et stupet et visae correptus imagine formae paene suas quatere est oblitus in aere pennas.

Ov. Met. 4.675-677

He [Perseus] took fire unwitting, and stood dumb. Smitten by the sight of the beauty he sees, he almost forgot to move his wings in the air.

94_{See Keith (1999). Valerius applies window allusion.} 95_{See Manuwald (2004) 160, Frank (1971) 325.} 96_{Frank (1971) 321.}

(29)

To emphasize his love, Perseus tells Andromeda that she deserves ‘chains that will link them as longing lovers together’ (4.679).98_{Such amorous language is completely}

lacking in Valerius’ Hesione episode. Keith (2014) argues that ‘the opening description of the curve of the pleasant winding shore (litora blando anfractu

sinuosa, 2.451-2) invites the reader to expect an Ovidian narrative of amatory

desire’.99 If so, the expectation is turned down immediately, since there is no sign of love from Hercules’ side. When Hesione stops talking, the landscape is described as follows:

auxerat haec locus et facies maestissima capti litoris et tumuli caelumque, quod incubat urbi, quale laborantis Nemees iter aut Erymanthi vidit et infectae miseratus flumina Lernae.

Val. Fl. Arg. 2.493-6

The place gave force to her [Hesione’s] words: the utter gloom | of a shore enslaved, the burial mounds, the sky | that lay so heavy on the city, just like | the journey he [Hercules] had known to Nemea | in its suffering or to Erymanthus, | or like his pity for the streams of poisoned Lerna.

By comparing the landscape with the ones Hercules recognizes from his former labours, it is clear that he sees the liberation of Hesione as another heroic endeavour. As is expected of an epic hero, he will defeat the sea monster and save the woman, but he is not motivated by love for her at all. Thus, Valerius Flaccus plays against the Ovidian expectations: the reader knows that Perseus liberated Andromeda out of love, and consequently, the elimination of love elements in Valerius’ story leads to a very contrasting image of Hercules and Perseus. They both perform a labour, but Hercules’

pretium et causa laboris is not love, but eternal glory.100

98_{Met. 4.678-9: ‘o’ dixit ‘non istis digna catenis, sed quibus inter se cupidi iunguntur amantes’.}

‘Oh! those are not the chains you deserve to wear, but rather those that link fond lovers together!’

99_{Keith (2014) 274. He bases his argument on Hinds’ article on Ovidian landscapes in Hardie (2002).} 100_{A significant change in Valerius Flaccus’ telling about the liberation of Hesione pertaining to}

Ovid’s account (Met. 11.194-220) supports this interpretation. For, Ovid’s account of the liberation of Hesione ends with the comment that the princess is rewarded to Telamon: ‘Nor did Telamon, the partner of his campaign, go without reward, and Hesione was given him.’ (nec, pars militiae, Telamon sine honore recessit Hesioneque data potitur, Met. 11.216). In Valerius Flaccus’ narrative, Telamon is introduced as Hercules’ comrade, which suggests he eventually might receive the same award as in

(30)

This interpretation is confirmed by the only reference to love in Valerius Flaccus’ narrative on Hercules’ fight against the sea monster:

qualis per pascua victor

ingreditur, tum colla tumens, tum celsior armis taurus, ubi adsueti pecoris stabula alta revisit et patrium nemus et bello quos ultus amores.

Val. Fl. Arg. 2.546-9

Just like a bull striding through pasture, | victorious when he goes back again | to the deep pens of his own familiar herd, | to ancestral woods and his loves avenged in war.

Hercules as well as the bull is victorious. The remaining part of the simile, however, disagrees with the narrative. As Gärtner puts it: ‘allerdings lässt sich nicht in jedem Punkt genaue Übereinstimmung feststellen, denn Hercules hat nicht mit einem Rivalen gekämpft und kehrt nicht zu heimatlichen Gefilden zurück. Das Motive der Rache (ultus, 2.549) kann der Held höchstens im weitesten Sinne als Rächer der Menschheit für sich in Anspruch nehmen.’101 Thus, the image in the simile is not applicable to Hercules’ situation, which creates a contrasting effect. Just as the Ovidian intertext does, this simile demonstrates that Hercules does not act out of love when he liberates the princess.

Hercules’ non-amorous liberation of Hesione is striking, since earlier in book 2, in the Lemnos episode (2.311-427), love was a very prominent theme. In this episode, Hercules stays on the shore to watch the ships, while the rest of the Argonautic crew, including Jason, enjoys the company of the Lemnian woman. Hercules is the one who has to persuade Jason to continue the expedition (2.371-84). In his argument, he states that he only joined the expedition because of his ‘love for deeds’ (rerum … amor, 2.381). The Hesione episode is an inversion of this passage, because in this scene it is Hercules who goes into the countryside, while the other Argonauts stay near the ships (apart from Telamon). In the Lemnos episode, it is obvious that Hercules is not interested in physical love. All the other Argonauts, on the contrary, are. This way,

Ovid. The omission of this element, then, can be explained by Valerius’ effort to strip the story from all love elements.

Herculeo sub nomine pendent. An intertextual research into the character of Hercules in Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica.