Chapter Three
chapterthree
APPROPRIATING MYTHICAL POETS
.. Inventing Traditions
As the previous chapter has argued, there are signs that (false) ascrip- tion of poetical ideas to poets of the historical era, whose works were still there to be read, was recognized as problematic in Hellenistic poetry. Models are not simply there for the taking; the polemical tone of many of the programmatic passages suggests that authority and authenticity did not always come easily and uncontested. It may now be asked how this issue was handled in the Hellenistic treatment of mythical poets, whose works were no longer extant, or at best of doubtful authenticity. Do the same tensions arise? Or are mythical poets more amenable, and less disputed as models? There are indeed differences in the way these poets are approached, as this chapter will show through a discussion of two poets and their way of handling this issue, Apollonius and Theocri- tus. I will begin with the case of Apollonius’ Argonautica, focusing on his portrayal of the mythical bard Orpheus. Orpheus’ introduction at the top of the catalogue of Argonauts as the son of the Muse of epic, Calliope, has usually been interpreted as signifying that he is of paramount importance to the subsequent narrative.1 The entry in the catalogue introducing him reads as follows: Πρ4τ νυν PYρEς μνησ;με+α, τ>ν πτ’ α"τ Καλλι>πη Θρικι ατDεται ε"νη+ε%σα Y1γρ9ω σκπιEς Πιμπληδς 'γFι τεκσ+αι. α"τ&ρ τ>νγ’ νπυσιν )τειρας iρεσι πτρας +λBαι )ιδων νπeE πταμ4ν τε ε+ρα7 ηγ< δ’ )γριδες κενης $τι σματα μλπEς )κτeE Θρηικeη l;νης $πι τηλε+>ωσαι HBεης στιF>ωσιν πτριμι, ~ς Iγ’ πιπρ>
1 Orpheus’ position in the catalogue (.–) and its implications have been re- marked upon by practically everyone studying the Argonautica from antiquity (scholia) to modern times. For bibliography, see Scherer (: , n. ), Cuypers (: ). chapterthree
+ελγμνας >ρμιγγι κατγαγε Πιερη+εν. PYρα μLν δA τ%ν H4ν παρωγ ν )+λων Α1σνδης Kερωνς ημσ0νeησι πι+σας δBατ, Πιερeη Βιστωνδι κιρανντα.(Arg. .–) First then let us name Orpheus, whom, it is said, Calliope herself once bore near the peak of Pimpleia, after making love to Thracian Oeagrus. And he, they say, charmed the hard boulders on the mountains and the course of rivers with the sound of his songs. And the wild oak trees, signs still to this day of his singing, flourish on the Thracian shore of Zone where they stand in dense, orderly rows, the ones he led forth down from Pieria, charmed by his lyre. Such then was Orpheus, whom Jason, in obedience to Cheiron’s behests welcomed as a helper in his trials, Orpheus, ruler of Bistonian Pieria. (transl. Race) Although this passage clearly states ( νπυσιν, ) that Orpheus is mirac- ulously able to enchant inanimate nature with his songs, he never per- forms a similar miracle in the ensuing epic.2 So what is Orpheus’ func- tion in the narrative? Scholars have often speculated that for some rea- son Apollonius wanted to identify himself as narrator or poet with Orpheus: he should be regarded as an intra-textual alter ego of the poet. Alternatively, they see in Orpheus the representation of the ideal singer tout court not strictly identifiable with the poet; or as a “man of brain” (as opposed to a “man of brawn” like Heracles), or an Apollo-like fig- ure bringing order and harmony (as opposed to the chthonic forces embodied by Medea),3 explanations which clearly are not mutually exclu- sive. Considering the emphasis on poetry and order in these interpre- tations, it becomes attractive to interpret the description of the bard Orpheus opening the Catalogue of Argonauts in book on a meta-poetic level as metaphor for the compositional technique of Apollonius. The phrasing HBεης στιF>ωσιν might allude to hexameter verse and it should
2 Orpheus comes closest to truly miraculous enchantment in .–: the peaceful (enchanted?) fishes swimming in the wake of Argo. The character of this scene is discussed by Levin (: ), Vian (: ), Zanker (: ), Clare (: ). Another ambiguous scene is .–, on which see schol. ad.–, Cuypers (: ad .–), Clare (: –). 3 Identification with narrator: Fränkel ( ad .), Hunter (: –), Cuypers (: ); ideal singer: Busch (: –); man of brain: Lawall (); Apollo-related, bringer of harmony and order: Clare (, passim). Scholarly attention has further focused on the cosmogony in .– and its philosophical, theological and literary sources, especially Nelis (: –). See Scherer (: n. ) for further bibliography on Orpheus in the Argonautica.