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Eleanor McEvedy
Eleanor's project explores Apollonius's 'Argonautica'. Her PhD title is: The Poetics of Light in Apollonius' Argonautica
8 May 2026
Project Title
The Poetics of Light in Apollonius' Argonautica
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Project Description
In his "Argonautica" Apollonius demonstrates a sensitivity for the depiction of light that enhances the vitality of his scenes and engages the visual imagination of the reader.
Light in its various forms is employed throughout the poem to establish mood and illustrate the spaces that the Argoanuts encoutner on their travels. The hero, Jason, is himself associated with bright rising lights which link him to the poem's patron, Apollo. This project is interested in exploring all the ways that light is used in the poem, approaching the text from an aesthetic perspective through a series of close readings that take into consideration the imaginative effect that these descriptions of light have on a reader. I also ask how this interest in light fits into the patterns of Hellenistic aesthetics, and the extent to which Apollonius' approach to light innovates on the texts to which he frequently refers.