Apollonius of Rhodes (Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Ῥόδιος) was a Hellenistic Greek poet and scholar of the 3rd century BCE. Born in Alexandria, he was a pupil of Callimachus and later served as head of the Library of Alexandria [1][2][3]. Ancient biographies reference a literary quarrel with Callimachus, though its historicity is debated. He later lived and gained citizenship on Rhodes, the source of his epithet [1][3].

His major work is the Argonautica (Ἀργοναυτικά), a four-book epic on Jason and the Argonauts, which survives intact. He also composed Foundations (Κτίσεις), a collection on city origins now lost except for fragments [1][2].

Apollonius is significant as the author of the only surviving Hellenistic epic. The Argonautica adapts Homeric style with Alexandrian sophistication, noted for its narrative structure and psychological depth, particularly in portraying Medea. It profoundly influenced later Roman poetry, especially Virgil's Aeneid [1][2][3].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Stanford University): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/apollonius-rhodius/ 2. Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Apollonius-of-Rhodes 3. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0004:entry=apollonius-rhodius