Argonautica

work by Valerius Flaccus

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 18, 2026

Quick Summary

The Argonautica is an epic poem by the 1st-century AD Roman poet Gaius Valerius Flaccus. It recounts the legendary voyage of Jason and the Argonauts aboard the ship Argo to retrieve the Golden Fleece from Colchis. The poem is written in hexameter verse and is noted for its vivid characterizations and descriptions, while avoiding the excesses of some other Latin poetry of its time. Valerius Flaccus was influenced by Virgil and Apollonius Rhodius, but his work also displays original creative gifts and a direct style. The poem is incomplete, breaking off in Book VIII, possibly due to the poet's death.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Gaius Valerius Flaccus
…epic poet, author of an Argonautica, an epic which, though indebted to other sources, is written with vivid characterizations and descriptions and style unmarred by the excesses of other Latin poetry of the Silver Age.
Read More
…epic poet, author of an Argonautica, an epic which, though indebted to other sources, is written with vivid characterizations and descriptions and style unmarred by the excesses of other Latin poetry of the Silver Age.
Read More