The Argonautika by Apollonios Rhodios

The first commentary since 1912 on all four books of the Argonautika , the tale of Jason and the quest for the Golden Fleece, is accompanied by a dynamic translation of the Hellenistic epic which was a radical depature from the Homeric tradition, featuring a rather unsensational hero whose best quality is being a hit with the ladies, and a heroine who is a major chracter in her own right: a virgin sorceress whose magic brings Jason's triumph yet cannot save her from her own infatuation. The introduction discusses Apollonios in his Alexandrian world and proposes a new understanding of his poetic puropse and acheivement. The commentary is especially good at explaining mythical allusions which abound.