Animal Encounters in Valerius Flaccus' <i>Argonautica</i>

"This first in-depth study of Valerius Flaccus' animals reveals their role in his poetic programme and the manifold ways in which he establishes their subjectivity. In one encounter, a trapped bird becomes a tragic victim, while the trapper is dehumanized. Elsewhere there are touching portrayals of animal/human camaraderie and friendship. Furthermore, Valerius' provocative consideration of the 'monstrous' challenges simplistic definitions of any being's nature, or the nature of relationships across species. His challenge entails profound ethical implications for his Roman readership, which resonate with us as we assess our own relationship to animals and the natural world today"-- Provided by publisher. ‎Contents ‎Acknowledgments ‎Abbreviations ‎General Introduction ‎1. Background 1: Discussions in Valerian Scholarship ‎2. Background 2: The Literary & Cultural Contexts of Valerius’ Animals ‎3. Methodology ‎3.1. Categories of Animal & Levels of Operation ‎3.2. Foreground: The Empathic and Empathetic in Valerius Flaccus ‎3.3. Selection & Arrangement of Material, & Progression of Analysis ‎Chapter 1. Empathy: Animal Experience in Simile ‎1. Bulls & Herds: Safety in Numbers ‎1.1. The Bull & the Gadfly, Arg. 3.579–586 ‎1.2. Hercules’ Victorious Bull, Arg. 2.542–549 ‎1.3. Erginus’ Beloved Leader Bull, Arg. 5.67–70 ‎2. The Animal Mother: Gender & Generic Boundaries ‎2.1. The Bereft Lioness, Arg. 3.737–740 ‎2.2. The Halcyon, Arg. 4.44–50 ‎3. Behaviour Patterns: Life Cycles & Phases ‎3.1. Cranes at the Nile, Arg. 3.357–361 ‎3.2. Mother & Chicks, Arg. 7.735–739 ‎Conclusion ‎Chapter 2. Relating: Human/Animal Interactions ‎1. Human Dominion ‎1.1. Hunting ‎1.1.1. The Limed Bird, Arg. 6.260–264 ‎1.1.2. The Harpies, Arg. 4.514–525 ‎1.2. Subjugation: Labour as/and Spectacle ‎1.2.1. The Flammiferi Tauri, Arg. 7.576–596 ‎1.3. Sacrifice: Estrangement & Affinity ‎1.3.1. The Necromancy Bull, Arg. 1.774–780, 785–787 ‎1.3.2. The Funeral at Cyzicus, Arg. 3.334–337 ‎2. Human & Animal Trans-Species Collaboration ‎2.1. The Caspian War-Dogs & Martial Culture, Arg. 6.106–113 ‎2.2. Epic Bond: the Glory & Failure of Human-Equine Partnerships, Arg. 6.33–35 ‎2.3. Oncheus and His Horse, Arg. 6.256–259 ‎Conclusion ‎Chapter 3. Identity: Human Appropriation of Animal Skins ‎1. Heroic Identification ‎1.1. Hercules & the Nemean Lion, Arg. 1.263, 3.720b–721a, 8.125–126 ‎1.2. Jason & the Golden Fleece, Arg. 8.112–115, 217–258 ‎2. (Re)emergence of the Animal ‎2.1. Cyzicus & his Trophy, Arg. 3.20–29a ‎2.2. Armis as Pan, Arg. 6.529–541 ‎2.3. The Death of Myraces & His Tiger-Skin, Arg. 6.699–706 ‎Conclusion ‎Chapter 4. Presence: Animal Emissaries & Cult Companions ‎1. Sight: Jupiter’s Birds ‎1.1. Armiger Iovis ‎1.1.1. The Omen Eagle, Arg. 1.156–160 ‎1.1.2. Jupiter’s Eagle & Ganymede, Arg. 2.414–417 ‎1.1.3. The Promethean Vulture, Arg. 4.68–72, 5.171–176 ‎2. Sound: The Animal Voice ‎2.1. Bacchus’ Tigers, Arg. 2.259–260 ‎2.2. Cybele’s Lion, Arg. 3.237 ‎Conclusion ‎Chapter 5. Serpentine: Meditation on the Monstrous ‎1. Snaky Monsters & the New World Order ‎1.1. Neptune and His ‘Children’ ‎2. Snakes on Cyzicus, Arg. 3.456–458 ‎3. Medea & Her draco ‎Conclusion ‎General Conclusion ‎Appendix: Indices of Animal & Related References in Valerius Flaccus ‎Bibliography ‎General Index ‎Index of Passages