Meta Description: Join Ad Navseam Ep. 225 as Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle continue Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, featuring Pollux’s boxing duel with King Amycus and the stinky Harpies!
Welcome back, classical gourmands, to episode 225 of the Ad Navseam podcast! Prepare to get your fill with another delectable discussion of Greco-Roman civilization, stretching from the ancient Minoans and Mycenaeans through the Renaissance and right down to the present.
Broadcasting directly from Parnassus Vomitorium Central (the “bunker”), your devoted hosts return to the microphones. Dr. Jeffrey T. Winkle is looking forward to his annual family trip up to northern Michigan to do some beach-lounging, cooking (Greek, Italian, and Indian nights), and mosquito-swatting. Meanwhile, Dr. David C. Noe is thoroughly enjoying balmy West Michigan days and cool 59-degree nights that make for refreshing sleep.
Carpools and a Rant from Brazil
Before setting sail with the Argonauts, Dave shares a story from his earlier teaching days in Virginia when he lived 24 miles from campus. To save money, he and his fellow professors formed a “think pool” to travel to work over the Blue Ridge Mountains. Every day, they drove through a rough, jarring tunnel that shook the steering wheel so violently that Dave developed severe wrist pain! The diagnosis? A severe case of carpool tunnel syndrome!
Following that pun, the hosts share an extraordinary listener shout-out from Oswaldo in Brazil. Responding to a comment from Episode 223 where the hosts joked that no car was named after the Argo, Oswaldo writes to confirm that Fiat actually manufactures both an Argo and a sedan version called the Cronos in Brazil! Oswaldo then launches into a hilarious, blue-laced rant about left-wing politics and inflation doubling car prices. He notes that he learned Latin via the 19th-century William Most method and is now struggling through Attic Greek. He signs off with a classic Latin tag: Satis est (“It is enough”)!
Bulls and Boxers: Polydeuces vs. King Amycus
Turning to the text, the hosts continue exploring Apollonius of Rhodes’ four-book epic, the Argonautica (using the Stanley Lombardo and Cynthia C. Polsley translation for Hackett Publishing). Dave reads an opening passage from Book 2 where the blind prophet Phineus laments his condition to Jason:
“Son of Aeson, that is beyond recovery. No cure remains, for my seared eyes are devastated and past all hope. Instead, may a god grant me death straight away, and once dead, I’ll partake of all splendid glories.”
Jeff introduces a 1989 Classical Quarterly article by Richard Hunter, “Bulls and Boxers in Apollonius and Virgil.” Hunter analyzes the boxing match at the start of Book 2 between Polydeuces (Pollux) and King Amycus of the Bebrycians.
Amycus, an arrogant son of Poseidon, enforced an outrageous, un-Homeric law: no visiting stranger could leave his land without fighting him in a boxing match. Amycus shows a complete lack of xenia (guest-friendship) by ignoring who the Argonauts are and immediately demanding a fight.
Polydeuces steps forward to fight him. While Amycus relies on brute force and massive size—rearing up on tiptoe to crush Polydeuces like a man slaughtering an ox—Polydeuces uses agility and superior footwork. Dodging a downward blow, Polydeuces pivots, slips his knee behind Amycus, and strikes him above the ear, crushing the giant’s skull! Enraged by their king’s death, the Bebrycians attack, but the Argonauts draw their swords and cut them down in a bloody, Iliadic battle.
Phineus and the Stinky Harpies
The Argo sails onward to the Bithynian coast, where they meet the blind seer Phineus, son of Agenor (and grandson of Poseidon). Phineus was blessed by Apollo with the gift of flawless prophecy, but because he revealed the sacred will of Zeus too accurately to mortals, Zeus afflicted him with blindness, lingering old age, and a grotesque torment: whenever local neighbors brought Phineus food out of gratitude for his prophecies, Zeus sent the Harpies—hideous, winged attack pigeons—swooping down from the clouds. The Harpies would snatch the food straight from his hands and mouth, leaving only a few crumbs behind so he would not die, while defiling the remaining scraps with an unbearable, putrid stench that drove everyone away!
Phineus crawls out to meet the Argonauts, recognizing that fate has sent them to liberate him. The winged sons of the North Wind (Boreas), Zetes and Calais, feel deep pity for Phineus. After Phineus swears a solemn oath that helping him will not invoke divine wrath, the Argonauts set out a lavish feast as bait.
The moment the Harpies dive down like lightning to gulp the food, Zetes and Calais draw their swords and give chase through the sky! They pursue the Harpies all the way to the Floating Islands. Just as the winged brothers are about to hack the Harpies to pieces, Iris (the rainbow messenger goddess) swoops down from heaven to stop them. Iris promises that the Harpies will never harass Phineus again, swearing the most binding divine oath by the waters of the River Styx. In honor of the brothers turning back, the islands are renamed the Strophades (“Islands of Turning”).
Jason’s Emerging Leadership
In gratitude for his release, Phineus provides the Argonauts with crucial prophecies. He warns them about the Clashing Rocks (Symplegades) and tells them a dragon guards the Golden Fleece in Colchis.
Here, Jason steps up and demonstrates genuine, thoughtful leadership. He asks Phineus how an untrained crew is supposed to navigate back home across the sea after reaching the edge of the world. Unlike Odysseus, who often appears indifferent to his crew’s fate, Jason shows deep, protective concern for his men’s survival.
Sponsors and Support
Before beating a hasty retreat to escape Harpies scratching at the door for Hostess Ding-Dongs, the hosts thank their sponsors:
- Ratio Coffee: Upgrade your home coffee experience with the Ratio 4, Ratio 6, or flagship Ratio 8! Automated pour-over technology off-gasses CO2 without scorch pads or plastic components. Visit ratiocoffee.com/adnavseam and enter code ANRATIO2026 for $20 off.
- Hackett Publishing: Build your classical library at hackettpublishing.com! Use code AN2026 for 20% off your entire order plus free shipping. Be sure to check out their new Hackett Signature Editions Collection featuring hardcovers of Aristotle, Augustine, and Nietzsche.
Want to master lingua Latina (Latin language) or learn ancient Greek? Visit latinperdiem.com! Check out Dr. Noe’s online courses, including MossMethod for Greek (use code 10PLUS for 10% off) and the Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata series. Download the $1.99 Moss Method for Greek Reader app or the Calvin’s Latin Bible app, and consider subscribing to Dr. Noe’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/latinperdiem) to help him reach 10,000 subscribers!
Credits & Parting Notes
A special thanks goes out to audio engineer Mishka for her top-tier production, and to guitarist Jeff Scheetz (jeffscheetz.com) for providing the rock-infused intro (Thrillseeker) and bumper music (Rush Hour).
Write to the hosts at dave@adnavseam.com or jeff@adnavseam.com (don’t forget the ‘V’!).
We leave you today with our Gustatory Parting Shot from Raymond Sokolov:
“Manhattan is a narrow island off the coast of New Jersey, devoted to the pursuit of lunch.”
Thanks for listening, and we will catch you next week for Episode 226!
