APOLLONIUS OF RHODES (RHonrns), a Greek epic poet and grammarian, of Alexandria, who flourished under the Ptolemies Philopator and Epiphanes (222-181 B.c.) . He was the pupil of Callimachus, with whom he subsequently quarrelled. In his youth he composed the work for which he is known, Argonautica, an epic in four books on the legend of the Argo nauts. In 196, Ptolemy Epiphanes appointed him librarian of the museum, which office he probably held until his death. As to the Argonautica, Longinus' (De Sublim., P. 54, 19) and Quintil ian's (Instit., x. I, 54) verdict of mediocrity seems hardly de served ; it possesses a certain simplicity and contains some beauti ful passages. There is a valuable collection of scholia. The work, highly esteemed by the Romans, was imitated by Virgil (Aeneid, iv.), Varro Atacinus, and Valerius Flaccus. Marianus (about A.D. 50o) paraphrased it, in iambic trimeters. Apollonius also wrote epigrams; grammatical and critical works ; and KTioEas ("the foundations of cities") .