Apollonios Rhodios

Poet from Alexandria who lived in the 3rd century BC.

Apollonios was a student of Callimachus, and became the head librarian of the library of Alexandria in about 265 BC. He was to hold this post for 20 years, and also became the tutor of the crown prince who became king Ptolemaios III.

During his years as head librarian, Apollonios wrote an epic poem called Argonautica, about Jason and the Argonauts. This work upset his teacher Callimachus so much, that they never spoke to each other again and Apollonios moved to Rhodes where he spent the rest of his life as a much celebrated poet.