Structure and narrative patterning in the Posthomerica of Quintus Smyrnaeus

The Posthomerica of Quintus Smyrnaeus has been consistently labeled as inherently 'bad' and unworthy of study, in part at least due to its supposed episodic nature and careless structure; however, the poem is, in fact, very carefully organized both on its own terms and in reference to its models, the Homeric epics. In this paper, I analyze the poem in detail in order to lay out its structure and plot trajectory. The paper shows that the poem is not only a well-crafted and interesting poem that invites further study in its own right, but also a work that can shed light on the tactics and development of epic in the late antique world more generally.