Apollonius of Rhodes was a Hellenistic Greek poet and scholar of the 3rd century BCE. Born in Alexandria, he was a pupil of Callimachus and later served as head of the Library of Alexandria. Ancient biographies reference a literary quarrel with his teacher, though its historicity is debated. He later lived and gained citizenship on the island of Rhodes, the source of his epithet.

His major work is the Argonautica, a four-book epic on Jason and the Argonauts, which survives intact. He also composed Foundations, a collection on city origins now lost except for fragments. Apollonius is significant as the author of the only surviving Hellenistic epic.

The Argonautica adapts the Homeric epic style with Alexandrian sophistication. It is noted for its complex narrative structure and psychological depth, particularly in its portrayal of Medea. The poem profoundly influenced later Roman poetry, most notably Virgil's Aeneid.