On sources of paired similes in Valerius Flaccus’ “Argonautica” (V, 343-349; 366-372)

The article deals with the study of sources providing two pair similes found in Valerius Flaccus’s work “Argonautica”: Medea -Proserpina (V, 343-349) and Iason - Sirius (V, 366-372). The author analyzes similarities and differences between two similes: Medea - Proserpina and Dido - Diana (Verg. Aen. I, 498-504), examines similarities between similes Medea - Proserpina and Nau-sicaa - Artemis (Hom. Od. VI, 102-109), and considers the simile Medea - Proserpina, which has two sources directly pointed out by the poet. The author juxtaposes the simile Iason - Sirius found in other passages, in which something / somebody is compared to Sirius: Hom. Il. V, 4-8; XXII, 25-32; Apoll. Rhod. III, 956-961; Verg. Aen. X, 270-275. The author clarifies that the simile Iason -Sirius has three main sources differently employed by the poet: tenor (appearance) is borrowed from Apollonius’ “Argonautica”, vocabulary is close to Il. XXII, 25-32 and Aen. X, 270-275, and tertium comparationis is adopted from Il. XXII, 25-32.