diff options
Diffstat (limited to '830.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 830.txt | 5984 |
1 files changed, 5984 insertions, 0 deletions
@@ -0,0 +1,5984 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Argonautica, by Apollonius Rhodius + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Argonautica + +Author: Apollonius Rhodius + +Posting Date: July 21, 2008 [EBook #830] +Release Date: February, 1997 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ARGONAUTICA *** + + + + +Produced by Douglas B. Killings + + + + + +THE ARGONAUTICA + +by Apollonius Rhodius + +(fl. 3rd Century B.C.) + + +Originally written in Ancient Greek sometime in the 3rd Century B.C. +by the Alexandrian poet Apollonius Rhodius ("Apollonius the Rhodian"). +Translation by R.C. Seaton, 1912. + + +PREPARER'S NOTE: Words in CAPITALS are Greek words transliterated into +modern characters. + + +***** + + +SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY: + +ORIGINAL TEXT-- + +Seaton, R.C. (Ed. & Trans.): "Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica" (Harvard +University Press, Cambridge MA, 1912). Original Greek text with +side-by-side English translation. + + +OTHER TRANSLATIONS-- + +Rieu, E.V. (Trans.): "Apollonius of Rhodes: The Voyage of the Argo" +(Penguin Classics, London, 1959, 1971). + + +RECOMMENDED READING-- + +Euripides: "Medea", "Hecabe", "Electra", and "Heracles", translated by +Philip Vellacott (Penguin Classics, London, 1963). Contains four plays +by Euripides, two of which concern characters from "The Argonautica". + + +***** + + + + +INTRODUCTION + +Much has been written about the chronology of Alexandrian literature and +the famous Library, founded by Ptolemy Soter, but the dates of the chief +writers are still matters of conjecture. The birth of Apollonius Rhodius +is placed by scholars at various times between 296 and 260 B.C., while +the year of his death is equally uncertain. In fact, we have very little +information on the subject. There are two "lives" of Apollonius in the +Scholia, both derived from an earlier one which is lost. From these we +learn that he was of Alexandria by birth, [1001] that he lived in the +time of the Ptolemies, and was a pupil of Callimachus; that while still +a youth he composed and recited in public his "Argonautica", and that +the poem was condemned, in consequence of which he retired to Rhodes; +that there he revised his poem, recited it with great applause, and +hence called himself a Rhodian. The second "life" adds: "Some say that +he returned to Alexandria and again recited his poem with the utmost +success, so that he was honoured with the libraries of the Museum and +was buried with Callimachus." The last sentence may be interpreted by +the notice of Suidas, who informs us that Apollonius was a contemporary +of Eratosthenes, Euphorion and Timarchus, in the time of Ptolemy +Euergetes, and that he succeeded Eratosthenes in the headship of the +Alexandrian Library. Suidas also informs us elsewhere that Aristophanes +at the age of sixty-two succeeded Apollonius in this office. Many modern +scholars deny the "bibliothecariate" of Apollonius for chronological +reasons, and there is considerable difficulty about it. The date of +Callimachus' "Hymn to Apollo", which closes with some lines (105-113) +that are admittedly an allusion to Apollonius, may be put with much +probability at 248 or 247 B.C. Apollonius must at that date have been at +least twenty years old. Eratosthenes died 196-193 B.C. This would make +Apollonius seventy-two to seventy-five when he succeeded Eratosthenes. +This is not impossible, it is true, but it is difficult. But the +difficulty is taken away if we assume with Ritschl that Eratosthenes +resigned his office some years before his death, which allows us to +put the birth of Apollonius at about 280, and would solve other +difficulties. For instance, if the Librarians were buried within +the precincts, it would account for the burial of Apollonius next to +Callimachus--Eratosthenes being still alive. However that may be, it +is rather arbitrary to take away the "bibliothecariate" of Apollonius, +which is clearly asserted by Suidas, on account of chronological +calculations which are themselves uncertain. Moreover, it is more +probable that the words following "some say" in the second "life" are +a remnant of the original life than a conjectural addition, because the +first "life" is evidently incomplete, nothing being said about the end +of Apollonius' career. + +The principal event in his life, so far as we know, was the quarrel +with his master Callimachus, which was most probably the cause of his +condemnation at Alexandria and departure to Rhodes. This quarrel appears +to have arisen from differences of literary aims and taste, but, as +literary differences often do, degenerated into the bitterest personal +strife. There are references to the quarrel in the writings of both. +Callimachus attacks Apollonius in the passage at the end of the "Hymn to +Apollo", already mentioned, also probably in some epigrams, but most of +all in his "Ibis", of which we have an imitation, or perhaps nearly a +translation, in Ovid's poem of the same name. On the part of Apollonius +there is a passage in the third book of the "Argonautica" (11. 927-947) +which is of a polemical nature and stands out from the context, and the +well-known savage epigram upon Callimachus. [1002] Various combinations +have been attempted by scholars, notably by Couat, in his "Poesie +Alexandrine", to give a connected account of the quarrel, but we have +not data sufficient to determine the order of the attacks, and replies, +and counter-attacks. The "Ibis" has been thought to mark the termination +of the feud on the curious ground that it was impossible for abuse to go +further. It was an age when literary men were more inclined to comment +on writings of the past than to produce original work. Literature was +engaged in taking stock of itself. Homer was, of course, professedly +admired by all, but more admired than imitated. Epic poetry was out +of fashion and we find many epigrams of this period--some by +Callimachus--directed against the "cyclic" poets, by whom were meant at +that time those who were always dragging in conventional and commonplace +epithets and phrases peculiar to epic poetry. Callimachus was in +accordance with the spirit of the age when he proclaimed "a great book" +to be "a great evil", and sought to confine poetical activity within the +narrowest limits both of subject and space. Theocritus agreed with +him, both in principle and practice. The chief characteristics of +Alexandrianism are well summarized by Professor Robinson Ellis as +follows: "Precision in form and metre, refinement in diction, a learning +often degenerating into pedantry and obscurity, a resolute avoidance of +everything commonplace in subject, sentiment or allusion." These traits +are more prominent in Callimachus than in Apollonius, but they are +certainly to be seen in the latter. He seems to have written the +"Argonautica" out of bravado, to show that he could write an epic poem. +But the influence of the age was too strong. Instead of the unity of an +Epic we have merely a series of episodes, and it is the great beauty +and power of one of these episodes that gives the poem its permanent +value--the episode of the love of Jason and Medea. This occupies the +greater part of the third book. The first and second books are taken +up with the history of the voyage to Colchis, while the fourth book +describes the return voyage. These portions constitute a metrical guide +book, filled no doubt with many pleasing episodes, such as the rape +of Hylas, the boxing match between Pollux and Amyeus, the account of +Cyzicus, the account of the Amazons, the legend of Talos, but there is +no unity running through the poem beyond that of the voyage itself. + +The Tale of the Argonauts had been told often before in verse and prose, +and many authors' names are given in the Scholia to Apollonius, but +their works have perished. The best known earlier account that we have +is that in Pindar's fourth Pythian ode, from which Apollonius has taken +many details. The subject was one for an epic poem, for its unity might +have been found in the working out of the expiation due for the crime of +Athamas; but this motive is barely mentioned by our author. + +As we have it, the motive of the voyage is the command of Pelias to +bring back the golden fleece, and this command is based on Pelias' +desire to destroy Jason, while the divine aid given to Jason results +from the intention of Hera to punish Pelias for his neglect of the +honour due to her. The learning of Apollonius is not deep but it is +curious; his general sentiments are not according to the Alexandrian +standard, for they are simple and obvious. In the mass of material from +which he had to choose the difficulty was to know what to omit, and much +skill is shown in fusing into a tolerably harmonious whole conflicting +mythological and historical details. He interweaves with his narrative +local legends and the founding of cities, accounts of strange customs, +descriptions of works of art, such as that of Ganymede and Eros playing +with knucklebones, [1003] but prosaically calls himself back to the +point from these pleasing digressions by such an expression as "but this +would take me too far from my song." His business is the straightforward +tale and nothing else. The astonishing geography of the fourth book +reminds us of the interest of the age in that subject, stimulated no +doubt by the researches of Eratosthenes and others. + +The language is that of the conventional epic. Apollonius seems to have +carefully studied Homeric glosses, and gives many examples of isolated +uses, but his choice of words is by no means limited to Homer. He freely +avails himself of Alexandrian words and late uses of Homeric words. +Among his contemporaries Apollonius suffers from a comparison with +Theocritus, who was a little his senior, but he was much admired by +Roman writers who derived inspiration from the great classical writers +of Greece by way of Alexandria. In fact Alexandria was a useful bridge +between Athens and Rome. The "Argonautica" was translated by Varro +Atacinus, copied by Ovid and Virgil, and minutely studied by Valerius +Flaccus in his poem of the same name. Some of his finest passages have +been appropriated and improved upon by Virgil by the divine right of +superior genius. [1004] The subject of love had been treated in the +romantic spirit before the time of Apollonius in writings that have +perished, for instance, in those of Antimachus of Colophon, but the +"Argonautica" is perhaps the first poem still extant in which the +expression of this spirit is developed with elaboration. The Medea of +Apollonius is the direct precursor of the Dido of Virgil, and it is the +pathos and passion of the fourth book of the "Aeneid" that keep alive +many a passage of Apollonius. + + + + +THE ARGONAUTICA + + + + +BOOK I + +(ll. 1-4) Beginning with thee, O Phoebus, I will recount the famous +deeds of men of old, who, at the behest of King Pelias, down through the +mouth of Pontus and between the Cyanean rocks, sped well-benched Argo in +quest of the golden fleece. + +(ll. 5-17) Such was the oracle that Pelias heard, that a hateful doom +awaited him to be slain at the prompting of the man whom he should +see coming forth from the people with but one sandal. And no long time +after, in accordance with that true report, Jason crossed the stream +of wintry Anaurus on foot, and saved one sandal from the mire, but the +other he left in the depths held back by the flood. And straightway he +came to Pelias to share the banquet which the king was offering to his +father Poseidon and the rest of the gods, though he paid no honour to +Pelasgian Hera. Quickly the king saw him and pondered, and devised for +him the toil of a troublous voyage, in order that on the sea or among +strangers he might lose his home-return. + +(ll. 18-22) The ship, as former bards relate, Argus wrought by the +guidance of Athena. But now I will tell the lineage and the names of the +heroes, and of the long sea-paths and the deeds they wrought in their +wanderings; may the Muses be the inspirers of my song! + +(ll. 23-34) First then let us name Orpheus whom once Calliope bare, it +is said, wedded to Thracian Oeagrus, near the Pimpleian height. Men say +that he by the music of his songs charmed the stubborn rocks upon the +mountains and the course of rivers. And the wild oak-trees to this day, +tokens of that magic strain, that grow at Zone on the Thracian shore, +stand in ordered ranks close together, the same which under the charm of +his lyre he led down from Pieria. Such then was Orpheus whom Aeson's +son welcomed to share his toils, in obedience to the behest of Cheiron, +Orpheus ruler of Bistonian Pieria. + +(ll. 35-39) Straightway came Asterion, whom Cometes begat by the waters +of eddying Apidanus; he dwelt at Peiresiae near the Phylleian mount, +where mighty Apidanus and bright Enipeus join their streams, coming +together from afar. + +(ll. 40-44) Next to them from Larisa came Polyphemus, son of Eilatus, +who aforetime among the mighty Lapithae, when they were arming +themselves against the Centaurs, fought in his younger days; now his +limbs were grown heavy with age, but his martial spirit still remained, +even as of old. + +(ll. 45-48) Nor was Iphiclus long left behind in Phylace, the uncle +of Aeson's son; for Aeson had wedded his sister Alcimede, daughter of +Phylacus: his kinship with her bade him be numbered in the host. + +(ll. 49-50) Nor did Admetus, the lord of Pherae rich in sheep, stay +behind beneath the peak of the Chalcodonian mount. + +(ll. 51-56) Nor at Alope stayed the sons of Hermes, rich in corn-land, +well skilled in craftiness, Erytus and Echion, and with them on their +departure their kinsman Aethalides went as the third; him near the +streams of Amphrysus Eupolemeia bare, the daughter of Myrmidon, from +Phthia; the two others were sprung from Antianeira, daughter of Menetes. + +(ll. 57-64) From rich Gyrton came Coronus, son of Caeneus, brave, but +not braver than his father. For bards relate that Caeneus though still +living perished at the hands of the Centaurs, when apart from other +chiefs he routed them; and they, rallying against him, could neither +bend nor slay him; but unconquered and unflinching he passed beneath the +earth, overwhelmed by the downrush of massy pines. + +(ll. 65-68) There came too Titaresian Mopsus, whom above all men the son +of Leto taught the augury of birds; and Eurydamas the son of Ctimenus; +he dwelt at Dolopian Ctimene near the Xynian lake. + +(ll. 69-70) Moreover Actor sent his son Menoetius from Opus that he +might accompany the chiefs. + +(ll. 71-76) Eurytion followed and strong Eribotes, one the son of +Teleon, the other of Irus, Actor's son; the son of Teleon renowned +Eribotes, and of Irus Eurytion. A third with them was Oileus, peerless +in courage and well skilled to attack the flying foe, when they break +their ranks. + +(ll. 77-85) Now from Euboea came Canthus eager for the quest, whom +Canethus son of Abas sent; but he was not destined to return to +Cerinthus. For fate had ordained that he and Mopsus, skilled in the +seer's art, should wander and perish in the furthest ends of Libya. For +no ill is too remote for mortals to incur, seeing that they buried them +in Libya, as far from the Colchians as is the space that is seen between +the setting and the rising of the sun. + +(ll. 86-89) To him Clytius and Iphitus joined themselves, the warders +of Oechalia, sons of Eurytus the ruthless, Eurytus, to whom the +Far-shooting god gave his bow; but he had no joy of the gift; for of his +own choice he strove even with the giver. + +(ll. 90-94) After them came the sons of Aeacus, not both together, nor +from the same spot; for they settled far from Aegina in exile, when in +their folly they had slain their brother Phoeus. Telamon dwelt in the +Attic island; but Peleus departed and made his home in Phthia. + +(ll. 95-104) After them from Cecropia came warlike Butes, son of brave +Teleon, and Phalerus of the ashen spear. Alcon his father sent him +forth; yet no other sons had he to care for his old age and livelihood. +But him, his well-beloved and only son, he sent forth that amid bold +heroes he might shine conspicuous. But Theseus, who surpassed all the +sons of Erechtheus, an unseen bond kept beneath the land of Taenarus, +for he had followed that path with Peirithous; assuredly both would have +lightened for all the fulfilment of their toil. + +(ll. 105-114) Tiphys, son of Hagnias, left the Siphaean people of the +Thespians, well skilled to foretell the rising wave on the broad sea, +and well skilled to infer from sun and star the stormy winds and the +time for sailing. Tritonian Athena herself urged him to join the band +of chiefs, and he came among them a welcome comrade. She herself too +fashioned the swift ship; and with her Argus, son of Arestor, wrought +it by her counsels. Wherefore it proved the most excellent of all ships +that have made trial of the sea with oars. + +(ll. 115-117) After them came Phlias from Araethyrea, where he dwelt +in affluence by the favour of his father Dionysus, in his home by the +springs of Asopus. + +(ll. 118-121) From Argos came Talaus and Areius, sons of Bias, and +mighty Leodocus, all of whom Pero daughter of Neleus bare; on her +account the Aeolid Melampus endured sore affliction in the steading of +Iphiclus. + +(ll. 122-132) Nor do we learn that Heracles of the mighty heart +disregarded the eager summons of Aeson's son. But when he heard a report +of the heroes' gathering and had reached Lyrceian Argos from Arcadia by +the road along which he carried the boar alive that fed in the thickets +of Lampeia, near the vast Erymanthian swamp, the boar bound with chains +he put down from his huge shoulders at the entrance to the market-place +of Mycenae; and himself of his own will set out against the purpose of +Eurystheus; and with him went Hylas, a brave comrade, in the flower of +youth, to bear his arrows and to guard his bow. + +(ll. 133-138) Next to him came a scion of the race of divine Danaus, +Nauplius. He was the son of Clytonaeus son of Naubolus; Naubolus was son +of Lernus; Lernus we know was the son of Proetus son of Nauplius; and +once Amymone daughter of Danaus, wedded to Poseidon, bare Nauplius, who +surpassed all men in naval skill. + +(ll. 139-145) Idmon came last of all them that dwelt at Argos, for +though he had learnt his own fate by augury, he came, that the people +might not grudge him fair renown. He was not in truth the son of Abas, +but Leto's son himself begat him to be numbered among the illustrious +Aeolids; and himself taught him the art of prophecy--to pay heed to +birds and to observe the signs of the burning sacrifice. + +(ll. 146-150) Moreover Aetolian Leda sent from Sparta strong Polydeuces +and Castor, skilled to guide swift-footed steeds; these her dearly-loved +sons she bare at one birth in the house of Tyndareus; nor did she forbid +their departure; for she had thoughts worthy of the bride of Zeus. + +(ll. 151-155) The sons of Aphareus, Lynceus and proud Idas, came from +Arene, both exulting in their great strength; and Lynceus too excelled +in keenest sight, if the report is true that that hero could easily +direct his sight even beneath the earth. + +(ll. 156-160) And with them Neleian Periclymenus set out to come, eldest +of all the sons of godlike Neleus who were born at Pylos; Poseidon had +given him boundless strength and granted him that whatever shape he +should crave during the fight, that he should take in the stress of +battle. + +(ll. 161-171) Moreover from Arcadia came Amphidamas and Cepheus, who +inhabited Tegea and the allotment of Apheidas, two sons of Aldus; and +Ancaeus followed them as the third, whom his father Lycurgus sent, the +brother older than both. But he was left in the city to care for Aleus +now growing old, while he gave his son to join his brothers. Antaeus +went clad in the skin of a Maenalian bear, and wielding in his right +hand a huge two-edged battleaxe. For his armour his grandsire had hidden +in the house's innermost recess, to see if he might by some means still +stay his departure. + +(ll. 172-175) There came also Augeias, whom fame declared to be the +son of Helios; he reigned over the Eleans, glorying in his wealth; and +greatly he desired to behold the Colchian land and Aeetes himself the +ruler of the Colchians. + +(ll. 176-178) Asterius and Amphion, sons of Hyperasius, came from +Achaean Pellene, which once Pelles their grandsire founded on the brows +of Aegialus. + +(ll. 179-184) After them from Taenarus came Euphemus whom, most +swift-footed of men, Europe, daughter of mighty Tityos, bare to +Poseidon. He was wont to skim the swell of the grey sea, and wetted not +his swift feet, but just dipping the tips of his toes was borne on the +watery path. + +(ll. 185-189) Yea, and two other sons of Poseidon came; one Erginus, who +left the citadel of glorious Miletus, the other proud Ancaeus, who +left Parthenia, the seat of Imbrasion Hera; both boasted their skill in +seacraft and in war. + +(ll. 190-201) After them from Calydon came the son of Oeneus, strong +Meleagrus, and Laocoon--Laocoon the brother of Oeneus, though not by the +same mother, for a serving-woman bare him; him, now growing old, Oeneus +sent to guard his son: thus Meleagrus, still a youth, entered the +bold band of heroes. No other had come superior to him, I ween, except +Heracles, if for one year more he had tarried and been nurtured among +the Aetolians. Yea, and his uncle, well skilled to fight whether with +the javelin or hand to hand, Iphiclus son of Thestius, bare him company +on his way. + +(ll. 202-206) With him came Palaemonius, son of Olenian Lernus, of +Lernus by repute, but his birth was from Hephaestus; and so he was +crippled in his feet, but his bodily frame and his valour no one would +dare to scorn. Wherefore he was numbered among all the chiefs, winning +fame for Jason. + +(ll. 207-210) From the Phocians came Iphitus sprung from Naubolus son of +Ornytus; once he had been his host when Jason went to Pytho to ask for +a response concerning his voyage; for there he welcomed him in his own +hails. + +(ll. 211-223) Next came Zetes and Calais, sons of Boreas, whom once +Oreithyia, daughter of Erechtheus, bare to Boreas on the verge of wintry +Thrace; thither it was that Thracian Boreas snatched her away from +Cecropia as she was whirling in the dance, hard by Hissus' stream. And, +carrying her far off, to the spot that men called the rock of Sarpedon, +near the river Erginus, he wrapped her in dark clouds and forced her +to his will. There they were making their dusky wings quiver upon their +ankles on both sides as they rose, a great wonder to behold, wings that +gleamed with golden scales: and round their backs from the top of the +head and neck, hither and thither, their dark tresses were being shaken +by the wind. + +(ll. 224-227) No, nor had Acastus son of mighty Pelias himself any will +to stay behind in the palace of his brave sire, nor Argus, helper of the +goddess Athena; but they too were ready to be numbered in the host. + +(ll. 228-233) So many then were the helpers who assembled to join the +son of Aeson. All the chiefs the dwellers thereabout called Minyae, for +the most and the bravest avowed that they were sprung from the blood of +the daughters of Minyas; thus Jason himself was the son of Alcimede who +was born of Clymene the daughter of Minyas. + +(ll. 234-241) Now when all things had been made ready by the thralls, +all things that fully-equipped ships are furnished withal when men's +business leads them to voyage across the sea, then the heroes took their +way through the city to the ship where it lay on the strand that men +call Magnesian Pagasae; and a crowd of people hastening rushed together; +but the heroes shone like gleaming stars among the clouds; and each man +as he saw them speeding along with their armour would say: + +(ll. 242-246) "King Zeus, what is the purpose of Pelias? Whither is he +driving forth from the Panachaean land so great a host of heroes? On one +day they would waste the palace of Aeetes with baleful fire, should he +not yield them the fleece of his own goodwill. But the path is not to be +shunned, the toil is hard for those who venture." + +(ll. 247-250) Thus they spake here and there throughout the city; but +the women often raised their hands to the sky in prayer to the immortals +to grant a return, their hearts' desire. And one with tears thus +lamented to her fellow: + +(ll. 251-260) "Wretched Alcimede, evil has come to thee at last though +late, thou hast not ended with splendour of life. Aeson too, ill-fated +man! Surely better had it been for him, if he were lying beneath the +earth, enveloped in his shroud, still unconscious of bitter toils. Would +that the dark wave, when the maiden Helle perished, had overwhelmed +Phrixus too with the ram; but the dire portent even sent forth a human +voice, that it might cause to Alcimede sorrows and countless pains +hereafter." + +(ll. 261-277) Thus the women spake at the departure of the heroes. And +now many thralls, men and women, were gathered together, and his mother, +smitten with grief for Jason. And a bitter pang seized every woman's +heart; and with them groaned the father in baleful old age, lying on his +bed, closely wrapped round. But the hero straightway soothed their pain, +encouraging them, and bade the thralls take up his weapons for war; and +they in silence with downcast looks took them up. And even as the mother +had thrown her arms about her son, so she clung, weeping without stint, +as a maiden all alone weeps, falling fondly on the neck of her hoary +nurse, a maid who has now no others to care for her, but she drags on a +weary life under a stepmother, who maltreats her continually with ever +fresh insults, and as she weeps, her heart within her is bound fast +with misery, nor can she sob forth all the groans that struggle for +utterance; so without stint wept Alcimede straining her son in her arms, +and in her yearning grief spake as follows: + +(ll. 278-291) "Would that on that day when, wretched woman that I am, I +heard King Pelias proclaim his evil behest, I had straightway given up +my life and forgotten my cares, so that thou thyself, my son, with thine +own hands, mightest have buried me; for that was the only wish left me +still to be fulfilled by time, all the other rewards for thy nurture +have I long enjoyed. Now I, once so admired among Achaean women, +shall be left behind like a bondwoman in my empty halls, pining away, +ill-fated one, for love of thee, thee on whose account I had aforetime +so much splendour and renown, my only son for whom I loosed my virgin +zone first and last. For to me beyond others the goddess Eileithyia +grudged abundant offspring. Alas for my folly! Not once, not even in nay +dreams did I forebode this, that the flight of Phrixus would bring me +woe." + +(ll. 292-294) Thus with moaning she wept, and her handmaidens, standing +by, lamented; but Jason spake gently to her with comforting words: + +(ll. 295-305) "Do not, I pray thee, mother, store up bitter sorrows +overmuch, for thou wilt not redeem me from evil by tears, but wilt still +add grief to grief. For unseen are the woes that the gods mete out to +mortals; be strong to endure thy share of them though with grief in thy +heart; take courage from the promises of Athena, and from the answers of +the gods (for very favourable oracles has Phoebus given), and then from +the help of the chieftains. But do thou remain here, quiet among thy +handmaids, and be not a bird of ill omen to the ship; and thither my +clansmen and thralls will follow me." + +(ll. 306-316) He spake, and started forth to leave the house. And as +Apollo goes forth from some fragrant shrine to divine Delos or Claros or +Pytho or to broad Lyeia near the stream of Xanthus, in such beauty moved +Jason through the throng of people; and a cry arose as they shouted +together. And there met him aged Iphias, priestess of Artemis guardian +of the city, and kissed his right hand, but she had not strength to say +a word, for all her eagerness, as the crowd rushed on, but she was left +there by the wayside, as the old are left by the young, and he passed on +and was gone afar. + +(ll. 317-331) Now when he had left the well-built streets of the city, +he came to the beach of Pagasae, where his comrades greeted him as they +stayed together near the ship Argo. And he stood at the entering in, +and they were gathered to meet him. And they perceived Aeastus and Argus +coming from the city, and they marvelled when they saw them hasting with +all speed, despite the will of Pelias. The one, Argus, son of Arestor, +had cast round his shoulders the hide of a bull reaching to his feet, +with the black hair upon it, the other, a fair mantle of double fold, +which his sister Pelopeia had given him. Still Jason forebore from +asking them about each point but bade all be seated for an assembly. And +there, upon the folded sails and the mast as it lay on the ground, +they all took their seats in order. And among them with goodwill spake +Aeson's son: + +(ll. 332-340) "All the equipment that a ship needs for all is in due +order--lies ready for our departure. Therefore we will make no long +delay in our sailing for these things' sake, when the breezes but +blow fair. But, friends,--for common to all is our return to Hellas +hereafter, and common to all is our path to the land of Aeetes--now +therefore with ungrudging heart choose the bravest to be our leader, +who shall be careful for everything, to take upon him our quarrels and +covenants with strangers." + +(ll. 341-344) Thus he spake; and the young heroes turned their eyes +towards bold Heracles sitting in their midst, and with one shout they +all enjoined upon him to be their leader; but he, from the place where +he sat, stretched forth his right hand and said: + +(ll. 345-347) "Let no one offer this honour to me. For I will not +consent, and I will forbid any other to stand up. Let the hero who +brought us together, himself be the leader of the host." + +(ll. 348-350) Thus he spake with high thoughts, and they assented, as +Heracles bade; and warlike Jason himself rose up, glad at heart, and +thus addressed the eager throng: + +(ll. 351-362) "If ye entrust your glory to my care, no longer as before +let our path be hindered. Now at last let us propitiate Phoebus with +sacrifice and straightway prepare a feast. And until my thralls come, +the overseers of my steading, whose care it is to choose out oxen from +the herd and drive them hither, we will drag down the ship to the sea, +and do ye place all the tackling within, and draw lots for the benches +for rowing. Meantime let us build upon the beach an altar to Apollo +Embasius [1101] who by an oracle promised to point out and show me the +paths of the sea, if by sacrifice to him I should begin my venture for +King Pelias." + +(ll. 363-393) He spake, and was the first to turn to the work, and they +stood up in obedience to him; and they heaped their garments, one upon +the other, on a smooth stone, which the sea did not strike with its +waves, but the stormy surge had cleansed it long before. First of all, +by the command of Argus, they strongly girded the ship with a rope well +twisted within, [1102] stretching it tight on each side, in order that +the planks might be well compacted by the bolts and might withstand the +opposing force of the surge. And they quickly dug a trench as wide as +the space the ship covered, and at the prow as far into the sea as it +would run when drawn down by their hands. And they ever dug deeper in +front of the stem, and in the furrow laid polished rollers; and inclined +the ship down upon the first rollers, that so she might glide and be +borne on by them. And above, on both sides, reversing the oars, they +fastened them round the thole-pins, so as to project a cubit's space. +And the heroes themselves stood on both sides at the oars in a row, and +pushed forward with chest and hand at once. And then Tiphys leapt on +board to urge the youths to push at the right moment; and calling +on them he shouted loudly; and they at once, leaning with all their +strength, with one push started the ship from her place, and strained +with their feet, forcing her onward; and Pelian Argo followed swiftly; +and they on each side shouted as they rushed on. And then the rollers +groaned under the sturdy keel as they were chafed, and round them rose +up a dark smoke owing to the weight, and she glided into the sea; but +the heroes stood there and kept dragging her back as she sped onward. +And round the thole-pins they fitted the oars, and in the ship they +placed the mast and the well-made sails and the stores. + +(ll. 394-401) Now when they had carefully paid heed to everything, first +they distributed the benches by lot, two men occupying one seat; but the +middle bench they chose for Heracles and Ancaeus apart from the other +heroes, Ancaeus who dwelt in Tegea. For them alone they left the middle +bench just as it was and not by lot; and with one consent they entrusted +Tiphys with guarding the helm of the well-stemmed ship. + +(ll. 402-410) Next, piling up shingle near the sea, they raised there +an altar on the shore to Apollo, under the name of Actius [1103] and +Embasius, and quickly spread above it logs of dried olive-wood. Meantime +the herdsmen of Aeson's son had driven before them from the herd two +steers. These the younger comrades dragged near the altars, and the +others brought lustral water and barley meal, and Jason prayed, calling +on Apollo the god of his fathers: + +(ll. 411-424) "Hear, O King, that dwellest in Pagasae and the city +Aesonis, the city called by my father's name, thou who didst promise me, +when I sought thy oracle at Pytho, to show the fulfilment and goal of my +journey, for thou thyself hast been the cause of my venture; now do thou +thyself guide the ship with my comrades safe and sound, thither and back +again to Hellas. Then in thy honour hereafter we will lay again on thy +altar the bright offerings of bulls--all of us who return; and other +gifts in countless numbers I will bring to Pytho and Ortygia. And now, +come, Far-darter, accept this sacrifice at our hands, which first of +all we have offered thee for this ship on our embarcation; and grant, O +King, that with a prosperous wind I may loose the hawsers, relying on +thy counsel, and may the breeze blow softly with which we shall sail +over the sea in fair weather." + +(ll. 425-439) He spake, and with his prayer cast the barley meal. +And they two girded themselves to slay the steers, proud Ancaeus and +Heracles. The latter with his club smote one steer mid-head on the brow, +and falling in a heap on the spot, it sank to the ground; and Ancaeus +struck the broad neck of the other with his axe of bronze, and shore +through the mighty sinews; and it fell prone on both its horns. Their +comrades quickly severed the victims' throats, and flayed the hides: +they sundered the joints and carved the flesh, then cut out the sacred +thigh bones, and covering them all together closely with fat burnt them +upon cloven wood. And Aeson's son poured out pure libations, and Idmon +rejoiced beholding the flame as it gleamed on every side from the +sacrifice, and the smoke of it mounting up with good omen in dark spiral +columns; and quickly he spake outright the will of Leto's son: + +(ll. 440-447) "For you it is the will of heaven and destiny that +ye shall return here with the fleece; but meanwhile both going and +returning, countless trials await you. But it is my lot, by the hateful +decree of a god, to die somewhere afar off on the mainland of Asia. +Thus, though I learnt my fate from evil omens even before now, I have +left my fatherland to embark on the ship, that so after my embarking +fair fame may be left me in my house." + +(ll. 448-462) Thus he spake; and the youths hearing the divine utterance +rejoiced at their return, but grief seized them for the fate of +Idmon. Now at the hour when the sun passes his noon-tide halt and the +ploughlands are just being shadowed by the rocks, as the sun slopes +towards the evening dusk, at that hour all the heroes spread leaves +thickly upon the sand and lay down in rows in front of the hoary +surf-line; and near them were spread vast stores of viands and sweet +wine, which the cupbearers had drawn off in pitchers; afterwards they +told tales one to another in turn, such as youths often tell when at +the feast and the bowl they take delightful pastime, and insatiable +insolence is far away. But here the son of Aeson, all helpless, was +brooding over each event in his mind, like one oppressed with thought. +And Idas noted him and assailed him with loud voice: + +(ll. 463-471) "Son of Aeson, what is this plan thou art turning over in +mind. Speak out thy thought in the midst. Does fear come on and master +thee, fear, that confounds cowards? Be witness now my impetuous spear, +wherewith in wars I win renown beyond all others (nor does Zeus aid me +so much as my own spear), that no woe will be fatal, no venture will be +unachieved, while Idas follows, even though a god should oppose thee. +Such a helpmeet am I that thou bringest from Arene." + +(ll. 472-475) He spake, and holding a brimming goblet in both hands +drank off the unmixed sweet wine; and his lips and dark cheeks were +drenched with it; and all the heroes clamoured together and Idmon spoke +out openly: + +(ll. 480-484) "Vain wretch, thou art devising destruction for thyself +before the time. Does the pure wine cause thy bold heart to swell in thy +breast to thy ruin, and has it set thee on to dishonour the gods? Other +words of comfort there are with which a man might encourage his comrade; +but thou hast spoken with utter recklessness. Such taunts, the tale +goes, did the sons of Aloeus once blurt out against the blessed gods, +and thou dost no wise equal them in valour; nevertheless they were both +slain by the swift arrows of Leto's son, mighty though they were." + +(ll. 485-486) Thus he spake, and Aphareian Iclas laughed out, loud and +long, and eyeing him askance replied with biting words: + +(ll. 487-491) "Come now, tell me this by thy prophetic art, whether for +me too the gods will bring to pass such doom as thy father promised for +the sons of Aloeus. And bethink thee how thou wilt escape from my hands +alive, if thou art caught making a prophecy vain as the idle wind." + +(ll. 492-495) Thus in wrath Idas reviled him, and the strife would +have gone further had not their comrades and Aeson's son himself with +indignant cry restrained the contending chiefs; and Orpheus lifted his +lyre in his left hand and made essay to sing. + +(ll. 496-511) He sang how the earth, the heaven and the sea, once +mingled together in one form, after deadly strife were separated each +from other; and how the stars and the moon and the paths of the sun ever +keep their fixed place in the sky; and how the mountains rose, and how +the resounding rivers with their nymphs came into being and all creeping +things. And he sang how first of all Ophion and Eurynome, daughter of +Ocean, held the sway of snowy Olympus, and how through strength of arm +one yielded his prerogative to Cronos and the other to Rhea, and how +they fell into the waves of Ocean; but the other two meanwhile ruled +over the blessed Titan-gods, while Zeus, still a child and with the +thoughts of a child, dwelt in the Dictaean cave; and the earthborn +Cyclopes had not yet armed him with the bolt, with thunder and +lightning; for these things give renown to Zeus. + +(ll. 512-518) He ended, and stayed his lyre and divine voice. But though +he had ceased they still bent forward with eagerness all hushed to +quiet, with ears intent on the enchanting strain; such a charm of song +had he left behind in their hearts. Not long after they mixed libations +in honour of Zeus, with pious rites as is customary, and poured them +upon the burning tongues, and bethought them of sleep in the darkness. + +(ll. 519-558) Now when gleaming dawn with bright eyes beheld the lofty +peaks of Pelion, and the calm headlands were being drenched as the sea +was ruffled by the winds, then Tiphys awoke from sleep; and at once +he roused his comrades to go on board and make ready the oars. And +a strange cry did the harbour of Pagasae utter, yea and Pelian Argo +herself, urging them to set forth. For in her a beam divine had been +laid which Athena had brought from an oak of Dodona and fitted in the +middle of the stem. And the heroes went to the benches one after the +other, as they had previously assigned for each to row in his place, and +took their seats in due order near their fighting gear. In the middle +sat Antaeus and mighty Heracles, and near him he laid his club, and +beneath his tread the ship's keel sank deep. And now the hawsers were +being slipped and they poured wine on the sea. But Jason with tears held +his eyes away from his fatherland. And just as youths set up a dance in +honour of Phoebus either in Pytho or haply in Ortygia, or by the waters +of Ismenus, and to the sound of the lyre round his altar all together +in time beat the earth with swiftly-moving feet; so they to the sound of +Orpheus' lyre smote with their oars the rushing sea-water, and the +surge broke over the blades; and on this side and on that the dark brine +seethed with foam, boiling terribly through the might of the sturdy +heroes. And their arms shone in the sun like flame as the ship sped on; +and ever their wake gleamed white far behind, like a path seen over a +green plain. On that day all the gods looked down from heaven upon the +ship and the might of the heroes, half-divine, the bravest of men +then sailing the sea; and on the topmost heights the nymphs of Pelion +wondered as they beheld the work of Itonian Athena, and the heroes +themselves wielding the oars. And there came down from the mountain-top +to the sea Chiron, son of Philyra, and where the white surf broke he +dipped his feet, and, often waving with his broad hand, cried out to +them at their departure, "Good speed and a sorrowless home-return!" And +with him his wife, bearing Peleus' son Achilles on her arm, showed the +child to his dear father. + +(ll. 559-579) Now when they had left the curving shore of the harbour +through the cunning and counsel of prudent Tiphys son of Hagnias, +who skilfully handled the well-polished helm that he might guide them +steadfastly, then at length they set up the tall mast in the mastbox, +and secured it with forestays, drawing them taut on each side, and from +it they let down the sail when they had hauled it to the top-mast. And +a breeze came down piping shrilly; and upon the deck they fastened the +ropes separately round the well-polished pins, and ran quietly past the +long Tisaean headland. And for them the son of Oeagrus touched his lyre +and sang in rhythmical song of Artemis, saviour of ships, child of a +glorious sire, who hath in her keeping those peaks by the sea, and the +land of Iolcos; and the fishes came darting through the deep sea, great +mixed with small, and followed gambolling along the watery paths. And as +when in the track of the shepherd, their master, countless sheep follow +to the fold that have fed to the full of grass, and he goes before +gaily piping a shepherd's strain on Iris shrill reed; so these fishes +followed; and a chasing breeze ever bore the ship onward. + +(ll. 580-591) And straightway the misty land of the Pelasgians, rich in +cornfields, sank out of sight, and ever speeding onward they passed the +rugged sides of Pelion; and the Sepian headland sank away, and Sciathus +appeared in the sea, and far off appeared Piresiae and the calm shore +of Magnesia on the mainland and the tomb of Dolops; here then in the +evening, as the wind blew against them, they put to land, and paying +honour to him at nightfall burnt sheep as victims, while the sea was +tossed by the swell: and for two days they lingered on the shore, but on +the third day they put forth the ship, spreading on high the broad sail. +And even now men call that beach Aphetae [1104] of Argo. + +(ll. 592-608) Thence going forward they ran past Meliboea, escaping a +stormy beach and surf-line. And in the morning they saw Homole close at +hand leaning on the sea, and skirted it, and not long after they were +about to pass by the outfall of the river Amyrus. From there they beheld +Eurymenae and the seawashed ravines of Ossa and Olympus; next they +reached the slopes of Pallene, beyond the headland of Canastra, running +all night with the wind. And at dawn before them as they journeyed rose +Athos, the Thracian mountain, which with its topmost peak overshadows +Lemnos, even as far as Myrine, though it lies as far off as the space +that a well-trimmed merchantship would traverse up to mid-day. For them +on that day, till darkness fell, the breeze blew exceedingly fresh, and +the sails of the ship strained to it. But with the setting of the sun +the wind left them, and it was by the oars that they reached Lemnos, the +Sintian isle. + +(ll. 609-639) Here the whole of the men of the people together had been +ruthlessly slain through the transgressions of the women in the year +gone by. For the men had rejected their lawful wives, loathing them, and +had conceived a fierce passion for captive maids whom they themselves +brought across the sea from their forays in Thrace; for the terrible +wrath of Cypris came upon them, because for a long time they had grudged +her the honours due. O hapless women, and insatiate in jealousy to their +own ruin! Not their husbands alone with the captives did they slay on +account of the marriage-bed, but all the males at the same time, that +they might thereafter pay no retribution for the grim murder. And of all +the women, Hypsipyle alone spared her aged father Thoas, who was king +over the people; and she sent him in a hollow chest, to drift over the +sea, if haply he should escape. And fishermen dragged him to shore at +the island of Oenoe, formerly Oenoe, but afterwards called Sicinus from +Sicinus, whom the water-nymph Oenoe bore to Thoas. Now for all the +women to tend kine, to don armour of bronze, and to cleave with the +plough-share the wheat-bearing fields, was easier than the works of +Athena, with which they were busied aforetime. Yet for all that did they +often gaze over the broad sea, in grievous fear against the Thracians' +coming. So when they saw Argo being rowed near the island, straightway +crowding in multitude from the gates of Myrine and clad in their harness +of war, they poured forth to the beach like ravening Thyiades: for they +deemed that the Thracians were come; and with them Hypsipyle, daughter +of Thoas, donned her father's harness. And they streamed down speechless +with dismay; such fear was wafted about them. + +(ll. 640-652) Meantime from the ship the chiefs had sent Aethalides the +swift herald, to whose care they entrusted their messages and the wand +of Hermes, his sire, who had granted him a memory of all things, that +never grew dim; and not even now, though he has entered the unspeakable +whirlpools of Acheron, has forgetfulness swept over his soul, but its +fixed doom is to be ever changing its abode; at one time to be numbered +among the dwellers beneath the earth, at another to be in the light +of the sun among living men. But why need I tell at length tales +of Aethalides? He at that time persuaded Hypsipyle to receive the +new-comers as the day was waning into darkness; nor yet at dawn did they +loose the ship's hawsers to the breath of the north wind. + +(ll. 653-656) Now the Lemnian women fared through the city and sat down +to the assembly, for Hypsipyle herself had so bidden. And when they were +all gathered together in one great throng straightway she spake among +them with stirring words: + +(ll. 657-666) "O friends, come let us grant these men gifts to +their hearts' desire, such as it is fitting that they should take on +ship-board, food and sweet wine, in order that they may steadfastly +remain outside our towers, and may not, passing among us for need's +sake, get to know us all too well, and so an evil report be widely +spread; for we have wrought a terrible deed and in nowise will it be to +their liking, should they learn it. Such is our counsel now, but if any +of you can devise a better plan let her rise, for it was on this account +that I summoned you hither." + +(ll. 667-674) Thus she spake and sat upon her father's seat of stone, +and then rose up her dear nurse Polyxo, for very age halting upon her +withered feet, bowed over a staff, and she was eager to address them. +Near her were seated four virgins, unwedded, crowned with white hair. +And she stood in the midst of the assembly and from her bent back she +feebly raised her neck and spake thus: + +(ll. 675-696) "Gifts, as Hypsipyle herself wishes, let us send to the +strangers, for it is better to give them. But for you what device have +ye to get profit of your life if the Thracian host fall upon us, or some +other foe, as often happens among men, even as now this company is come +unforeseen? But if one of the blessed gods should turn this aside yet +countless other woes, worse than battle, remain behind, when the aged +women die off and ye younger ones, without children, reach hateful old +age. How then will ye live, hapless ones? Will your oxen of their +own accord yoke themselves for the deep plough-lands and draw the +earth-cleaving share through the fallow, and forthwith, as the year +comes round, reap the harvest? Assuredly, though the fates till now have +shunned me in horror, I deem that in the coming year I shall put on the +garment of earth, when I have received my meed of burial even so as is +right, before the evil days draw near. But I bid you who are younger +give good heed to this. For now at your feet a way of escape lies open, +if ye trust to the strangers the care of your homes and all your stock +and your glorious city." + +(ll. 697-699) Thus she spake, and the assembly was filled with clamour. +For the word pleased them. And after her straightway Hypsipyle rose up +again, and thus spake in reply. + +(ll. 700-701) "If this purpose please you all, now will I even send a +messenger to the ship." + +(ll. 702-707) She spake and addressed Iphinoe close at hand: "Go, +Iphinoe, and beg yonder man, whoever it is that leads this array, to +come to our land that I may tell him a word that pleases the heart of my +people, and bid the men themselves, if they wish, boldly enter the land +and the city with friendly intent." + +(ll. 708-711) She spake, and dismissed the assembly, and thereafter +started to return home. And so Iphinoe came to the Minyae; and they +asked with what intent she had come among them. And quickly she +addressed her questioners with all speed in these words: + +(ll. 712-716) "The maiden Hypsipyle daughter of Thoas, sent me on my way +here to you, to summon the captain of your ship, whoever he be, that she +may tell him a word that pleases the heart of the people, and she bids +yourselves, if ye wish it, straightway enter the land and the city with +friendly intent." + +(ll. 717-720) Thus she spake and the speech of good omen pleased all. +And they deemed that Thoas was dead and that his beloved daughter +Hypsipyle was queen, and quickly they sent Jason on his way and +themselves made ready to go. + +(ll. 721-729) Now he had buckled round his shoulders a purple mantle of +double fold, the work of the Tritonian goddess, which Pallas had given +him when she first laid the keel-props of the ship Argo and taught him +how to measure timbers with the rule. More easily wouldst thou cast thy +eyes upon the sun at its rising than behold that blazing splendour. For +indeed in the middle the fashion thereof was red, but at the ends it was +all purple, and on each margin many separate devices had been skilfully +inwoven. + +(ll. 730-734) In it were the Cyclops seated at their imperishable work, +forging a thunderbolt for King Zeus; by now it was almost finished in +its brightness and still it wanted but one ray, which they were beating +out with their iron hammers as it spurted forth a breath of raging +flame. + +(ll. 735-741) In it too were the twin sons of Antiope, daughter of +Asopus, Amphion and Zethus, and Thebe still ungirt with towers was +lying near, whose foundations they were just then laying in eager haste. +Zethus on his shoulders was lifting the peak of a steep mountain, like +a man toiling hard, and Amphion after him, singing loud and clear on his +golden lyre, moved on, and a rock twice as large followed his footsteps. + +(ll. 742-746) Next in order had been wrought Cytherea with drooping +tresses, wielding the swift shield of Ares; and from her shoulder to her +left arm the fastening of her tunic was loosed beneath her breast; and +opposite in the shield of bronze her image appeared clear to view as she +stood. + +(ll. 747-751) And in it there was a well-wooded pasturage of oxen; and +about the oxen the Teleboae and the sons of Eleetryon were fighting; the +one party defending themselves, the others, the Taphian raiders, longing +to rob them; and the dewy meadow was drenched with their blood, and the +many were overmastering the few herdsmen. + +(ll. 752-758) And therein were fashioned two chariots, racing, and the +one in front Pelops was guiding, as he shook the reins, and with him was +Hippodameia at his side, and in pursuit Myrtilus urged his steeds, and +with him Oenomaus had grasped his couched spear, but fell as the axle +swerved and broke in the nave, while he was eager to pierce the back of +Pelops. + +(ll. 759-762) And in it was wrought Phoebus Apollo, a stripling not +yet grown up, in the act of shooting at mighty Tityos who was boldly +dragging his mother by her veil, Tityos whom glorious Elate bare, but +Earth nursed him and gave him second birth. + +(ll. 763-767) And in it was Phrixus the Minyan as though he were in very +deed listening to the ram, while it was like one speaking. Beholding +them thou wouldst be silent and wouldst cheat thy soul with the hope of +hearing some wise speech from them, and long wouldst thou gaze with that +hope. + +(ll. 768-773) Such then were the gifts of the Tritonian goddess Athena. +And in his right hand Jason held a fardarting spear, which Atalanta gave +him once as a gift of hospitality in Maenalus as she met him gladly; for +she eagerly desired to follow on that quest; but he himself of his own +accord prevented the maid, for he feared bitter strife on account of her +love. + +(ll. 774-792) And he went on his way to the city like to a bright star, +which maidens, pent up in new-built chambers, behold as it rises above +their homes, and through the dark air it charms their eyes with its fair +red gleam and the maid rejoices, love-sick for the youth who is far away +amid strangers, for whom her parents are keeping her to be his bride; +like to that star the hero trod the way to the city. And when they had +passed within the gates and the city, the women of the people surged +behind them, delighting in the stranger, but he with his eyes fixed on +the ground fared straight on, till he reached the glorious palace of +Hypsipyle; and when he appeared the maids opened the folding doors, +fitted with well-fashioned panels. Here Iphinoe leading him quickly +through a fair porch set him upon a shining seat opposite her mistress, +but Hypsipyle turned her eyes aside and a blush covered her maiden +cheeks, yet for all her modesty she addressed him with crafty words: + +(ll. 793-833) "Stranger, why stay ye so long outside our towers? for the +city is not inhabited by the men, but they, as sojourners, plough the +wheat-bearing fields of the Thracian mainland. And I will tell out truly +all our evil plight, that ye yourselves too may know it well. When my +father Thoas reigned over the citizens, then our folk starting from +their homes used to plunder from their ships the dwellings of the +Thracians who live opposite, and they brought back hither measureless +booty and maidens too. But the counsel of the baneful goddess Cypris was +working out its accomplishment, who brought upon them soul destroying +infatuation. For they hated their lawful wives, and, yielding to their +own mad folly, drove them from their homes; and they took to their beds +the captives of their spear, cruel ones. Long in truth we endured it, if +haply again, though late, they might change their purpose, but ever the +bitter woe grew, twofold. And the lawful children were being dishonoured +in their halls, and a bastard race was rising. And thus unmarried +maidens and widowed mothers too wandered uncared for through the city; +no father heeded his daughter ever so little even though he should see +her done to death before his eyes at the hands of an insolent step-dame, +nor did sons, as before, defend their mother against unseemly outrage; +nor did brothers care at heart for their sister. But in their homes, in +the dance, in the assembly and the banquet all their thought was only +for their captive maidens; until some god put desperate courage in our +hearts no more to receive our lords on their return from Thrace within +our towers so that they might either heed the right or might depart and +begone elsewhither, they and their captives. So they begged of us all +the male children that were left in the city and went back to where even +now they dwell on the snowy tilths of Thrace. Do ye therefore stay and +settle with us; and shouldst thou desire to dwell here, and this finds +favour with thee, assuredly thou shalt have the prerogative of my father +Thoas; and I deem that thou wilt not scorn our land at all; for it is +deepsoiled beyond all other islands that lie in the Aegaean sea. But +come now, return to the ship and relate my words to thy comrades, and +stay not outside our city." + +(ll. 834-835) She spoke, glozing over the murder that had been wrought +upon the men; and Jason addressed her in answer: + +(ll. 836-841) "Hypsipyle, very dear to our hearts is the help we shall +meet with, which thou grantest to us who need thee. And I will return +again to the city when I have told everything in order due. But let the +sovereignty of the island be thine; it is not in scorn I yield it up, +but grievous trials urge me on." + +(ll. 842-852) He spake, and touched her right hand; and quickly he +turned to go back: and round him the young maids on every side danced +in countless numbers in their joy till he passed through the gates. And +then they came to the shore in smooth-running wains, bearing with them +many gifts, when now he had related from beginning to end the speech +which Hypsipyle had spoken when she summoned them; and the maids readily +led the men back to their homes for entertainment. For Cypris stirred +in them a sweet desire, for the sake of Hephaestus of many counsels, in +order that Lemnos might be again inhabited by men and not be ruined. + +(ll. 853-864) Thereupon Aeson's son started to go to the royal home of +Hypsipyle; and the rest went each his way as chance took them, all but +Heracles; for he of his own will was left behind by the ship and a few +chosen comrades with him. And straightway the city rejoiced with dances +and banquets, being filled with the steam of sacrifice; and above all +the immortals they propitiated with songs and sacrifices the illustrious +son of Hera and Cypris herself. And the sailing was ever delayed from +one day to another; and long would they have lingered there, had not +Heracles, gathering together his comrades apart from the women, thus +addressed them with reproachful words: + +(ll. 865-874) "Wretched men, does the murder of kindred keep us from our +native land? Or is it in want of marriage that we have come hither from +thence, in scorn of our countrywomen? Does it please us to dwell here +and plough the rich soil of Lemnos? No fair renown shall we win by thus +tarrying so long with stranger women; nor will some god seize and give +us at our prayer a fleece that moves of itself. Let us then return each +to his own; but him leave ye to rest all day long in the embrace of +Hypsipyle until he has peopled Lemnos with men-children, and so there +come to him great glory." + +(ll. 875-887) Thus did he chide the band; but no one dared to meet his +eye or to utter a word in answer. But just as they were in the assembly +they made ready their departure in all haste, and the women came running +towards them, when they knew their intent. And as when bees hum round +fair lilies pouring forth from their hive in the rock, and all around +the dewy meadow rejoices, and they gather the sweet fruit, flitting from +one to another; even so the women eagerly poured forth clustering round +the men with loud lament, and greeted each one with hands and voice, +praying the blessed gods to grant him a safe return. And so Hypsipyle +too prayed, seizing the hands of Aeson's son, and her tears flowed for +the loss of her lover: + +(ll. 888-898) "Go, and may heaven bring thee back again with thy +comrades unharmed, bearing to the king the golden fleece, even as thou +wilt and thy heart desireth; and this island and my father's sceptre +will be awaiting thee, if on thy return hereafter thou shouldst choose +to come hither again; and easily couldst thou gather a countless host +of men from other cities. But thou wilt not have this desire, nor do I +myself forbode that so it will be. Still remember Hypsipyle when thou +art far away and when thou hast returned; and leave me some word of +bidding, which I will gladly accomplish, if haply heaven shall grant me +to be a mother." + +(ll. 899-909) And Aeson's son in admiration thus replied: "Hypsipyle, so +may all these things prove propitious by the favour of the blessed gods. +But do thou hold a nobler thought of me, since by the grace of Pelias it +is enough for me to dwell in my native land; may the gods only release +me from my toils. But if it is not my destiny to sail afar and return +to the land of Hellas, and if thou shouldst bear a male child, send him +when grown up to Pelasgian Iolcus, to heal the grief of my father and +mother if so be that he find them still living, in order that, far away +from the king, they may be cared for by their own hearth in their home." + +(ll. 910-921) He spake, and mounted the ship first of all; and so the +rest of the chiefs followed, and, sitting in order, seized the oars; +and Argus loosed for them the hawsers from under the sea-beaten rock. +Whereupon they mightily smote the water with their long oars, and in +the evening by the injunctions of Orpheus they touched at the island of +Electra, [1105] daughter of Atlas, in order that by gentle initiation +they might learn the rites that may not be uttered, and so with greater +safety sail over the chilling sea. Of these I will make no further +mention; but I bid farewell to the island itself and the indwelling +deities, to whom belong those mysteries, which it is not lawful for me +to sing. + +(ll. 922-935) Thence did they row with eagerness over the depths of +the black Sea, having on the one side the land of the Thracians, on the +other Imbros on the south; and as the sun was just setting they reached +the foreland of the Chersonesus. There a strong south wind blew for +them; and raising the sails to the breeze they entered the swift stream +of the maiden daughter of Athamas; and at dawn the sea to the north was +left behind and at night they were coasting inside the Rhoeteian shore, +with the land of Ida on their right. And leaving Dardania they directed +their course to Abydus, and after it they sailed past Percote and the +sandy beach of Abarnis and divine Pityeia. And in that night, as the +ship sped on by sail and oar, they passed right through the Hellespont +dark-gleaming with eddies. + +(ll. 936-960) There is a lofty island inside the Propontis, a short +distance from the Phrygian mainland with its rich cornfields, sloping +to the sea, where an isthmus in front of the mainland is flooded by the +waves, so low does it lie. And the isthmus has double shores, and they +lie beyond the river Aesepus, and the inhabitants round about call the +island the Mount of Bears. And insolent and fierce men dwell there, +Earthborn, a great marvel to the neighbours to behold; for each one has +six mighty hands to lift up, two from his sturdy shoulders, and four +below, fitting close to his terrible sides. And about the isthmus and +the plain the Doliones had their dwelling, and over them Cyzicus son of +Aeneus was king, whom Aenete the daughter of goodly Eusorus bare. But +these men the Earthborn monsters, fearful though they were, in nowise +harried, owing to the protection of Poseidon; for from him had the +Doliones first sprung. Thither Argo pressed on, driven by the winds of +Thrace, and the Fair haven received her as she sped. There they cast +away their small anchorstone by the advice of Tiphys and left it beneath +a fountain, the fountain of Artaeie; and they took another meet for +their purpose, a heavy one; but the first, according to the oracle of +the Far-Darter, the Ionians, sons of Neleus, in after days laid to be a +sacred stone, as was right, in the temple of Jasonian Athena. + +(ll. 961-988) Now the Doliones and Cyzicus himself all came together to +meet them with friendliness, and when they knew of the quest and their +lineage welcomed them with hospitality, and persuaded them to row +further and to fasten their ship's hawsers at the city harbour. Here +they built an altar to Ecbasian Apollo [1106] and set it up on the +beach, and gave heed to sacrifices. And the king of his own bounty gave +them sweet wine and sheep in their need; for he had heard a report that +whenever a godlike band of heroes should come, straightway he should +meet it with gentle words and should have no thought of war. As with +Jason, the soft down was just blooming on his chin, nor yet had it been +his lot to rejoice in children, but still in his palace his wife was +untouched by the pangs of child-birth, the daughter of Percosian Merops, +fair-haired Cleite, whom lately by priceless gifts he had brought from +her father's home from the mainland opposite. But even so he left his +chamber and bridal bed and prepared a banquet among the strangers, +casting all fears from his heart. And they questioned one another in +turn. Of them would he learn the end of their voyage and the injunctions +of Pelias; while they enquired about the cities of the people round and +all the gulf of the wide Propontis; but further he could not tell +them for all their desire to learn. In the morning they climbed mighty +Dindymum that they might themselves behold the various paths of that +sea; and they brought their ship from its former anchorage to the +harbour, Chytus; and the path they trod is named the path of Jason. + +(ll. 989-1011) But the Earthborn men on the other side rushed down from +the mountain and with crags below blocked up the mouth of vast Chytus +towards the sea, like men lying in wait for a wild beast within. But +there Heracles had been left behind with the younger heroes and he +quickly bent his back-springing bow against the monsters and brought +them to earth one after another; and they in their turn raised huge +ragged rocks and hurled them. For these dread monsters too, I ween, the +goddess Hera, bride of Zeus, had nurtured to be a trial for Heracles. +And therewithal came the rest of the martial heroes returning to meet +the foe before they reached the height of outlook, and they fell to the +slaughter of the Earthborn, receiving them with arrows and spears +until they slew them all as they rushed fiercely to battle. And as when +woodcutters cast in rows upon the beach long trees just hewn down by +their axes, in order that, once sodden with brine, they may receive +the strong bolts; so these monsters at the entrance of the foam-fringed +harbour lay stretched one after another, some in heaps bending their +heads and breasts into the salt waves with their limbs spread out above +on the land; others again were resting their heads on the sand of the +shore and their feet in the deep water, both alike a prey to birds and +fishes at once. + +(ll. 1012-1076) But the heroes, when the contest was ended without +fear, loosed the ship's hawsers to the breath of the wind and pressed on +through the sea-swell. And the ship sped on under sail all day; but when +night came the rushing wind did not hold steadfast, but contrary blasts +caught them and held them back till they again approached the hospitable +Doliones. And they stepped ashore that same night; and the rock is still +called the Sacred Rock round which they threw the ship's hawsers in +their haste. Nor did anyone note with care that it was the same island; +nor in the night did the Doliones clearly perceive that the heroes were +returning; but they deemed that Pelasgian war-men of the Macrians +had landed. Therefore they donned their armour and raised their hands +against them. And with clashing of ashen spears and shields they fell on +each other, like the swift rush of fire which falls on dry brushwood and +rears its crest; and the din of battle, terrible and furious, fell upon +the people of the Doliones. Nor was the king to escape his fate and +return home from battle to his bridal chamber and bed. But Aeson's son +leapt upon him as he turned to face him, and smote him in the middle +of the breast, and the bone was shattered round the spear; he rolled +forward in the sand and filled up the measure of his fate. For that no +mortal may escape; but on every side a wide snare encompasses us. And +so, when he thought that he had escaped bitter death from the chiefs, +fate entangled him that very night in her toils while battling with +them; and many champions withal were slain; Heracles killed Telecles +and Megabrontes, and Acastus slew Sphodris; and Peleus slew Zelus and +Gephyrus swift in war. Telamon of the strong spear slew Basileus. And +Idas slew Promeus, and Clytius Hyacinthus, and the two sons of Tyndareus +slew Megalossaces and Phlogius. And after them the son of Oeneus slew +bold Itomeneus, and Artaceus, leader of men; all of whom the inhabitants +still honour with the worship due to heroes. And the rest gave way and +fled in terror just as doves fly in terror before swift-winged hawks. +And with a din they rustled in a body to the gates; and quickly the city +was filled with loud cries at the turning of the dolorous fight. But at +dawn both sides perceived the fatal and cureless error; and bitter grief +seized the Minyan heroes when they saw before them Cyzicus son of Aeneus +fallen in the midst of dust and blood. And for three whole days they +lamented and rent their hair, they and the Dollones. Then three times +round his tomb they paced in armour of bronze and performed funeral +rites and celebrated games, as was meet, upon the meadow-plain, where +even now rises the mound of his grave to be seen by men of a later day. +No, nor was his bride Cleite left behind her dead husband, but to crown +the ill she wrought an ill yet more awful, when she clasped a noose +round her neck. Her death even the nymphs of the grove bewailed; and +of all the tears for her that they shed to earth from their eyes +the goddesses made a fountain, which they call Cleite, [1107] the +illustrious name of the hapless maid. Most terrible came that day from +Zeus upon the Doliones, women and men; for no one of them dared even to +taste food, nor for a long time by reason of grief did they take thought +for the toil of the cornmill, but they dragged on their lives eating +their food as it was, untouched by fire. Here even now, when the Ionians +that dwell in Cyzicus pour their yearly libations for the dead, they +ever grind the meal for the sacrificial cakes at the common mill. [1108] + +(ll. 1079-1091) After this, fierce tempests arose for twelve days and +nights together and kept them there from sailing. But in the next night +the rest of the chieftains, overcome by sleep, were resting during the +latest period of the night, while Acastus and Mopsus the son of Ampyeus +kept guard over their deep slumbers. And above the golden head of +Aeson's son there hovered a halcyon prophesying with shrill voice the +ceasing of the stormy winds; and Mopsus heard and understood the cry of +the bird of the shore, fraught with good omen. And some god made it turn +aside, and flying aloft it settled upon the stern-ornament of the ship. +And the seer touched Jason as he lay wrapped in soft sheepskins and woke +him at once, and thus spake: + +(ll. 1092-1102) "Son of Aeson, thou must climb to this temple on rugged +Dindymum and propitiate the mother [1109] of all the blessed gods on her +fair throne, and the stormy blasts shall cease. For such was the voice I +heard but now from the halcyon, bird of the sea, which, as it flew above +thee in thy slumber, told me all. For by her power the winds and the sea +and all the earth below and the snowy seat of Olympus are complete; +and to her, when from the mountains she ascends the mighty heaven, Zeus +himself, the son of Cronos, gives place. In like manner the rest of the +immortal blessed ones reverence the dread goddess." + +(ll. 1103-1152) Thus he spake, and his words were welcome to Jason's +ear. And he arose from his bed with joy and woke all his comrades +hurriedly and told them the prophecy of Mopsus the son of Ampycus. And +quickly the younger men drove oxen from their stalls and began to lead +them to the mountain's lofty summit. And they loosed the hawsers from +the sacred rock and rowed to the Thracian harbour; and the heroes +climbed the mountain, leaving a few of their comrades in the ship. +And to them the Macrian heights and all the coast of Thrace opposite +appeared to view close at hand. And there appeared the misty mouth of +Bosporus and the Mysian hills; and on the other side the stream of the +river Aesepus and the city and Nepeian plain of Adrasteia. Now there was +a sturdy stump of vine that grew in the forest, a tree exceeding old; +this they cut down, to be the sacred image of the mountain goddess; +and Argus smoothed it skilfully, and they set it upon that rugged hill +beneath a canopy of lofty oaks, which of all trees have their roots +deepest. And near it they heaped an altar of small stones, and wreathed +their brows with oak leaves and paid heed to sacrifice, invoking the +mother of Dindymum, most venerable, dweller in Phrygia, and Titias and +Cyllenus, who alone of many are called dispensers of doom and assessors +of the Idaean mother,--the Idaean Dactyls of Crete, whom once the nymph +Anchiale, as she grasped with both hands the land of Oaxus, bare in the +Dictaean cave. And with many prayers did Aeson's son beseech the goddess +to turn aside the stormy blasts as he poured libations on the blazing +sacrifice; and at the same time by command of Orpheus the youths trod a +measure dancing in full armour, and clashed with their swords on their +shields, so that the ill-omened cry might be lost in the air the wail +which the people were still sending up in grief for their king. Hence +from that time forward the Phrygians propitiate Rhea with the wheel and +the drum. And the gracious goddess, I ween, inclined her heart to pious +sacrifices; and favourable signs appeared. The trees shed abundant +fruit, and round their feet the earth of its own accord put forth +flowers from the tender grass. And the beasts of the wild wood left +their lairs and thickets and came up fawning on them with their tails. +And she caused yet another marvel; for hitherto there was no flow of +water on Dindymum, but then for them an unceasing stream gushed forth +from the thirsty peak just as it was, and the dwellers around in after +times called that stream, the spring of Jason. And then they made +a feast in honour of the goddess on the Mount of Bears, singing the +praises of Rhea most venerable; but at dawn the winds had ceased and +they rowed away from the island. + +(ll. 1153-1171) Thereupon a spirit of contention stirred each chieftain, +who should be the last to leave his oar. For all around the windless +air smoothed the swirling waves and lulled the sea to rest. And they, +trusting in the calm, mightily drove the ship forward; and as she sped +through the salt sea, not even the storm-footed steeds of Poseidon would +have overtaken her. Nevertheless when the sea was stirred by violent +blasts which were just rising from the rivers about evening, forspent +with toil, they ceased. But Heracles by the might of his arms pulled the +weary rowers along all together, and made the strong-knit timbers of +the ship to quiver. But when, eager to reach the Mysian mainland, they +passed along in sight of the mouth of Rhyndaeus and the great cairn of +Aegaeon, a little way from Phrygia, then Heracles, as he ploughed up +the furrows of the roughened surge, broke his oar in the middle. And one +half he held in both his hands as he fell sideways, the other the sea +swept away with its receding wave. And he sat up in silence glaring +round; for his hands were unaccustomed to be idle. + +(ll. 1172-1186) Now at the hour when from the field some delver or +ploughman goes gladly home to his hut, longing for his evening meal, and +there on the threshold, all squalid with dust, bows his wearied knees, +and, beholding his hands worn with toil, with many a curse reviles his +belly; at that hour the heroes reached the homes of the Cianian land +near the Arganthonian mount and the outfall of Cius. Them as they came +in friendliness, the Mysians, inhabitants of that land, hospitably +welcomed, and gave them in their need provisions and sheep and abundant +wine. Hereupon some brought dried wood, others from the meadows leaves +for beds which they gathered in abundance for strewing, whilst others +were twirling sticks to get fire; others again were mixing wine in +the bowl and making ready the feast, after sacrificing at nightfall to +Apollo Ecbasius. + +(ll. 1187-1206) But the son of Zeus having duly enjoined on his comrades +to prepare the feast took his way into a wood, that he might first +fashion for himself an oar to fit his hand. Wandering about he found a +pine not burdened with many branches, nor too full of leaves, but +like to the shaft of a tall poplar; so great was it both in length +and thickness to look at. And quickly he laid on the ground his +arrow-holding quiver together with his bow, and took off his lion's +skin. And he loosened the pine from the ground with his bronze-tipped +club and grasped the trunk with both hands at the bottom, relying on his +strength; and he pressed it against his broad shoulder with legs wide +apart; and clinging close he raised it from the ground deep-rooted +though it was, together with clods of earth. And as when unexpectedly, +just at the time of the stormy setting of baleful Orion, a swift gust of +wind strikes down from above, and wrenches a ship's mast from its stays, +wedges and all; so did Heracles lift the pine. And at the same time he +took up his bow and arrows, his lion skin and club, and started on his +return. + +(ll. 1207-1239) Meantime Hylas with pitcher of bronze in hand had gone +apart from the throng, seeking the sacred flow of a fountain, that he +might be quick in drawing water for the evening meal and actively make +all things ready in due order against his lord's return. For in such +ways did Heracles nurture him from his first childhood when he had +carried him off from the house of his father, goodly Theiodamas, whom +the hero pitilessly slew among the Dryopians because he withstood him +about an ox for the plough. Theiodamas was cleaving with his plough the +soil of fallow land when he was smitten with the curse; and Heracles +bade him give up the ploughing ox against his will. For he desired to +find some pretext for war against the Dryopians for their bane, since +they dwelt there reckless of right. But these tales would lead me far +astray from my song. And quickly Hylas came to the spring which the +people who dwell thereabouts call Pegae. And the dances of the nymphs +were just now being held there; for it was the care of all the nymphs +that haunted that lovely headland ever to hymn Artemis in songs by +night. All who held the mountain peaks or glens, all they were ranged +far off guarding the woods; but one, a water-nymph was just rising from +the fair-flowing spring; and the boy she perceived close at hand with +the rosy flush of his beauty and sweet grace. For the full moon beaming +from the sky smote him. And Cypris made her heart faint, and in her +confusion she could scarcely gather her spirit back to her. But as soon +as he dipped the pitcher in the stream, leaning to one side, and the +brimming water rang loud as it poured against the sounding bronze, +straightway she laid her left arm above upon his neck yearning to kiss +his tender mouth; and with her right hand she drew down his elbow, and +plunged him into the midst of the eddy. + +(ll. 1240-1256) Alone of his comrades the hero Polyphemus, son of +Eilatus, as he went forward on the path, heard the boy's cry, for he +expected the return of mighty Heracles. And he rushed after the cry, +near Pegae, like some beast of the wild wood whom the bleating of sheep +has reached from afar, and burning with hunger he follows, but does not +fall in with the flocks; for the shepherds beforehand have penned them +in the fold, but he groans and roars vehemently until he is weary. +Thus vehemently at that time did the son of Eilatus groan and wandered +shouting round the spot; and his voice rang piteous. Then quickly +drawing his great sword he started in pursuit, in fear lest the boy +should be the prey of wild beasts, or men should have lain in ambush for +him faring all alone, and be carrying him off, an easy prey. Hereupon as +he brandished his bare sword in his hand he met Heracles himself on +the path, and well he knew him as he hastened to the ship through the +darkness. And straightway he told the wretched calamity while his heart +laboured with his panting breath. + +(ll. 1257-1260) "My poor friend, I shall be the first to bring thee +tidings of bitter woe. Hylas has gone to the well and has not returned +safe, but robbers have attacked and are carrying him off, or beasts are +tearing him to pieces; I heard his cry." + +(ll. 1261-1272) Thus he spake; and when Heracles heard his words, sweat +in abundance poured down from his temples and the black blood boiled +beneath his heart. And in wrath he hurled the pine to the ground and +hurried along the path whither his feet bore on his impetuous soul. And +as when a bull stung by a gadfly tears along, leaving the meadows and +the marsh land, and recks not of herdsmen or herd, but presses on, now +without cheek, now standing still, and raising his broad neck he bellows +loudly, stung by the maddening fly; so he in his frenzy now would ply +his swift knees unresting, now again would cease from toil and shout +afar with loud pealing cry. + +(ll. 1273-1289) But straightway the morning star rose above the topmost +peaks and the breeze swept down; and quickly did Tiphys urge them to +go aboard and avail themselves of the wind. And they embarked eagerly +forthwith; and they drew up the ship's anchors and hauled the ropes +astern. And the sails were bellied out by the wind, and far from the +coast were they joyfully borne past the Posideian headland. But at the +hour when gladsome dawn shines from heaven, rising from the east, and +the paths stand out clearly, and the dewy plains shine with a bright +gleam, then at length they were aware that unwittingly they had +abandoned those men. And a fierce quarrel fell upon them, and violent +tumult, for that they had sailed and left behind the bravest of their +comrades. And Aeson's son, bewildered by their hapless plight, said +never a word, good or bad; but sat with his heavy load of grief, eating +out his heart. And wrath seized Telamon, and thus he spake: + +(ll. 1290-1295) "Sit there at thy ease, for it was fitting for thee to +leave Heracles behind; from thee the project arose, so that his glory +throughout Hellas should not overshadow thee, if so be that heaven +grants us a return home. But what pleasure is there in words? For I will +go, I only, with none of thy comrades, who have helped thee to plan this +treachery." + +(ll. 1296-1314) He spake, and rushed upon Tiphys son of Hagnias; and +his eyes sparkled like flashes of ravening flame. And they would quickly +have turned back to the land of the Mysians, forcing their way through +the deep sea and the unceasing blasts of the wind, had not the two sons +of Thracian Boreas held back the son of Aeacus with harsh words. Hapless +ones, assuredly a bitter vengeance came upon them thereafter at the +hands of Heracles, because they stayed the search for him. For when they +were returning from the games over Pelias dead he slew them in sea-girt +Tenos and heaped the earth round them, and placed two columns above, +one of which, a great marvel for men to see, moves at the breath of +the blustering north wind. These things were thus to be accomplished in +after times. But to them appeared Glaucus from the depths of the sea, +the wise interpreter of divine Nereus, and raising aloft his shaggy head +and chest from his waist below, with sturdy hand he seized the ship's +keel, and then cried to the eager crew: + +(ll. 1315-1325) "Why against the counsel of mighty Zeus do ye purpose +to lead bold Heracles to the city of Aeetes? At Argos it is his fate to +labour for insolent Eurystheus and to accomplish full twelve toils and +dwell with the immortals, if so be that he bring to fulfilment a few +more yet; wherefore let there be no vain regret for him. Likewise it is +destined for Polyphemus to found a glorious city at the mouth of Cius +among the Mysians and to fill up the measure of his fate in the vast +land of the Chalybes. But a goddess-nymph through love has made Hylas +her husband, on whose account those two wandered and were left behind." + +(ll. 1326-1331) He spake, and with a plunge wrapped him about with the +restless wave; and round him the dark water foamed in seething eddies +and dashed against the hollow ship as it moved through the sea. And the +heroes rejoiced, and Telamon son of Aeacus came in haste to Jason, and +grasping his hand in his own embraced him with these words: + +(ll. 1332-1335) "Son of Aeson, be not wroth with me, if in my folly +I have erred, for grief wrought upon me to utter a word arrogant and +intolerable. But let me give my fault to the winds and let our hearts be +joined as before." + +(ll. 1336-1343) Him the son of Aeson with prudence addressed: "Good +friend, assuredly with an evil word didst thou revile me, saying before +them all that I was the wronger of a kindly man. But not for long will +I nurse bitter wrath, though indeed before I was grieved. For it was not +for flocks of sheep, no, nor for possessions that thou wast angered +to fury, but for a man, thy comrade. And I were fain thou wouldst even +champion me against another man if a like thing should ever befall me." + +(ll. 1344-1357) He spake, and they sat down, united as of old. But of +those two, by the counsel of Zeus, one, Polyphemus son of Eilatus, was +destined to found and build a city among the Mysians bearing the river's +name, and the other, Heracles, to return and toil at the labours of +Eurystheus. And he threatened to lay waste the Mysian land at once, +should they not discover for him the doom of Hylas, whether living or +dead. And for him they gave pledges choosing out the noblest sons of the +people and took an oath that they would never cease from their labour of +search. Therefore to this day the people of Cius enquire for Hylas the +son of Theiodamas, and take thought for the well-built Trachis. For +there did Heracles settle the youths whom they sent from Cius as +pledges. + +(ll. 1358-1362) And all day long and all night the wind bore the ship +on, blowing fresh and strong; but when dawn rose there was not even a +breath of air. And they marked a beach jutting forth from a bend of +the coast, very broad to behold, and by dint of rowing came to land at +sunrise. + + + + +BOOK II + +(ll. 1-10) Here were the oxstalls and farm of Amycus, the haughty +king of the Bebrycians, whom once a nymph, Bithynian Melie, united +to Poseidon Genethlius, bare the most arrogant of men; for even for +strangers he laid down an insulting ordinance, that none should depart +till they had made trial of him in boxing; and he had slain many of the +neighbours. And at that time too he went down to the ship and in his +insolence scorned to ask them the occasion of their voyage, and who they +were, but at once spake out among them all: + +(ll. 11-18) "Listen, ye wanderers by sea, to what it befits you to +know. It is the rule that no stranger who comes to the Bebrycians should +depart till he has raised his hands in battle against mine. Wherefore +select your bravest warrior from the host and set him here on the spot +to contend with me in boxing. But if ye pay no heed and trample my +decrees under foot, assuredly to your sorrow will stern necessity come +upon you." + +(ll. 19-21) Thus he spake in his pride, but fierce anger seized them +when they heard it, and the challenge smote Polydeuces most of all. And +quickly he stood forth his comrades' champion, and cried: + +(ll. 22-24) "Hold now, and display not to us thy brutal violence, +whoever thou art; for we will obey thy rules, as thou sayest. Willingly +now do I myself undertake to meet thee." + +(ll. 25-54) Thus he spake outright; but the other with rolling eyes +glared on him, like to a lion struck by a javelin when hunters in the +mountains are hemming him round, and, though pressed by the throng, he +reeks no more of them, but keeps his eyes fixed, singling out that +man only who struck him first and slew him not. Hereupon the son of +Tyndareus laid aside his mantle, closely-woven, delicately-wrought, +which one of the Lemnian maidens had given him as a pledge of +hospitality; and the king threw down his dark cloak of double fold with +its clasps and the knotted crook of mountain olive which he carried. +Then straightway they looked and chose close by a spot that pleased them +and bade their comrades sit upon the sand in two lines; nor were they +alike to behold in form or in stature. The one seemed to be a monstrous +son of baleful Typhoeus or of Earth herself, such as she brought +forth aforetime, in her wrath against Zeus; but the other, the son of +Tyndareus, was like a star of heaven, whose beams are fairest as it +shines through the nightly sky at eventide. Such was the son of Zeus, +the bloom of the first down still on his cheeks, still with the look of +gladness in his eyes. But his might and fury waxed like a wild beast's; +and he poised his hands to see if they were pliant as before and were +not altogether numbed by toil and rowing. But Amycus on his side made no +trial; but standing apart in silence he kept his eyes upon his foe, and +his spirit surged within him all eager to dash the life-blood from his +breast. And between them Lyeoreus, the henchman of Amycus, placed at +their feet on each side two pairs of gauntlets made of raw hide, dry, +exceeding tough. And the king addressed the hero with arrogant words: + +(ll. 55-59) "Whichever of these thou wilt, without casting lots, I grant +thee freely, that thou mayst not blame me hereafter. Bind them about thy +hands; thou shalt learn and tell another how skilled I am to carve the +dry oxhides and to spatter men's cheeks with blood." + +(ll. 60-66) Thus he spake; but the other gave back no taunt in answer, +but with a light smile readily took up the gauntlets that lay at his +feet; and to him came Castor and mighty Talaus, son of Bias, and they +quickly bound the gauntlets about his hands, often bidding him be of +good courage. And to Amycus came Aretus and Ornytus, but little they +knew, poor fools, that they had bound them for the last time on their +champion, a victim of evil fate. + +(ll. 67-97) Now when they stood apart and were ready with their +gauntlets, straightway in front of their faces they raised their heavy +hands and matched their might in deadly strife. Hereupon the Bebrycian +king even as a fierce wave of the sea rises in a crest against a swift +ship, but she by the skill of the crafty pilot just escapes the shock +when the billow is eager to break over the bulwark--so he followed up +the son of Tyndareus, trying to daunt him, and gave him no respite. But +the hero, ever unwounded, by his skill baffled the rush of his foe, +and he quickly noted the brutal play of his fists to see where he was +invincible in strength, and where inferior, and stood unceasingly and +returned blow for blow. And as when shipwrights with their hammers smite +ships' timbers to meet the sharp clamps, fixing layer upon layer; and +the blows resound one after another; so cheeks and jaws crashed on both +sides, and a huge clattering of teeth arose, nor did they cease ever +from striking their blows until laboured gasping overcame both. And +standing a little apart they wiped from their foreheads sweat in +abundance, wearily panting for breath. Then back they rushed together +again, as two bulls fight in furious rivalry for a grazing heifer. Next +Amycus rising on tiptoe, like one who slays an ox, sprung to his full +height and swung his heavy hand down upon his rival; but the hero +swerved aside from the rush, turning his head, and just received the arm +on his shoulder; and coming near and slipping his knee past the king's, +with a rush he struck him above the ear, and broke the bones inside, and +the king in agony fell upon his knees; and the Minyan heroes shouted for +joy; and his life was poured forth all at once. + +(ll. 98-144) Nor were the Bebrycians reckless of their king; but +all together took up rough clubs and spears and rushed straight on +Polydeuces. But in front of him stood his comrades, their keen swords +drawn from the sheath. First Castor struck upon the head a man as he +rushed at him: and it was cleft in twain and fell on each side upon his +shoulders. And Polydeuces slew huge Itymoneus and Mimas. The one, with +a sudden leap, he smote beneath the breast with his swift foot and threw +him in the dust; and as the other drew near he struck him with his right +hand above the left eyebrow, and tore away his eyelid and the eyeball +was left bare. But Oreides, insolent henchman of Amycus, wounded Talaus +son of Bias in the side, but did not slay him, but only grazing the +skin the bronze sped under his belt and touched not the flesh. Likewise +Aretus with well-seasoned club smote Iphitus, the steadfast son of +Eurytus, not yet destined to an evil death; assuredly soon was he +himself to be slain by the sword of Clytius. Then Ancaeus, the dauntless +son of Lycurgus, quickly seized his huge axe, and in his left hand +holding a bear's dark hide, plunged into the midst of the Bebrycians +with furious onset; and with him charged the sons of Aeacus, and with +them started warlike Jason. And as when amid the folds grey wolves +rush down on a winter's day and scare countless sheep, unmarked by the +keen-scented dogs and the shepherds too, and they seek what first to +attack and carry off; often glaring around, but the sheep are just +huddled together and trample on one another; so the heroes grievously +scared the arrogant Bebrycians. And as shepherds or beekeepers smoke +out a huge swarm of bees in a rock, and they meanwhile, pent up in their +hive, murmur with droning hum, till, stupefied by the murky smoke, they +fly forth far from the rock; so they stayed steadfast no longer, but +scattered themselves inland through Bebrycia, proclaiming the death of +Amycus; fools, not to perceive that another woe all unforeseen was hard +upon them. For at that hour their vineyards and villages were being +ravaged by the hostile spear of Lycus and the Mariandyni, now that their +king was gone. For they were ever at strife about the ironbearing land. +And now the foe was destroying their steadings and farms, and now the +heroes from all sides were driving off their countless sheep, and one +spake among his fellows thus: + +(ll. 145-153) "Bethink ye what they would have done in their cowardice +if haply some god had brought Heracles hither. Assuredly, if he had been +here, no trial would there have been of fists, I ween, but when the king +drew near to proclaim his rules, the club would have made him forget his +pride and the rules to boot. Yea, we left him uncared for on the strand +and we sailed oversea; and full well each one of us shall know our +baneful folly, now that he is far away." + +(ll. 154-163) Thus he spake, but all these things had been wrought by +the counsels of Zeus. Then they remained there through the night and +tended the hurts of the wounded men, and offered sacrifice to the +immortals, and made ready a mighty meal; and sleep fell upon no man +beside the bowl and the blazing sacrifice. They wreathed their fair +brows with the bay that grew by the shore, whereto their hawsers were +bound, and chanted a song to the lyre of Orpheus in sweet harmony; and +the windless shore was charmed by their song; and they celebrated the +Therapnaean son of Zeus. [1201] + +(ll. 164-177) But when the sun rising from far lands lighted up the dewy +hills and wakened the shepherds, then they loosed their hawsers from +the stem of the baytree and put on board all the spoil they had need +to take; and with a favouring wind they steered through the eddying +Bosporus. Hereupon a wave like a steep mountain rose aloft in front as +though rushing upon them, ever upheaved above the clouds; nor would you +say that they could escape grim death, for in its fury it hangs over +the middle of the ship, like a cloud, yet it sinks away into calm if it +meets with a skilful helmsman. So they by the steering-craft of Tiphys +escaped, unhurt but sore dismayed. And on the next day they fastened the +hawsers to the coast opposite the Bithynian land. + +(ll. 178-208) There Phineus, son of Agenor, had his home by the sea, +Phineus who above all men endured most bitter woes because of the +gift of prophecy which Leto's son had granted him aforetime. And he +reverenced not a whit even Zeus himself, for he foretold unerringly to +men his sacred will. Wherefore Zeus sent upon him a lingering old age, +and took from his eyes the pleasant light, and suffered him not to have +joy of the dainties untold that the dwellers around ever brought to his +house, when they came to enquire the will of heaven. But on a sudden, +swooping through the clouds, the Harpies with their crooked beaks +incessantly snatched the food away from his mouth and hands. And at +times not a morsel of food was left, at others but a little, in order +that he might live and be tormented. And they poured forth over all a +loathsome stench; and no one dared not merely to carry food to his mouth +but even to stand at a distance; so foully reeked the remnants of the +meal. But straightway when he heard the voice and the tramp of the band +he knew that they were the men passing by, at whose coming Zeus' oracle +had declared to him that he should have joy of his food. And he rose +from his couch, like a lifeless dream, bowed over his staff, and crept +to the door on his withered feet, feeling the walls; and as he moved, +his limbs trembled for weakness and age; and his parched skin was caked +with dirt, and naught but the skill held his bones together. And he came +forth from the hall with wearied knees and sat on the threshold of the +courtyard; and a dark stupor covered him, and it seemed that the earth +reeled round beneath his feet, and he lay in a strengthless trance, +speechless. But when they saw him they gathered round and marvelled. And +he at last drew laboured breath from the depths of his chest and spoke +among them with prophetic utterance: + +(ll. 209-239) "Listen, bravest of all the Hellenes, if it be truly ye, +whom by a king's ruthless command Jason is leading on the ship Argo in +quest of the fleece. It is ye truly. Even yet my soul by its divination +knows everything. Thanks I render to thee, O king, son of Leto, plunged +in bitter affliction though I be. I beseech you by Zeus the god of +suppliants, the sternest foe to sinful men, and for the sake of Phoebus +and Hera herself, under whose especial care ye have come hither, help +me, save an ill-fated man from misery, and depart not uncaring and +leaving me thus as ye see. For not only has the Fury set her foot on my +eyes and I drag on to the end a weary old age; but besides my other woes +a woe hangs over me the bitterest of all. The Harpies, swooping down +from some unseen den of destruction, ever snatch the food from my mouth. +And I have no device to aid me. But it were easier, when I long for +a meal, to escape my own thoughts than them, so swiftly do they fly +through the air. But if haply they do leave me a morsel of food it reeks +of decay and the stench is unendurable, nor could any mortal bear +to draw near even for a moment, no, not if his heart were wrought of +adamant. But necessity, bitter and insatiate, compels me to abide +and abiding to put food in my cursed belly. These pests, the oracle +declares, the sons of Boreas shall restrain. And no strangers are they +that shall ward them off if indeed I am Phineus who was once renowned +among men for wealth and the gift of prophecy, and if I am the son of my +father Agenor; and, when I ruled among the Thracians, by my bridal gifts +I brought home their sister Cleopatra to be my wife." + +(ll. 240-243) So spake Agenor's son; and deep sorrow seized each of the +heroes, and especially the two sons of Boreas. And brushing away a tear +they drew nigh, and Zetes spake as follows, taking in his own the hand +of the grief-worn sire: + +(ll. 244-253) "Unhappy one, none other of men is more wretched than +thou, methinks. Why upon thee is laid the burden of so many sorrows? +Hast thou with baneful folly sinned against the gods through thy skill +in prophecy? For this are they greatly wroth with thee? Yet our spirit +is dismayed within us for all our desire to aid thee, if indeed the god +has granted this privilege to us two. For plain to discern to men of +earth are the reproofs of the immortals. And we will never check the +Harpies when they come, for all our desire, until thou hast sworn that +for this we shall not lose the favour of heaven." + +(ll. 254-255) Thus he spake; and towards him the aged sire opened his +sightless eyes, and lifted them up and replied with these words: + +(ll. 256-261) "Be silent, store not up such thoughts in thy heart, my +child. Let the son of Leto be my witness, he who of his gracious will +taught me the lore of prophecy, and be witness the ill-starred doom +which possesses me and this dark cloud upon my eyes, and the gods of the +underworld--and may their curse be upon me if I die perjured thus--no +wrath from heaven will fall upon you two for your help to me." + +(ll. 262-287) Then were those two eager to help him because of the oath. +And quickly the younger heroes prepared a feast for the aged man, a last +prey for the Harpies; and both stood near him, to smite with the sword +those pests when they swooped down. Scarcely had the aged man touched +the food when they forthwith, like bitter blasts or flashes of +lightning, suddenly darted from the clouds, and swooped down with a +yell, fiercely craving for food; and the heroes beheld them and shouted +in the midst of their onrush; but they at the cry devoured everything +and sped away over the sea after; and an intolerable stench remained. +And behind them the two sons of Boreas raising their swords rushed in +pursuit. For Zeus imparted to them tireless strength; but without Zeus +they could not have followed, for the Harpies used ever to outstrip the +blasts of the west wind when they came to Phineus and when they left +him. And as when, upon the mountain-side, hounds, cunning in the chase, +run in the track of horned goats or deer, and as they strain a little +behind gnash their teeth upon the edge of their jaws in vain; so Zetes +and Calais rushing very near just grazed the Harpies in vain with their +finger-tips. And assuredly they would have torn them to pieces, despite +heaven's will, when they had overtaken them far off at the Floating +Islands, had not swift Iris seen them and leapt down from the sky from +heaven above, and cheeked them with these words: + +(ll. 288-290) "It is not lawful, O sons of Boreas, to strike with your +swords the Harpies, the hounds of mighty Zeus; but I myself will give +you a pledge, that hereafter they shall not draw near to Phineus." + +(ll. 291-300) With these words she took an oath by the waters of Styx, +which to all the gods is most dread and most awful, that the Harpies +would never thereafter again approach the home of Phineus, son of +Agenor, for so it was fated. And the heroes yielding to the oath, turned +back their flight to the ship. And on account of this men call them +the Islands of Turning though aforetime they called them the Floating +Islands. And the Harpies and Iris parted. They entered their den in +Minoan Crete; but she sped up to Olympus, soaring aloft on her swift +wings. + +(ll. 301-310) Meanwhile the chiefs carefully cleansed the old man's +squalid skin and with due selection sacrificed sheep which they had +borne away from the spoil of Amycus. And when they had laid a huge +supper in the hall, they sat down and feasted, and with them feasted +Phineus ravenously, delighting his soul, as in a dream. And there, when +they had taken their fill of food and drink, they kept awake all night +waiting for the sons of Boreas. And the aged sire himself sat in the +midst, near the hearth, telling of the end of their voyage and the +completion of their journey: + +(ll. 311-315) "Listen then. Not everything is it lawful for you to +know clearly; but whatever is heaven's will, I will not hide. I was +infatuated aforetime, when in my folly I declared the will of Zeus +in order and to the end. For he himself wishes to deliver to men the +utterances of the prophetic art incomplete, in order that they may still +have some need to know the will of heaven." + +(ll. 316-340) "First of all, after leaving me, ye will see the twin +Cyanean rocks where the two seas meet. No one, I ween, has won his +escape between them. For they are not firmly fixed with roots beneath, +but constantly clash against one another to one point, and above a huge +mass of salt water rises in a crest, boiling up, and loudly dashes upon +the hard beach. Wherefore now obey my counsel, if indeed with prudent +mind and reverencing the blessed gods ye pursue your way; and perish not +foolishly by a self-sought death, or rush on following the guidance of +youth. First entrust the attempt to a dove when ye have sent her forth +from the ship. And if she escapes safe with her wings between the rocks +to the open sea, then no more do ye refrain from the path, but grip +your oars well in your hands and cleave the sea's narrow strait, for the +light of safety will be not so much in prayer as in strength of hands. +Wherefore let all else go and labour boldly with might and main, but +ere then implore the gods as ye will, I forbid you not. But if she flies +onward and perishes midway, then do ye turn back; for it is better to +yield to the immortals. For ye could not escape an evil doom from the +rocks, not even if Argo were of iron." + +(ll. 341-359) "O hapless ones, dare not to transgress my divine warning, +even though ye think that I am thrice as much hated by the sons of +heaven as I am, and even more than thrice; dare not to sail further +with your ship in despite of the omen. And as these things will fall, so +shall they fall. But if ye shun the clashing rocks and come scatheless +inside Pontus, straightway keep the land of the Bithynians on your right +and sail on, and beware of the breakers, until ye round the swift +river Rhebas and the black beach, and reach the harbour of the Isle of +Thynias. Thence ye must turn back a little space through the sea and +beach your ship on the land of the Mariandyni lying opposite. Here is +a downward path to the abode of Hades, and the headland of Acherusia +stretches aloft, and eddying Acheron cleaves its way at the bottom, even +through the headland, and sends its waters forth from a huge ravine. And +near it ye will sail past many hills of the Paphlagonians, over whom +at the first Eneteian Pelops reigned, and of his blood they boast +themselves to be." + +(ll. 360-406) "Now there is a headland opposite Helice the Bear, steep +on all sides, and they call it Carambis, about whose crests the blasts +of the north wind are sundered. So high in the air does it rise turned +towards the sea. And when ye have rounded it broad Aegialus stretches +before you; and at the end of broad Aegialus, at a jutting point of +coast, the waters of the river Halys pour forth with a terrible roar; +and after it his flowing near, but smaller in stream, rolls into the sea +with white eddies. Onward from thence the bend of a huge and towering +cape reaches out from the land, next Thermodon at its mouth flows into a +quiet bay at the Themiscyreian headland, after wandering through a broad +continent. And here is the plain of Doeas, and near are the three cities +of the Amazons, and after them the Chalybes, most wretched of men, +possess a soil rugged and unyielding sons of toil, they busy themselves +with working iron. And near them dwell the Tibareni, rich in sheep, +beyond the Genetaean headland of Zeus, lord of hospitality. And +bordering on it the Mossynoeci next in order inhabit the well-wooded +mainland and the parts beneath the mountains, who have built in towers +made from trees their wooden homes and well-fitted chambers, which they +call Mossynes, and the people themselves take their name from them. +After passing them ye must beach your ship upon a smooth island, when ye +have driven away with all manner of skill the ravening birds, which +in countless numbers haunt the desert island. In it the Queens of the +Amazons, Otrere and Antiope, built a stone temple of Ares what time they +went forth to war. Now here an unspeakable help will come to you from +the bitter sea; wherefore with kindly intent I bid you stay. But what +need is there that I should sin yet again declaring everything to the +end by my prophetic art? And beyond the island and opposite mainland +dwell the Philyres: and above the Philyres are the Macrones, and after +them the vast tribes of the Becheiri. And next in order to them dwell +the Sapeires, and the Byzeres have the lands adjoining to them, and +beyond them at last live the warlike Colchians themselves. But speed on +in your ship, till ye touch the inmost bourne of the sea. And here at +the Cytaean mainland and from the Amarantine mountains far away and the +Circaean plain, eddying Phasis rolls his broad stream to the sea. Guide +your ship to the mouth of that river and ye shall behold the towers of +Cytaean Aeetes and the shady grove of Ares, where a dragon, a monster +terrible to behold, ever glares around, keeping watch over the fleece +that is spread upon the top of an oak; neither by day nor by night does +sweet sleep subdue his restless eyes." + +(ll. 408-410) Thus he spake, and straightway fear seized them as they +heard. And for a long while they were struck with silence; till at last +the hero, son of Aeson, spake, sore dismayed at their evil plight: + +(ll. 411-418) "O aged sire, now hast thou come to the end of the toils +of our sea-journeying and hast told us the token, trusting to which we +shall make our way to Pontus through the hateful rocks; but whether, +when we have escaped them, we shall have a return back again to Hellas, +this too would we gladly learn from thee. What shall I do, how shall I +go over again such a long path through the sea, unskilled as I am, with +unskilled comrades? And Colchian Aea lies at the edge of Pontus and of +the world." + +(ll. 419-425) Thus he spake, and him the aged sire addressed in reply: +"O son, when once thou hast escaped through the deadly rocks, fear not; +for a deity will be the guide from Aea by another track; and to Aea +there will be guides enough. But, my friends, take thought of the artful +aid of the Cyprian goddess. For on her depends the glorious issue of +your venture. And further than this ask me not." + +(ll. 426-437) Thus spake Agenor's son, and close at hand the twin sons +of Thracian Boreas came darting from the sky and set their swift feet +upon the threshold; and the heroes rose up from their seats when they +saw them present. And Zetes, still drawing hard breath after his toil, +spake among the eager listeners, telling them how far they had driven +the Harpies and how his prevented their slaying them, and how the +goddess of her grace gave them pledges, and how those others in fear +plunged into the vast cave of the Dictaean cliff. Then in the mansion +all their comrades were joyful at the tidings and so was Phineus +himself. And quickly Aeson's son, with good will exceeding, addressed +him: + +(ll. 438-442) "Assuredly there was then, Phineus, some god who cared for +thy bitter woe, and brought us hither from afar, that the sons of Boreas +might aid thee; and if too he should bring sight to thine eyes, verily I +should rejoice, methinks, as much as if I were on my homeward way." + +(ll. 443-447) Thus he spake, but Phineus replied to him with downcast +look: "Son of Aeson, that is past recall, nor is there any remedy +hereafter, for blasted are my sightless eyes. But instead of that, may +the god grant me death at once, and after death I shall take my share in +perfect bliss." + +(ll. 448-467) Then they two returned answering speech, each to other, +and soon in the midst of their converse early dawn appeared; and round +Phineus were gathered the neighbours who used to come thither aforetime +day by day and constantly bring a portion of their food. To all alike, +however poor he was that came, the aged man gave his oracles with good +will, and freed many from their woes by his prophetic art; wherefore +they visited and tended him. And with them came Paraebius, who was +dearest to him, and gladly did he perceive these strangers in the house. +For long ere now the seer himself had said that a band of chieftains, +faring from Hellas to the city of Aceres, would make fast their hawsers +to the Thynian land, and by Zeus' will would check the approach of the +Harpies. The rest the old man pleased with words of wisdom and let them +go; Paraebius only he bade remain there with the chiefs; and straightway +he sent him and bade him bring back the choicest of his sheep. And when +he had left the hall Phineus spake gently amid the throng of oarsmen: + +(ll. 468-489) "O my friends, not all men are arrogant, it seems, nor +unmindful of benefits. Even as this man, loyal as he is, came hither to +learn his fate. For when he laboured the most and toiled the most, then +the needs of life, ever growing more and more, would waste him, and day +after day ever dawned more wretched, nor was there any respite to his +toil. But he was paying the sad penalty of his father's sin. For he when +alone on the mountains, felling trees, once slighted the prayers of a +Hamadryad, who wept and sought to soften him with plaintive words, not +to cut down the stump of an oak tree coeval with herself, wherein for +a long time she had lived continually; but he in the arrogance of youth +recklessly cut it down. So to him the nymph thereafter made her death +a curse, to him and to his children. I indeed knew of the sin when he +came; and I bid him build an altar to the Thynian nymph, and offer on +it an atoning sacrifice, with prayer to escape his father's fate. Here, +ever since he escaped the god-sent doom, never has he forgotten or +neglected me; but sorely and against his will do I send him from my +doors, so eager is he to remain with me in my affliction." + +(ll. 490-499) Thus spake Agenor's son; and his friend straightway came +near leading two sheep from the flock. And up rose Jason and up rose the +sons of Boreas at the bidding of the aged sire. And quickly they called +upon Apollo, lord of prophecy, and offered sacrifice upon the health as +the day was just sinking. And the younger comrades made ready a feast +to their hearts' desire. Thereupon having well feasted they turned +themselves to rest, some near the ship's hawsers, others in groups +throughout the mansion. And at dawn the Etesian winds blew strongly, +which by the command of Zeus blow over every land equally. + +(ll. 500-527) Cyrene, the tale goes, once tended sheep along the +marsh-meadow of Peneus among men of old time; for dear to her were +maidenhood and a couch unstained. But, as she guarded her flock by the +river, Apollo carried her off far from Haemonia and placed her among the +nymphs of the land, who dwelt in Libya near the Myrtosian height. +And here to Phoebus she bore Aristaeus whom the Haemonians, rich in +corn-land, call "Hunter" and "Shepherd". Her, of his love, the god made +a nymph there, of long life and a huntress, and his son he brought while +still an infant to be nurtured in the cave of Cheiron. And to him when +he grew to manhood the Muses gave a bride, and taught him the arts of +healing and of prophecy; and they made him the keeper of their sheep, +of all that grazed on the Athamantian plain of Phthia and round steep +Othrys and the sacred stream of the river Apidanus. But when from heaven +Sirius scorched the Minoan Isles, and for long there was no respite for +the inhabitants, then by the injunction of the Far-Darter they summoned +Aristaeus to ward off the pestilence. And by his father's command +he left Phthia and made his home in Ceos, and gathered together the +Parrhasian people who are of the lineage of Lycaon, and he built a great +altar to Zeus Icmaeus, and duly offered sacrifices upon the mountains to +that star Sirius, and to Zeus son of Cronos himself. And on this account +it is that Etesian winds from Zeus cool the land for forty days, and +in Ceos even now the priests offer sacrifices before the rising of the +Dog-star. + +(ll. 528-536) So the tale is told, but the chieftains stayed there by +constraint, and every day the Thynians, doing pleasure to Phineus, sent +them gifts beyond measure. And afterwards they raised an altar to the +blessed twelve on the sea-beach opposite and laid offerings thereon and +then entered their swift ship to row, nor did they forget to bear with +them a trembling dove; but Euphemus seized her and brought her all +quivering with fear, and they loosed the twin hawsers from the land. + +(ll. 537-548) Nor did they start unmarked by Athena, but straightway +swiftly she set her feel on a light cloud, which would waft her on, +mighty though she was, and she swept on to the sea with friendly +thoughts to the oarsmen. And as when one roveth far from his native +land, as we men often wander with enduring heart, nor is any land too +distant but all ways are clear to his view, and he sees in mind his own +home, and at once the way over sea and land seems slain, and swiftly +thinking, now this way, now that, he strains with eager eyes; so swiftly +the daughter of Zeus darted down and set her foot on the cheerless shore +of Thynia. + +(ll. 549-567) Now when they reached the narrow strait of the winding +passage, hemmed in on both sides by rugged cliffs, while an eddying +current from below was washing against the ship as she moved on, they +went forward sorely in dread; and now the thud of the crashing rocks +ceaselessly struck their ears, and the sea-washed shores resounded, +and then Euphemus grasped the dove in his hand and started to mount the +prow; and they, at the bidding of Tiphys, son of Hagnias, rowed with +good will to drive Argo between the rocks, trusting to their strength. +And as they rounded a bend they saw the rocks opening for the last time +of all. Their spirit melted within them; and Euphemus sent forth the +dove to dart forward in flight; and they all together raised their heads +to look; but she flew between them, and the rocks again rushed together +and crashed as they met face to face. And the foam leapt up in a mass +like a cloud; awful was the thunder of the sea; and all round them the +mighty welkin roared. + +(ll. 568-592) The hollow caves beneath the rugged cliffs rumbled as the +sea came surging in; and the white foam of the dashing wave spurted high +above the cliff. Next the current whirled the ship round. And the +rocks shore away the end of the dove's tail-feathers; but away she flew +unscathed. And the rowers gave a loud cry; and Tiphys himself called +to them to row with might and main. For the rocks were again parting +asunder. But as they rowed they trembled, until the tide returning drove +them back within the rocks. Then most awful fear seized upon all; for +over their head was destruction without escape. And now to right and +left broad Pontus was seen, when suddenly a huge wave rose up before +them, arched, like a steep rock; and at the sight they bowed with bended +heads. For it seemed about to leap down upon the ship's whole length and +to overwhelm them. But Tiphys was quick to ease the ship as she laboured +with the oars; and in all its mass the wave rolled away beneath the +keel, and at the stern it raised Argo herself and drew her far away from +the rocks; and high in air was she borne. But Euphemus strode among +all his comrades and cried to them to bend to their oars with all their +might; and they with a shout smote the water. And as far as the ship +yielded to the rowers, twice as far did she leap back, and the oar, were +bent like curved bows as the heroes used their strength. + +(ll. 593-610) Then a vaulted billow rushed upon them, and the ship like +a cylinder ran on the furious wave plunging through the hollow sea. And +the eddying current held her between the clashing rocks; and on each +side they shook and thundered; and the ship's timbers were held fast. +Then Athena with her left hand thrust back one mighty rock and with +her right pushed the ship through; and she, like a winged arrow, sped +through the air. Nevertheless the rocks, ceaselessly clashing, shore off +as she passed the extreme end of the stern-ornament. But Athena soared +up to Olympus, when they had escaped unscathed. And the rocks in one +spot at that moment were rooted fast for ever to each other, which thing +had been destined by the blessed gods, when a man in his ship should +have passed between them alive. And the heroes breathed again after +their chilling fear, beholding at the same time the sky and the expanse +of sea spreading far and wide. For they deemed that they were saved from +Hades; and Tiphys first of all began to speak: + +(ll. 611-618) "It is my hope that we have safely escaped this peril--we, +and the ship; and none other is the cause so much as Athena, who +breathed into Argo divine strength when Argus knitted her together with +bolts; and she may not be caught. Son of Aeson, no longer fear thou so +much the hest of thy king, since a god hath granted us escape between +the rocks; for Phineus, Agenor's son, said that our toils hereafter +would be lightly accomplished." + +(ll. 619-637) He spake, and at once he sped the ship onward through the +midst of the sea past the Bithynian coast. But Jason with gentle words +addressed him in reply: "Tiphys, why dost thou comfort thus my grieving +heart? I have erred and am distraught in wretched and helpless ruin. For +I ought, when Pelias gave the command, to have straightway refused this +quest to his face, yea, though I were doomed to die pitilessly, torn +limb from limb, but now I am wrapped in excessive fear and cares +unbearable, dreading to sail through the chilling paths of the sea, and +dreading when we shall set foot on the mainland. For on every side are +unkindly men. And ever when day is done I pass a night of groans from +the time when ye first gathered together for my sake, while I take +thought for all things; but thou talkest at thine ease, eating only for +thine own life; while for myself I am dismayed not a whit; but I fear +for this man and for that equally, and for thee, and for my other +comrades, if I shall not bring you back safe to the land of Hellas." + +(ll. 638-640) Thus he spake, making trial of the chiefs; but they +shouted loud with cheerful words. And his heart was warmed within him at +their cry and again he spake outright among them: + +(ll. 641-647) "My friends, in your valour my courage is quickened. +Wherefore now, even though I should take my way through the gulfs of +Hades, no more shall I let fear seize upon me, since ye are steadfast +amid cruel terrors. But now that we have sailed out from the striking +rocks, I trow that never hereafter will there be another such fearful +thing, if indeed we go on our way following the counsel of Phineus." + +(ll. 648-668) Thus he spake, and straightway they ceased from such words +and gave unwearying labour to the oar; and quickly they passed by the +swiftly flowing river Rhebas and the peak of Colone, and soon thereafter +the black headland, and near it the mouth of the river Phyllis, where +aforetime Dipsaeus received in his home the son of Athamas, when with +his ram he was flying from the city of Orchomenus; and Dipsacus was the +son of a meadow-nymph, nor was insolence his delight, but contented by +his father's stream he dwelt with his mother, pasturing his flocks by +the shore. And quickly they sighted and sailed past his shrine and the +broad banks of the river and the plain, and deep-flowing Calpe, and all +the windless night and the day they bent to their tireless oars. And +even as ploughing oxen toil as they cleave the moist earth, and sweat +streams in abundance from flank and neck; and from beneath the yoke +their eyes roll askance, while the breath ever rushes from their mouths +in hot gasps; and all day long they toil, planting their hoofs deep in +the ground; like them the heroes kept dragging their oars through the +sea. + +(ll. 669-685) Now when divine light has not yet come nor is it utter +darkness, but a faint glimmer has spread over the night, the time when +men wake and call it twilight, at that hour they ran into the harbour of +the desert island Thynias and, spent by weary toil, mounted the shore. +And to them the son of Leto, as he passed from Lycia far away to the +countless folk of the Hyperboreans, appeared; and about his cheeks on +both sides his golden locks flowed in clusters as he moved; in his left +hand he held a silver bow, and on his back was slung a quiver hanging +from his shoulders; and beneath his feet all the island quaked, and the +waves surged high on the beach. Helpless amazement seized them as they +looked; and no one dared to gaze face to face into the fair eyes of the +god. And they stood with heads bowed to the ground; but he, far off, +passed on to the sea through the air; and at length Orpheus spake as +follows, addressing the chiefs: + +(ll. 686-693) "Come, let us call this island the sacred isle of Apollo +of the Dawn since he has appeared to all, passing by at dawn; and we +will offer such sacrifices as we can, building an altar on the shore; +and if hereafter he shall grant us a safe return to the Haemonian land, +then will we lay on his altar the thighs of horned goats. And now I +bid you propitiate him with the steam of sacrifice and libations. Be +gracious, O king, be gracious in thy appearing." + +(ll. 694-713) Thus he spake, and they straightway built up an altar with +shingle; and over the island they wandered, seeking if haply they could +get a glimpse of a fawn or a wild goat, that often seek their pasture in +the deep wood. And for them Leto's son provided a quarry; and with pious +rites they wrapped in fat the thigh bones of them all and burnt them +on the sacred altar, celebrating Apollo, Lord of Dawn. And round the +burning sacrifice they set up a broad dancing-ring, singing, "All hail +fair god of healing, Phoebus, all hail," and with them Oeagrus' goodly +son began a clear lay on his Bistonian lyre; how once beneath the rocky +ridge of Parnassus he slew with his bow the monster Delphyne, he, still +young and beardless, still rejoicing in his long tresses. Mayst thou be +gracious! Ever, O king, be thy locks unshorn, ever unravaged; for so is +it right. And none but Leto, daughter of Coeus, strokes them with her +dear hands. And often the Corycian nymphs, daughters of Pleistus, took +up the cheering strain crying "Healer"; hence arose this lovely refrain +of the hymn to Phoebus. + +(ll. 714-719) Now when they had celebrated him with dance and song they +took an oath with holy libations, that they would ever help each other +with concord of heart, touching the sacrifice as they swore; and even +now there stands there a temple to gracious Concord, which the heroes +themselves reared, paying honour at that time to the glorious goddess. + +(ll. 720-751) Now when the third morning came, with a fresh west wind +they left the lofty island. Next, on the opposite side they saw and +passed the mouth of the river Sangarius and the fertile land of the +Mariandyni, and the stream of Lycus and the Anthemoeisian lake; and +beneath the breeze the ropes and all the tackling quivered as they sped +onward. During the night the wind ceased and at dawn they gladly reached +the haven of the Acherusian headland. It rises aloft with steep cliffs, +looking towards the Bithynian sea; and beneath it smooth rocks, ever +washed by the sea, stand rooted firm; and round them the wave rolls and +thunders loud, but above, wide-spreading plane trees grow on the topmost +point. And from it towards the land a hollow glen slopes gradually away, +where there is a cave of Hades overarched by wood and rocks. From here +an icy breath, unceasingly issuing from the chill recess, ever forms a +glistening rime which melts again beneath the midday sun. And never does +silence hold that grim headland, but there is a continual murmur from +the sounding sea and the leaves that quiver in the winds from the +cave. And here is the outfall of the river Acheron which bursts its way +through the headland and falls into the Eastern sea, and a hollow ravine +brings it down from above. In after times the Nisaean Megarians named +it Soonautes [1202] when they were about to settle in the land of the +Mariandyni. For indeed the river saved them with their ships when they +were caught in a violent tempest. By this way the heroes took the ship +through [1203] the Acherusian headland and came to land over against it +as the wind had just ceased. + +(ll. 752-773) Not long had they come unmarked by Lycus, the lord of that +land, and the Mariandyni--they, the slayers of Amycus, according to the +report which the people heard before; but for that very deed they even +made a league with the heroes. And Polydeuces himself they welcomed as +a god, flocking from every side, since for a long time had they been +warring against the arrogant Bebrycians. And so they went up all +together into the city, and all that day with friendly feelings made +ready a feast within the palace of Lycus and gladdened their souls +with converse. Aeson's son told him the lineage and name of each of his +comrades and the behests of Pelias, and how they were welcomed by the +Lemnian women, and all that they did at Dolionian Cyzieus; and how they +reached the Mysian land and Cius, where, sore against their will, they +left behind the hero Heracles, and he told the saying of Glaucus, and +how they slew the Bebrycians and Amycus, and he told of the prophecies +and affliction of Phineus, and how they escaped the Cyanean rocks, and +how they met with Leto's son at the island. And as he told all, Lycus +was charmed in soul with listening; and he grieved for Heracles left +behind, and spake as follows among them all: + +(ll. 774-810) "O friends, what a man he was from whose help ye have +fallen away, as ye cleave your long path to Aeetes; for well do I know +that I saw him here in the halls of Dascylus my father, when he came +hither on foot through the land of Asia bringing the girdle of warlike +Hippolyte; and me he found with the down just growing on my cheeks. And +here, when my brother Priolas was slain by the Mysians--my brother, whom +ever since the people lament with most piteous dirges--he entered the +lists with Titias in boxing and slew him, mighty Titias, who surpassed +all the youths in beauty and strength; and he dashed his teeth to the +ground. Together with the Mysians he subdued beneath my father's sway +the Phrygians also, who inhabit the lands next to us, and he made his +own the tribes of the Bithynians and their land, as far as the mouth +of Rhebas and the peak of Colone; and besides them the Paphlagonians +of Pelops yielded just as they were, even all those round whom the dark +water of Billaeus breaks. But now the Bebrycians and the insolence of +Amycus have robbed me, since Heracles dwells far away, for they have +long been cutting off huge pieces of my land until they have set their +bounds at the meadows of deep-flowing Hypius. Nevertheless, by your +hands have they paid the penalty; and it was not without the will of +heaven, I trow, that he brought war on the Bebrycians this day--he, +the son of Tyndareus, when he slew that champion. Wherefore whatever +requital I am now able to pay, gladly will I pay it, for that is the +rule for weaker men when the stronger begin to help them. So with you +all, and in your company, I bid Dascylus my son follow; and if he goes, +you will find all men friendly that ye meet on your way through the sea +even to the mouth of the river Thermodon. And besides that, to the sons +of Tyndareus will I raise a lofty temple on the Acherusian height, +which all sailors shall mark far across the sea and shall reverence; and +hereafter for them will I set apart outside the city, as for gods, some +fertile fields of the well-tilled plain." + +(ll. 811-814) Thus all day long they revelled at the banquet. But at +dawn they hied down to the ship in haste; and with them went Lycus +himself, when he had given them countless gifts to bear away; and with +them he sent forth his son from his home. + +(ll. 815-834) And here his destined fate smote Idmon, son of Abas, +skilled in soothsaying; but not at all did his soothsaying save him, for +necessity drew him on to death. For in the mead of the reedy river there +lay, cooling his flanks and huge belly in the mud, a white-tusked boar, +a deadly monster, whom even the nymphs of the marsh dreaded, and no man +knew it; but all alone he was feeding in the wide fell. But the son of +Abas was passing along the raised banks of the muddy river, and the boar +from some unseen lair leapt out of the reed-bed, and charging gashed his +thigh and severed in twain the sinews and the bone. And with a sharp cry +the hero fell to the ground; and as he was struck his comrades flocked +together with answering cry. And quickly Peleus with his hunting spear +aimed at the murderous boar as he fled back into the fen; and again +he turned and charged; but Idas wounded him, and with a roar he fell +impaled upon the sharp spear. And the boar they left on the ground just +as he had fallen there; but Idmon, now at the last gasp, his comrades +bore to the ship in sorrow of heart, and he died in his comrades' arms. + +(ll. 835-850) And here they stayed from taking thought for their +voyaging and abode in grief for the burial of their dead friend. And +for three whole days they lamented; and on the next they buried him with +full honours, and the people and King Lycus himself took part in the +funeral rites; and, as is the due of the departed, they slaughtered +countless sheep at his tomb. And so a barrow to this hero was raised in +that land, and there stands a token for men of later days to see, +the trunk of a wild olive tree, such as ships are built of; and it +flourishes with its green leaves a little below the Acherusian headland. +And if at the bidding of the Muses I must tell this tale outright, +Phoebus strictly commanded the Boeotians and Nisaeans to worship him as +guardian of their city, and to build their city round the trunk of the +ancient wild olive; but they, instead of the god-fearing Aeolid Idmon, +at this day honour Agamestor. + +(ll. 851-868) Who was the next that died? For then a second time the +heroes heaped up a barrow for a comrade dead. For still are to be seen +two monuments of those heroes. The tale goes that Tiphys son of Hagnias +died; nor was it his destiny thereafter to sail any further. But him +there on the spot a short sickness laid to rest far from his native +land, when the company had paid due honours to the dead son of Abas. And +at the cruel woe they were seized with unbearable grief. For when +with due honours they had buried him also hard by the seer, they cast +themselves down in helplessness on the sea-shore silently, closely +wrapped up, and took no thought for meat or drink; and their spirit +drooped in grief, for all hope of return was gone. And in their sorrow +they would have stayed from going further had not Hera kindled exceeding +courage in Ancaeus, whom near the waters of Imbrasus Astypalaea bore to +Poseidon; for especially was he skilled in steering and eagerly did he +address Peleus: + +(ll. 869-877) "Son of Aeacus, is it well for us to give up our toils and +linger on in a strange land? Not so much for my prowess in war did Jason +take me with him in quest of the fleece, far from Parthenia, as for +my knowledge of ships. Wherefore, I pray, let there be no fear for the +ship. And so there are here other men of skill, of whom none will harm +our voyaging, whomsoever we set at the helm. But quickly tell forth all +this and boldly urge them to call to mind their task." + +(ll. 878-884) Thus he spake; and Peleus' soul was stirred with gladness, +and straightway he spake in the midst of all: "My friends, why do we +thus cherish a bootless grief like this? For those two have perished by +the fate they have met with; but among our host are steersmen yet, and +many a one. Wherefore let us not delay our attempt, but rouse yourselves +to the work and cast away your griefs." + +(ll. 885-893) And him in reply Aeson's son addressed with helpless +words: "Son of Aeacus, where are these steersmen of thine? For those +whom we once deemed to be men of skill, they even more than I are bowed +with vexation of heart. Wherefore I forebode an evil doom for us even as +for the dead, if it shall be our lot neither to reach the city of fell +Aeetes, nor ever again to pass beyond the rocks to the land of Hellas, +but a wretched fate will enshroud us here ingloriously till we grow old +for naught." + +(ll. 894-898) Thus he spake, but Ancaeus quickly undertook to guide the +swift ship; for he was stirred by the impulse of the goddess. And after +him Erginus and Nauplius and Euphemus started up, eager to steer. +But the others held them back, and many of his comrades granted it to +Ancaeus. + +(ll. 899-910) So on the twelfth day they went aboard at dawn, for a +strong breeze of westerly wind was blowing. And quickly with the oars +they passed out through the river Acheron and, trusting to the wind, +shook out their sails, and with canvas spread far and wide they were +cleaving their passage through the waves in fair weather. And soon they +passed the outfall of the river Callichorus, where, as the tale goes, +the Nysean son of Zeus, when he had left the tribes of the Indians and +came to dwell at Thebes, held revels and arrayed dances in front of a +cave, wherein he passed unsmiling sacred nights, from which time the +neighbours call the river by the name of Callichorus [1204] and the cave +Aulion.[1205] + +(ll. 911-929) Next they beheld the barrow of Sthenelus, Actor's son, who +on his way back from the valorous war against the Amazons--for he had +been the comrade of Heracles--was struck by an arrow and died there +upon the sea-beach. And for a time they went no further, for Persephone +herself sent forth the spirit of Actor's son which craved with many +tears to behold men like himself, even for a moment. And mounting on the +edge of the barrow he gazed upon the ship, such as he was when he went +to war; and round his head a fair helm with four peaks gleamed with its +blood-red crest. And again he entered the vast gloom; and they looked +and marvelled; and Mopsus, son of Ampycus, with word of prophecy urged +them to land and propitiate him with libations. Quickly they drew in +sail and threw out hawsers, and on the strand paid honour to the tomb of +Sthenelus, and poured out drink offerings to him and sacrificed sheep as +victims. And besides the drink offerings they built an altar to Apollo, +saviour of ships, and burnt thigh bones; and Orpheus dedicated his lyre; +whence the place has the name of Lyra. + +(ll. 930-945) And straightway they went aboard as the wind blew strong; +and they drew the sail down, and made it taut to both sheets; then Argo +was borne over the sea swiftly, even as a hawk soaring high through the +air commits to the breeze its outspread wings and is borne on swiftly, +nor swerves in its flight, poising in the clear sky with quiet pinions. +And lo, they passed by the stream of Parthenius as it flows into the +sea, a most gentle river, where the maid, daughter of Leto, when she +mounts to heaven after the chase, cools her limbs in its much-desired +waters. Then they sped onward in the night without ceasing, and passed +Sesamus and lofty Erythini, Crobialus, Cromna and woody Cytorus. Next +they swept round Carambis at the rising of the sun, and plied the oars +past long Aegialus, all day and on through the night. + +(ll. 946-965) And straightway they landed on the Assyrian shore where +Zeus himself gave a home to Sinope, daughter of Asopus, and granted her +virginity, beguiled by his own promises. For he longed for her love, and +he promised to grant her whatever her hearts desire might be. And she in +her craftiness asked of him virginity. And in like manner she deceived +Apollo too who longed to wed her, and besides them the river Halys, and +no man ever subdued her in love's embrace. And there the sons of +noble Deimachus of Tricca were still dwelling, Deileon, Autolycus and +Phlogius, since the day when they wandered far away from Heracles; and +they, when they marked the array of chieftains, went to meet them and +declared in truth who they were; and they wished to remain there no +longer, but as soon as Argestes [1206] blew went on ship-board. And so +with them, borne along by the swift breeze, the heroes left behind the +river Halys, and left behind his that flows hard by, and the delta-land +of Assyria; and on the same day they rounded the distant headland of the +Amazons that guards their harbour. + +(ll. 966-1001) Here once when Melanippe, daughter of Ares, had, gone +forth, the hero Heracles caught her by ambuscade and Hippolyte gave +him her glistening girdle as her sister's ransom, and he sent away +his captive unharmed. In the bay of this headland, at the outfall of +Thermodon, they ran ashore, for the sea was rough for their voyage. No +river is like this, and none sends forth from itself such mighty streams +over the land. If a man should count every one he would lack but four of +a hundred, but the real spring is only one. This flows down to the +plain from lofty mountains, which, men say, are called the Amazonian +mountains. Thence it spreads inland over a hilly country straight +forward; wherefrom its streams go winding on, and they roll on, this way +and that ever more, wherever best they can reach the lower ground, one +at a distance and another near at hand; and many streams are swallowed +up in the sand and are without a name; but, mingled with a few, the +main stream openly bursts with its arching crest of foam into the +inhospitable Pontus. And they would have tarried there and have closed +in battle with the Amazons, and would have fought not without bloodshed +for the Amazons were not gentle foes and regarded not justice, those +dwellers on the Doeantian plain; but grievous insolence and the works +of Ares were all their care; for by race they were the daughters of Ares +and the nymph Harmonia, who bare to Ares war-loving maids, wedded to him +in the glens of the Acmonian wood had not the breezes of Argestes come +again from Zeus; and with the wind they left the rounded beach, where +the Themiscyreian Amazons were arming for war. For they dwelt not +gathered together in one city, but scattered over the land, parted into +three tribes. In one part dwelt the Themiscyreians, over whom at that +time Hippolyte reigned, in another the Lycastians, and in another the +dart-throwing Chadesians. And the next day they sped on and at nightfall +they reached the land of the Chalybes. + +(ll. 1002-1008) That folk have no care for ploughing with oxen or for +any planting of honey-sweet fruit; nor yet do they pasture flocks in +the dewy meadow. But they cleave the hard iron-bearing land and exchange +their wages for daily sustenance; never does the morn rise for them +without toil, but amid bleak sooty flames and smoke they endure heavy +labour. + +(ll. 1009-1014) And straightway thereafter they rounded the headland of +Genetaean Zeus and sped safely past the land of the Tibareni. Here when +wives bring forth children to their husbands, the men lie in bed and +groan with their heads close bound; but the women tend them with food, +and prepare child-birth baths for them. + +(ll. 1015-1029) Next they reached the sacred mount and the land where +the Mossynoeci dwell amid high mountains in wooden huts, [1207] from +which that people take their name. And strange are their customs and +laws. Whatever it is right to do openly before the people or in the +market place, all this they do in their homes, but whatever acts we +perform at home, these they perform out of doors in the midst of +the streets, without blame. And among them is no reverence for the +marriage-bed, but, like swine that feed in herds, no whit abashed in +others' presence, on the earth they lie with the women. Their king sits +in the loftiest hut and dispenses upright judgments to the multitude, +poor wretch! For if haply he err at all in his decrees, for that day +they keep him shut up in starvation. + +(ll. 1030-1046) They passed them by and cleft their way with oars over +against the island of Ares all day long; for at dusk the light breeze +left them. At last they spied above them, hurtling through the air, one +of the birds of Ares which haunt that isle. It shook its wings down over +the ship as she sped on and sent against her a keen feather, and it fell +on the left shoulder of goodly Oileus, and he dropped his oar from his +hands at the sudden blow, and his comrades marvelled at the sight of the +winged bolt. And Eribotes from his seat hard by drew out the feather, +and bound up the wound when he had loosed the strap hanging from his +own sword-sheath; and besides the first, another bird appeared swooping +down; but the hero Clytius, son of Eurytus--for he bent his curved bow, +and sped a swift arrow against the bird--struck it, and it whirled round +and fell close to the ship. And to them spake Amphidamas, son of Aleus: + +(ll. 1047-1067) "The island of Ares is near us; you know it yourselves +now that ye have seen these birds. But little will arrows avail us, I +trow, for landing. But let us contrive some other device to help us, if +ye intend to land, bearing in mind the injunction of Phineus. For not +even could Heracles, when he came to Arcadia, drive away with bow and +arrow the birds that swam on the Stymphalian lake. I saw it myself. But +he shook in his hand a rattle of bronze and made a loud clatter as +he stood upon a lofty peak, and the birds fled far off, screeching in +bewildered fear. Wherefore now too let us contrive some such device, and +I myself will speak, having pondered the matter beforehand. Set on your +heads your helmets of lofty crest, then half row by turns, and half +fence the ship about with polished spears and shields. Then all together +raise a mighty shout so that the birds may be scared by the unwonted +din, the nodding crests, and the uplifted spears on high. And if we +reach the island itself, then make mighty noise with the clashing of +shields." + +(ll. 1068-1089) Thus he spake, and the helpful device pleased all. And +on their heads they placed helmets of bronze, gleaming terribly, and the +blood-red crests were tossing. And half of them rowed in turn, and the +rest covered the ship with spears and shields. And as when a man roofs +over a house with tiles, to be an ornament of his home and a defence +against rain, and one the fits firmly into another, each after each; so +they roofed over the ship with their shields, locking them together. And +as a din arises from a warrior-host of men sweeping on, when lines of +battle meet, such a shout rose upward from the ship into the air. Now +they saw none of the birds yet, but when they touched the island and +clashed upon their shields, then the birds in countless numbers rose in +flight hither and thither. And as when the son of Cronos sends from the +clouds a dense hailstorm on city and houses, and the people who dwell +beneath hear the din above the roof and sit quietly, since the stormy +season has not come upon them unawares, but they have first made strong +their roofs; so the birds sent against the heroes a thick shower of +feather-shafts as they darted over the sea to the mountains of the land +opposite. + +(ll. 1090-1092) What then was the purpose of Phineus in bidding the +divine band of heroes land there? Or what kind of help was about to meet +their desire? + +(ll. 1093-1122) The sons of Phrixus were faring towards the city of +Orchomenus from Aea, coming from Cytaean Aeetes, on board a Colchian +ship, to win the boundless wealth of their father; for he, when dying, +had enjoined this journey upon them. And lo, on that day they were very +near that island. But Zeus had impelled the north wind's might to blow, +marking by rain the moist path of Arcturus; and all day long he was +stirring the leaves upon the mountains, breathing gently upon the +topmost sprays; but at night he rushed upon the sea with monstrous +force, and with his shrieking blasts uplifted the surge; and a dark mist +covered the heavens, nor did the bright stars anywhere appear from among +the clouds, but a murky gloom brooded all around. And so the sons of +Phrixus, drenched and trembling in fear of a horrible doom, were borne +along by the waves helplessly. And the force of the wind had snatched +away their sails and shattered in twain the hull, tossed as it was by +the breakers. And hereupon by heaven's prompting those four clutched a +huge beam, one of many that were scattered about, held together by sharp +bolts, when the ship broke to pieces. And on to the island the waves and +the blasts of wind bore the men in their distress, within a little of +death. And straightway a mighty rain burst forth, and rained upon the +sea and the island, and all the country opposite the island, where the +arrogant Mossynoeci dwelt. And the sweep of the waves hurled the sons of +Phrixus, together with their massy beam, upon the beach of the island, +in the murky night; and the floods of rain from Zeus ceased at sunrise, +and soon the two bands drew near and met each other, and Argus spoke +first: + +(ll. 1123-1133) "We beseech you, by Zeus the Beholder, whoever ye are, +to be kindly and to help us in our need. For fierce tempests, falling +on the sea, have shattered all the timbers of the crazy ship in which +we were cleaving our path on business bent. Wherefore we entreat you, if +haply ye will listen, to grant us just a covering for our bodies, and +to pity and succour men in misfortune, your equals in age. Oh, reverence +suppliants and strangers for Zeus' sake, the god of strangers and +suppliants. To Zeus belong both suppliants and strangers; and his eye, +methinks, beholdeth even us." + +(ll. 1134-1139) And in reply the son of Aeson prudently questioned him, +deeming that the prophecies of Phineus were being fulfilled: "All these +things will we straightway grant you with right good will. But come tell +me truly in what country ye dwell and what business bids you sail across +the sea, and tell me your own glorious names and lineage." + +(ll. 1140-1156) And him Argus, helpless in his evil plight, addressed: +"That one Phrixus an Aeolid reached Aea from Hellas you yourselves have +clearly heard ere this, I trow; Phrixus, who came to the city of Aeetes, +bestriding a ram, which Hermes had made all gold; and the fleece ye may +see even now. The ram, at its own prompting, he then sacrificed to +Zeus, son of Cronos, above all, the god of fugitives. And him did Aeetes +receive in his palace, and with gladness of heart gave him his daughter +Chalciope in marriage without gifts of wooing. [1208] From those two are +we sprung. But Phrixus died at last, an aged man, in the home of +Aeetes; and we, giving heed to our father's behests, are journeying to +Orehomenus to take the possessions of Athamas. And if thou dost desire +to learn our names, this is Cytissorus, this Phrontis, and this Melas, +and me ye may call Argus." + +(ll. 1157-1159) Thus he spake, and the chieftains rejoiced at the +meeting, and tended them, much marvelling. And Jason again in turn +replied, as was fitting, with these words: + +(ll. 1160-1178) "Surely ye are our kinsmen on my father's side, and ye +pray that with kindly hearts we succour your evil plight. For Cretheus +and Athamas were brothers. I am the grandson of Cretheus, and with +these comrades here I am journeying from that same Hellas to the city of +Aeetes. But of these things we will converse hereafter. And do ye first +put clothing upon you. By heaven's devising, I ween, have ye come to my +hands in your sore need." + +(ll. 1168-1178) He spake, and out of the ship gave them raiment to put +on. Then all together they went to the temple of Ares to offer sacrifice +of sheep; and in haste they stood round the altar, which was outside the +roofless temple, an altar built of pebbles; within a black stone stood +fixed, a sacred thing, to which of yore the Amazons all used to pray. +Nor was it lawful for them, when they came from the opposite coast, to +burn on this altar offerings of sheep and oxen, but they used to slay +horses which they kept in great herds. Now when they had sacrificed and +eaten the feast prepared, then Aeson's son spake among them and thus +began: + +(ll. 1179-1195) "Zeus' self, I ween, beholds everything; nor do we men +escape his eye, we that be god-fearing and just, for as he rescued your +father from the hands of a murderous step-dame and gave him measureless +wealth besides; even so hath he saved you harmless from the baleful +storm. And on board this ship ye may sail hither and thither, where ye +will, whether to Aea or to the wealthy city of divine Orthomenus. For +our ship Athena built and with axe of bronze cut her timbers near the +crest of Pelion, and with the goddess wrought Argus. But yours the +fierce surge hath shattered, before ye came nigh to the rocks which +all day long clash together in the straits of the sea. But come, be +yourselves our helpers, for we are eager to bring to Hellas the golden +fleece, and guide us on our voyage, for I go to atone for the intended +sacrifice of Phrixus, the cause of Zeus' wrath against the sons of +Aeolus." + +(ll. 1196-1199) He spake with soothing words; but horror seized them +when they heard. For they deemed that they would not find Aeetes +friendly if they desired to take away the ram's fleece. And Argus spake +as follows, vexed that they should busy themselves with such a quest: + +(ll. 1200-1215) "My friends, our strength, so far as it avails, shall +never cease to help you, not one whit, when need shall come. But Aeetes +is terribly armed with deadly ruthlessness; wherefore exceedingly do I +dread this voyage. And he boasts himself to be the son of Helios; +and all round dwell countless tribes of Colchians; and he might match +himself with Ares in his dread war-cry and giant strength. Nay, to seize +the fleece in spite of Aeetes is no easy task; so huge a serpent keeps +guard round and about it, deathless and sleepless, which Earth herself +brought forth on the sides of Caucasus, by the rock of Typhaon, where +Typhaon, they say, smitten by the bolt of Zeus, son of Cronos, when he +lifted against the god his sturdy hands, dropped from his head hot gore; +and in such plight he reached the mountains and plain of Nysa, where to +this day he lies whelmed beneath the waters of the Serbonian lake." + +(ll. 1216-1218) Thus he spake, and straightway many a cheek grew pale +when they heard of so mighty an adventure. But quickly Peleus answered +with cheering words, and thus spake: + +(ll. 1219-1225) "Be not so fearful in spirit, my good friend. For we +are not so lacking in prowess as to be no match for Aeetes to try his +strength with arms; but I deem that we too are cunning in war, we that +go thither, near akin to the blood of the blessed gods. Wherefore if he +will not grant us the fleece of gold for friendship's sake, the tribes +of the Colchians will not avail him, I ween." + +(ll. 1226-1230) Thus they addressed each other in turn, until again, +satisfied with their feast, they turned to rest. And when they rose +at dawn a gentle breeze was blowing; and they raised the sails, which +strained to the rush of the wind, and quickly they left behind the +island of Ares. + +(ll. 1231-1241) And at nightfall they came to the island of Philyra, +where Cronos, son of Uranus, what time in Olympus he reigned over the +Titans, and Zeus was yet being nurtured in a Cretan cave by the Curetes +of Ida, lay beside Philyra, when he had deceived Rhea; and the goddess +found them in the midst of their dalliance; and Cronos leapt up from the +couch with a rush in the form of a steed with flowing mane, but Ocean's +daughter, Philyra, in shame left the spot and those haunts, and came +to the long Pelasgian ridges, where by her union with the transfigured +deity she brought forth huge Cheiron, half like a horse, half like a +god. + +(ll. 1242-1261) Thence they sailed on, past the Macrones and the +far-stretching land of the Becheiri and the overweening Sapeires, and +after them the Byzeres; for ever forward they clave their way, quickly +borne by the gentle breeze. And lo, as they sped on, a deep gulf of the +sea was opened, and lo, the steep crags of the Caucasian mountains rose +up, where, with his limbs bound upon the hard rocks by galling fetters +of bronze, Prometheus fed with his liver an eagle that ever rushed back +to its prey. High above the ship at even they saw it flying with a loud +whirr, near the clouds; and yet it shook all the sails with the fanning +of those huge wings. For it had not the form of a bird of the air but +kept poising its long wing-feathers like polished oars. And not long +after they heard the bitter cry of Prometheus as his liver was being +torn away; and the air rang with his screams until they marked the +ravening eagle rushing back from the mountain on the self-same track. +And at night, by the skill of Argus, they reached broad-flowing Phasis, +and the utmost bourne of the sea. + +(ll. 1262-1276) And straightway they let down the sails and the yard-arm +and stowed them inside the hollow mast-crutch, and at once they lowered +the mast itself till it lay along; and quickly with oars they entered +the mighty stream of the river; and round the prow the water surged as +it gave them way. And on their left hand they had lofty Caucasus and +the Cytaean city of Aea, and on the other side the plain of Ares and the +sacred grove of that god, where the serpent was keeping watch and ward +over the fleece as it hung on the leafy branches of an oak. And Aeson's +son himself from a golden goblet poured into the river libations of +honey and pure wine to Earth and to the gods of the country, and to the +souls of dead heroes; and he besought them of their grace to give kindly +aid, and to welcome their ship's hawsers with favourable omen. And +straightway Ancaeus spake these words: + +(ll. 1277-1280) "We have reached the Colchian land and the stream of +Phasis; and it is time for us to take counsel whether we shall make +trial of Aeetes with soft words, or an attempt of another kind shall be +fitting." + +(ll. 1281-1285) Thus he spake, and by the advice of Argus Jason bade +them enter a shaded backwater and let the ship ride at anchor off shore; +and it was near at hand in their course and there they passed the night. +And soon the dawn appeared to their expectant eyes. + + + + +BOOK III + +(ll. 1-5) Come now, Erato, stand by my side, and say next how Jason +brought back the fleece to Iolcus aided by the love of Medea. For thou +sharest the power of Cypris, and by thy love-cares dost charm unwedded +maidens; wherefore to thee too is attached a name that tells of love. + +(ll. 6-10) Thus the heroes, unobserved, were waiting in ambush amid the +thick reed-beds; but Hera and Athena took note of them, and, apart +from Zeus and the other immortals, entered a chamber and took counsel +together; and Hera first made trial of Athena: + +(ll. 11-16) "Do thou now first, daughter of Zeus, give advice. What must +be done? Wilt thou devise some scheme whereby they may seize the golden +fleece of Aeetes and bear it to Hellas, or can they deceive the king +with soft words and so work persuasion? Of a truth he is terribly +overweening. Still it is right to shrink from no endeavour." + +(ll. 17-21) Thus she spake, and at once Athena addressed her: "I too +was pondering such thoughts in my heart, Hera, when thou didst ask me +outright. But not yet do I think that I have conceived a scheme to aid +the courage of the heroes, though I have balanced many plans." + +(ll. 22-29) She ended, and the goddesses fixed their eyes on the ground +at their feet, brooding apart; and straightway Hera was the first to +speak her thought: "Come, let us go to Cypris; let both of us accost her +and urge her to bid her son (if only he will obey) speed his shaft at +the daughter of Aeetes, the enchantress, and charm her with love for +Jason. And I deem that by her device he will bring back the fleece to +Hellas." + +(ll. 30-31) Thus she spake, and the prudent plan pleased Athena, and she +addressed her in reply with gentle words: + +(ll. 32-35) "Hera, my father begat me to be a stranger to the darts of +love, nor do I know any charm to work desire. But if the word pleases +thee, surely I will follow; but thou must speak when we meet her." + +(ll. 36-51) So she said, and starting forth they came to the mighty +palace of Cypris, which her husband, the halt-footed god, had built for +her when first he brought her from Zeus to be his wife. And entering the +court they stood beneath the gallery of the chamber where the goddess +prepared the couch of Hephaestus. But he had gone early to his forge and +anvils to a broad cavern in a floating island where with the blast +of flame he wrought all manner of curious work; and she all alone +was sitting within, on an inlaid seat facing the door. And her white +shoulders on each side were covered with the mantle of her hair and +she was parting it with a golden comb and about to braid up the long +tresses; but when she saw the goddesses before her, she stayed and +called them within, and rose from her seat and placed them on couches. +Then she herself sat down, and with her hands gathered up the locks +still uncombed. And smiling she addressed them with crafty words: + +(ll. 52-54) "Good friends, what intent, what occasion brings you here +after so long? Why have ye come, not too frequent visitors before, chief +among goddesses that ye are?" + +(ll. 55-75) And to her Hera replied: "Thou dost mock us, but our hearts +are stirred with calamity. For already on the river Phasis the son of +Aeson moors his ship, he and his comrades in quest of the fleece. For +all their sakes we fear terribly (for the task is nigh at hand) but most +for Aeson's son. Him will I deliver, though he sail even to Hades to +free Ixion below from his brazen chains, as far as strength lies in +my limbs, so that Pelias may not mock at having escaped an evil +doom--Pelias who left me unhonoured with sacrifice. Moreover Jason was +greatly loved by me before, ever since at the mouth of Anaurus in flood, +as I was making trial of men's righteousness, he met me on his return +from the chase; and all the mountains and long ridged peaks were +sprinkled with snow, and from them the torrents rolling down were +rushing with a roar. And he took pity on me in the likeness of an old +crone, and raising me on his shoulders himself bore me through the +headlong tide. So he is honoured by me unceasingly; nor will Pelias pay +the penalty of his outrage, unless thou wilt grant Jason his return." + +(ll. 76-82) Thus she spake, and speechlessness seized Cypris. And +beholding Hera supplicating her she felt awe, and then addressed her +with friendly words: "Dread goddess, may no viler thing than Cypris ever +be found, if I disregard thy eager desire in word or deed, whatever my +weak arms can effect; and let there be no favour in return." + +(ll. 83-89) She spake, and Hera again addressed her with prudence: +"It is not in need of might or of strength that we have come. But just +quietly bid thy boy charm Aeetes' daughter with love for Jason. For if +she will aid him with her kindly counsel, easily do I think he will win +the fleece of gold and return to Iolcus, for she is full of wiles." + +(ll. 90-99) Thus she spake, and Cypris addressed them both: "Hera and +Athena, he will obey you rather than me. For unabashed though he is, +there will be some slight shame in his eyes before you; but he has no +respect for me, but ever slights me in contentious mood. And, overborne +by his naughtiness, I purpose to break his ill-sounding arrows and his +bow in his very sight. For in his anger he has threatened that if I +shall not keep my hands off him while he still masters his temper, I +shall have cause to blame myself thereafter." + +(ll. 100-105) So she spake, and the goddesses smiled and looked at each +other. But Cypris again spoke, vexed at heart: "To others my sorrows are +a jest; nor ought I to tell them to all; I know them too well myself. +But now, since this pleases you both, I will make the attempt and coax +him, and he will not say me nay." + +(ll. 106-110) Thus she spake, and Hera took her slender hand and gently +smiling, replied: "Perform this task, Cytherea, straightway, as +thou sayest; and be not angry or contend with thy boy; he will cease +hereafter to vex thee." + +(ll. 111-128) She spake, and left her seat, and Athena accompanied her +and they went forth both hastening back. And Cypris went on her way +through the glens of Olympus to find her boy. And she found him apart, +in the blooming orchard of Zeus, not alone, but with him Ganymedes, whom +once Zeus had set to dwell among the immortal gods, being enamoured of +his beauty. And they were playing for golden dice, as boys in one house +are wont to do. And already greedy Eros was holding the palm of his left +hand quite full of them under his breast, standing upright; and on +the bloom of his cheeks a sweet blush was glowing. But the other sat +crouching hard by, silent and downcast, and he had two dice left which +he threw one after the other, and was angered by the loud laughter of +Eros. And lo, losing them straightway with the former, he went off empty +handed, helpless, and noticed not the approach of Cypris. And she stood +before her boy, and laying her hand on his lips, addressed him: + +(ll. 129-144) "Why dost thou smile in triumph, unutterable rogue? Hast +thou cheated him thus, and unjustly overcome the innocent child? Come, +be ready to perform for me the task I will tell thee of, and I will +give thee Zeus' all-beauteous plaything--the one which his dear nurse +Adrasteia made for him, while he still lived a child, with childish +ways, in the Idaean cave--a well-rounded ball; no better toy wilt thou +get from the hands of Hephaestus. All of gold are its zones, and round +each double seams run in a circle; but the stitches are hidden, and a +dark blue spiral overlays them all. But if thou shouldst cast it with +thy hands, lo, like a star, it sends a flaming track through the sky. +This I will give thee; and do thou strike with thy shaft and charm the +daughter of Aeetes with love for Jason; and let there be no loitering. +For then my thanks would be the slighter." + +(ll. 145-150) Thus she spake, and welcome were her words to the +listening boy. And he threw down all his toys, and eagerly seizing her +robe on this side and on that, clung to the goddess. And he implored +her to bestow the gift at once; but she, facing him with kindly words, +touched his cheeks, kissed him and drew him to her, and replied with a +smile: + +(ll. 151-153) "Be witness now thy dear head and mine, that surely I will +give thee the gift and deceive thee not, if thou wilt strike with thy +shaft Aeetes' daughter." + +(ll. 154-166) She spoke, and he gathered up his dice, and having +well counted them all threw them into his mother's gleaming lap. And +straightway with golden baldric he slung round him his quiver from where +it leant against a tree-trunk, and took up his curved bow. And he fared +forth through the fruitful orchard of the palace of Zeus. Then he passed +through the gates of Olympus high in air; hence is a downward path from +heaven; and the twin poles rear aloft steep mountain tops the highest +crests of earth, where the risen sun grows ruddy with his first beams. +And beneath him there appeared now the life-giving earth and cities of +men and sacred streams of rivers, and now in turn mountain peaks and the +ocean all around, as he swept through the vast expanse of air. + +(ll. 167-193) Now the heroes apart in ambush, in a back-water of the +river, were met in council, sitting on the benches of their ship. And +Aeson's son himself was speaking among them; and they were listening +silently in their places sitting row upon row: "My friends, what pleases +myself that will I say out; it is for you to bring about its fulfilment. +For in common is our task, and common to all alike is the right of +speech; and he who in silence withholds his thought and his counsel, let +him know that it is he alone that bereaves this band of its home-return. +Do ye others rest here in the ship quietly with your arms; but I will +go to the palace of Aeetes, taking with me the sons of Phrixus and two +comrades as well. And when I meet him I will first make trial with +words to see if he will be willing to give up the golden fleece for +friendship's sake or not, but trusting to his might will set at nought +our quest. For so, learning his frowardness first from himself, we will +consider whether we shall meet him in battle, or some other plan shall +avail us, if we refrain from the war-cry. And let us not merely +by force, before putting words to the test, deprive him of his own +possession. But first it is better to go to him and win his favour by +speech. Oftentimes, I ween, does speech accomplish at need what prowess +could hardly catty through, smoothing the path in manner befitting. And +he once welcomed noble Phrixus, a fugitive from his stepmother's wiles +and the sacrifice prepared by his father. For all men everywhere, even +the most shameless, reverence the ordinance of Zeus, god of strangers, +and regard it." + +(ll. 194-209) Thus he spake, and the youths approved the words of +Aeson's son with one accord, nor was there one to counsel otherwise. +And then he summoned to go with him the sons of Phrixus, and Telamon and +Augeias; and himself took Hermes' wand; and at once they passed forth +from the ship beyond the reeds and the water to dry land, towards the +rising ground of the plain. The plain, I wis, is called Circe's; and +here in line grow many willows and osiers, on whose topmost branches +hang corpses bound with cords. For even now it is an abomination with +the Colchians to burn dead men with fire; nor is it lawful to place +them in the earth and raise a mound above, but to wrap them in untanned +oxhides and suspend them from trees far from the city. And so earth has +an equal portion with air, seeing that they bury the women; for that is +the custom of their land. + +(ll. 210-259) And as they went Hera with friendly thought spread a thick +mist through the city, that they might fare to the palace of Aeetes +unseen by the countless hosts of the Colchians. But soon when from +the plain they came to the city and Aeetes' palace, then again Hera +dispersed the mist. And they stood at the entrance, marvelling at the +king's courts and the wide gates and columns which rose in ordered lines +round the walls; and high up on the palace a coping of stone rested on +brazen triglyphs. And silently they crossed the threshold. And close by +garden vines covered with green foliage were in full bloom, lifted +high in air. And beneath them ran four fountains, ever-flowing, which +Hephaestus had delved out. One was gushing with milk, one with wine, +while the third flowed with fragrant oil; and the fourth ran with water, +which grew warm at the setting of the Pleiads, and in turn at their +rising bubbled forth from the hollow rock, cold as crystal. Such then +were the wondrous works that the craftsman-god Hephaestus had fashioned +in the palace of Cytaean Aeetes. And he wrought for him bulls with feet +of bronze, and their mouths were of bronze, and from them they breathed +out a terrible flame of fire; moreover he forged a plough of unbending +adamant, all in one piece, in payment of thanks to Helios, who had taken +the god up in his chariot when faint from the Phlegraean fight. [1301] +And here an inner-court was built, and round it were many well-fitted +doors and chambers here and there, and all along on each side was +a richly-wrought gallery. And on both sides loftier buildings stood +obliquely. In one, which was the loftiest, lordly Aeetes dwelt with his +queen; and in another dwelt Apsyrtus, son of Aeetes, whom a Caucasian +nymph, Asterodeia, bare before he made Eidyia his wedded wife, the +youngest daughter of Tethys and Oceanus. And the sons of the Colchians +called him by the new name of Phaethon, [1302] because he outshone +all the youths. The other buildings the handmaidens had, and the two +daughters of Aeetes, Chalciope and Medea. Medea then [they found] going +from chamber to chamber in search of her sister, for Hera detained her +within that day; but beforetime she was not wont to haunt the palace, +but all day long was busied in Hecate's temple, since she herself was +the priestess of the goddess. And when she saw them she cried aloud, +and quickly Chalciope caught the sound; and her maids, throwing down at +their feet their yarn and their thread, rushed forth all in a throng. +And she, beholding her sons among them, raised her hands aloft through +joy; and so they likewise greeted their mother, and when they saw her +embraced her in their gladness; and she with many sobs spoke thus: + +(ll. 260-267) "After all then, ye were not destined to leave me in +your heedlessness and to wander far; but fate has turned you back. Poor +wretch that I am! What a yearning for Hellas from some woeful madness +seized you at the behest of your father Phrixus. Bitter sorrows for +my heart did he ordain when dying. And why should ye go to the city of +Orchomenus, whoever this Orchomenus is, for the sake of Athamas' wealth, +leaving your mother alone to bear her grief?" + +(ll. 268-274) Such were her words; and Aeetes came forth last of all +and Eidyia herself came, the queen of Aeetes, on hearing the voice of +Chalciope; and straightway all the court was filled with a throng. Some +of the thralls were busied with a mighty bull, others with the axe were +cleaving dry billets, and others heating with fire water for the baths; +nor was there one who relaxed his toil, serving the king. + +(ll. 275-298) Meantime Eros passed unseen through the grey mist, causing +confusion, as when against grazing heifers rises the gadfly, which +oxherds call the breese. And quickly beneath the lintel in the porch +he strung his bow and took from the quiver an arrow unshot before, +messenger of pain. And with swift feet unmarked he passed the threshold +and keenly glanced around; and gliding close by Aeson's son he laid the +arrow-notch on the cord in the centre, and drawing wide apart with both +hands he shot at Medea; and speechless amazement seized her soul. But +the god himself flashed back again from the high-roofed hall, laughing +loud; and the bolt burnt deep down in the maiden's heart like a flame; +and ever she kept darting bright glances straight up at Aeson's son, and +within her breast her heart panted fast through anguish, all remembrance +left her, and her soul melted with the sweet pain. And as a poor woman +heaps dry twigs round a blazing brand--a daughter of toil, whose task is +the spinning of wool, that she may kindle a blaze at night beneath her +roof, when she has waked very early--and the flame waxing wondrous great +from the small brand consumes all the twigs together; so, coiling round +her heart, burnt secretly Love the destroyer; and the hue of her soft +cheeks went and came, now pale, now red, in her soul's distraction. + +(ll. 299-303) Now when the thralls had laid a banquet ready before +them, and they had refreshed themselves with warm baths, gladly did they +please their souls with meat and drink. And thereafter Aeetes questioned +the sons of his daughter, addressing them with these words: + +(ll. 304-316) "Sons of my daughter and of Phrixus, whom beyond all +strangers I honoured in my halls, how have ye come returning back to +Aea? Did some calamity cut short your escape in the midst? Ye did not +listen when I set before you the boundless length of the way. For I +marked it once, whirled along in the chariot of my father Helios, when +he was bringing my sister Circe to the western land and we came to the +shore of the Tyrrhenian mainland, where even now she abides, exceeding +far from Colchis. But what pleasure is there in words? Do ye tell +me plainly what has been your fortune, and who these men are, your +companions, and where from your hollow ship ye came ashore." + +(ll. 317-319) Such were his questions, and Argus, before all his +brethren, being fearful for the mission of Aeson's son, gently replied, +for he was the elder-born: + +(ll. 320-366) "Aeetes, that ship forthwith stormy blasts tore asunder, +and ourselves, crouching on the beams, a wave drove on to the beach of +the isle of Enyalius [1303] in the murky night; and some god preserved +us. For even the birds of Ares that haunted the desert isle beforetime, +not even them did we find. But these men had driven them off, having +landed from their ship on the day before; and the will of Zeus taking +pity on us, or some fate, detained them there, since they straightway +gave us both food and clothing in abundance, when they heard the +illustrious name of Phrixus and thine own; for to thy city are they +faring. And if thou dost wish to know their errand, I will not hide it +from time. A certain king, vehemently longing to drive this man far from +his fatherland and possessions, because in might he outshone all the +sons of Aeolus, sends him to voyage hither on a bootless venture; and +asserts that the stock of Aeolus will not escape the heart-grieving +wrath and rage of implacable Zeus, nor the unbearable curse and +vengeance due for Phrixus, until the fleece comes back to Hellas. And +their ship was fashioned by Pallas Athena, not such a one as are the +ships among the Colchians, on the vilest of which we chanced. For the +fierce waves and wind broke her utterly to pieces; but the other holds +firm with her bolts, even though all the blasts should buffet her. And +with equal swiftness she speedeth before the wind and when the crew ply +the oar with unresting hands. And he hath gathered in her the mightiest +heroes of all Achaea, and hath come to thy city from wandering far +through cities and gulfs of the dread ocean, in the hope that thou wilt +grant him the fleece. But as thou dost please, so shall it be, for he +cometh not to use force, but is eager to pay thee a recompense for the +gift. He has heard from me of thy bitter foes the Sauromatae, and he +will subdue them to thy sway. And if thou desirest to know their names +and lineage I will tell thee all. This man on whose account the rest +were gathered from Hellas, they call Jason, son of Aeson, whom Cretheus +begat. And if in truth he is of the stock of Cretheus himself, thus he +would be our kinsman on the father's side. For Cretheus and Athamas were +both sons of Aeolus; and Phrixus was the son of Athamas, son of Aeolus. +And here, if thou hast heard at all of the seed of Helios, thou dost +behold Augeias; and this is Telamon sprung from famous Aeacus; and Zeus +himself begat Aeacus. And so all the rest, all the comrades that follow +him, are the sons or grandsons of the immortals." + +(ll. 367-371) Such was the tale of Argus; but the king at his words was +filled with rage as he heard; and his heart was lifted high in wrath. +And he spake in heavy displeasure; and was angered most of all with the +son of Chalciope; for he deemed that on their account the strangers had +come; and in his fury his eyes flashed forth beneath his brows: + +(ll. 372-381) "Begone from my sight, felons, straightway, ye and your +tricks, from the land, ere someone see a fleece and a Phrixus to his +sorrow. Banded together with your friends from Hellas, not for the +fleece, but to seize my sceptre and royal power have ye come hither. +Had ye not first tasted of my table, surely would I have cut out your +tongues and hewn off both hands and sent you forth with your feet alone, +so that ye might be stayed from starting hereafter. And what lies have +ye uttered against the blessed gods!" + +(ll. 382-385) Thus he spake in his wrath; and mightily from its depths +swelled the heart of Aeacus' son, and his soul within longed to speak +a deadly word in defiance, but Aeson's son checked him, for he himself +first made gentle answer: + +(ll. 386-395) "Aeetes, bear with this armed band, I pray. For not in the +way thou deemest have we come to thy city and palace, no, nor yet with +such desires. For who would of his own will dare to cross so wide a +sea for the goods of a stranger? But fate and the ruthless command of a +presumptuous king urged me. Grant a favour to thy suppliants, and to all +Hellas will I publish a glorious fame of thee; yea, we are ready now to +pay thee a swift recompense in war, whether it be the Sauromatae or some +other people that thou art eager to subdue to thy sway." + +(ll. 396-400) He spake, flattering him with gentle utterance; but the +king's soul brooded a twofold purpose within him, whether he should +attack and slay them on the spot or should make trial of their might. +And this, as he pondered, seemed the better way, and he addressed Jason +in answer: + +(ll. 401-421) "Stranger, why needest thou go through thy tale to the +end? For if ye are in truth of heavenly race, or have come in no wise +inferior to me, to win the goods of strangers, I will give thee the +fleece to bear away, if thou dost wish, when I have tried thee. For +against brave men I bear no grudge, such as ye yourselves tell me of him +who bears sway in Hellas. And the trial of your courage and might shall +be a contest which I myself can compass with my hands, deadly though it +be. Two bulls with feet of bronze I have that pasture on the plain of +Ares, breathing forth flame from their jaws; them do I yoke and drive +over the stubborn field of Ares, four plough-gates; and quickly cleaving +it with the share up to the headland, I cast into the furrows the seed, +not the corn of Demeter, but the teeth of a dread serpent that grow up +into the fashion of armed men; them I slay at once, cutting them down +beneath my spear as they rise against me on all sides. In the morning do +I yoke the oxen, and at eventide I cease from the harvesting. And thou, +if thou wilt accomplish such deeds as these, on that very day shalt +carry off the fleece to the king's palace; ere that time comes I will +not give it, expect it not. For indeed it is unseemly that a brave man +should yield to a coward." + +(ll. 422-426) Thus he spake; and Jason, fixing his eyes on the ground, +sat just as he was, speechless, helpless in his evil plight. For a long +time he turned the matter this way and that, and could in no way take on +him the task with courage, for a mighty task it seemed; and at last he +made reply with crafty words: + +(ll. 427-431) "With thy plea of right, Aeetes, thou dost shut me in +overmuch. Wherefore also I will dare that contest, monstrous as it is, +though it be my doom to die. For nothing will fall upon men more dread +than dire necessity, which indeed constrained me to come hither at a +king's command." + +(ll. 432-438) Thus he spake, smitten by his helpless plight; and the +king with grim words addressed him, sore troubled as he was: "Go forth +now to the gathering, since thou art eager for the toil; but if thou +shouldst fear to lift the yoke upon the oxen or shrink from the deadly +harvesting, then all this shall be my care, so that another too may +shudder to come to a man that is better than he." + +(ll. 439-463) He spake outright; and Jason rose from his seat, and +Augeias and Telamon at once; and Argus followed alone, for he signed to +his brothers to stay there on the spot meantime; and so they went forth +from the hall. And wonderfully among them all shone the son of Aeson +for beauty and grace; and the maiden looked at him with stealthy glance, +holding her bright veil aside, her heart smouldering with pain; and +her soul creeping like a dream flitted in his track as he went. So they +passed forth from the palace sorely troubled. And Chalciope, shielding +herself from the wrath of Aeetes, had gone quickly to her chamber with +her sons. And Medea likewise followed, and much she brooded in her soul +all the cares that the Loves awaken. And before her eyes the vision +still appeared--himself what like he was, with what vesture he was clad, +what things he spake, how he sat on his seat, how he moved forth to the +door--and as she pondered she deemed there never was such another man; +and ever in her ears rung his voice and the honey-sweet words which he +uttered. And she feared for him, lest the oxen or Aeetes with his +own hand should slay him; and she mourned him as though already slain +outright, and in her affliction a round tear through very grievous +pity coursed down her cheek; and gently weeping she lifted up her voice +aloud: + +(ll. 464-470) "Why does this grief come upon me, poor wretch? Whether he +be the best of heroes now about to perish, or the worst, let him go to +his doom. Yet I would that he had escaped unharmed; yea, may this be so, +revered goddess, daughter of Perses, may he avoid death and return home; +but if it be his lot to be o'ermastered by the oxen, may he first learn +this, that I at least do not rejoice in his cruel calamity." + +(ll. 471-474) Thus then was the maiden's heart racked by love-cares. But +when the others had gone forth from the people and the city, along the +path by which at the first they had come from the plain, then Argus +addressed Jason with these words: + +(ll. 475-483) "Son of Aeson, thou wilt despise the counsel which I will +tell thee, but, though in evil plight, it is not fitting to forbear from +the trial. Ere now thou hast heard me tell of a maiden that uses sorcery +under the guidance of Hecate, Perses' daughter. If we could win her +aid there will be no dread, methinks, of thy defeat in the contest; +but terribly do I fear that my mother will not take this task upon +her. Nevertheless I will go back again to entreat her, for a common +destruction overhangs us all." + +(ll. 383-491) He spake with goodwill, and Jason answered with these +words: "Good friend, if this is good in thy sight, I say not nay. Go and +move thy mother, beseeching her aid with prudent words; pitiful indeed +is our hope when we have put our return in the keeping of women." So +he spake, and quickly they reached the back-water. And their comrades +joyfully questioned them, when they saw them close at hand; and to them +spoke Aeson's son grieved at heart: + +(ll. 492-501) "My friends, the heart of ruthless Aeetes is utterly +filled with wrath against us, for not at all can the goal be reached +either by me or by you who question me. He said that two bulls with feet +of bronze pasture on the plain of Ares, breathing forth flame from their +jaws. And with these he bade me plough the field, four plough-gates; and +said that he would give me from a serpent's jaws seed which will raise +up earthborn men in armour of bronze; and on the same day I must slay +them. This task--for there was nothing better to devise--I took on +myself outright." + +(ll. 502-514) Thus he spake; and to all the contest seemed one that +none could accomplish, and long, quiet and silent, they looked at one +another, bowed down with the calamity and their despair; but at last +Peleus spake with courageous words among all the chiefs: "It is time +to be counselling what we shall do. Yet there is not so much profit, I +trow, in counsel as in the might of our hands. If thou then, hero son +of Aeson, art minded to yoke Aeetes' oxen, and art eager for the toil, +surely thou wilt keep thy promise and make thyself ready. But if thy +soul trusts not her prowess utterly, then neither bestir thyself nor sit +still and look round for some one else of these men. For it is not I who +will flinch, since the bitterest pain will be but death." + +(ll. 515-522) So spake the son of Aeacus; and Telamon's soul was +stirred, and quickly he started up in eagerness; and Idas rose up +the third in his pride; and the twin sons of Tyndareus; and with them +Oeneus' son who was numbered among strong men, though even the soft down +on his cheek showed not yet; with such courage was his soul uplifted. +But the others gave way to these in silence. And straightway Argus spake +these words to those that longed for the contest: + +(ll. 523-539) "My friends, this indeed is left us at the last. But +I deem that there will come to you some timely aid from my mother. +Wherefore, eager though ye be, refrain and abide in your ship a little +longer as before, for it is better to forbear than recklessly to choose +an evil fate. There is a maiden, nurtured in the halls of Aeetes, whom +the goddess Hecate taught to handle magic herbs with exceeding skill +all that the land and flowing waters produce. With them is quenched the +blast of unwearied flame, and at once she stays the course of rivers as +they rush roaring on, and checks the stars and the paths of the sacred +moon. Of her we bethought us as we came hither along the path from the +palace, if haply my mother, her own sister, might persuade her to aid us +in the venture. And if this is pleasing to you as well, surely on +this very day will I return to the palace of Aeetes to make trial; and +perchance with some god's help shall I make the trial." + +(ll. 540-544) Thus he spake, and the gods in their goodwill gave them +a sign. A trembling dove in her flight from a mighty hawk fell from on +high, terrified, into the lap of Aeson's son, and the hawk fell impaled +on the stern-ornament. And quickly Mopsus with prophetic words spake +among them all: + +(ll. 545-554) "For you, friends, this sign has been wrought by the +will of heaven; in no other way is it possible to interpret its meaning +better, than to seek out the maiden and entreat her with manifold skill. +And I think she will not reject our prayer, if in truth Phineus said +that our return should be with the help of the Cyprian goddess. It was +her gentle bird that escaped death; and as my heart within me foresees +according to this omen, so may it prove! But, my friends, let us call on +Cytherea to aid us, and now at once obey the counsels of Argus." + +(ll. 555-563) He spake, and the warriors approved, remembering the +injunctions of Phineus; but all alone leapt up Apharcian Idas and +shouted loudly in terrible wrath: "Shame on us, have we come here fellow +voyagers with women, calling on Cypris for help and not on the mighty +strength of Enyalius? And do ye look to doves and hawks to save +yourselves from contests? Away with you, take thought not for deeds of +war, but by supplication to beguile weakling girls." + +(ll. 564-571) Such were his eager words; and of his comrades many +murmured low, but none uttered a word of answer back. And he sat down in +wrath; and at once Jason roused them and uttered his own thought: "Let +Argus set forth from the ship, since this pleases all; but we will now +move from the river and openly fasten our hawsers to the shore. For +surely it is not fitting for us to hide any longer cowering from the +battle-cry." + +(ll. 572-575) So he spake, and straightway sent Argus to return in +haste to the city; and they drew the anchors on board at the command of +Aeson's son, and rowed the ship close to the shore, a little away from +the back-water. + +(ll. 576-608) But straightway Aeetes held an assembly of the Colchians +far aloof from his palace at a spot where they sat in times before, to +devise against the Minyae grim treachery and troubles. And he threatened +that when first the oxen should have torn in pieces the man who had +taken upon him to perform the heavy task, he would hew down the oak +grove above the wooded hill, and burn the ship and her crew, that so +they might vent forth in ruin their grievous insolence, for all their +haughty schemes. For never would he have welcomed the Aeolid Phrixus as +a guest in his halls, in spite of his sore need, Phrixus, who surpassed +all strangers in gentleness and fear of the gods, had not Zeus himself +sent Hermes his messenger down from heaven, so that he might meet with +a friendly host; much less would pirates coming to his land be let go +scatheless for long, men whose care it was to lift their hands and seize +the goods of others, and to weave secret webs of guile, and harry the +steadings of herdsmen with ill-sounding forays. And he said that besides +all that the sons of Phrixus should pay a fitting penalty to himself for +returning in consort with evildoers, that they might recklessly drive +him from his honour and his throne; for once he had heard a baleful +prophecy from his father Helios, that he must avoid the secret treachery +and schemes of his own offspring and their crafty mischief. Wherefore he +was sending them, as they desired, to the Achaean land at the bidding +of their father--a long journey. Nor had he ever so slight a fear of +his daughters, that they would form some hateful scheme, nor of his +son Apsyrtus; but this curse was being fulfilled in the children of +Chalciope. And he proclaimed terrible things in his rage against the +strangers, and loudly threatened to keep watch over the ship and its +crew, so that no one might escape calamity. + +(ll. 609-615) Meantime Argus, going to Aeetes' palace, with manifold +pleading besought his mother to pray Medea's aid; and Chalciope herself +already had the same thoughts, but fear checked her soul lest haply +either fate should withstand and she should entreat her in vain, all +distraught as she would be at her father's deadly wrath, or, if Medea +yielded to her prayers, her deeds should be laid bare and open to view. + +(ll. 616-635) Now a deep slumber had relieved the maiden from her +love-pains as she lay upon her couch. But straightway fearful dreams, +deceitful, such as trouble one in grief, assailed her. And she thought +that the stranger had taken on him the contest, not because he longed +to win the ram's fleece, and that he had not come on that account to +Aeetes' city, but to lead her away, his wedded wife, to his own home; +and she dreamed that herself contended with the oxen and wrought the +task with exceeding ease; and that her own parents set at naught their +promise, for it was not the maiden they had challenged to yoke the oxen +but the stranger himself; from that arose a contention of doubtful issue +between her father and the strangers; and both laid the decision +upon her, to be as she should direct in her mind. But she suddenly, +neglecting her parents, chose the stranger. And measureless anguish +seized them and they shouted out in their wrath; and with the cry sleep +released its hold upon her. Quivering with fear she started up, and +stared round the walls of her chamber, and with difficulty did she +gather her spirit within her as before, and lifted her voice aloud: + +(ll. 636-644) "Poor wretch, how have gloomy dreams affrighted me! I fear +that this voyage of the heroes will bring some great evil. My heart is +trembling for the stranger. Let him woo some Achaean girl far away among +his own folk; let maidenhood be mine and the home of my parents. Yet, +taking to myself a reckless heart, I will no more keep aloof but will +make trial of my sister to see if she will entreat me to aid in the +contest, through grief for her own sons; this would quench the bitter +pain in my heart." + +(ll. 645-673) She spake, and rising from her bed opened the door of her +chamber, bare-footed, clad in one robe; and verily she desired to go to +her sister, and crossed the threshold. And for long she stayed there +at the entrance of her chamber, held back by shame; and she turned back +once more; and again she came forth from within, and again stole back; +and idly did her feet bear her this way and that; yea, as oft as she +went straight on, shame held her within the chamber, and though held +back by shame, bold desire kept urging her on. Thrice she made the +attempt and thrice she checked herself, the fourth time she fell on her +bed face downward, writhing in pain. And as when a bride in her chamber +bewails her youthful husband, to whom her brothers and parents have +given her, nor yet does she hold converse with all her attendants for +shame and for thinking of him; but she sits apart in her grief; and some +doom has destroyed him, before they have had pleasure of each other's +charms; and she with heart on fire silently weeps, beholding her widowed +couch, in fear lest the women should mock and revile her; like to her +did Medea lament. And suddenly as she was in the midst of her tears, one +of the handmaids came forth and noticed her, one who was her youthful +attendant; and straightway she told Chalciope, who sat in the midst of +her sons devising how to win over her sister. And when Chalciope heard +the strange tale from the handmaid, not even so did she disregard it. +And she rushed in dismay from her chamber right on to the chamber where +the maiden lay in her anguish, having torn her cheeks on each side; and +when Chalciope saw her eyes all dimmed with tears, she thus addressed +her: + +(ll. 674-680) "Ah me, Medea, why dost thou weep so? What hath befallen +thee? What terrible grief has entered thy heart? Has some heaven-sent +disease enwrapt thy frame, or hast thou heard from our father some +deadly threat concerning me and my sons? Would that I did not behold +this home of my parents, or the city, but dwelt at the ends of the +earth, where not even the name of Colchians is known!" + +(ll. 681-687) Thus she spake, and her sister's cheeks flushed; and +though she was eager to reply, long did maiden shame restrain her. +At one moment the word rose on the end of her tongue, at another it +fluttered back deep within her breast. And often through her lovely lips +it strove for utterance; but no sound came forth; till at last she spoke +with guileful words; for the bold Loves were pressing her hard: + +(ll. 688-692) "Chalciope, my heart is all trembling for thy sons, lest +my father forthwith destroy them together with the strangers. Slumbering +just now in a short-lived sleep such a ghastly dream did I see--may some +god forbid its fulfilment and never mayst thou win for thyself bitter +care on thy sons' account." + +(ll. 693-704) She spake, making trial of her sister to see if she first +would entreat help for her sons. And utterly unbearable grief surged +over Chalciope's soul for fear at what she heard; and then she replied: +"Yea, I myself too have come to thee in eager furtherance of this +purpose, if thou wouldst haply devise with me and prepare some help. But +swear by Earth and Heaven that thou wilt keep secret in thy heart what +I shall tell thee, and be fellow-worker with me. I implore thee by the +blessed gods, by thyself and by thy parents, not to see them destroyed +by an evil doom piteously; or else may I die with my dear sons and come +back hereafter from Hades an avenging Fury to haunt thee." + +(ll. 705-710) Thus she spake, and straightway a torrent of tears gushed +forth and low down she clasped her sister's knees with both hands +and let her head sink on to her breast. Then they both made piteous +lamentation over each other, and through the halls rose the faint sound +of women weeping in anguish. Medea, sore troubled, first addressed her +sister: + +(ll. 711-717) "God help thee, what healing can I bring thee for what +thou speakest of, horrible curses and Furies? Would that it were +firmly in my power to save thy sons! Be witness that mighty oath of the +Colchians by which thou urgest me to swear, the great Heaven, and Earth +beneath, mother of the gods, that as far as strength lies in me, never +shalt thou fail of help, if only thy prayers can be accomplished." + +(ll. 718-723) She spake, and Chalciope thus replied: "Couldst thou not +then, for the stranger--who himself craves thy aid--devise some trick or +some wise thought to win the contest, for the sake of my sons? And from +him has come Argus urging me to try to win thy help; I left him in the +palace meantime while I came hither." + +(ll. 724-739) Thus she spake, and Medea's heart bounded with joy within +her, and at once her fair cheeks flushed, and a mist swam before her +melting eyes, and she spake as follows: "Chalciope, as is dear and +delightful to thee and thy sons, even so will I do. Never may the dawn +appear again to my eyes, never mayst thou see me living any longer, if I +should take thought for anything before thy life or thy sons' lives, for +they are my brothers, my dear kinsmen and youthful companions. So do I +declare myself to be thy sister, and thy daughter too, for thou didst +lift me to thy breast when an infant equally with them, as I ever heard +from my mother in past days. But go, bury my kindness in silence, so +that I may carry out my promise unknown to my parents; and at dawn I +will bring to Hecate's temple charms to cast a spell upon the bulls." + +(ll. 740-743) Thus Chalciope went back from the chamber, and made +known to her sons the help given by her sister. And again did shame and +hateful fear seize Medea thus left alone, that she should devise such +deeds for a man in her father's despite. + +(ll. 744-771) Then did night draw darkness over the earth; and on the +sea sailors from their ships looked towards the Bear and the stars of +Orion; and now the wayfarer and the warder longed for sleep, and the +pall of slumber wrapped round the mother whose children were dead; nor +was there any more the barking of dogs through the city, nor sound of +men's voices; but silence held the blackening gloom. But not indeed upon +Medea came sweet sleep. For in her love for Aeson's son many cares kept +her wakeful, and she dreaded the mighty strength of the bulls, beneath +whose fury he was like to perish by an unseemly fate in the field of +Ares. And fast did her heart throb within her breast, as a sunbeam +quivers upon the walls of a house when flung up from water, which is +just poured forth in a caldron or a pail may be; and hither and thither +on the swift eddy does it dart and dance along; even so the maiden's +heart quivered in her breast. And the tear of pity flowed from her eyes, +and ever within anguish tortured her, a smouldering fire through her +frame, and about her fine nerves and deep down beneath the nape of the +neck where the pain enters keenest, whenever the unwearied Loves direct +against the heart their shafts of agony. And she thought now that she +would give him the charms to cast a spell on the bulls, now that she +would not, and that she herself would perish; and again that she would +not perish and would not give the charms, but just as she was would +endure her fate in silence. Then sitting down she wavered in mind and +said: + +(ll. 772-801) "Poor wretch, must I toss hither and thither in woe? On +every side my heart is in despair; nor is there any help for my pain; +but it burneth ever thus. Would that I had been slain by the swift +shafts of Artemis before I had set eyes on him, before Chalciope's sons +reached the Achaean land. Some god or some Fury brought them hither for +our grief, a cause of many tears. Let him perish in the contest if it be +his lot to die in the field. For how could I prepare the charms without +my parents' knowledge? What story call I tell them? What trick, what +cunning device for aid can I find? If I see him alone, apart from his +comrades, shall I greet him? Ill-starred that I am! I cannot hope that I +should rest from my sorrows even though he perished; then will evil come +to me when he is bereft of life. Perish all shame, perish all glow; may +he, saved by my effort, go scatheless wherever his heart desires. But +as for me, on the day when he bides the contest in triumph, may I die +either straining my neck in the noose from the roof-tree or tasting +drugs destructive of life. But even so, when I am dead, they will fling +out taunts against me; and every city far away will ring with my +doom, and the Colchian women, tossing my name on their lips hither and +thither, will revile me with unseemly mocking--the maid who cared so +much for a stranger that she died, the maid who disgraced her home and +her parents, yielding to a mad passion. And what disgrace will not be +mine? Alas for my infatuation! Far better would it be for me to forsake +life this very night in my chamber by some mysterious fate, escaping all +slanderous reproach, before I complete such nameless dishonour." + +(ll. 802-824) She spake, and brought a casket wherein lay many drugs, +some for healing, others for killing, and placing it upon her knees she +wept. And she drenched her bosom with ceaseless tears, which flowed in +torrents as she sat, bitterly bewailing her own fate. And she longed to +choose a murderous drug to taste it, and now she was loosening the +bands of the casket eager to take it forth, unhappy maid! But suddenly a +deadly fear of hateful Hades came upon her heart. And long she held +back in speechless horror, and all around her thronged visions of the +pleasing cares of life. She thought of all the delightful things that +are among the living, she thought of her joyous playmates, as a maiden +will; and the sun grew sweeter than ever to behold, seeing that in truth +her soul yearned for all. And she put the casket again from off her +knees, all changed by the prompting of Hera, and no more did she waver +in purpose; but longed for the rising dawn to appear quickly, that she +might give him the charms to work the spell as she had promised, and +meet him face to face. And often did she loosen the bolts of her door, +to watch for the faint gleam: and welcome to her did the dayspring shed +its light, and folk began to stir throughout the city. + +(ll. 825-827) Then Argus bade his brothers remain there to learn the +maiden's mind and plans, but himself turned back and went to the ship. + +(ll. 828-890) Now soon as ever the maiden saw the light of dawn, with +her hands she gathered up her golden tresses which were floating round +her shoulders in careless disarray, and bathed her tear-stained cheeks, +and made her skin shine with ointment sweet as nectar; and she donned +a beautiful robe, fitted with well-bent clasps, and above on her head, +divinely fair, she threw a veil gleaming like silver. And there, +moving to and fro in the palace, she trod the ground forgetful of the +heaven-sent woes thronging round her and of others that were destined +to follow. And she called to her maids. Twelve they were, who lay during +the night in the vestibule of her fragrant chamber, young as herself, +not yet sharing the bridal couch, and she bade them hastily yoke the +mules to the chariot to bear her to the beauteous shrine of Hecate. +Thereupon the handmaids were making ready the chariot; and Medea +meanwhile took from the hollow casket a charm which men say is called +the charm of Prometheus. If a man should anoint his body therewithal, +having first appeased the Maiden, the only-begotten, with sacrifice by +night, surely that man could not be wounded by the stroke of bronze +nor would he flinch from blazing fire; but for that day he would prove +superior both in prowess and in might. It shot up first-born when the +ravening eagle on the rugged flanks of Caucasus let drip to the earth +the blood-like ichor of tortured Prometheus. And its flower appeared a +cubit above ground in colour like the Corycian crocus, rising on twin +stalks; but in the earth the root was like newly-cut flesh. The dark +juice of it, like the sap of a mountain-oak, she had gathered in a +Caspian shell to make the charm withal, when she had first bathed in +seven ever-flowing streams, and had called seven times on Brimo, nurse +of youth, night-wandering Brimo, of the underworld, queen among the +dead,--in the gloom of night, clad in dusky garments. And beneath, the +dark earth shook and bellowed when the Titanian root was cut; and the +son of Iapetus himself groaned, his soul distraught with pain. And +she brought the charm forth and placed it in the fragrant band which +engirdled her, just beneath her bosom, divinely fair. And going forth +she mounted the swift chariot, and with her went two handmaidens on +each side. And she herself took the reins and in her right hand the +well-fashioned whip, and drove through the city; and the rest, the +handmaids, laid their hands on the chariot behind and ran along the +broad highway; and they kilted up their light robes above their white +knees. And even as by the mild waters of Parthenius, or after bathing +in the river Amnisus, Leto's daughter stands upon her golden chariot and +courses over the hills with her swift-footed roes, to greet from +afar some richly-steaming hecatomb; and with her come the nymphs in +attendance, gathering, some at the spring of Amnisus itself, others by +the glens and many-fountained peaks; and round her whine and fawn the +beasts cowering as she moves along: thus they sped through the city; +and on both sides the people gave way, shunning the eyes of the royal +maiden. But when she had left the city's well paved streets, and was +approaching the shrine as she drove over the plains, then she alighted +eagerly from the smooth-running chariot and spake as follows among her +maidens: + +(ll. 891-911) "Friends, verily have I sinned greatly and took no heed +not to go among the stranger-folk 1 who roam over our land. The whole +city is smitten with dismay; wherefore no one of the women who formerly +gathered here day by day has now come hither. But since we have come +and no one else draws near, come, let us satisfy our souls without stint +with soothing song, and when we have plucked the fair flowers amid the +tender grass, that very hour will we return. And with many a gift shall +ye reach home this very day, if ye will gladden me with this desire of +mine. For Argus pleads with me, also Chalciope herself; but this that +ye hear from me keep silently in your hearts, lest the tale reach my +father's ears. As for yon stranger who took on him the task with the +oxen, they bid me receive his gifts and rescue him from the deadly +contest. And I approved their counsel, and I have summoned him to come +to my presence apart from his comrades, so that we may divide the gifts +among ourselves if he bring them in his hands, and in return may give +him a baleful charm. But when he comes, do ye stand aloof." + +(ll. 912-918) So she spake, and the crafty counsel pleased them all. And +straightway Argus drew Aeson's son apart from his comrades as soon as +he heard from his brothers that Medea had gone at daybreak to the holy +shrine of Hecate, and led him over the plain; and with them went Mopsus, +son of Ampycus, skilled to utter oracles from the appearance of birds, +and skilled to give good counsel to those who set out on a journey. + +(ll. 919-926) Never yet had there been such a man in the days of old, +neither of all the heroes of the lineage of Zeus himself, nor of those +who sprung from the blood of the other gods, as on that day the bride of +Zeus made Jason, both to look upon and to hold converse with. Even his +comrades wondered as they gazed upon him, radiant with manifold graces; +and the son of Ampycus rejoiced in their journey, already foreboding how +all would end. + +(ll. 927-931) Now by the path along the plain there stands near the +shrine a poplar with its crown of countless leaves, whereon often +chattering crows would roost. One of them meantime as she clapped her +wings aloft in the branches uttered the counsels of Hera: + +(ll. 932-937) "What a pitiful seer is this, that has not the wit to +conceive even what children know, how that no maiden will say a word +of sweetness or love to a youth when strangers be near. Begone, sorry +prophet, witless one; on thee neither Cypris nor the gentle Loves +breathe in their kindness." + +(ll. 938-946) She spake chiding, and Mopsus smiled to hear the god-sent +voice of the bird, and thus addressed them: "Do thou, son of Aeson, pass +on to the temple, where thou wilt find the maiden; and very kind will +her greeting be to thee through the prompting of Cypris, who will be thy +helpmate in the contest, even as Phineus, Agenor's son, foretold. But +we two, Argus and I, will await thy return, apart in this very spot; do +thou all alone be a suppliant and win her over with prudent words." + +(ll. 947-974) He spake wisely, and both at once gave approval. Nor was +Medea's heart turned to other thoughts, for all her singing, and never +a song that she essayed pleased her long in her sport. But in confusion +she ever faltered, nor did she keep her eyes resting quietly upon the +throng of her handmaids; but to the paths far off she strained her gaze, +turning her face aside. Oft did her heart sink fainting within her bosom +whenever she fancied she heard passing by the sound of a footfall or +of the wind. But soon he appeared to her longing eyes, striding along +loftily, like Sirius coming from ocean, which rises fair and clear to +see, but brings unspeakable mischief to flocks; thus then did Aeson's +son come to her, fair to see, but the sight of him brought love-sick +care. Her heart fell from out her bosom, and a dark mist came over her +eyes, and a hot blush covered her cheeks. And she had no strength to +lift her knees backwards or forwards, but her feet beneath were rooted +to the ground; and meantime all her handmaidens had drawn aside. So they +two stood face to face without a word, without a sound, like oaks or +lofty pines, which stand quietly side by side on the mountains when the +wind is still; then again, when stirred by the breath of the wind, they +murmur ceaselessly; so they two were destined to tell out all their +tale, stirred by the breath of Love. And Aeson's son saw that she had +fallen into some heaven-sent calamity, and with soothing words thus +addressed her: + +(ll. 975-1007) "Why, pray, maiden, dost thou fear me so much, all +alone as I am? Never was I one of these idle boasters such as other +men are--not even aforetime, when I dwelt in my own country. Wherefore, +maiden, be not too much abashed before me, either to enquire whatever +thou wilt or to speak thy mind. But since we have met one another with +friendly hearts, in a hallowed spot, where it is wrong to sin, speak +openly and ask questions, and beguile me not with pleasing words, for at +the first thou didst promise thy sister to give me the charms my heart +desires. I implore thee by Hecate herself, by thy parents, and by Zeus +who holds his guardian hand over strangers and suppliants; I come here +to thee both a suppliant and a stranger, bending the knee in my sore +need. For without thee and thy sister never shall I prevail in the +grievous contest. And to thee will I render thanks hereafter for thy +aid, as is right and fitting for men who dwell far oft, making glorious +thy name and fame; and the rest of the heroes, returning to Hellas, will +spread thy renown and so will the heroes' wives and mothers, who now +perhaps are sitting on the shore and making moan for us; their painful +affliction thou mightest scatter to the winds. In days past the maiden +Ariadne, daughter of Minos, with kindly intent rescued Theseus from grim +contests--the maiden whom Pasiphae daughter of Helios bare. But she, +when Minos had lulled his wrath to rest, went aboard the ship with him +and left her fatherland; and her even the immortal gods loved, and, as a +sign in mid-sky, a crown of stars, which men call Ariadne's crown, rolls +along all night among the heavenly constellations. So to thee too +shall be thanks from the gods, if thou wilt save so mighty an array of +chieftains. For surely from thy lovely form thou art like to excel in +gentle courtest." + +(ll. 1008-1025) Thus he spake, honouring her; and she cast her eyes down +with a smile divinely sweet; and her soul melted within her, uplifted by +his praise, and she gazed upon him face to face; nor did she know what +word to utter first, but was eager to pour out everything at once. And +forth from her fragrant girdle ungrudgingly she brought out the charm; +and he at once received it in his hands with joy. And she would even +have drawn out all her soul from her breast and given it to him, +exulting in his desire; so wonderfully did love flash forth a sweet +flame from the golden head of Aeson's son; and he captivated her +gleaming eyes; and her heart within grew warm, melting away as the dew +melts away round roses when warmed by the morning's light. And now both +were fixing their eyes on the ground abashed, and again were throwing +glances at each other, smiling with the light of love beneath their +radiant brows. And at last and scarcely then did the maiden greet him: + +(ll. 1026-1062) "Take heed now, that I may devise help for thee. When at +thy coming my father has given thee the deadly teeth from the dragon's +jaws for sowing, then watch for the time when the night is parted in +twain, then bathe in the stream of the tireless river, and alone, apart +from others, clad in dusky raiment, dig a rounded pit; and therein slay +a ewe, and sacrifice it whole, heaping high the pyre on the very edge +of the pit. And propitiate only-begotten Hecate, daughter of Perses, +pouring from a goblet the hive-stored labour of bees. And then, when +thou hast heedfully sought the grace of the goddess, retreat from the +pyre; and let neither the sound of feet drive thee to turn back, nor +the baying of hounds, lest haply thou shouldst maim all the rites and +thyself fail to return duly to thy comrades. And at dawn steep this +charm in water, strip, and anoint thy body therewith as with oil; and +in it there will be boundless prowess and mighty strength, and thou wilt +deem thyself a match not for men but for the immortal gods. And +besides, let thy spear and shield and sword be sprinkled. Thereupon the +spear-heads of the earthborn men shall not pierce thee, nor the flame of +the deadly bulls as it rushes forth resistless. But such thou shalt be +not for long, but for that one day; still never flinch from the contest. +And I will tell thee besides of yet another help. As soon as thou hast +yoked the strong oxen, and with thy might and thy prowess hast ploughed +all the stubborn fallow, and now along the furrows the Giants are +springing up, when the serpent's teeth are sown on the dusky clods, if +thou markest them uprising in throngs from the fallow, cast unseen among +them a massy stone; and they over it, like ravening hounds over their +food, will slay one another; and do thou thyself hasten to rush to the +battle-strife, and the fleece thereupon thou shalt bear far away from +Aea; nevertheless, depart wherever thou wilt, or thy pleasure takes +thee, when thou hast gone hence." + +(ll. 1063-1068) Thus she spake, and cast her eyes to her feet in +silence, and her cheek, divinely fair, was wet with warm tears as she +sorrowed for that he was about to wander far from her side over the wide +sea: and once again she addressed him face to face with mournful words, +and took his right hand; for now shame had left her eyes: + +(ll. 1069-1076) "Remember, if haply thou returnest to thy home, Medea's +name; and so will I remember thine, though thou be far away. And of thy +kindness tell me this, where is thy home, whither wilt thou sail hence +in thy ship over the sea; wilt thou come near wealthy Orchomenus, or +near the Aeaean isle? And tell me of the maiden, whosoever she be that +thou hast named, the far-renowned daughter of Pasiphae, who is kinswoman +to my father." + +(ll. 1077-1078) Thus she spake; and over him too, at the tears of the +maiden, stole Love the destroyer, and he thus answered her: + +(ll. 1079-1101) "All too surely do I deem that never by night and never +by day will I forget thee if I escape death and indeed make my way in +safety to the Achaean land, and Aeetes set not before us some other +contest worse than this. And if it pleases thee to know about my +fatherland, I will tell it out; for indeed my own heart bids me do +that. There is a land encircled by lofty mountains, rich in sheep and in +pasture, where Prometheus, son of Iapetus, begat goodly Deucalion, who +first founded cities and reared temples to the immortal gods, and first +ruled over men. This land the neighbours who dwell around call Haemonia. +And in it stands Ioleus, my city, and in it many others, where they have +not so much as heard the name of the Aeaean isle; yet there is a story +that Minyas starting thence, Minyas son of Aeolus, built long ago the +city of Orchomenus that borders on the Cadmeians. But why do I tell +thee all this vain talk, of our home and of Minos' daughter, far-famed +Ariadne, by which glorious name they called that lovely maiden of whom +thou askest me? Would that, as Minos then was well inclined to Theseus +for her sake, so may thy father be joined to us in friendship!" + +(ll. 1102-1104) Thus he spake, soothing her with gentle converse. But +pangs most bitter stirred her heart and in grief did she address him +with vehement words: + +(ll. 1105-1117) "In Hellas, I ween, this is fair to pay heed to +covenants; but Aeetes is not such a man among men as thou sayest was +Pasiphae's husband, Minos; nor can I liken myself to Ariadne; wherefore +speak not of guest-love. But only do thou, when thou hast reached +Iolcus, remember me, and thee even in my parents' despite, will +I remember. And from far off may a rumour come to me or some +messenger-bird, when thou forgettest me; or me, even me, may swift +blasts catch up and bear over the sea hence to Iolcus, that so I may +cast reproaches in thy face and remind thee that it was by my good will +thou didst escape. May I then be seated in thy halls, an unexpected +guest!" + +(ll. 1118-1130) Thus she spake with piteous tears falling down her +cheeks, and to her Jason replied: "Let the empty blasts wander at will, +lady, and the messenger-bird, for vain is thy talk. But if thou comest +to those abodes and to the land of Hellas, honoured and reverenced shalt +thou be by women and men; and they shall worship thee even as a goddess, +for that by thy counsel their sons came home again, their brothers +and kinsmen and stalwart husbands were saved from calamity. And in our +bridal chamber shalt thou prepare our couch; and nothing shall come +between our love till the doom of death fold us round." + +(ll. 1131-1136) Thus he spake; and her soul melted within her to hear +his words; nevertheless she shuddered to behold the deeds of destruction +to come. Poor wretch! Not long was she destined to refuse a home in +Hellas. For thus Hera devised it, that Aeaean Medea might come to Ioleus +for a bane to Pelias, forsaking her native land. + +(ll. 1137-1145) And now her handmaids, glancing at them from a distance, +were grieving in silence; and the time of day required that the maiden +should return home to her mother's side. But she thought not yet of +departing, for her soul delighted both in his beauty and in his winsome +words, but Aeson's son took heed, and spake at last, though late: "It +is time to depart, lest the sunlight sink before we know it, and some +stranger notice all; but again will we come and meet here." + +(ll. 1146-1162) So did they two make trial of one another thus far with +gentle words; and thereafter parted. Jason hastened to return in joyous +mood to his comrades and the ship, she to her handmaids; and they all +together came near to meet her, but she marked them not at all as they +thronged around. For her soul had soared aloft amid the clouds. And her +feet of their own accord mounted the swift chariot, and with one hand +she took the reins, and with the other the whip of cunning workmanship, +to drive the mules; and they rushed hasting to the city and the palace. +And when she was come Chalciope in grief for her sons questioned her; +but Medea, distraught by swiftly-changing thoughts, neither heard her +words nor was eager to speak in answer to her questions. But she sat +upon a low stool at the foot of her couch, bending down, her cheek +leaning on her left hand, and her eyes were wet with tears as she +pondered what an evil deed she had taken part in by her counsels. + +(ll. 1163-1190) Now when Aeson's son had joined his comrades again in +the spot where he had left them when he departed, he set out to go with +them, telling them all the story, to the gathering of the heroes; and +together they approached the ship. And when they saw Jason they embraced +him and questioned him. And he told to all the counsels of the maiden +and showed the dread charm; but Idas alone of his comrades sat apart +biting down his wrath; and the rest joyous in heart, at the hour +when the darkness of night stayed them, peacefully took thought for +themselves. But at daybreak they sent two men to go to Aeetes and +ask for the seed, first Telamon himself, dear to Ares, and with him +Aethalides, Hermes' famous son. So they went and made no vain journey; +but when they came, lordly Aeetes gave them for the contest the fell +teeth of the Aonian dragon which Cadmus found in Ogygian Thebes when +he came seeking for Europa and there slew the--warder of the spring of +Ares. There he settled by the guidance of the heifer whom Apollo by his +prophetic word granted him to lead him on his way. But the teeth the +Tritonian goddess tore away from the dragon's jaws and bestowed as a +gift upon Aeetes and the slayer. And Agenor's son, Cadmus, sowed them on +the Aonian plains and founded an earthborn people of all who were left +from the spear when Ares did the reaping; and the teeth Aeetes then +readily gave to be borne to the ship, for he deemed not that Jason would +bring the contest to an end, even though he should cast the yoke upon +the oxen. + +(ll. 1191-1224) Far away in the west the sun was sailing beneath the +dark earth, beyond the furthest hills of the Aethiopians; and Night was +laying the yoke upon her steeds; and the heroes were preparing their +beds by the hawsers. But Jason, as soon as the stars of Heliee, the +bright-gleaming bear, had set, and the air had all grown still under +heaven, went to a desert spot, like some stealthy thief, with all that +was needful; for beforehand in the daytime had he taken thought for +everything; and Argus came bringing a ewe and milk from the flock; and +them he took from the ship. But when the hero saw a place which was +far away from the tread of men, in a clear meadow beneath the open sky, +there first of all he bathed his tender body reverently in the sacred +river; and round him he placed a dark robe, which Hypsipyle of Lemnos +had given him aforetime, a memorial of many a loving embrace. Then he +dug a pit in the ground of a cubit's depth and heaped up billets of +wood, and over it he cut the throat of the sheep, and duly placed the +carcase above; and he kindled the logs placing fire beneath, and poured +over them mingled libations, calling on Hecate Brimo to aid him in the +contests. And when he had called on her he drew back; and she heard him, +the dread goddess, from the uttermost depths and came to the sacrifice +of Aeson's son; and round her horrible serpents twined themselves among +the oak boughs; and there was a gleam of countless torches; and sharply +howled around her the hounds of hell. All the meadows trembled at her +step; and the nymphs that haunt the marsh and the river shrieked, all +who dance round that mead of Amarantian Phasis. And fear seized Aeson's +son, but not even so did he turn round as his feet bore him forth, till +he came back to his comrades; and now early dawn arose and shed her +light above snowy Caucasus. + +(ll. 1225-1245) Then Aeetes arrayed his breast in the stiff corslet +which Ares gave him when he had slain Phlegraean Mimas with his own +hands; and upon his head he placed a golden helmet with four plumes, +gleaming like the sun's round light when he first rises from Ocean. +And he wielded his shield of many hides, and his spear, terrible, +resistless; none of the heroes could have withstood its shock now that +they had left behind Heracles far away, who alone could have met it in +battle. For the king his well-fashioned chariot of swift steeds was held +near at hand by Phaethon, for him to mount; and he mounted, and held the +reins in his hands. Then from the city he drove along the broad highway, +that he might be present at the contest; and with him a countless +multitude rushed forth. And as Poseidon rides, mounted in his chariot, +to the Isthmian contest or to Taenarus, or to Lerna's water, or through +the grove of Hyantian Onchestus, and thereafter passes even to Calaureia +with his steeds, and the Haemonian rock, or well-wooded Geraestus; even +so was Aeetes, lord of the Colchians, to behold. + +(ll. 1246-1277) Meanwhile, prompted by Medea, Jason steeped the charm in +water and sprinkled with it his shield and sturdy spear, and sword; and +his comrades round him made proof of his weapons with might and main, +but could not bend that spear even a little, but it remained firm in +their stalwart hands unbroken as before. But in furious rage with them +Idas, Aphareus' son, with his great sword hewed at the spear near the +butt, and the edge leapt back repelled by the shock, like a hammer +from the anvil; and the heroes shouted with joy for their hope in the +contest. And then he sprinkled his body, and terrible prowess entered +into him, unspeakable, dauntless; and his hands on both sides thrilled +vigorously as they swelled with strength. And as when a warlike steed +eager for the fight neighs and beats the ground with his hoof, while +rejoicing he lifts his neck on high with ears erect; in such wise did +Aeson's son rejoice in the strength of his limbs. And often hither +and thither did he leap high in air tossing in his hands his shield of +bronze and ashen spear. Thou wouldst say that wintry lightning flashing +from the gloomy sky kept on darting forth from the clouds what time they +bring with them their blackest rainstorm. Not long after that were the +heroes to hold back from the contests; but sitting in rows on their +benches they sped swiftly on to the plain of Ares. And it lay in +front of them on the opposite side of the city, as far off as is the +turning-post that a chariot must reach from the starting-point, when the +kinsmen of a dead king appoint funeral games for footmen and horsemen. +And they found Aeetes and the tribes of the Colchians; these were +stationed on the Caucasian heights, but the king by the winding brink of +the river. + +(ll. 1278-1325) Now Aeson's son, as soon as his comrades had made the +hawsers fast, leapt from the ship, and with spear and shield came forth +to the contest; and at the same time he took the gleaming helmet of +bronze filled with sharp teeth, and his sword girt round his shoulders, +his body stripped, in somewise resembling Ares and in somewise Apollo +of the golden sword. And gazing over the field he saw the bulls' yoke +of bronze and near it the plough, all of one piece, of stubborn adamant. +Then he came near, and fixed his sturdy spear upright on its butt, and +taking his helmet, off leant it against the spear. And he went forward +with shield alone to examine the countless tracks of the bulls, and +they from some unseen lair beneath the earth, where was their strong +steading, wrapt in murky smoke, both rushed out together, breathing +forth flaming fire. And sore afraid were the heroes at the sight. But +Jason, setting wide his feet, withstood their onset, as in the sea a +rocky reef withstands the waves tossed by the countless blasts. Then in +front of him he held his shield; and both the bulls with loud bellowing +attacked him with their mighty horns; nor did they stir him a jot by +their onset. And as when through the holes of the furnace the armourers' +bellows anon gleam brightly, kindling the ravening flame, and anon cease +from blowing, and a terrible roar rises from the fire when it darts up +from below; so the bulls roared, breathing forth swift flame from +their mouths, while the consuming heat played round him, smiting like +lightning; but the maiden's charms protected him. Then grasping the tip +of the horn of the right-hand bull, he dragged it mightily with all his +strength to bring it near the yoke of bronze, and forced it down on to +its knees, suddenly striking with his foot the foot of bronze. So also +he threw the other bull on to its knees as it rushed upon him, and smote +it down with one blow. And throwing to the ground his broad shield, he +held them both down where they had fallen on their fore-knees, as +he strode from side to side, now here, now there, and rushed swiftly +through the flame. But Aeetes marvelled at the hero's might. And +meantime the sons of Tyndareus for long since had it been thus ordained +for them--near at hand gave him the yoke from the ground to cast round +them. Then tightly did he bind their necks; and lifting the pole of +bronze between them, he fastened it to the yoke by its golden tip. So +the twin heroes started back from the fire to the ship. But Jason took +up again his shield and cast it on his back behind him, and grasped +the strong helmet filled with sharp teeth, and his resistless spear, +wherewith, like some ploughman with a Pelasgian goad, he pricked the +bulls beneath, striking their flanks; and very firmly did he guide the +well fitted plough handle, fashioned of adamant. + +(ll. 1326-1339) The bulls meantime raged exceedingly, breathing forth +furious flame of fire; and their breath rose up like the roar of +blustering winds, in fear of which above all seafaring men furl their +large sail. But not long after that they moved on at the bidding of the +spear; and behind them the rugged fallow was broken up, cloven by the +might of the bulls and the sturdy ploughman. Then terribly groaned the +clods withal along the furrows of the plough as they were rent, each a +man's burden; and Jason followed, pressing down the cornfield with firm +foot; and far from him he ever sowed the teeth along the clods as each +was ploughed, turning his head back for fear lest the deadly crop +of earthborn men should rise against him first; and the bulls toiled +onwards treading with their hoofs of bronze. + +(ll. 1340-1407) But when the third part of the day was still left as +it wanes from dawn, and wearied labourers call for the sweet hour of +unyoking to come to them straightway, then the fallow was ploughed by +the tireless ploughman, four plough-gates though it was; and he loosed +the plough from the oxen. Them he scared in flight towards the plain; +but he went back again to the ship, while he still saw the furrows free +of the earthborn men. And all round his comrades heartened him with +their shouts. And in the helmet he drew from the river's stream and +quenched his thirst with the water. Then he bent his knees till they +grew supple, and filled his mighty heart with courage, raging like a +boar, when it sharpens its teeth against the hunters, while from its +wrathful mouth plenteous foam drips to the ground. By now the earthborn +men were springing up over all the field; and the plot of Ares, the +death-dealer, bristled with sturdy shields and double-pointed spears and +shining helmets; and the gleam reached Olympus from beneath, flashing +through the air. And as when abundant snow has fallen on the earth and +the storm blasts have dispersed the wintry clouds under the murky night, +and all the hosts of the stars appear shining through the gloom; so did +those warriors shine springing up above the earth. But Jason bethought +him of the counsels of Medea full of craft, and seized from the plain +a huge round boulder, a terrible quoit of Ares Enyalius; four stalwart +youths could not have raised it from the ground even a little. Taking +it in his hands he threw it with a rush far away into their midst; and +himself crouched unseen behind his shield, with full confidence. And the +Colchians gave a loud cry, like the roar of the sea when it beats upon +sharp crags; and speechless amazement seized Aeetes at the rush of the +sturdy quoit. And the Earthborn, like fleet-footed hounds, leaped upon +one another and slew with loud yells; and on earth their mother they +fell beneath their own spears, likes pines or oaks, which storms of wind +beat down. And even as a fiery star leaps from heaven, trailing a furrow +of light, a portent to men, whoever see it darting with a gleam through +the dusky sky; in such wise did Aeson's son rush upon the earthborn men, +and he drew from the sheath his bare sword, and smote here and there, +mowing them down, many on the belly and side, half risen to the air--and +some that had risen as far as the shoulders--and some just standing +upright, and others even now rushing to battle. And as when a fight is +stirred up concerning boundaries, and a husbandman, in fear lest they +should ravage his fields, seizes in his hand a curved sickle, newly +sharpened, and hastily cuts the unripe crop, and waits not for it to be +parched in due season by the beams of the sun; so at that time did Jason +cut down the crop of the Earthborn; and the furrows were filled with +blood, as the channels of a spring with water. And they fell, some on +their faces biting the rough clod of earth with their teeth, some on +their backs, and others on their hands and sides, like to sea-monsters +to behold. And many, smitten before raising their feet from the earth, +bowed down as far to the ground as they had risen to the air, and rested +there with the damp of death on their brows. Even so, I ween, when Zeus +has sent a measureless rain, new planted orchard-shoots droop to the +ground, cut off by the root the toil of gardening men; but heaviness +of heart and deadly anguish come to the owner of the farm, who planted +them; so at that time did bitter grief come upon the heart of King +Aeetes. And he went back to the city among the Colchians, pondering how +he might most quickly oppose the heroes. And the day died, and Jason's +contest was ended. + + + + +BOOK IV + +(ll. 1-5) Now do thou thyself, goddess Muse, daughter of Zeus, tell of +the labour and wiles of the Colchian maiden. Surely my soul within me +wavers with speechless amazement as I ponder whether I should call it +the lovesick grief of mad passion or a panic flight, through which she +left the Colchian folk. + +(ll. 6-10) Aeetes all night long with the bravest captains of his people +was devising in his halls sheer treachery against the heroes, with +fierce wrath in his heart at the issue of the hateful contest; nor did +he deem at all that these things were being accomplished without the +knowledge of his daughters. + +(ll. 11-29) But into Medea's heart Hera cast most grievous fear; and +she trembled like a nimble fawn whom the baying of hounds hath terrified +amid the thicket of a deep copse. For at once she truly forboded that +the aid she had given was not hidden from her father, and that quickly +she would fill up the cup of woe. And she dreaded the guilty knowledge +of her handmaids; her eyes were filled with fire and her ears rung with +a terrible cry. Often did she clutch at her throat, and often did she +drag out her hair by the roots and groan in wretched despair. There on +that very day the maiden would have tasted the drugs and perished and so +have made void the purposes of Hera, had not the goddess driven her, all +bewildered, to flee with the sons of Phrixus; and her fluttering soul +within her was comforted; and then she poured from her bosom all the +drugs back again into the casket. Then she kissed her bed, and the +folding-doors on both sides, and stroked the walls, and tearing away +in her hands a long tress of hair, she left it in the chamber for her +mother, a memorial of her maidenhood, and thus lamented with passionate +voice: + +(ll. 30-33) "I go, leaving this long tress here in my stead, O mother +mine; take this farewell from me as I go far hence; farewell Chalciope, +and all my home. Would that the sea, stranger, had dashed thee to +pieces, ere thou camest to the Colchian land!" + +(ll. 34-56) Thus she spake, and from her eyes shed copious tears. And +as a bondmaid steals away from a wealthy house, whom fate has lately +severed from her native land, nor yet has she made trial of grievous +toil, but still unschooled to misery and shrinking in terror from +slavish tasks, goes about beneath the cruel hands of a mistress; even +so the lovely maiden rushed forth from her home. But to her the bolts of +the doors gave way self-moved, leaping backwards at the swift strains of +her magic song. And with bare feet she sped along the narrow paths, with +her left hand holding her robe over her brow to veil her face and fair +cheeks, and with her right lifting up the hem of her tunic. Quickly +along the dark track, outside the towers of the spacious city, did +she come in fear; nor did any of the warders note her, but she sped on +unseen by them. Thence she was minded to go to the temple; for well she +knew the way, having often aforetime wandered there in quest of corpses +and noxious roots of the earth, as a sorceress is wont to do; and her +soul fluttered with quivering fear. And the Titanian goddess, the moon, +rising from a far land, beheld her as she fled distraught, and fiercely +exulted over her, and thus spake to her own heart: + +(ll. 57-65) "Not I alone then stray to the Latinian cave, nor do I alone +burn with love for fair Endymion; oft times with thoughts of love have I +been driven away by thy crafty spells, in order that in the darkness +of night thou mightest work thy sorcery at ease, even the deeds dear to +thee. And now thou thyself too hast part in a like mad passion; and some +god of affection has given thee Jason to be thy grievous woe. Well, go +on, and steel thy heart, wise though thou be, to take up thy burden of +pain, fraught with many sighs." + +(ll. 66-82) Thus spake the goddess; but swiftly the maiden's feet bore +her, hasting on. And gladly did she gain the high-bank of the river and +beheld on the opposite side the gleam of fire, which all night long the +heroes were kindling in joy at the contest's issue. Then through the +gloom, with clear-pealing voice from across the stream, she called on +Phrontis, the youngest of Phrixus' sons, and he with his brothers and +Aeson's son recognised the maiden's voice; and in silence his comrades +wondered when they knew that it was so in truth. Thrice she called, and +thrice at the bidding of the company Phrontis called out in reply; and +meantime the heroes were rowing with swift-moving oars in search of her. +Not yet were they casting the ship's hawsers upon the opposite bank, +when Jason with light feet leapt to land from the deck above, and after +him Phrontis and Argus, sons of Phrixus, leapt to the ground; and she, +clasping their knees with both hands, thus addressed them: + +(ll. 83-91) "Save me, the hapless one, my friends, from Aeetes, and +yourselves too, for all is brought to light, nor doth any remedy come. +But let us flee upon the ship, before the king mounts his swift chariot. +And I will lull to sleep the guardian serpent and give you the fleece of +gold; but do thou, stranger, amid thy comrades make the gods witness +of the vows thou hast taken on thyself for my sake; and now that I have +fled far from my country, make me not a mark for blame and dishonour for +want of kinsmen." + +(ll. 92-98) She spake in anguish; but greatly did the heart of Aeson's +son rejoice, and at once, as she fell at his knees, he raised her gently +and embraced her, and spake words of comfort: "Lady, let Zeus of Olympus +himself be witness to my oath, and Hera, queen of marriage, bride of +Zeus, that I will set thee in my halls my own wedded wife, when we have +reached the land of Hellas on our return." + +(ll. 99-108) Thus he spake, and straightway clasped her right hand in +his; and she bade them row the swift ship to the sacred grove near at +hand, in order that, while it was still night, they might seize and +carry off the fleece against the will of Aeetes. Word and deed were one +to the eager crew. For they took her on board, and straightway thrust +the ship from shore; and loud was the din as the chieftains strained +at their oars, but she, starting back, held out her hands in despair +towards the shore. But Jason spoke cheering words and restrained her +grief. + +(ll. 109-122) Now at the hour when men have cast sleep from their +eyes~huntsmen, who, trusting to their bounds, never slumber away the +end of night, but avoid the light of dawn lest, smiting with its white +beams, it efface the track and scent of the quarry--then did Aeson's son +and the maiden step forth from the ship over a grassy spot, the "Ram's +couch" as men call it, where it first bent its wearied knees in rest, +bearing on its back the Minyan son of Athamas. And close by, all +smirched with soot, was the base of the altar, which the Aeolid Phrixus +once set up to Zeus, the alder of fugitives, when he sacrificed the +golden wonder at the bidding of Hermes who graciously met him on the +way. There by the counsels of Argus the chieftains put them ashore. + +(ll. 123-161) And they two by the pathway came to the sacred grove, +seeking the huge oak tree on which was hung the fleece, like to a cloud +that blushes red with the fiery beams of the rising sun. But right in +front the serpent with his keen sleepless eyes saw them coming, and +stretched out his long neck and hissed in awful wise; and all round the +long banks of the river echoed and the boundless grove. Those heard +it who dwelt in the Colchian land very far from Titanian Aea, near the +outfall of Lycus, the river which parts from loud-roaring Araxes and +blends his sacred stream with Phasis, and they twain flow on together in +one and pour their waters into the Caucasian Sea. And through fear young +mothers awoke, and round their new-born babes, who were sleeping in +their arms, threw their hands in agony, for the small limbs started at +that hiss. And as when above a pile of smouldering wood countless eddies +of smoke roll up mingled with soot, and one ever springs up quickly +after another, rising aloft from beneath in wavering wreaths; so at that +time did that monster roll his countless coils covered with hard dry +scales. And as he writhed, the maiden came before his eyes, with sweet +voice calling to her aid sleep, highest of gods, to charm the monster; +and she cried to the queen of the underworld, the night-wanderer, to be +propitious to her enterprise. And Aeson's son followed in fear, but the +serpent, already charmed by her song, was relaxing the long ridge of +his giant spine, and lengthening out his myriad coils, like a dark wave, +dumb and noiseless, rolling over a sluggish sea; but still he raised +aloft his grisly head, eager to enclose them both in his murderous +jaws. But she with a newly cut spray of juniper, dipping and drawing +untempered charms from her mystic brew, sprinkled his eyes, while she +chanted her song; and all around the potent scent of the charm cast +sleep; and on the very spot he let his jaw sink down; and far behind +through the wood with its many trees were those countless coils +stretched out. + +Hereupon Jason snatched the golden fleece from the oak, at the maiden +bidding; and she, standing firm, smeared with the charm the monster's +head, till Jason himself bade her turn back towards their ship, and she +left the grove of Ares, dusky with shade. And as a maiden catches on her +finely wrought robe the gleam of the moon at the full, as it rises above +her high-roofed chamber; and her heart rejoices as she beholds the fair +ray; so at that time did Jason uplift the mighty fleece in his hands; +and from the shimmering of the flocks of wool there settled on his fair +cheeks and brow a red flush like a flame. And great as is the hide of a +yearling ox or stag, which huntsmen call a brocket, so great in extent +was the fleece all golden above. Heavy it was, thickly clustered with +flocks; and as he moved along, even beneath his feet the sheen rose up +from the earth. And he strode on now with the fleece covering his left +shoulder from the height of his neck to his feet, and now again he +gathered it up in his hands; for he feared exceedingly, lest some god or +man should meet him and deprive him thereof. + +(ll. 183-189) Dawn was spreading over the earth when they reached the +throng of heroes; and the youths marvelled to behold the mighty fleece, +which gleamed like the lightning of Zeus. And each one started up eager +to touch it and clasp it in his hands. But the son of Aeson restrained +them all, and threw over it a mantle newly-woven; and he led the maiden +to the stern and seated her there, and spake to them all as follows: + +(ll. 190-205) "No longer now, my friends, forbear to return to your +fatherland. For now the task for which we dared this grievous voyage, +toiling with bitter sorrow of heart, has been lightly fulfilled by the +maiden's counsels. Her--for such is her will--I will bring home to be my +wedded wife; do ye preserve her, the glorious saviour of all Achaea and +of yourselves. For of a surety, I ween, will Aeetes come with his host +to bar our passage from the river into the sea. But do some of you toil +at the oars in turn, sitting man by man; and half of you raise your +shields of oxhide, a ready defence against the darts of the enemy, and +guard our return. And now in our hands we hold the fate of our children +and dear country and of our aged parents; and on our venture all Hellas +depends, to reap either the shame of failure or great renown." + +(ll. 206-211) Thus he spake, and donned his armour of war; and they +cried aloud, wondrously eager. And he drew his sword from the sheath +and cut the hawsers at the stern. And near the maiden he took his stand +ready armed by the steersman Aneaeus, and with their rowing the ship +sped on as they strained desperately to drive her clear of the river. + +(ll. 212-235) By this time Medea's love and deeds had become known +to haughty Aeetes and to all the Colchians. And they thronged to the +assembly in arms; and countless as the waves of the stormy sea when they +rise crested by the wind, or as the leaves that fall to the ground from +the wood with its myriad branches in the month when the leaves fall--who +could reckon their tale?--so they in countless number poured along the +banks of the river shouting in frenzy; and in his shapely chariot Aeetes +shone forth above all with his steeds, the gift of Helios, swift as the +blasts of the wind. In his left hand he raised his curved shield, and in +his right a huge pine-torch, and near him in front stood up his mighty +spear. And Apsyrtus held in his hands the reins of the steeds. But +already the ship was cleaving the sea before her, urged on by stalwart +oarsmen, and the stream of the mighty river rushing down. But the king +in grievous anguish lifted his hands and called on Helios and Zeus +to bear witness to their evil deeds; and terrible threats he uttered +against all his people, that unless they should with their own hands +seize the maiden, either on the land or still finding the ship on the +swell of the open sea, and bring her back, that so he might satisfy his +eager soul with vengeance for all those deeds, at the cost of their own +lives they should learn and abide all his rage and revenge. + +(ll. 236-240) Thus spake Aeetes; and on that same day the Colchians +launched their ships and cast the tackle on board, and on that same day +sailed forth on the sea; thou wouldst not say so mighty a host was a +fleet of ships, but that a countless flight of birds, swarm on swarm, +was clamouring over the sea. + +(ll. 241-252) Swiftly the wind blew, as the goddess Hera planned, so +that most quickly Aeaean Medea might reach the Pelasgian land, a bane to +the house of Pelias, and on the third morn they bound the ship's stern +cables to the shores of the Paphlagonians, at the mouth of the river +Halys. For Medea bade them land and propitiate Hecate with sacrifice. +Now all that the maiden prepared for offering the sacrifice may no man +know, and may my soul not urge me to sing thereof. Awe restrains my +lips, yet from that time the altar which the heroes raised on the beach +to the goddess remains till now, a sight to men of a later day. + +(ll. 253-256) And straightway Aeson's son and the rest of the heroes +bethought them of Phineus, how that he had said that their course from +Aea should be different, but to all alike his meaning was dim. Then +Argus spake, and they eagerly hearkened: + +(ll. 257-293) "We go to Orchomenus, whither that unerring seer, whom +ye met aforetime, foretold your voyage. For there is another course, +signified by those priests of the immortal gods, who have sprung from +Tritonian Thebes. As yet all the stars that wheel in the heaven were +not, nor yet, though one should inquire, could aught be heard of the +sacred race of the Danai. Apidanean Arcadians alone existed, Arcadians +who lived even before the moon, it is said, eating acorns on the hills; +nor at that time was the Pelasgian land ruled by the glorious sons of +Deucalion, in the days when Egypt, mother of men of an older time, was +called the fertile Morning-land, and the river fair-flowing Triton, by +which all the Morning-land is watered; and never does the rain from Zeus +moisten the earth; but from the flooding of the river abundant crops +spring up. From this land, it is said, a king [1401] made his way all +round through the whole of Europe and Asia, trusting in the might and +strength and courage of his people; and countless cities did he found +wherever he came, whereof some are still inhabited and some not; many +an age hath passed since then. But Aea abides unshaken even now and the +sons of those men whom that king settled to dwell in Aea. They preserve +the writings of their fathers, graven on pillars, whereon are marked +all the ways and the limits of sea and land as ye journey on all +sides round. There is a river, the uttermost horn of Ocean, broad and +exceeding deep, that a merchant ship may traverse; they call it Ister +and have marked it far off; and for a while it cleaves the boundless +tilth alone in one stream; for beyond the blasts of the north wind, far +off in the Rhipaean mountains, its springs burst forth with a roar. +But when it enters the boundaries of the Thracians and Scythians, here, +dividing its stream into two, it sends its waters partly into the Ionian +sea, [1402] and partly to the south into a deep gulf that bends upwards +from the Trinaerian sea, that sea which lies along your land, if indeed +Achelous flows forth from your land." + +(ll. 204-302) Thus he spake, and to them the goddess granted a happy +portent, and all at the sight shouted approval, that this was their +appointed path. For before them appeared a trail of heavenly light, a +sign where they might pass. And gladly they left behind there the son of +Lyeus and with canvas outspread sailed over the sea, with their eyes +on the Paphlagonian mountains. But they did not round Carambis, for +the winds and the gleam of the heavenly fire stayed with them till they +reached Ister's mighty stream. + +(ll. 303-337) Now some of the Colchians, in a vain search, passed out +from Pontus through the Cyanean rocks; but the rest went to the river, +and them Apsyrtus led, and, turning aside, he entered the mouth called +Fair. Wherefore he outstripped the heroes by crossing a neck of land +into the furthest gulf of the Ionian sea. For a certain island is +enclosed by Ister, by name Peuee, three-cornered, its base stretching +along the coast, and with a sharp angle towards the river; and round it +the outfall is cleft in two. One mouth they call the mouth of Narex, and +the other, at the lower end, the Fair mouth. And through this Apsyrtus +and his Colchians rushed with all speed; but the heroes went upwards +far away towards the highest part of the island. And in the meadows the +country shepherds left their countless flocks for dread of the +ships, for they deemed that they were beasts coming forth from the +monster-teeming sea. For never yet before had they seen seafaring ships, +neither the Scythians mingled with the Thracians, nor the Sigynni, nor +yet the Graucenii, nor the Sindi that now inhabit the vast desert plain +of Laurium. But when they had passed near the mount Angurum, and the +cliff of Cauliacus, far from the mount Angurum, round which Ister, +dividing his stream, falls into the sea on this side and on that, and +the Laurian plain, then indeed the Colchians went forth into the Cronian +sea and cut off all the ways, to prevent their foes' escape. And the +heroes came down the river behind and reached the two Brygean isles of +Artemis near at hand. Now in one of them was a sacred temple; and on the +other they landed, avoiding the host of Apsyrtus; for the Colchians +had left these islands out of many within the river, just as they were, +through reverence for the daughter of Zeus; but the rest, thronged by +the Colchians, barred the ways to the sea. And so on other islands too, +close by, Apsyrtus left his host as far as the river Salangon and the +Nestian land. + +(ll. 338-349) There the Minyae would at that time have yielded in grim +fight, a few to many; but ere then they made a covenant, shunning a +dire quarrel; as to the golden fleece, that since Aeetes himself had so +promised them if they should fulfill the contests, they should keep it +as justly won, whether they carried it off by craft or even openly +in the king's despite; but as to Medea--for that was the cause of +strife--that they should give her in ward to Leto's daughter apart from +the throng, until some one of the kings that dispense justice should +utter his doom, whether she must return to her father's home or follow +the chieftains to the land of Hellas. + +(ll. 350-354) Now when the maiden had mused upon all this, sharp anguish +shook her heart unceasingly; and quickly she called forth Jason alone +apart from his comrades, and led him aside until they were far away, and +before his face uttered her speech all broken with sobs: + +(ll. 355-390) "What is this purpose that ye are now devising about me, O +son of Aeson? Has thy triumph utterly cast forgetfulness upon thee, +and reekest thou nothing of all that thou spakest when held fast by +necessity? Whither are fled the oaths by Zeus the suppliants' god, +whither are fled thy honied promises? For which in no seemly wise, with +shameless will, I have left my country, the glories of my home and even +my parents--things that were dearest to me; and far away all alone I +am borne over the sea with the plaintive kingfishers because of thy +trouble, in order that I might save thy life in fulfilling the contests +with the oxen and the earthborn men. Last of all the fleece--when the +matter became known, it was by my folly thou didst win it; and a foul +reproach have I poured on womankind. Wherefore I say that as thy child, +thy bride and thy sister, I follow thee to the land of Hellas. Be ready +to stand by me to the end, abandon me not left forlorn of thee when thou +dost visit the kings. But only save me; let justice and right, to which +we have both agreed, stand firm; or else do thou at once shear through +this neck with the sword, that I may gain the guerdon due to my mad +passion. Poor wretch! if the king, to whom you both commit your cruel +covenant, doom me to belong to my brother. How shall I come to my +father's sight? Will it be with a good name? What revenge, what heavy +calamity shall I not endure in agony for the terrible deeds I have done? +And wilt thou win the return that thy heart desires? Never may Zeus' +bride, the queen of all, in whom thou dost glory, bring that to pass. +Mayst thou some time remember me when thou art racked with anguish; may +the fleece like a dream vanish into the nether darkness on the wings +of the wind! And may my avenging Furies forthwith drive thee from thy +country, for all that I have suffered through thy cruelty! These curses +will not be allowed to fall unaccomplished to the ground. A mighty oath +hast thou transgressed, ruthless one; but not long shalt thou and thy +comrades sit at ease casting eyes of mockery upon me, for all your +covenants." + +(ll. 391-394) Thus she spake, seething with fierce wrath; and she longed +to set fire to the ship and to hew it utterly in pieces, and herself to +fall into the raging flame. But Jason, half afraid, thus addressed her +with gentle words: + +(ll. 395-409) "Forbear, lady; me too this pleases not. But we seek some +respite from battle, for such a cloud of hostile men, like to a fire, +surrounds us, on thy account. For all that inhabit this land are eager +to aid Apsyrtus, that they may lead thee back home to thy father, like +some captured maid. And all of us would perish in hateful destruction, +if we closed with them in fight; and bitterer still will be the pain, +if we are slain and leave thee to be their prey. But this covenant will +weave a web of guile to lead him to ruin. Nor will the people of the +land for thy sake oppose us, to favour the Colchians, when their prince +is no longer with them, who is thy champion and thy brother; nor will I +shrink from matching myself in fight with the Colchians, if they bar my +way homeward." + +(ll. 410-420) Thus he spake soothing her; and she uttered a deadly +speech: "Take heed now. For when sorry deeds are done we must needs +devise sorry counsel, since at first I was distraught by my error, and +by heaven's will it was I wrought the accomplishment of evil desires. +Do thou in the turmoil shield me from the Colchians' spears; and I will +beguile Apsyrtus to come into thy hands--do thou greet him with splendid +gifts--if only I could persuade the heralds on their departure to bring +him alone to hearken to my words. Thereupon if this deed pleases thee, +slay him and raise a conflict with the Colchians, I care not." + +(ll. 421-422) So they two agreed and prepared a great web of guile for +Apsyrtus, and provided many gifts such as are due to guests, and among +them gave a sacred robe of Hypsipyle, of crimson hue. The Graces with +their own hands had wrought it for Dionysus in sea-girt Dia, and he gave +it to his son Thoas thereafter, and Thoas left it to Hypsipyle, and she +gave that fair-wrought guest-gift with many another marvel to Aeson's +son to wear. Never couldst thou satisfy thy sweet desire by touching it +or gazing on it. And from it a divine fragrance breathed from the time +when the king of Nysa himself lay to rest thereon, flushed with wine +and nectar as he clasped the beauteous breast of the maiden-daughter +of Minos, whom once Theseus forsook in the island of Dia, when she had +followed him from Cnossus. And when she had worked upon the heralds to +induce her brother to come, as soon as she reached the temple of +the goddess, according to the agreement, and the darkness of night +surrounded them, that so she might devise with him a cunning plan for +her to take the mighty fleece of gold and return to the home of Aeetes, +for, she said, the sons of Phrixus had given her by force to the +strangers to carry off; with such beguiling words she scattered to the +air and the breezes her witching charms, which even from afar would have +drawn down the savage beast from the steep mountain-height. + +(ll. 445-451) Ruthless Love, great bane, great curse to mankind, from +thee come deadly strifes and lamentations and groans, and countless +pains as well have their stormy birth from thee. Arise, thou god, and +arm thyself against the sons of our foes in such guise as when thou +didst fill Medea's heart with accursed madness. How then by evil doom +did she slay Apsyrtus when he came to meet her? For that must our song +tell next. + +(ll. 452-481) When the heroes had left the maiden on the island of +Artemis, according to the covenant, both sides ran their ships to land +separately. And Jason went to the ambush to lie in wait for Apsyrtus and +then for his comrades. But he, beguiled by these dire promises, swiftly +crossed the swell of the sea in his ship, and in dark night set foot +on the sacred island; and faring all alone to meet her he made trial in +speech of his sister, as a tender child tries a wintry torrent which not +even strong men can pass through, to see if she would devise some guile +against the strangers. And so they two agreed together on everything; +and straightway Aeson's son leapt forth from the thick ambush, lifting +his bare sword in his hand; and quickly the maiden turned her eyes aside +and covered them with her veil that she might not see the blood of her +brother when he was smitten. And Jason marked him and struck him down, +as a butcher strikes down a mighty strong-horned bull, hard by the +temple which the Brygi on the mainland opposite had once built for +Artemis. In its vestibule he fell on his knees; and at last the hero +breathing out his life caught up in both hands the dark blood as it +welled from the wound; and he dyed with red his sister's silvery veil +and robe as she shrank away. And with swift side-glance the irresistible +pitiless Fury beheld the deadly deed they had done. And the hero, +Aeson's son, cut off the extremities of the dead man, and thrice licked +up some blood and thrice spat the pollution from his teeth, as it is +right for the slayer to do, to atone for a treacherous murder. And the +clammy corpse he hid in the ground where even now those bones lie among +the Apsyrtians. + +(ll. 481-494) Now as soon as the heroes saw the blaze of a torch, which +the maiden raised for them as a sign to pursue, they laid their own ship +near the Colchian ship, and they slaughtered the Colchian host, as kites +slay the tribes of wood-pigeons, or as lions of the wold, when they have +leapt amid the steading, drive a great flock of sheep huddled together. +Nor did one of them escape death, but the heroes rushed upon the whole +crew, destroying them like a flame; and at last Jason met them, and was +eager to give aid where none was needed; but already they were taking +thought for him too. Thereupon they sat to devise some prudent counsel +for their voyage, and the maiden came upon them as they pondered, but +Peleus spake his word first: + +(ll. 495-502) "I now bid you embark while it is still night, and take +with your oars the passage opposite to that which the enemy guards, for +at dawn when they see their plight I deem that no word urging to further +pursuit of us will prevail with them; but as people bereft of their +king, they will be scattered in grievous dissension. And easy, when the +people are scattered, will this path be for us on our return." + +(ll. 503-506) Thus he spake; and the youths assented to the words of +Aeacus' son. And quickly they entered the ship, and toiled at their oars +unceasingly until they reached the sacred isle of Electra, the highest +of them all, near the river Eridanus. + +(ll. 507-521) But when the Colchians learnt the death of their prince, +verily they were eager to pursue Argo and the Minyans through all the +Cronian sea. But Hera restrained them by terrible lightnings from the +sky. And at last they loathed their own homes in the Cytaean land, +quailing before Aeetes' fierce wrath; so they landed and made abiding +homes there, scattered far and wide. Some set foot on those very islands +where the heroes had stayed, and they still dwell there, bearing a name +derived from Apsyrtus; and others built a fenced city by the dark deep +Illyrian river, where is the tomb of Harmonia and Cadmus, dwelling among +the Encheleans; and others live amid the mountains which are called +the Thunderers, from the day when the thunders of Zeus, son of Cronos, +prevented them from crossing over to the island opposite. + +(ll. 522-551) Now the heroes, when their return seemed safe for them, +fared onward and made their hawsers fast to the land of the Hylleans. +For the islands lay thick in the river and made the path dangerous for +those who sailed thereby. Nor, as aforetime, did the Hylleans devise +their hurt, but of their own accord furthered their passage, winning as +guerdon a mighty tripod of Apollo. For tripods twain had Phoebus given +to Aeson's son to carry afar in the voyage he had to make, at the time +when he went to sacred Pytho to enquire about this very voyage; and it +was ordained by fate that in whatever land they should be placed, that +land should never be ravaged by the attacks of foemen. Therefore even +now this tripod is hidden in that land near the pleasant city of Hyllus, +far beneath the earth, that it may ever be unseen by mortals. Yet they +found not King Hyllus still alive in the land, whom fair Melite bare +to Heracles in the land of the Phaeacians. For he came to the abode of +Nausithous and to Macris, the nurse of Dionysus, to cleanse himself from +the deadly murder of his children; here he loved and overcame the water +nymph Melite, the daughter of the river Aegaeus, and she bare mighty +Hyllus. But when he had grown up he desired not to dwell in that island +under the rule of Nausithous the king; but he collected a host of native +Phaeacians and came to the Cronian sea; for the hero King Nausithous +aided his journey, and there he settled, and the Mentores slew him as he +was fighting for the oxen of his field. + +(ll. 552-556) Now, goddesses, say how it is that beyond this sea, +near the land of Ausonia and the Ligystian isles, which are called +Stoechades, the mighty tracks of the ship Argo are clearly sung of? What +great constraint and need brought the heroes so far? What breezes wafted +them? + +(ll. 557-591) When Apsyrtus had fallen in mighty overthrow Zeus himself, +king of gods, was seized with wrath at what they had done. And he +ordained that by the counsels of Aeaean Circe they should cleanse +themselves from the terrible stain of blood and suffer countless woes +before their return. Yet none of the chieftains knew this; but far +onward they sped starting from the Hyllean land, and they left behind +all the islands that were beforetime thronged by the Colchians--the +Liburnian isles, isle after isle, Issa, Dysceladus, and lovely Pityeia. +Next after them they came to Corcyra, where Poseidon settled the +daughter of Asopus, fair-haired Corcyra, far from the land of Phlius, +whence he had carried her off through love; and sailors beholding it +from the sea, all black with its sombre woods, call it Corcyra the +Black. And next they passed Melite, rejoicing in the soft-blowing +breeze, and steep Cerossus, and Nymphaea at a distance, where lady +Calypso, daughter of Atlas, dwelt; and they deemed they saw the misty +mountains of Thunder. And then Hera bethought her of the counsels and +wrath of Zeus concerning them. And she devised an ending of their voyage +and stirred up storm-winds before them, by which they were caught and +borne back to the rocky isle of Electra. And straightway on a sudden +there called to them in the midst of their course, speaking with a human +voice, the beam of the hollow ship, which Athena had set in the centre +of the stem, made of Dodonian oak. And deadly fear seized them as +they heard the voice that told of the grievous wrath of Zeus. For it +proclaimed that they should not escape the paths of an endless sea +nor grievous tempests, unless Circe should purge away the guilt of the +ruthless murder of Apsyrtus; and it bade Polydeuces and Castor pray to +the immortal gods first to grant a path through the Ausonian sea where +they should find Circe, daughter of Perse and Helios. + +(ll. 592-626) Thus Argo cried through the darkness; and the sons of +Tyndareus uprose, and lifted their hands to the immortals praying for +each boon: but dejection held the rest of the Minyan heroes. And far +on sped Argo under sail, and entered deep into the stream of Eridanus; +where once, smitten on the breast by the blazing bolt, Phaethon +half-consumed fell from the chariot of Helios into the opening of that +deep lake; and even now it belcheth up heavy steam clouds from the +smouldering wound. And no bird spreading its light wings can cross that +water; but in mid-course it plunges into the flame, fluttering. And all +around the maidens, the daughters of Helios, enclosed in tall poplars, +wretchedly wail a piteous plaint; and from their eyes they shed on the +ground bright drops of amber. These are dried by the sun upon the sand; +but whenever the waters of the dark lake flow over the strand before +the blast of the wailing wind, then they roll on in a mass into Eridanus +with swelling tide. But the Celts have attached this story to them, that +these are the tears of Leto's son, Apollo, that are borne along by the +eddies, the countless tears that he shed aforetime when he came to the +sacred race of the Hyperboreans and left shining heaven at the chiding +of his father, being in wrath concerning his son whom divine Coronis +bare in bright Lacereia at the mouth of Amyrus. And such is the story +told among these men. But no desire for food or drink seized the heroes +nor were their thoughts turned to joy. But they were sorely afflicted +all day, heavy and faint at heart, with the noisome stench, hard to +endure, which the streams of Eridanus sent forth from Phaethon still +burning; and at night they heard the piercing lament of the daughters +of Helios, wailing with shrill voice; and, as they lamented, their tears +were borne on the water like drops of oil. + +(ll. 627-658) Thence they entered the deep stream of Rhodanus which +flows into Eridanus; and where they meet there is a roar of mingling +waters. Now that river, rising from the ends of the earth, where are the +portals and mansions of Night, on one side bursts forth upon the beach +of Ocean, at another pours into the Ionian sea, and on the third through +seven mouths sends its stream to the Sardinian sea and its limitless +bay. [1403] And from Rhodanus they entered stormy lakes, which spread +throughout the Celtic mainland of wondrous size; and there they would +have met with an inglorious calamity; for a certain branch of the river +was bearing them towards a gulf of Ocean which in ignorance they were +about to enter, and never would they have returned from there in safety. +But Hera leaping forth from heaven pealed her cry from the Hercynian +rock; and all together were shaken with fear of her cry; for terribly +crashed the mighty firmament. And backward they turned by reason of +the goddess, and noted the path by which their return was ordained. +And after a long while they came to the beach of the surging sea by the +devising of Hera, passing unharmed through countless tribes of the Celts +and Ligyans. For round them the goddess poured a dread mist day by +day as they fared on. And so, sailing through the midmost mouth, they +reached the Stoechades islands in safety by the aid of the sons of Zeus; +wherefore altars and sacred rites are established in their honour for +ever; and not that sea-faring alone did they attend to succour; but +Zeus granted to them the ships of future sailors too. Then leaving the +Stoechades they passed on to the island Aethalia, where after their toil +they wiped away with pebbles sweat in abundance; and pebbles like skin +in colour are strewn on the beach; [1404] and there are their quoits +and their wondrous armour; and there is the Argoan harbour called after +them. + +(ll. 659-684) And quickly from there they passed through the sea, +beholding the Tyrrhenian shores of Ausonia; and they came to the famous +harbour of Aeaea, and from the ship they cast hawsers to the shore +near at hand. And here they found Circe bathing her head in the salt +sea-spray, for sorely had she been scared by visions of the night. With +blood her chambers and all the walls of her palace seemed to be running, +and flame was devouring all the magic herbs with which she used to +bewitch strangers whoever came; and she herself with murderous blood +quenched the glowing flame, drawing it up in her hands; and she ceased +from deadly fear. Wherefore when morning came she rose, and with +sea-spray was bathing her hair and her garments. And beasts, not +resembling the beasts of the wild, nor yet like men in body, but with a +medley of limbs, went in a throng, as sheep from the fold in multitudes +follow the shepherd. Such creatures, compacted of various limbs, did +each herself produce from the primeval slime when she had not yet grown +solid beneath a rainless sky nor yet had received a drop of moisture +from the rays of the scorching sun; but time combined these forms and +marshalled them in their ranks; in such wise these monsters shapeless of +form followed her. And exceeding wonder seized the heroes, and at once, +as each gazed on the form and face of Circe, they readily guessed that +she was the sister of Aeetes. + +(ll. 685-717) Now when she had dismissed the fears of her nightly +visions, straightway she fared backwards, and in her subtlety she bade +the heroes follow, charming them on with her hand. Thereupon the host +remained stedfast at the bidding of Aeson's son, but Jason drew with him +the Colchian maid. And both followed the selfsame path till they reached +the hall of Circe, and she in amaze at their coming bade them sit on +brightly burnished seats. And they, quiet and silent, sped to the hearth +and sat there, as is the wont of wretched suppliants. Medea hid her face +in both her hands, but Jason fixed in the ground the mighty hilted sword +with which he had slain Aeetes' son; nor did they raise their eyes +to meet her look. And straightway Circe became aware of the doom of +a suppliant and the guilt of murder. Wherefore in reverence for the +ordinance of Zeus, the god of suppliants, who is a god of wrath yet +mightily aids slayers of men, she began to offer the sacrifice with +which ruthless suppliants are cleansed from guilt when they approach the +altar. First, to atone for the murder still unexpiated, she held above +their heads the young of a sow whose dugs yet swelled from the fruit of +the womb, and, severing its neck, sprinkled their hands with the blood; +and again she made propitiation with other drink offerings, calling on +Zeus the Cleanser, the protector of murder-stained suppliants. And all +the defilements in a mass her attendants bore forth from the palace--the +Naiad nymphs who ministered all things to her. And within, Circe, +standing by the hearth, kept burning atonement-cakes without wine, +praying the while that she might stay from their wrath the terrible +Furies, and that Zeus himself might be propitious and gentle to them +both, whether with hands stained by the blood of a stranger or, as +kinsfolk, by the blood of a kinsman, they should implore his grace. + +(ll. 718-738) But when she had wrought all her task, then she raised +them up and seated them on well polished seats, and herself sat near, +face to face with them. And at once she asked them clearly of their +business and their voyaging, and whence they had come to her land and +palace, and had thus seated themselves as suppliants at her hearth. For +in truth the hideous remembrance of her dreams entered her mind as she +pondered; and she longed to hear the voice of the maiden, her kinswoman, +as soon as she saw that she had raised her eyes from the ground. For +all those of the race of Helios were plain to discern, since by the far +flashing of their eyes they shot in front of them a gleam as of gold. +So Medea told her all she asked--the daughter of Aeetes of the gloomy +heart, speaking gently in the Colchian tongue, both of the quest and the +journeyings of the heroes, and of their toils in the swift contests, and +how she had sinned through the counsels of her much-sorrowing sister, +and how with the sons of Phrixus she had fled afar from the tyrannous +horrors of her father; but she shrank from telling of the murder of +Apsyrtus. Yet she escaped not Circe's ken; nevertheless, in spite of +all, she pitied the weeping maiden, and spake thus: + +(ll. 739-748) "Poor wretch, an evil and shameful return hast thou +planned. Not for long, I ween, wilt thou escape the heavy wrath of +Aeetes; but soon will he go even to the dwellings of Hellas to avenge +the blood of his son, for intolerable are the deeds thou hast done. But +since thou art my suppliant and my kinswoman, no further ill shall +I devise against thee at thy coming; but begone from my halls, +companioning the stranger, whosoever he be, this unknown one that thou +hast taken in thy father's despite; and kneel not to me at my hearth, +for never will I approve thy counsels and thy shameful flight." + +(ll. 749-752) Thus she spake, and measureless anguish seized the maid; +and over her eyes she cast her robe and poured forth a lamentation, +until the hero took her by the hand and led her forth from the hall +quivering with fear. So they left the home of Circe. + +(ll. 753-756) But they were not unmarked by the spouse of Zeus, son of +Cronos; but Iris told her when she saw them faring from the hall. For +Hera had bidden her watch what time they should come to the ship; so +again she urged her and spake: + +(ll. 757-769) "Dear Iris, now come, if ever thou hast fulfilled my +bidding, hie thee away on light pinions, and bid Thetis arise from the +sea and come hither. For need of her is come upon me. Then go to the +sea-beaches where the bronze anvils of Hephaestus are smitten by sturdy +hammers, and tell him to still the blasts of fire until Argo pass by +them. Then go to Aeolus too, Aeolus who rules the winds, children of the +clear sky; and to him also tell my purpose so that he may make all winds +cease under heaven and no breeze may ruffle the sea; yet let the breath +of the west wind blow until the heroes have reached the Phaeacian isle +of Alcinous." + +(ll. 770-782) So she spake, and straightway Iris leapt down from Olympus +and cleft her way, with light wings outspread. And she plunged into +the Aegean Sea, where is the dwelling of Nereus. And she came to Thetis +first and, by the promptings of Hera, told her tale and roused her to go +to the goddess. Next she came to Hephaestus, and quickly made him cease +from the clang of his iron hammers; and the smoke-grimed bellows were +stayed from their blast. And thirdly she came to Aeolus, the famous son +of Hippotas. And when she had given her message to him also and rested +her swift knees from her course, then Thetis leaving Nereus and her +sisters had come from the sea to Olympus to the goddess Hera; and the +goddess made her sit by her side and uttered her word: + +(ll. 783-832) "Hearken now, lady Thetis, to what I am eager to tell +thee. Thou knowest how honoured in my heart is the hero, Aeson's son, +and the others that have helped him in the contest, and how I saved them +when they passed between the Wandering rocks, [1405] where roar terrible +storms of fire and the waves foam round the rugged reefs. And now past +the mighty rock of Scylla and Charybdis horribly belching, a course +awaits them. But thee indeed from thy infancy did I tend with my own +hands and love beyond all others that dwell in the salt sea because thou +didst refuse to share the couch of Zeus, for all his desire. For to him +such deeds are ever dear, to embrace either goddesses or mortal women. +But in reverence for me and with fear in thy heart thou didst shrink +from his love; and he then swore a mighty oath that thou shouldst never +be called the bride of an immortal god. Yet he ceased not from spying +thee against thy will, until reverend Themis declared to him the whole +truth, how that it was thy fate to bear a son mightier than his sire; +wherefore he gave thee up, for all his desire, fearing lest another +should be his match and rule the immortals, and in order that he might +ever hold his own dominion. But I gave thee the best of the sons of +earth to be thy husband, that thou mightest find a marriage dear to thy +heart and bear children; and I summoned to the feast the gods, one and +all. And with my own hand I raised the bridal torch, in return for +the kindly honour thou didst pay me. But come, let me tell a tale that +erreth not. When thy son shall come to the Elysian plain, he whom now +in the home of Cheiron the Centaur water-nymphs are tending, though +he still craves thy mother milk, it is fated that he be the husband +of Medea, Aeetes' daughter; do thou aid thy daughter-in-law as a +mother-in-law should, and aid Peleus himself. Why is thy wrath so +steadfast? He was blinded by folly. For blindness comes even upon +the gods. Surely at my behest I deem that Hephaestus will cease from +kindling the fury of his flame, and that Aeolus, son of Hippotas, will +check his swift rushing winds, all but the steady west wind, until they +reach the havens of the Phaeacians; do thou devise a return without +bane. The rocks and the tyrannous waves are my fear, they alone, and +them thou canst foil with thy sisters' aid. And let them not fall in +their helplessness into Charybdis lest she swallow them at one gulp, or +approach the hideous lair of Scylla, Ausonian Scylla the deadly, whom +night-wandering Hecate, who is called Crataeis, [1406] bare to Phoreys, +lest swooping upon them with her horrible jaws she destroy the chiefest +of the heroes. But guide their ship in the course where there shall be +still a hair's breadth escape from destruction." + +(ll. 833-841) Thus she spake, and Thetis answered with these words: "If +the fury of the ravening flame and the stormy winds cease in very deed, +surely will I promise boldly to save the ship, even though the waves bar +the way, if only the west wind blows fresh and clear. But it is time to +fare on a long and measureless path, in quest of my sisters who will aid +me, and to the spot where the ship's hawsers are fastened, that at early +dawn the heroes may take thought to win their home-return." + +(ll. 842-855) She spake, and darting down from the sky fell amid the +eddies of the dark blue sea; and she called to aid her the rest of the +Nereids, her own sisters; and they heard her and gathered together; and +Thetis declared to them Hera's behests, and quickly sped them all on +their way to the Ausonian sea. And herself, swifter than the flash of an +eye or the shafts of the sun, when it rises upwards from a far-distant +land, hastened swiftly through the sea, until she reached the Aeaean +beach of the Tyrrhenian mainland. And the heroes she found by the ship +taking their pastime with quoits and shooting of arrows; and she drew +near and just touched the hand of Aeaeus' son Peleus, for he was her +husband; nor could anyone see her clearly, but she appeared to his eyes +alone, and thus addressed him: + +(ll. 856-864) "No longer now must ye stay sitting on the Tyrrhenian +beach, but at dawn loosen the hawsers of your swift ship, in obedience +to Hera, your helper. For at her behest the maiden daughters of Nereus +have met together to draw your ship through the midst of the rocks which +are called Planctae, [1407] for that is your destined path. But do thou +show my person to no one, when thou seest us come to meet time, but keep +it secret in thy mind, lest thou anger me still more than thou didst +anger me before so recklessly." + +(ll. 865-884) She spake, and vanished into the depths of the sea; but +sharp pain smote Peleus, for never before had he seen her come, since +first she left her bridal chamber and bed in anger, on account of noble +Achilles, then a babe. For she ever encompassed the child's mortal flesh +in the night with the flame of fire; and day by day she anointed with +ambrosia his tender frame, so that he might become immortal and that she +might keep off from his body loathsome old age. But Peleus leapt up from +his bed and saw his dear son gasping in the flame; and at the sight he +uttered a terrible cry, fool that he was; and she heard it, and catching +up the child threw him screaming to the ground, and herself like a +breath of wind passed swiftly from the hall as a dream and leapt into +the sea, exceeding wroth, and thereafter returned not again. Wherefore +blank amazement fettered his soul; nevertheless he declared to his +comrades all the bidding of Thetis. And they broke off in the midst +and hurriedly ceased their contests, and prepared their meal and +earth-strewn beds, whereon after supper they slept through the night as +aforetime. + +(ll. 885-921) Now when dawn the light-bringer was touching the edge of +heaven, then at the coming of the swift west wind they went to their +thwarts from the land; and gladly did they draw up the anchors from +the deep and made the tackling ready in due order; and above spread the +sail, stretching it taut with the sheets from the yard-arm. And a fresh +breeze wafted the ship on. And soon they saw a fair island, Anthemoessa, +where the clear-voiced Sirens, daughters of Achelous, used to beguile +with their sweet songs whoever cast anchor there, and then destroy him. +Them lovely Terpsichore, one of the Muses, bare, united with Achelous; +and once they tended Demeter's noble daughter still unwed, and sang to +her in chorus; and at that time they were fashioned in part like birds +and in part like maidens to behold. And ever on the watch from their +place of prospect with its fair haven, often from many had they taken +away their sweet return, consuming them with wasting desire; and +suddenly to the heroes, too, they sent forth from their lips a lily-like +voice. And they were already about to cast from the ship the hawsers to +the shore, had not Thracian Orpheus, son of Oeagrus, stringing in his +hands his Bistonian lyre, rung forth the hasty snatch of a rippling +melody so that their ears might be filled with the sound of his +twanging; and the lyre overcame the maidens' voice. And the west wind +and the sounding wave rushing astern bore the ship on; and the Sirens +kept uttering their ceaseless song. But even so the goodly son of Teleon +alone of the comrades leapt before them all from the polished bench into +the sea, even Butes, his soul melted by the clear ringing voice of the +Sirens; and he swam through the dark surge to mount the beach, poor +wretch. Quickly would they have robbed him of his return then and there, +but the goddess that rules Eryx, Cypris, in pity snatched him away, +while yet in the eddies, and graciously meeting him saved him to dwell +on the Lilybean height. And the heroes, seized by anguish, left the +Sirens, but other perils still worse, destructive to ships, awaited them +in the meeting-place of the seas. + +(ll. 922-981) For on one side appeared the smooth rock of Scylla; on +the other Charybdis ceaselessly spouted and roared; in another part the +Wandering rocks were booming beneath the mighty surge, where before the +burning flame spurted forth from the top of the crags, above the rock +glowing with fire, and the air was misty with smoke, nor could you have +seen the sun's light. Then, though Hephaestus had ceased from his toils, +the sea was still sending up a warm vapour. Hereupon on this side and on +that the daughters of Nereus met them; and behind, lady Thetis set her +hand to the rudder-blade, to guide them amid the Wandering rocks. And as +when in fair weather herds of dolphins come up from the depths and +sport in circles round a ship as it speeds along, now seen in front, now +behind, now again at the side and delight comes to the sailors; so the +Nereids darted upward and circled in their ranks round the ship Argo, +while Thetis guided its course. And when they were about to touch the +Wandering rocks, straightway they raised the edge of their garments over +their snow-white knees, and aloft, on the very rocks and where the +waves broke, they hurried along on this side and on that apart from one +another. And the ship was raised aloft as the current smote her, and all +around the furious wave mounting up broke over the rocks, which at +one time touched the sky like towering crags, at another, down in the +depths, were fixed fast at the bottom of the sea and the fierce waves +poured over them in floods. And the Nereids, even as maidens near some +sandy beach roll their garments up to their waists out of their way and +sport with a shapely-rounded ball; then they catch it one from another +and send it high into the air; and it never touches the ground; so they +in turn one from another sent the ship through the air over the waves, +as it sped on ever away from the rocks; and round them the water spouted +and foamed. And lord Hephaestus himself standing on the summit of a +smooth rock and resting his massy shoulder on the handle of his hammer, +beheld them, and the spouse of Zeus beheld them as she stood above the +gleaming heaven; and she threw her arms round Athena, such fear seized +her as she gazed. And as long as the space of a day is lengthened out in +springtime, so long a time did they toil, heaving the ship between +the loud-echoing rocks; then again the heroes caught the wind and sped +onward; and swiftly they passed the mead of Thrinacia, where the kine of +Helios fed. There the nymphs, like sea-mews, plunged beneath the depths, +when they had fulfilled the behests of the spouse of Zeus. And at the +same time the bleating of sheep came to the heroes through the mist and +the lowing of kine, near at hand, smote their ears. And over the dewy +leas Phaethusa, the youngest of the daughters of Helios, tended the +sheep, bearing in her hand a silver crook; while Lampetia, herding the +kine, wielded a staff of glowing orichalcum [1408] as she followed. +These kine the heroes saw feeding by the river's stream, over the plain +and the water-meadow; not one of them was dark in hue but all were white +as milk and glorying in their horns of gold. So they passed them by +in the day-time, and when night came on they were cleaving a great +sea-gulf, rejoicing, until again early rising dawn threw light upon +their course. + +(ll. 982-1013) Fronting the Ionian gulf there lies an island in the +Ceraunian sea, rich in soil, with a harbour on both sides, beneath which +lies the sickle, as legend saith--grant me grace, O Muses, not willingly +do I tell this tale of olden days--wherewith Cronos pitilessly mutilated +his father; but others call it the reaping-hook of Demeter, goddess of +the nether world. For Demeter once dwelt in that island, and taught the +Titans to reap the ears of corn, all for the love of Macris. Whence it +is called Drepane, [1409] the sacred nurse of the Phaeacians; and thus +the Phaeacians themselves are by birth of the blood of Uranus. To +them came Argo, held fast by many toils, borne by the breezes from the +Thrinacian sea; and Alcinous and his people with kindly sacrifice gladly +welcomed their coming; and over them all the city made merry; thou +wouldst say they were rejoicing over their own sons. And the heroes +themselves strode in gladness through the throng, even as though they +had set foot in the heart of Haemonia; but soon were they to arm and +raise the battle-cry; so near to them appeared a boundless host of +Colchians, who had passed through the mouth of Pontus and between the +Cyanean rocks in search of the chieftains. They desired forthwith to +carry off Medea to her father's house apart from the rest, or else they +threatened with fierce cruelty to raise the dread war-cry both then and +thereafter on the coming of Aeetes. But lordly Alcinous checked them +amid their eagerness for war. For he longed to allay the lawless strife +between both sides without the clash of battle. And the maiden in deadly +fear often implored the comrades of Aeson's son, and often with her +hands touched the knees of Arete, the bride of Aleinous: + +(ll. 1014-1028) "I beseech thee, O queen, be gracious and deliver me not +to the Colchians to be borne to my father, if thou thyself too art one +of the race of mortals, whose heart rushes swiftly to ruin from light +transgressions. For my firm sense forsook me--it was not for wantonness. +Be witness the sacred light of Helios, be witness the rites of the +maiden that wanders by night, daughter of Perses. Not willingly did +I haste from my home with men of an alien race; but a horrible fear +wrought on me to bethink me of flight when I sinned; other device was +there none. Still my maiden's girdle remains, as in the halls of my +father, unstained, untouched. Pity me, lady, and turn thy lord to mercy; +and may the immortals grant thee a perfect life, and joy, and children, +and the glory of a city unravaged!" + +(ll. 1029-1030) Thus did she implore Arete, shedding tears, and thus +each of the chieftains in turn: + +(ll. 1031-1052) "On your account, ye men of peerless might, and on +account of my toils in your ventures am I sorely afflicted; even I, +by whose help ye yoked the bulls, and reaped the deadly harvest of the +earthborn men; even I, through whom on your homeward path ye shall bear +to Haemonia the golden fleece. Lo, here am I, who have lost my country +and my parents, who have lost my home and all the delights of life; to +you have I restored your country and your homes; with eyes of gladness +ye will see again your parents; but from me a heavy-handed god has +raft all joy; and with strangers I wander, an accursed thing. Fear your +covenant and your oaths, fear the Fury that avenges suppliants and the +retribution of heaven, if I fall into Aeetes' hands and am slain with +grievous outrage. To no shrines, no tower of defence, no other refuge +do I pay heed, but only to you. Hard and pitiless in your cruelty! +No reverence have ye for me in your heart though ye see me helpless, +stretching my hands towards the knees of a stranger queen; yet, when ye +longed to seize the fleece, ye would have met all the Colchians face to +thee and haughty Aeetes himself; but now ye have forgotten your courage, +now that they are all alone and cut off." + +(ll. 1053-1067) Thus she spake, beseeching; and to whomsoever she bowed +in prayer, that man tried to give her heart and to check her anguish. +And in their hands they shook their sharp pointed spears, and drew the +swords from their sheaths; and they swore they would not hold back from +giving succour, if she should meet with an unrighteous judgement. And +the host were all wearied and Night came on them, Night that puts to +rest the works of men, and lulled all the earth to sleep; but to the +maid no sleep brought rest, but in her bosom her heart was wrung with +anguish. Even as when a toiling woman turns her spindle through the +night, and round her moan her orphan children, for she is a widow, and +down her cheeks fall the tears, as she bethinks her how dreary a lot +hath seized her; so Medea's cheeks were wet; and her heart within her +was in agony, pierced with sharp pain. + +(ll. 1068-1072) Now within the palace in the city, as aforetime, lay +lordly Alcinous and Arete, the revered wife of Alcinous, and on their +couch through the night they were devising plans about the maiden; and +him, as her wedded husband, the wife addressed with loving words: + +(ll. 1073-1095) "Yea, my friend, come, save the woe-stricken maid from +the Colchians and show grace to the Minyae. Argos is near our isle +and the men of Haemonia; but Aeetes dwells not near, nor do we know +of Aeetes one whit: we hear but his name; but this maiden of dread +suffering hath broken my heart by her prayers. O king, give her not +up to the Colchians to be borne back to her father's home. She was +distraught when first she gave him the drugs to charm the oxen; and +next, to cure one ill by another, as in our sinning we do often, she +fled from her haughty sire's heavy wrath. But Jason, as I hear, is bound +to her by mighty oaths that he will make her his wedded wife within his +halls. Wherefore, my friend, make not, of thy will, Aeson's son to be +forsworn, nor let the father, if thou canst help, work with angry heart +some intolerable mischief on his child. For fathers are all too jealous +against their children; what wrong did Nycteus devise against Antiope, +fair of face! What woes did Danae endure on the wide sea through her +sire's mad rage! Of late, and not far away, Echetus in wanton cruelty +thrust spikes of bronze in his daughter's eyes; and by a grievous fate +is she wasting away, grinding grains of bronze in a dungeon's gloom." + +(ll. 1096-1097) Thus she spake, beseeching; and by his wife's words his +heart was softened, and thus he spake: + +(ll. 1098-1109) "Arete, with arms I could drive forth the Colchians, +showing grace to the heroes for the maiden's sake. But I fear to set at +nought the righteous judgment of Zeus. Nor is it well to take no thought +of Aeetes, as thou sayest: for none is more lordly than Aeetes. And, +if he willed, he might bring war upon Hellas, though he dwell afar. +Wherefore it is right for me to deliver the judgement that in all men's +eyes shall be best; and I will not hide it from thee. If she be yet a +maid I decree that they carry her back to her father; but if she shares +a husband's bed, I will not separate her from her lord; nor, if she bear +a child beneath her breast, will I give it up to an enemy." + +(ll. 1110-1120) Thus he spake, and at once sleep laid him to rest. And +she stored up in her heart the word of wisdom, and straightway rose from +her couch and went through the palace; and her handmaids came hasting +together, eagerly tending their mistress. But quietly she summoned her +herald and addressed him, in her prudence urging Aeson's son to wed +the maiden, and not to implore Alcinous; for he himself, she said, will +decree to the Colchians that if she is still a maid he will deliver her +up to be borne to her father's house, but that if she shares a husband's +bed he will not sever her from wedded love. + +(ll. 1121-1127) Thus she spake, and quickly from the hall his feet bore +him, that he might declare to Jason the fair-omened speech of Arete and +the counsel of godfearing Alcinous. And he found the heroes watching in +full armour in the haven of Hyllus, near the city; and out he spake +the whole message; and each hero's heart rejoiced; for the word that he +spake was welcome. + +(ll. 1128-1169) And straightway they mingled a bowl to the blessed ones, +as is right, and reverently led sheep to the altar, and for that very +night prepared for the maiden the bridal couch in the sacred cave, +where once dwelt Macris, the daughter of Aristaeus, lord of honey, who +discovered the works of bees and the fatness of the olive, the fruit of +labour. She it was that first received in her bosom the Nysean son of +Zeus in Abantian Euboea, and with honey moistened his parched lips when +Hermes bore him out of the flame. And Hera beheld it, and in wrath drove +her from the whole island. And she accordingly came to dwell far off, in +the sacred cave of the Phaeacians, and granted boundless wealth to the +inhabitants. There at that time did they spread a mighty couch; and +thereon they laid the glittering fleece of gold, that so the marriage +might be made honoured and the theme of song. And for them nymphs +gathered flowers of varied hue and bore them thither in their white +bosoms; and a splendour as of flame played round them all, such a light +gleamed from the golden tufts. And in their eyes it kindled a sweet +longing; yet for all her desire, awe withheld each one from laying her +hand thereon. Some were called daughters of the river Aegaeus; others +dwelt round the crests of the Meliteian mount; and others were woodland +nymphs from the plains. For Hera herself, the spouse of Zeus, had sent +them to do honour to Jason. That cave is to this day called the sacred +cave of Medea, where they spread the fine and fragrant linen and brought +these two together. And the heroes in their hands wielded their spears +for war, lest first a host of foes should burst upon them for battle +unawares, and, their heads enwreathed with leafy sprays, all in harmony, +while Orpheus' harp rang clear, sang the marriage song at the entrance +to the bridal chamber. Yet not in the house of Alcinous was the hero, +Aeson's son, minded to complete his marriage, but in his father's hall +when he had returned home to Ioleus; and such was the mind of Medea +herself; but necessity led them to wed at this time. For never in truth +do we tribes of woe-stricken mortals tread the path of delight with +sure foot; but still some bitter affliction keeps pace with our joy. +Wherefore they too, though their souls were melted with sweet love, were +held by fear, whether the sentence of Alcinous would be fulfilled. + +(ll. 1170-1227) Now dawn returning with her beams divine scattered the +gloomy night through the sky; and the island beaches laughed out and the +paths over the plains far off, drenched with dew, and there was a din in +the streets; the people were astir throughout the city, and far away +the Colchians were astir at the bounds of the isle of Macris. And +straightway to them went Alcinous, by reason of his covenant, to declare +his purpose concerning the maiden, and in his hand he held a golden +staff, his staff of justice, whereby the people had righteous judgments +meted out to them throughout the city. And with him in order due and +arrayed in their harness of war went marching, band by band, the chiefs +of the Phaeacians. And from the towers came forth the women in crowds to +gaze upon the heroes; and the country folk came to meet them when they +heard the news, for Hera had sent forth a true report. And one led the +chosen ram of his flock, and another a heifer that had never toiled; and +others set hard by jars of wine for mixing; and the smoke of sacrifice +leapt up far away. And women bore fine linen, the fruit of much toil, as +women will, and gifts of gold and varied ornaments as well, such as are +brought to newly-wedded brides; and they marvelled when they saw the +shapely forms and beauty of the gallant heroes, and among them the son +of Oeagrus, oft beating the ground with gleaming sandal, to the time of +his loud-ringing lyre and song. And all the nymphs together, whenever +he recalled the marriage, uplifted the lovely bridal-chant; and at times +again they sang alone as they circled in the dance, Hera, in thy honour; +for it was thou that didst put it into the heart of Arete to proclaim +the wise word of Alcinous. And as soon as he had uttered the decree of +his righteous judgement, and the completion of the marriage had been +proclaimed, he took care that thus it should abide fixed; and no deadly +fear touched him nor Aeetes' grievous wrath, but he kept his judgement +fast bound by unbroken oaths. So when the Colchians learnt that they +were beseeching in vain and he bade them either observe his judgements +or hold their ships away from his harbours and land, then they began +to dread the threats of their own king and besought Alcinous to receive +them as comrades; and there in the island long time they dwelt with the +Phaeacians, until in the course of years, the Bacchiadae, a race sprung +from Ephyra, [1410] settled among them; and the Colchians passed to an +island opposite; and thence they were destined to reach the Ceraunian +hills of the Abantes, and the Nestaeans and Oricum; but all this was +fulfilled after long ages had passed. And still the altars which Medea +built on the spot sacred to Apollo, god of shepherds, receive yearly +sacrifices in honour of the Fates and the Nymphs. And when the Minyae +departed many gifts of friendship did Alcinous bestow, and many Arete; +moreover she gave Medea twelve Phaeacian handmaids from the palace, to +bear her company. And on the seventh day they left Drepane; and at dawn +came a fresh breeze from Zeus. And onward they sped borne along by the +wind's breath. Howbeit not yet was it ordained for the heroes to set +foot on Achaea, until they had toiled even in the furthest bounds of +Libya. + +(ll. 1228-1250) Now had they left behind the gulf named after the +Ambracians, now with sails wide spread the land of the Curetes, and next +in order the narrow islands with the Echinades, and the land of Pelops +was just descried; even then a baleful blast of the north wind seized +them in mid-course and swept them towards the Libyan sea nine nights and +as many days, until they came far within Syrtis, wherefrom is no return +for ships, when they are once forced into that gulf. For on every hand +are shoals, on every hand masses of seaweed from the depths; and over +them the light foam of the wave washes without noise; and there is a +stretch of sand to the dim horizon; and there moveth nothing that creeps +or flies. Here accordingly the flood-tide--for this tide often retreats +from the land and bursts back again over the beach coming on with a rush +and roar--thrust them suddenly on to the innermost shore, and but little +of the keel was left in the water. And they leapt forth from the ship, +and sorrow seized them when they gazed on the mist and the levels of +vast land stretching far like a mist and continuous into the distance; +no spot for water, no path, no steading of herdsmen did they descry afar +off, but all the scene was possessed by a dead calm. And thus did one +hero, vexed in spirit, ask another: + +(ll. 1251-1258) "What land is this? Whither has the tempest hurled us? +Would that, reckless of deadly fear, we had dared to rush on by that +same path between the clashing rocks! Better were it to have overleapt +the will of Zeus and perished in venturing some mighty deed. But now +what should we do, held back by the winds to stay here, if ever so short +a time? How desolate looms before us the edge of the limitless land!" + +(ll. 1259-1276) Thus one spake; and among them Ancaeus the helmsman, in +despair at their evil case, spoke with grieving heart: "Verily we are +undone by a terrible doom; there is no escape from ruin; we must suffer +the cruellest woes, having fallen on this desolation, even though +breezes should blow from the land; for, as I gaze far around, on every +side do I behold a sea of shoals, and masses of water, fretted line upon +line, run over the hoary sand. And miserably long ago would our sacred +ship have been shattered far from the shore; but the tide itself bore +her high on to the land from the deep sea. But now the tide rushes back +to the sea, and only the foam, whereon no ship can sail, rolls round us, +just covering the land. Wherefore I deem that all hope of our voyage and +of our return is cut off. Let someone else show his skill; let him sit +at the helm the man that is eager for our deliverance. But Zeus has no +will to fulfil our day of return after all our toils." + +(ll. 1277-1317) Thus he spake with tears, and all of them that had +knowledge of ships agreed thereto; but the hearts of all grew numb, and +pallor overspread their cheeks. And as, like lifeless spectres, men +roam through a city awaiting the issue of war or of pestilence, or some +mighty storm which overwhelms the countless labours of oxen, when the +images of their own accord sweat and run down with blood, and bellowings +are heard in temples, or when at mid-day the sun draws on night from +heaven, and the stars shine clear through the mist; so at that time +along the endless strand the chieftains wandered, groping their way. +Then straightway dark evening came upon them; and piteously did they +embrace each other and say farewell with tears, that they might, each +one apart from his fellow, fall on the sand and die. And this way and +that they went further to choose a resting-place; and they wrapped their +heads in their cloaks and, fasting and unfed, lay down all that night +and the day, awaiting a piteous death. But apart the maidens huddled +together lamented beside the daughter of Aeetes. And as when, forsaken +by their mother, unfledged birds that have fallen from a cleft in the +rock chirp shrilly; or when by the banks of fair-flowing Pactolus, swans +raise their song, and all around the dewy meadow echoes and the river's +fair stream; so these maidens, laying in the dust their golden hair, all +through the night wailed their piteous lament. And there all would have +parted from life without a name and unknown to mortal men, those bravest +of heroes, with their task unfulfilled; but as they pined in despair, +the heroine-nymphs, warders of Libya, had pity on them, they who once +found Athena, what time she leapt in gleaming armour from her father's +head, and bathed her by Trito's waters. It was noon-tide and the +fiercest rays of the sun were scorching Libya; they stood near Aeson's +son, and lightly drew the cloak from his head. And the hero cast down +his eyes and looked aside, in reverence for the goddesses, and as he lay +bewildered all alone they addressed him openly with gentle words: + +(ll. 1318-1329) "Ill-starred one, why art thou so smitten with despair? +We know how ye went in quest of the golden fleece; we know each toil of +yours, all the mighty deeds ye wrought in your wanderings over land +and sea. We are the solitary ones, goddesses of the land, speaking with +human voice, the heroines, Libya's warders and daughters. Up then; +be not thus afflicted in thy misery, and rouse thy comrades. And when +Amphitrite has straightway loosed Poseidon's swift-wheeled car, then do +ye pay to your mother a recompense for all her travail when she bare you +so long in her womb; and so ye may return to the divine land of Achaea." + +(ll. 1330-1332) Thus they spake, and with the voice vanished at once, +where they stood. But Jason sat upon the earth as he gazed around, and +thus cried: + +(ll. 1333-1336) "Be gracious, noble goddesses of the desert, yet the +saying about our return I understand not clearly. Surely I will gather +together my comrades and tell them, if haply we can find some token of +our escape, for the counsel of many is better." + +(ll. 1337-1346) He spake, and leapt to his feet, and shouted afar to his +comrades, all squalid with dust, like a lion when he roars through +the woodland seeking his mate; and far off in the mountains the glens +tremble at the thunder of his voice; and the oxen of the field and +the herdsmen shudder with fear; yet to them Jason's voice was no whit +terrible the voice of a comrade calling to his friends. And with looks +downcast they gathered near, and hard by where the ship lay he made them +sit down in their grief and the women with them, and addressed them and +told them everything: + +(ll. 1347-1362) "Listen, friends; as I lay in my grief, three goddesses +girded with goat-skins from the neck downwards round the back and waist, +like maidens, stood over my head nigh at hand; and they uncovered me, +drawing my cloak away with light hand, and they bade me rise up myself +and go and rouse you, and pay to our mother a bounteous recompense for +all her travail when she bare us so long in her womb, when Amphitrite +shall have loosed Poseidon's swift-wheeled car. But I cannot fully +understand concerning this divine message. They said indeed that they +were heroines, Libya's warders and daughters; and all the toils that +we endured aforetime by land and sea, all these they declared that they +knew full well. Then I saw them no more in their place, but a mist or +cloud came between and hid them from my sight." + +(ll. 1363-1369) Thus he spake, and all marvelled as they heard. Then was +wrought for the Minyae the strangest of portents. From the sea to the +land leapt forth a monstrous horse, of vast size, with golden mane +tossing round his neck; and quickly from his limbs he shook off abundant +spray and started on his course, with feet like the wind. And at once +Peleus rejoiced and spake among the throng of his comrades: + +(ll. 1370-1379) "I deem that Poseidon's ear has even now been loosed by +the hands of his dear wife, and I divine that our mother is none else +than our ship herself; for surely she bare us in her womb and groans +unceasingly with grievous travailing. But with unshaken strength and +untiring shoulders will we lift her up and bear her within this country +of sandy wastes, where yon swift-footed steed has sped before. For he +will not plunge beneath the earth; and his hoof-prints, I ween, will +point us to some bay above the sea." + +(ll. 1380-1392) Thus he spake, and the fit counsel pleased all. This is +the tale the Muses told; and I sing obedient to the Pierides, and this +report have I heard most truly; that ye, O mightiest far of the sons +of kings, by your might and your valour over the desert sands of Libya +raised high aloft on your shoulders the ship and all that ye brought +therein, and bare her twelve days and nights alike. Yet who could tell +the pain and grief which they endured in that toil? Surely they were +of the blood of the immortals, such a task did they take on them, +constrained by necessity. How forward and how far they bore her gladly +to the waters of the Tritonian lake! How they strode in and set her down +from their stalwart shoulders! + +(ll. 1393-1421) Then, like raging hounds, they rushed to search for a +spring; for besides their suffering and anguish, a parching thirst lay +upon them, and not in vain did they wander; but they came to the sacred +plain where Ladon, the serpent of the land, till yesterday kept watch +over the golden apples in the garden of Atlas; and all around the +nymphs, the Hesperides, were busied, chanting their lovely song. But +at that time, stricken by Heracles, he lay fallen by the trunk of the +apple-tree; only the tip of his tail was still writhing; but from his +head down his dark spine he lay lifeless; and where the arrows had left +in his blood the bitter gall of the Lernaean hydra, flies withered and +died over the festering wounds. And close at hand the Hesperides, their +white arms flung over their golden heads, lamented shrilly; and the +heroes drew near suddenly; but the maidens, at their quick approach, at +once became dust and earth where they stood. Orpheus marked the divine +portent, and for his comrades addressed them in prayer: "O divine ones, +fair and kind, be gracious, O queens, whether ye be numbered among +the heavenly goddesses, or those beneath the earth, or be called the +Solitary nymphs; come, O nymphs, sacred race of Oceanus, appear manifest +to our longing eyes and show us some spring of water from the rock or +some sacred flow gushing from the earth, goddesses, wherewith we may +quench the thirst that burns us unceasingly. And if ever again we return +in our voyaging to the Achaean land, then to you among the first of +goddesses with willing hearts will we bring countless gifts, libations +and banquets." + +(ll. 1422-1431) So he spake, beseeching them with plaintive voice; and +they from their station near pitied their pain; and lo! First of all +they caused grass to spring from the earth; and above the grass rose +up tall shoots, and then flourishing saplings grew standing upright far +above the earth. Hespere became a poplar and Eretheis an elm, and Aegle +a willow's sacred trunk. And forth from these trees their forms looked +out, as clear as they were before, a marvel exceeding great, and Aegle +spake with gentle words answering their longing looks: + +(ll. 1432-1449) "Surely there has come hither a mighty succour to your +toils, that most accursed man, who robbed our guardian serpent of life +and plucked the golden apples of the goddesses and is gone; and has +left bitter grief for us. For yesterday came a man most fell in wanton +violence, most grim in form; and his eyes flashed beneath his scowling +brow; a ruthless wretch; and he was clad in the skin of a monstrous lion +of raw hide, untanned; and he bare a sturdy bow of olive, and a bow, +wherewith he shot and killed this monster here. So he too came, as one +traversing the land on foot, parched with thirst; and he rushed wildly +through this spot, searching for water, but nowhere was he like to +see it. Now here stood a rock near the Tritonian lake; and of his own +device, or by the prompting of some god, he smote it below with his +foot; and the water gushed out in full flow. And he, leaning both his +hands and chest upon the ground, drank a huge draught from the rifted +rock, until, stooping like a beast of the field, he had satisfied his +mighty maw." + +(ll. 1450-1457) Thus she spake; and they gladly with joyful steps ran +to the spot where Aegle had pointed out to them the spring, until they +reached it. And as when earth-burrowing ants gather in swarms round a +narrow cleft, or when flies lighting upon a tiny drop of sweet honey +cluster round with insatiate eagerness; so at that time, huddled +together, the Minyae thronged about the spring from the rock. And thus +with wet lips one cried to another in his delight: + +(ll. 1458-1460) "Strange! In very truth Heracles, though far away, has +saved his comrades, fordone with thirst. Would that we might find him on +his way as we pass through the mainland!" + +(ll. 1461-1484) So they spake, and those who were ready for this work +answered, and they separated this way and that, each starting to search. +For by the night winds the footsteps had been effaced where the sand was +stirred. The two sons of Boreas started up, trusting in their wings; +and Euphemus, relying on his swift feet, and Lynceus to cast far his +piercing eyes; and with them darted off Canthus, the fifth. He was urged +on by the doom of the gods and his own courage, that he might learn for +certain from Heracles where he had left Polyphemus, son of Eilatus; for +he was minded to question him on every point concerning his comrade. But +that hero had founded a glorious city among the Mysians, and, yearning +for his home-return, had passed far over the mainland in search of Argo; +and in time he reached the land of the Chalybes, who dwell near the sea; +there it was that his fate subdued him. And to him a monument stands +under a tall poplar, just facing the sea. But that day Lynceus thought +he saw Heracles all alone, far off, over measureless land, as a man at +the month's beginning sees, or thinks he sees, the moon through a bank +of cloud. And he returned and told his comrades that no other +searcher would find Heracles on his way, and they also came back, and +swift-footed Euphemus and the twin sons of Thracian Boreas, after a vain +toil. + +(ll. 1485-1501) But thee, Canthus, the fates of death seized in Libya. +On pasturing flocks didst thou light; and there followed a shepherd who, +in defence of his own sheep, while thou weft leading them off [1411] to +thy comrades in their need, slew thee by the cast of a stone; for he was +no weakling, Caphaurus, the grandson of Lycoreian Phoebus and the chaste +maiden Acacallis, whom once Minos drove from home to dwell in Libya, his +own daughter, when she was bearing the gods' heavy load; and she bare +to Phoebus a glorious son, whom they call Amphithemis and Garamas. And +Amphithemis wedded a Tritonian nymph; and she bare to him Nasamon and +strong Caphaurus, who on that day in defending his sheep slew Canthus. +But he escaped not the chieftains' avenging hands, when they learned the +deed he had done. And the Minyae, when they knew it, afterwards took up +the corpse and buried it in the earth, mourning; and the sheep they took +with them. + +(ll. 1502-1536) Thereupon on the same day a pitiless fate seized +Mopsus too, son of Ampycus; and he escaped not a bitter doom by his +prophesying; for there is no averting of death. Now there lay in the +sand, avoiding the midday heat, a dread serpent, too sluggish of his own +will to strike at an unwilling foe, nor yet would he dart full face at +one that would shrink back. But into whatever of all living beings that +life-giving earth sustains that serpent once injects his black venom, +his path to Hades becomes not so much as a cubit's length, not even if +Paeeon, if it is right for me to say this openly, should tend him, when +its teeth have only grazed the skin. For when over Libya flew godlike +Perseus Eurymedon for by that name his mother called him--bearing to the +king the Gorgon's head newly severed, all the drops of dark blood +that fell to the earth, produced a brood of those serpents. Now Mopsus +stepped on the end of its spine, setting thereon the sole of his left +foot; and it writhed round in pain and bit and tore the flesh between +the shin and the muscles. And Medea and her handmaids fled in terror; +but Canthus bravely felt the bleeding wound; for no excessive pain +harassed him. Poor wretch! Already a numbness that loosed his limbs was +stealing beneath his skin, and a thick mist was spreading over his eyes. +Straightway his heavy limbs sank helplessly to the ground and he grew +cold; and his comrades and the hero, Aeson's son, gathered round, +marvelling at the close-coming doom. Nor yet though dead might he lie +beneath the sun even for a little space. For at once the poison began to +rot his flesh within, and the hair decayed and fell from the skin. And +quickly and in haste they dug a deep grave with mattocks of bronze; and +they tore their hair, the heroes and the maidens, bewailing the dead +man's piteous suffering; and when he had received due burial rites, +thrice they marched round the tomb in full armour, and heaped above him +a mound of earth. + +(ll. 1537-1553) But when they had gone aboard, as the south wind blew +over the sea, and they were searching for a passage to go forth from the +Tritonian lake, for long they had no device, but all the day were borne +on aimlessly. And as a serpent goes writhing along his crooked path when +the sun's fiercest rays scorch him; and with a hiss he turns his head to +this side and that, and in his fury his eyes glow like sparks of fire, +until he creeps to his lair through a cleft in the rock; so Argo seeking +an outlet from the lake, a fairway for ships, wandered for a long time. +Then straightway Orpheus bade them bring forth from the ship Apollo's +massy tripod and offer it to the gods of the land as propitiation for +their return. So they went forth and set Apollo's gift on the shore; +then before them stood, in the form of a youth, farswaying Triton, and +he lifted a clod from the earth and offered it as a stranger's gift, and +thus spake: + +(ll. 1554-1561) "Take it, friends, for no stranger's gift of great worth +have I here by me now to place in the hands of those who beseech me. But +if ye are searching for a passage through this sea, as often is the need +of men passing through a strange land, I will declare it. For my sire +Poseidon has made me to be well versed in this sea. And I rule the shore +if haply in your distant land you have ever heard of Eurypylus, born in +Libya, the home of wild beasts." + +(ll. 1562-1563) Thus he spake, and readily Euphemus held out his hands +towards the clod, and thus addressed him in reply: + +(ll. 1564-1570) "If haply, hero, thou knowest aught of Apis [1412] and +the sea of Minos, tell us truly, who ask it of you. For not of our will +have we come hither, but by the stress of heavy storms have we touched +the borders of this land, and have borne our ship aloft on our shoulders +to the waters of this lake over the mainland, grievously burdened; and +we know not where a passage shows itself for our course to the land of +Pelops." + +(ll. 1571-1585) So he spake; and Triton stretched out his hand and +showed afar the sea and the lake's deep mouth, and then addressed them: +"That is the outlet to the sea, where the deep water lies unmoved and +dark; on each side roll white breakers with shining crests; and the way +between for your passage out is narrow. And that sea stretches away in +mist to the divine land of Pelops beyond Crete; but hold to the right, +when ye have entered the swell of the sea from the lake, and steer your +course hugging the land, as long as it trends to the north; but when the +coast bends, falling away in the other direction, then your course is +safely laid for you if ye go straight forward from the projecting cape. +But go in joy, and as for labour let there be no grieving that limbs in +youthful vigour should still toil." + +(ll. 1586-1596) He spake with kindly counsel; and they at once went +aboard, intent to come forth from the lake by the use of oars. And +eagerly they sped on; meanwhile Triton took up the mighty tripod, and +they saw him enter the lake; but thereafter did no one mark how he +vanished so near them along with the tripod. But their hearts were +cheered, for that one of the blessed had met them in friendly guise. And +they bade Aeson's son offer to him the choicest of the sheep and when he +had slain it chant the hymn of praise. And straightway he chose in haste +and raising the victim slew it over the stern, and prayed with these +words: + +(ll. 1597-1600) "Thou god, who hast manifested thyself on the borders of +this land, whether the daughters born of the sea call thee Triton, the +great sea-marvel, or Phoreys, or Nereus, be gracious, and grant the +return home dear to our hearts." + +(ll. 1601-1637) He spake, and cut the victim's throat over the water and +cast it from the stern. And the god rose up from the depths in form such +as he really was. And as when a man trains a swift steed for the broad +race-course, and runs along, grasping the bushy mane, while the steed +follows obeying his master, and rears his neck aloft in his pride, and +the gleaming bit rings loud as he champs it in his jaws from side to +side; so the god, seizing hollow Argo's keel, guided her onward to the +sea. And his body, from the crown of his head, round his back and waist +as far as the belly, was wondrously like that of the blessed ones in +form; but below his sides the tail of a sea monster lengthened far, +forking to this side and that; and he smote the surface of the waves +with the spines, which below parted into curving fins, like the horns +of the new moon. And he guided Argo on until he sped her into the sea on +her course; and quickly he plunged into the vast abyss; and the heroes +shouted when they gazed with their eyes on that dread portent. There is +the harbour of Argo and there are the signs of her stay, and altars to +Poseidon and Triton; for during that day they tarried. But at dawn with +sails outspread they sped on before the breath of the west wind, keeping +the desert land on their right. And on the next morn they saw the +headland and the recess of the sea, bending inward beyond the jutting +headland. And straightway the west wind ceased, and there came the +breeze of the clear south wind; and their hearts rejoiced at the sound +it made. But when the sun sank and the star returned that bids the +shepherd fold, which brings rest to wearied ploughmen, at that time the +wind died down in the dark night; so they furled the sails and lowered +the tall mast and vigorously plied their polished oars all night and +through the day, and again when the next night came on. And rugged +Carpathus far away welcomed them; and thence they were to cross to +Crete, which rises in the sea above other islands. + +(ll. 1638-1653) And Talos, the man of bronze, as he broke off rocks from +the hard cliff, stayed them from fastening hawsers to the shore, when +they came to the roadstead of Dicte's haven. He was of the stock of +bronze, of the men sprung from ash-trees, the last left among the sons +of the gods; and the son of Cronos gave him to Europa to be the warder +of Crete and to stride round the island thrice a day with his feet of +bronze. Now in all the rest of his body and limbs was he fashioned +of bronze and invulnerable; but beneath the sinew by his ankle was a +blood-red vein; and this, with its issues of life and death, was covered +by a thin skin. So the heroes, though outworn with toil, quickly backed +their ship from the land in sore dismay. And now far from Crete would +they have been borne in wretched plight, distressed both by thirst and +pain, had not Medea addressed them as they turned away: + +(ll. 1654-1658) "Hearken to me. For I deem that I alone can subdue +for you that man, whoever he be, even though his frame be of bronze +throughout, unless his life too is everlasting. But be ready to keep +your ship here beyond the cast of his stones, till he yield the victory +to me." + +(ll. 1659-1672) Thus she spake; and they drew the ship out of range, +resting on their oars, waiting to see what plan unlooked for she would +bring to pass; and she, holding the fold of her purple robe over her +cheeks on each side, mounted on the deck; and Aeson's son took her hand +in his and guided her way along the thwarts. And with songs did she +propitiate and invoke the Death-spirits, devourers of life, the swift +hounds of Hades, who, hovering through all the air, swoop down on the +living. Kneeling in supplication, thrice she called on them with songs, +and thrice with prayers; and, shaping her soul to mischief, with her +hostile glance she bewitched the eyes of Talos, the man of bronze; and +her teeth gnashed bitter wrath against him, and she sent forth baneful +phantoms in the frenzy of her rage. + +(ll. 1673-1693) Father Zeus, surely great wonder rises in my mind, +seeing that dire destruction meets us not from disease and wounds alone, +but lo! even from afar, may be, it tortures us! So Talos, for all +his frame of bronze, yielded the victory to the might of Medea the +sorceress. And as he was heaving massy rocks to stay them from reaching +the haven, he grazed his ankle on a pointed crag; and the ichor gushed +forth like melted lead; and not long thereafter did he stand towering on +the jutting cliff. But even as some huge pine, high up on the mountains, +which woodmen have left half hewn through by their sharp axes when they +returned from the forest--at first it shivers in the wind by night, then +at last snaps at the stump and crashes down; so Talos for a while +stood on his tireless feet, swaying to and fro, when at last, all +strengthless, fell with a mighty thud. For that night there in Crete the +heroes lay; then, just as dawn was growing bright, they built a shrine +to Minoan Athena, and drew water and went aboard, so that first of all +they might by rowing pass beyond Salmone's height. + +(ll. 1694-1730) But straightway as they sped over the wide Cretan sea +night scared them, that night which they name the Pall of Darkness; the +stars pierced not that fatal night nor the beams of the moon, but black +chaos descended from heaven, or haply some other darkness came, rising +from the nethermost depths. And the heroes, whether they drifted in +Hades or on the waters, knew not one whit; but they committed their +return to the sea in helpless doubt whither it was bearing them. But +Jason raised his hands and cried to Phoebus with mighty voice, calling +on him to save them; and the tears ran down in his distress; and often +did he promise to bring countless offerings to Pytho, to Amyclae, and to +Ortygia. And quickly, O son of Leto, swift to hear, didst thou come down +from heaven to the Melantian rocks, which lie there in the sea. Then +darting upon one of the twin peaks, thou raisedst aloft in thy right +hand thy golden bow; and the bow flashed a dazzling gleam all round. And +to their sight appeared a small island of the Sporades, over against +the tiny isle Hippuris, and there they cast anchor and stayed; and +straightway dawn arose and gave them light; and they made for Apollo a +glorious abode in a shady wood, and a shady altar, calling on Phoebus +the "Gleamer", because of the gleam far-seen; and that bare island +they called Anaphe, [1413] for that Phoebus had revealed it to men sore +bewildered. And they sacrificed all that men could provide for sacrifice +on a desolate strand; wherefore when Medea's Phaeacian handmaids saw +them pouring water for libations on the burning brands, they could no +longer restrain laughter within their bosoms, for that ever they had +seen oxen in plenty slain in the halls of Alcinous. And the heroes +delighted in the jest and attacked them with taunting words; and merry +railing and contention flung to and fro were kindled among them. And +from that sport of the heroes such scoffs do the women fling at the +men in that island whenever they propitiate with sacrifices Apollo the +gleaming god, the warder of Anaphe. + +(ll. 1731-1740) But when they had loosed the hawsers thence in +fair weather, then Euphemus bethought him of a dream of the night, +reverencing the glorious son of Maia. For it seemed to him that the +god-given clod of earth held in his palm close to his breast was being +suckled by white streams of milk, and that from it, little though it +was, grew a woman like a virgin; and he, overcome by strong desire, lay +with her in love's embrace; and united with her he pitied her, as +though she were a maiden whom he was feeding with his own milk; but she +comforted him with gentle words: + +(ll. 1741-1745) "Daughter of Triton am I, dear friend, and nurse of thy +children, no maiden; Triton and Libya are my parents. But restore me to +the daughters of Nereus to dwell in the sea near Anaphe; I shall return +again to the light of the sun, to prepare a home for thy descendants." + +(ll. 1746-1748) Of this he stored in his heart the memory, and declared +it to Aeson's son; and Jason pondered a prophecy of the Far-Darter and +lifted up his voice and said: + +(ll. 1749-1754) "My friend, great and glorious renown has fallen to thy +lot. For of this clod when thou hast cast it into the sea, the gods will +make an island, where thy children's children shall dwell; for Triton +gave this to thee as a stranger's gift from the Libyan mainland. None +other of the immortals it was than he that gave thee this when he met +thee." + +(ll. 1755-1764) Thus he spake; and Euphemus made not vain the answer +of Aeson's son; but, cheered by the prophecy, he cast the clod into the +depths. Therefrom rose up an island, Calliste, sacred nurse of the sons +of Euphemus, who in former days dwelt in Sintian Lemnos, and from Lemnos +were driven forth by Tyrrhenians and came to Sparta as suppliants; and +when they left Sparta, Theras, the goodly son of Autesion, brought them +to the island Calliste, and from himself he gave it the name of Thera. +But this befell after the days of Euphemus. + +(ll. 1765-1772) And thence they steadily left behind long leagues of +sea and stayed on the beach of Aegina; and at once they contended in +innocent strife about the fetching of water, who first should draw it +and reach the ship. For both their need and the ceaseless breeze urged +them on. There even to this day do the youths of the Myrmidons take up +on their shoulders full-brimming jars, and with swift feet strive for +victory in the race. + +(ll. 1773-1781) Be gracious, race of blessed chieftains! And may these +songs year after year be sweeter to sing among men. For now have I come +to the glorious end of your toils; for no adventure befell you as ye +came home from Aegina, and no tempest of winds opposed you; but quietly +did ye skirt the Cecropian land and Aulis inside of Euboea and the +Opuntian cities of the Locrians, and gladly did ye step forth upon the +beach of Pagasae. + + + + +ENDNOTES: + + +INTRODUCTION. + +[Footnote 1001: "Or of Naucratis", according to Aelian and Athenaeus.] + +[Footnote 1002: Anth. Pal. xl. 275.] + +[Footnote 1003: iii. 117-124.] + +[Footnote 1004: e.g. compare "Aen." iv. 305 foll. with Ap. Rh. iv. +355 foll.; "Aen." iv. 327-330 with Ap. Rh. I. 897, 898; "Aen." iv. 522 +foll., with Ap. Rh. iii. 744 foll.] + + +BOOK I. + +[Footnote 1101: i.e. God of embarcation.] + +[Footnote 1102: Or, reading EKTOTHEN, "they strongly girded the ship +outside with a well-twisted rope." In either case there is probably no +allusion to YPOZOMATA (ropes for undergirding) which were carried loose +and only used in stormy weather.] + +[Footnote 1103: i.e. God of the shore.] + +[Footnote 1104: i.e. The Starting.] + +[Footnote 1105: Samothrace.] + +[Footnote 1106: i.e. god of disembarcation.] + +[Footnote 1107: Cleite means illustrious.] + +[Footnote 1108: i.e. to avoid grinding it at home.] + +[Footnote 1109: Rhea.] + + +BOOK II. + +[Footnote 1201: i.e. Polydeuces.] + +[Footnote 1202: i.e. Saviour of Sailors.] + +[Footnote 1203: i.e. through the ravine that divides the headland.] + +[Footnote 1204: i.e. river of fair dances.] + +[Footnote 1205: i.e. the bedchamber.] + +[Footnote 1206: The north-west wind.] + +[Footnote 1207: Called "Mossynes".] + +[Footnote 1208: i.e. without exacting gifts from the bridegroom. So +in the "Iliad" ix. 146: Agamemnon offers Achilles any of his three +daughters ANAEONOS.] + + +BOOK III. + +[Footnote 1301: i.e. the fight between the gods and the giants.] + +[Footnote 1302: i.e. the Shining One.] + +[Footnote 1303: A name of Ares.] + +Note 1304: i.e. the liquid that flows in the veins of gods. +(missing anchor) + +Note 1305: Or, reading MENIM, "took no heed of the cause of wrath +with the stranger-folk. (missing anchor) + + +BOOK IV. + +[Footnote 1401: The allusion is to Sesotris. See Herodotus ii. 102 +foll.] + +[Footnote 1402: Or, reading EMETEREN, "into our sea". The Euxine is +meant in any case and the word Ionian is therefore wrong.] + +[Footnote 1403: Apollonius seems to have thought that the Po, the Rhone, +and the Rhine are all connected together.] + +[Footnote 1404: i.e. like the scrapings from skin, APOSTLEGGISMATA; see +Strabo p. 224 for this adventure.] + +[Footnote 1405: The "Symplegades" are referred to, where help was given +by Athena, not by Hera. It is strange that no mention is made of the +"Planctae", properly so called, past which they are soon to be helped. +Perhaps some lines have fallen out.] + +[Footnote 1406: i.e. the Mighty One.] + +[Footnote 1407: i.e. the Wanderers.] + +[Footnote 1408: A fabulous metal, resembling gold in appearance.] + +[Footnote 1409: i.e. the Sickle-island.] + +[Footnote 1410: The old name of Corinth.] + +[Footnote 1411: This seems to be the only possible translation, but the +optative is quite anomalous. We should expect EKOMIZES.] + +[Footnote 1412: An old name of the Peloponnesus.] + +[Footnote 1413: i.e. the isle of Revealing.] + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Argonautica, by Apollonius Rhodius + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ARGONAUTICA *** + +***** This file should be named 830.txt or 830.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/8/3/830/ + +Produced by Douglas B. Killings + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |