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 Tier 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:

"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 off, 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 courtesy."

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:

"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."

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:

"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."

Thus she spake; and over him too, at the tears of the maiden, stole Love

the destroyer, and he thus answered her:

"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 Iolcus, 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!"

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:

"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!"

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."

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 Iolcus for a bane

to Pelias, forsaking her native land.

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."

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.

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.

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 Helice, 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

SUMMARY OF BOOK IV

Invocation of the Muse (1-5).--Grief of Medea, who flies from the

palace during the night and joins the Argonauts (6-91).--By the aid

of Medea, Jason seizes and carries off the golden fleece, after

which the Argonauts depart (92-211).--Pursued by the Colchians,

they land in Paphlagonia, where Argus shows them the route to take

(212-293).--The Argonauts sail up the Ister, by a branch of which

they make their way into the Adriatic, where they find their

progress barred by the Colchians, who had come by a shorter route

(294-337).--Agreement between the Argonauts and the Colchians:

Medea's reproaches to Jason (338-451).--Murder of Apsyrtus by

Jason: the Colchians give up the pursuit (452-551).--The Argonauts

sail along the Eridanus into the Rhone, and reach the abode of

Circe in Italy (552-684).--Jason and Medea are purified by Circe:

the Argonauts pass the isle of the Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, and

the Planctae (685-981).--Arrival among the Phaeacians: here other

Colchians reclaim Medea, and, to prevent her surrender, her

marriage with Jason is celebrated (982-1169).--Departure of the

Argonauts, who are driven by a storm on to the Syrtes: they carry

Argo on their shoulders to the Tritonian lake (1170-1484).--Deaths

of Canthus and Mopsus (1485-1536).--The god Triton conducts Argo

from the lake into the sea (1537-1637).--Episode of the giant Talos

in Crete (1638-1693).--Arrival at the isle Anaphe: the dream of

Euphemus, which is interpreted by Jason: arrival at Aegina and at

Pagasae, the end of the voyage (1694-1781).

BOOK IV

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.

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.

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:

"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

earnest to the Colchian land!"

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:

"Not I alone then stray to the Latmian 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

affliction 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."

"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:

"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."

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."

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.

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

aider 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.

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's

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.

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:

"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."

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 Ancaeus, and with their rowing the ship sped on as they

strained desperately to drive her clear of the river.

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.

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.

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.

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:

"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[1] 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,[2] and partly

to the south into a deep gulf that bends upwards from the Trinacrian

sea, that sea which lies along your land, if indeed Achelous flows forth

from your land."

[Footnote 1: The allusion is to Sesostris, see Herod, ii. 102 foll.]

[Footnote 2: Or, reading [Greek: hêmeterên], "into our sea." The Euxine

is meant in any case and the word Ionian is therefore wrong.]

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 Lycus 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.

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 Peuce, 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.

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 fulfil 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.

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:

"What is this purpose that ye are now devising about me, O son of Aeson?

Has thy triumph utterly cast forgetfulness upon thee, and reckest 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."

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:

"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."

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."

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.

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.

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.

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:

"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."

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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, Phaëthon 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.

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.[1] 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 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[2]; and there are their quoits and their wondrous armour;

and there is the Argoan harbour called after them.

[Footnote 1: Apollonius seems to have thought that the Po, the Rhone,

and the Rhine are all connected together.]

[Footnote 2: i.e. like the scrapings from skin, [Greek: apostlengismata];

see Strabo p. 224 for this adventure.]

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 earth 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.

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.

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:

"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."

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.

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:

"Dear Iris, now come, if ever thou hast fulfilled bidding, his 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."

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:

"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[1] 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,[2] bare to Phorcys, 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."

[Footnote 1: 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 2: i.e. the Mighty One.]

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."

She spake, and darting down from the sky fell amid the eddies of the

dark blue sea; and she called 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 hafts

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 Aeacus' son Peleus, for he was her husband; nor

could anyone see her clearly, but she appeared to his eyes alone, and

thus addressed him:

"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,[1] for that is your destined path. But do thou show my

person to no one, when thou seest us come to meet thee, but keep it

secret in thy mind, lest thou anger me still more than thou didst anger

me before so recklessly."

[Footnote 1: i.e. the Wanderers.]

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.

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.

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 Phaëthusa, 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[1] 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.

[Footnote 1: A fabulous metal, resembling gold in appearance.]

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,[1] 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 Alcinous:

[Footnote 1: i.e. the Sickle-island.]

"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!"

Thus did she implore Arete, shedding tears, and thus each of the

chieftains in turn:

"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 reft 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, would have met all the Colchians face to face and haughty Aeetes

himself; but now ye have forgotten your courage, now that they are all

alone and cut off."

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.

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:

"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."

Thus she spake, beseeching; and by his wife's words his heart was

softened, and thus he spake:

"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."

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.

Thus she spake, and quickly from the hall his feet bore him, that be

might declare to Jason the fair-omened speech of Arete and the counsel

of god-fearing 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.

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 Iolcus; 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.

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 Hock, 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,[1] 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.

[Footnote 1: The old name of Corinth.]

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:

"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!"

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."

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:

"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."

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:

"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."

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:

"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 land 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."

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:

"I deem that Poseidon's car 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."

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!

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."

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:

"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."

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:

"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!"

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 fete 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.

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 wert leading them off[1] 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.

[Footnote 1: This seems to be the only possible translation, but the

optative is quite anomalous. We should expect [Greek: ekomizes].]

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 Paeëon, 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.

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, far-swaying Triton, and

he lifted a clod from the earth and offered it as a stranger's gift, and

thus spake:

"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."

Thus he spake, and readily Euphemus held out his hands towards the clod,

and thus addressed him in reply:

"If haply, hero, thou knowest aught of Apis[1] 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."

[Footnote 1: An old name of the Peloponnesus.]