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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 3 [1102]

(3.1102-1104) Thus he spake, soothing her with gentle converse. But pangs most bitter stirred her heart and in grief did she address him with vehement words:

1102     Ὧς φάτο, μειλιχίοισι καταψήχων ὀάροισιν.
1103 τῆς δ' ἀλεγεινόταται κραδίην ἐρέθεσκον ἀνῖαι,
1104 καί μιν ἀκηχεμένη ἀδινῷ προσπτύξατο μύθῳ:

(3.1105-1117) "In Hellas, I ween, this is fair to pay heed to covenants; but Aeetes is not such a man among men as thou sayest was Pasiphae's husband, Minos; nor can I liken myself to Ariadne; wherefore speak not of guest-love. But only do thou, when thou hast reached Iolcus, remember me, and thee even in my parents' despite, will I remember. And from far off may a rumour come to me or some messenger-bird, when thou forgettest me; or me, even me, may swift blasts catch up and bear over the sea hence to Iolcus, that so I may cast reproaches in thy face and remind thee that it was by my good will thou didst escape. May I then be seated in thy halls, an unexpected guest!"

1105     "Ἑλλάδι που τάδε καλά, συνημοσύνας ἀλεγύνειν.
1106 Αἰήτης δ' οὐ τοῖος ἐν ἀνδράσιν, οἷον ἔειπας
1107 Μίνω Πασιφάης πόσιν ἔμμεναι: οὐδ' Ἀριάδνῃ
1108 ἰσοῦμαι: τῶ μήτι φιλοξενίην ἀγόρευε.
1109 ἀλλ' οἶον τύνη μὲν ἐμεῦ, ὅτ' Ἰωλκὸν ἵκηαι,
1110 μνώεο: σεῖο δ' ἐγὼ καὶ ἐμῶν ἀέκητι τοκήων
1111 μνήσομαι. ἔλθοι δ' ἧμιν ἀπόπροθεν ἠέ τις ὄσσα,
1112 ἠέ τις ἄγγελος ὄρνις, ὅτ' ἐκλελάθοιο ἐμεῖο:
1113 ἢ αὐτήν με ταχεῖαι ὑπὲρ πόντοιο φέροιεν
1114 ἐνθένδ' εἰς Ἰαωλκὸν ἀναρπάξασαι ἄελλαι,
1115 ὄφρα σ', ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἐλεγχείας προφέρουσα,
1116 μνήσω ἐμῇ ἰότητι πεφυγμένον. αἴθε γὰρ εἴην
1117 ἀπροφάτως τότε σοῖσιν ἐφέστιος ἐν μεγάροισιν."

(3.1118-1130) Thus she spake with piteous tears falling down her cheeks, and to her Jason replied: "Let the empty blasts wander at will, lady, and the messenger-bird, for vain is thy talk. But if thou comest to those abodes and to the land of Hellas, honoured and reverenced shalt thou be by women and men; and they shall worship thee even as a goddess, for that by thy counsel their sons came home again, their brothers and kinsmen and stalwart husbands were saved from calamity. And in our bridal chamber shalt thou prepare our couch; and nothing shall come between our love till the doom of death fold us round."

1118     Ὧς ἄρ' ἔφη, ἐλεεινὰ καταπροχέουσα παρειῶν
1119 δάκρυα: τὴν δ' ὅγε δῆθεν ὑποβλήδην προσέειπεν:
1120 "Δαιμονίη, κενεὰς μὲν ἔα πλάζεσθαι ἀέλλας,
1121 ὧς δὲ καὶ ἄγγελον ὄρνιν, ἐπεὶ μεταμώνια βάζεις.
1122 εἰ δέ κεν ἤθεα κεῖνα καὶ Ἑλλάδα γαῖαν ἵκηαι,
1123 τιμήεσσα γυναιξὶ καὶ ἀνδράσιν αἰδοίη τε
1124 ἔσσεαι: οἱ δέ σε πάγχυ θεὸν ὣς πορσανέουσιν,
1125 οὕνεκα τῶν μὲν παῖδες ὑπότροποι οἴκαδ' ἵκοντο
1126 σῇ βουλῇ, τῶν δ' αὖτε κασίγνητοί τε ἔται τε
1127 καὶ θαλεροὶ κακότητος ἄδην ἐσάωθεν ἀκοῖται.
1128 ἡμέτερον δὲ λέχος θαλάμοις ἔνι κουριδίοισιν
1129 πορσυνέεις: οὐδ' ἄμμε διακρινέει φιλότητος
1130 ἄλλο, πάρος θάνατόν γε μεμορμένον ἀμφικαλύψαι."

(3.1131-1136) Thus he spake; and her soul melted within her to hear his words; nevertheless she shuddered to behold the deeds of destruction to come. Poor wretch! Not long was she destined to refuse a home in Hellas. For thus Hera devised it, that Aeaean Medea might come to Ioleus for a bane to Pelias, forsaking her native land.

1131     Ὧς φάτο: τῇ δ' ἔντοσθε κατείβετο θυμὸς ἀκουῇ,
1132 ἔμπης δ' ἔργ' ἀίδηλα κατερρίγησεν ἰδέσθαι.
1133 σχετλίη: οὐ μὲν δηρὸν ἀπαρνήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν
1134 Ἑλλάδα ναιετάειν. ὧς γὰρ τόδε μήδετο Ἥρη,
1135 ὄφρα κακὸν Πελίῃ ἱερὴν ἐς Ἰωλκὸν ἵκοιτο
1136 Αἰαίη Μήδεια, λιποῦσ' ἄπο πατρίδα γαῖαν.

(3.1137-1145) And now her handmaids, glancing at them from a distance, were grieving in silence; and the time of day required that the maiden should return home to her mother's side. But she thought not yet of departing, for her soul delighted both in his beauty and in his winsome words, but Aeson's son took heed, and spake at last, though late: "It is time to depart, lest the sunlight sink before we know it, and some stranger notice all; but again will we come and meet here."

1137     Ἤδη δ' ἀμφίπολοι μὲν ὀπιπεύουσαι ἄπωθεν
1138 σιγῇ ἀνιάζεσκον: ἐδεύετο δ' ἤματος ὥρη
1139 ἂψ οἶκόνδε νέεσθαι ἑὴν μετὰ μητέρα κούρην.
1140 ἡ δ' οὔπω κομιδῆς μιμνήσκετο, τέρπετο γάρ οἱ
1141 θυμὸς ὁμῶς μορφῇ τε καὶ αἱμυλίοισι λόγοισιν,
1142 εἰ μὴ ἄρ' Αἰσονίδης πεφυλαγμένος ὀψέ περ ηὔδα:
1143 "Ὥρη ἀποβλώσκειν, μὴ πρὶν φάος ἠελίοιο
1144 δύῃ ὑποφθάμενον, καί τις τὰ ἕκαστα νοήσῃ
1145 ὀθνείων: αὖτις δ' ἀβολήσομεν ἐνθάδ' ἰόντες."

(3.1146-1162) So did they two make trial of one another thus far with gentle words; and thereafter parted. Jason hastened to return in joyous mood to his comrades and the ship, she to her handmaids; and they all together came near to meet her, but she marked them not at all as they thronged around. For her soul had soared aloft amid the clouds. And her feet of their own accord mounted the swift chariot, and with one hand she took the reins, and with the other the whip of cunning workmanship, to drive the mules; and they rushed hasting to the city and the palace. And when she was come Chalciope in grief for her sons questioned her; but Medea, distraught by swiftly-changing thoughts, neither heard her words nor was eager to speak in answer to her questions. But she sat upon a low stool at the foot of her couch, bending down, her cheek leaning on her left hand, and her eyes were wet with tears as she pondered what an evil deed she had taken part in by her counsels.

1146     Ὧς τώγ' ἀλλήλων ἀγανοῖς ἐπὶ τόσσον ἔπεσσιν
1147 πείρηθεν: μετὰ δ' αὖτε διέτμαγεν. ἤτοι Ἰήσων
1148 εἰς ἑτάρους καὶ νῆα κεχαρμένος ὦρτο νέεσθαι:
1149 ἡ δὲ μετ' ἀμφιπόλους: αἱ δὲ σχεδὸν ἀντεβόλησαν
1150 πᾶσαι ὁμοῦ: τὰς δ' οὔτι περιπλομένας ἐνόησεν.
1151 ψυχὴ γὰρ νεφέεσσι μεταχρονίη πεπότητο.
1152 αὐτομάτοις δὲ πόδεσσι θοῆς ἐπεβήσατ' ἀπήνης,
1153 καί ῥ' ἑτέρῃ μὲν χειρὶ λάβ' ἡνία, τῇ δ' ἄρ' ἱμάσθλην
1154 δαιδαλέην, οὐρῆας ἐλαυνέμεν: οἱ δὲ πόλινδε
1155 θῦνον ἐπειγόμενοι ποτὶ δώματα. τὴν δ' ἄρ' ἰοῦσαν
1156 Χαλκιόπη περὶ παισὶν ἀκηχεμένη ἐρέεινεν:
1157 ἡ δὲ παλιντροπίῃσιν ἀμήχανος οὔτε τι μύθων
1158 ἔκλυεν, οὔτ' αὐδῆσαι ἀνειρομένῃ λελίητο.
1159 ἷζε δ' ἐπὶ χθαμαλῷ σφέλαϊ κλιντῆρος ἔνερθεν
1160 λέχρις ἐρεισαμένη λαιῇ ἐπὶ χειρὶ παρειήν:
1161 ὑγρὰ δ' ἐνὶ βλεφάροις ἔχεν ὄμματα, πορφύρουσα
1162 οἷον ἑῇ κακὸν ἔργον ἐπιξυνώσατο βουλῇ.

(3.1163-1190) Now when Aeson's son had joined his comrades again in the spot where he had left them when he departed, he set out to go with them, telling them all the story, to the gathering of the heroes; and together they approached the ship. And when they saw Jason they embraced him and questioned him. And he told to all the counsels of the maiden and showed the dread charm; but Idas alone of his comrades sat apart biting down his wrath; and the rest joyous in heart, at the hour when the darkness of night stayed them, peacefully took thought for themselves. But at daybreak they sent two men to go to Aeetes and ask for the seed, first Telamon himself, dear to Ares, and with him Aethalides, Hermes' famous son. So they went and made no vain journey; but when they came, lordly Aeetes gave them for the contest the fell teeth of the Aonian dragon which Cadmus found in Ogygian Thebes when he came seeking for Europa and there slew the -- warder of the spring of Ares. There he settled by the guidance of the heifer whom Apollo by his prophetic word granted him to lead him on his way. But the teeth the Tritonian goddess tore away from the dragon's jaws and bestowed as a gift upon Aeetes and the slayer. And Agenor's son, Cadmus, sowed them on the Aonian plains and founded an earthborn people of all who were left from the spear when Ares did the reaping; and the teeth Aeetes then readily gave to be borne to the ship, for he deemed not that Jason would bring the contest to an end, even though he should cast the yoke upon the oxen.

1163     Αἰσονίδης δ' ὅτε δὴ ἑτάροις ἐξαῦτις ἔμικτο
1164 ἐν χώρῃ, ὅθι τούσγε καταπρολιπὼν ἐλιάσθη,
1165 ὦρτ' ἰέναι σὺν τοῖσι, πιφαυσκόμενος τὰ ἕκαστα,
1166 ἡρώων ἐς ὅμιλον: ὁμοῦ δ' ἐπὶ νῆα πέλασσαν.
1167 οἱ δέ μιν ἀμφαγάπαζον, ὅπως ἴδον, ἔκ τ' ἐρέοντο.
1168 αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖς πάντεσσι μετέννεπε δήνεα κούρης,
1169 δεῖξέ τε φάρμακον αἰνόν: ὁ δ' οἰόθεν οἶος ἑταίρων
1170 Ἴδας ἧστ' ἀπάνευθε δακὼν χόλον: οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι
1171 γηθόσυνοι τῆμος μέν, ἐπεὶ κνέφας ἔργαθε νυκτός,
1172 εὔκηλοι ἐμέλοντο περὶ σφίσιν. αὐτὰρ ἅμ' ἠοῖ
1173 πέμπον ἐς Αἰήτην ἰέναι σπόρον αἰτήσοντας
1174 ἄνδρε δύω, πρὸ μὲν αὐτὸν ἀρηίφιλον Τελαμῶνα,
1175 σὺν δὲ καὶ Αἰθαλίδην, υἷα κλυτὸν Ἑρμείαο.
1176 βὰν δ' ἴμεν, οὐδ' ἁλίωσαν ὁδόν: πόρε δέ σφιν ἰοῦσιν
1177 κρείων Αἰήτης χαλεποὺς ἐς ἄεθλον ὀδόντας
1178 Ἀονίοιο δράκοντος, ὃν Ὠγυγίῃ ἐνὶ Θήβῃ
1179 Κάδμος, ὅτ' Εὐρώπην διζήμενος εἰσαφίκανεν,
1180 πέφνεν Ἀρητιάδι κρήνῃ ἐπίουρον ἐόντα:
1181 ἔνθα καὶ ἐννάσθη πομπῇ βοός, ἥν οἱ Ἀπόλλων
1182 ὤπασε μαντοσύνῃσι προηγήτειραν ὁδοῖο.
1183 τοὺς δὲ θεὰ Τριτωνὶς ὑπὲκ γενύων ἐλάσασα
1184 Αἰήτῃ πόρε δῶρον ὁμῶς αὐτῷ τε φονῆι.
1185 καί ῥ' ὁ μὲν Ἀονίοισιν ἐνισπείρας πεδίοισιν
1186 Κάδμος Ἀγηνορίδης γαιηγενῆ εἵσατο λαόν,
1187 Ἄρεος ἀμώοντος ὅσοι ὑπὸ δουρὶ λίποντο:
1188 τοὺς δὲ τότ' Αἰήτης ἔπορεν μετὰ νῆα φέρεσθαι
1189 προφρονέως, ἐπεὶ οὔ μιν ὀίσσατο πείρατ' ἀέθλου
1190 ἐξανύσειν, εἰ καί περ ἐπὶ ζυγὰ βουσὶ βάλοιτο.

(3.1191-1224) Far away in the west the sun was sailing beneath the dark earth, beyond the furthest hills of the Aethiopians; and Night was laying the yoke upon her steeds; and the heroes were preparing their beds by the hawsers. But Jason, as soon as the stars of Heliee, the bright-gleaming bear, had set, and the air had all grown still under heaven, went to a desert spot, like some stealthy thief, with all that was needful; for beforehand in the daytime had he taken thought for everything; and Argus came bringing a ewe and milk from the flock; and them he took from the ship. But when the hero saw a place which was far away from the tread of men, in a clear meadow beneath the open sky, there first of all he bathed his tender body reverently in the sacred river; and round him he placed a dark robe, which Hypsipyle of Lemnos had given him aforetime, a memorial of many a loving embrace. Then he dug a pit in the ground of a cubit's depth and heaped up billets of wood, and over it he cut the throat of the sheep, and duly placed the carcase above; and he kindled the logs placing fire beneath, and poured over them mingled libations, calling on Hecate Brimo to aid him in the contests. And when he had called on her he drew back; and she heard him, the dread goddess, from the uttermost depths and came to the sacrifice of Aeson's son; and round her horrible serpents twined themselves among the oak boughs; and there was a gleam of countless torches; and sharply howled around her the hounds of hell. All the meadows trembled at her step; and the nymphs that haunt the marsh and the river shrieked, all who dance round that mead of Amarantian Phasis. And fear seized Aeson's son, but not even so did he turn round as his feet bore him forth, till he came back to his comrades; and now early dawn arose and shed her light above snowy Caucasus.

1191     Ἠέλιος μὲν ἄπωθεν ἐρεμνὴν δύετο γαῖαν
1192 ἑσπέριος, νεάτας ὑπὲρ ἄκριας Αἰθιοπήων:
1193 Νὺξ δ' ἵπποισιν ἔβαλλεν ἔπι ζυγά: τοὶ δὲ χαμεύνας
1194 ἔντυον ἥρωες παρὰ πείσμασιν. αὐτὰρ Ἰήσων
1195 αὐτίκ' ἐπεί ῥ' Ἑλίκης εὐφεγγέος ἀστέρες Ἄρκτου
1196 ἔκλιθεν, οὐρανόθεν δὲ πανεύκηλος γένετ' αἰθήρ,
1197 βῆ ῥ' ἐς ἐρημαίην, κλωπήιος ἠύτε τις φώρ,
1198 σὺν πᾶσιν χρήεσσι: πρὸ γάρ τ' ἀλέγυνεν ἕκαστα
1199 ἠμάτιος: θῆλυν μὲν ὄιν, γάλα τ' ἔκτοθι ποίμνης
1200 Ἄργος ἰὼν ἤνεικε: τὰ δ' ἐξ αὐτῆς ἕλε νηός.
1201 ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ ἴδε χῶρον, ὅτις πάτου ἔκτοθεν ἦεν
1202 ἀνθρώπων, καθαρῇσιν ὑπεύδιος εἱαμενῇσιν,
1203 ἔνθ' ἤτοι πάμπρωτα λοέσσατο μὲν ποταμοῖο
1204 εὐαγέως θείοιο τέρεν δέμας: ἀμφὶ δὲ φᾶρος
1205 ἕσσατο κυάνεον, τό ῥά οἱ πάρος ἐγγυάλιξεν
1206 Λημνιὰς Ὑψιπύλη, ἀδινῆς μνημήιον εὐνῆς.
1207 πήχυιον δ' ἄρ' ἔπειτα πέδῳ ἔνι βόθρον ὀρύξας
1208 νήησε σχίζας, ἐπὶ δ' ἀρνειοῦ τάμε λαιμόν,
1209 αὐτόν τ' εὖ καθύπερθε τανύσσατο: δαῖε δὲ φιτρους
1210 πῦρ ὑπένερθεν ἱείς, ἐπὶ δὲ μιγάδας χέε λοιβάς,
1211 Βριμὼ κικλήσκων Ἑκάτην ἐπαρωγὸν ἀέθλων.
1212 καί ῥ' ὁ μὲν ἀγκαλέσας πάλιν ἔστιχεν: ἡ δ' ἀίουσα
1213 κευθμῶν ἐξ ὑπάτων δεινὴ θεὸς ἀντεβόλησεν
1214 ἱροῖς Αἰσονίδαο: πέριξ δέ μιν ἐστεφάνωντο
1215 σμερδαλέοι δρυΐνοισι μετὰ πτόρθοισι δράκοντες.
1216 στράπτε δ' ἀπειρέσιον δαΐδων σέλας: ἀμφὶ δὲ τήνγε
1217 ὀξείῃ ὑλακῇ χθόνιοι κύνες ἐφθέγγοντο.
1218 πίσεα δ' ἔτρεμε πάντα κατὰ στίβον: αἱ δ' ὀλόλυξαν
1219 νύμφαι ἑλειονόμοι ποταμηίδες, αἳ περὶ κείνην
1220 Φάσιδος εἱαμενὴν Ἀμαραντίου εἱλίσσονται.
1221 Αἰσονίδην δ' ἤτοι μὲν ἕλεν δέος, ἀλλά μιν οὐδ' ὧς
1222 ἐντροπαλιζόμενον πόδες ἔκφερον, ὄφρ' ἑτάροισιν
1223 μίκτο κιών: ἤδη δὲ φόως νιφόεντος ὕπερθεν
1224 Καυκάσου ἠριγενὴς Ἠὼς βάλεν ἀντέλλουσα.


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