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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 3 [1008]

(3.1008-1025) Thus he spake, honouring her; and she cast her eyes down with a smile divinely sweet; and her soul melted within her, uplifted by his praise, and she gazed upon him face to face; nor did she know what word to utter first, but was eager to pour out everything at once. And forth from her fragrant girdle ungrudgingly she brought out the charm; and he at once received it in his hands with joy. And she would even have drawn out all her soul from her breast and given it to him, exulting in his desire; so wonderfully did love flash forth a sweet flame from the golden head of Aeson's son; and he captivated her gleaming eyes; and her heart within grew warm, melting away as the dew melts away round roses when warmed by the morning's light. And now both were fixing their eyes on the ground abashed, and again were throwing glances at each other, smiling with the light of love beneath their radiant brows. And at last and scarcely then did the maiden greet him:

1008      Ὧς φάτο κυδαίνων: ἡ δ' ἐγκλιδὸν ὄσσε βαλοῦσα
1009 νεκτάρεον μείδησ' ἐχύθη δέ οἱ ἔνδοθι θυμὸς
1010 αἴνῳ ἀειρομένης, καὶ ἀνέδρακεν ὄμμασιν ἄντην:
1011 οὐδ' ἔχεν ὅττι πάροιθεν ἔπος προτιμυθήσαιτο,
1012 ἀλλ' ἄμυδις μενέαινεν ἀολλέα πάντ' ἀγορεῦσαι.
1013 προπρὸ δ' ἀφειδήσασα θυώδεος ἔξελε μίτρης
1014 φάρμακον: αὐτὰρ ὅγ' αἶψα χεροῖν ὑπέδεκτο γεγηθώς.
1015 καί νύ κέ οἱ καὶ πᾶσαν ἀπὸ στηθέων ἀρύσασα
1016 ψυχὴν ἐγγυάλιξεν ἀγαιομένη χατέοντι:
1017 τοῖος ἀπὸ ξανθοῖο καρήατος Αἰσονίδαο
1018 στράπτεν Ἔρως ἡδεῖαν ἀπὸ φλόγα: τῆς δ' ἀμαρυγὰς
1019 ὀφθαλμῶν ἥρπαζεν: ἰαίνετο δὲ φρένας εἴσω
1020 τηκομένη, οἷόν τε περὶ ῥοδέῃσιν ἐέρση
1021 τήκεται ἠῴοισιν ἰαινομένη φαέεσσιν.
1022 ἄμφω δ' ἄλλοτε μέν τε κατ' οὔδεος ὄμματ' ἔρειδον
1023 αἰδόμενοι, ὁτὲ δ' αὖτις ἐπὶ σφίσι βάλλον ὀπωπάς,
1024 ἱμερόεν φαιδρῇσιν ὑπ' ὀφρύσι μειδιόωντες.
1025 ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ τοίοισι μόλις προσπτύξατο κούρη:

(3.1026-1062) "Take heed now, that I may devise help for thee. When at thy coming my father has given thee the deadly teeth from the dragon's jaws for sowing, then watch for the time when the night is parted in twain, then bathe in the stream of the tireless river, and alone, apart from others, clad in dusky raiment, dig a rounded pit; and therein slay a ewe, and sacrifice it whole, heaping high the pyre on the very edge of the pit. And propitiate only-begotten Hecate, daughter of Perses, pouring from a goblet the hive-stored labour of bees. And then, when thou hast heedfully sought the grace of the goddess, retreat from the pyre; and let neither the sound of feet drive thee to turn back, nor the baying of hounds, lest haply thou shouldst maim all the rites and thyself fail to return duly to thy comrades. And at dawn steep this charm in water, strip, and anoint thy body therewith as with oil; and in it there will be boundless prowess and mighty strength, and thou wilt deem thyself a match not for men but for the immortal gods. And besides, let thy spear and shield and sword be sprinkled. Thereupon the spear-heads of the earthborn men shall not pierce thee, nor the flame of the deadly bulls as it rushes forth resistless. But such thou shalt be not for long, but for that one day; still never flinch from the contest. And I will tell thee besides of yet another help. As soon as thou hast yoked the strong oxen, and with thy might and thy prowess hast ploughed all the stubborn fallow, and now along the furrows the Giants are springing up, when the serpent's teeth are sown on the dusky clods, if thou markest them uprising in throngs from the fallow, cast unseen among them a massy stone; and they over it, like ravening hounds over their food, will slay one another; and do thou thyself hasten to rush to the battle- strife, and the fleece thereupon thou shalt bear far away from Aea; nevertheless, depart wherever thou wilt, or thy pleasure takes thee, when thou hast gone hence."

1026     "Φράζεο νῦν, ὥς κέν τοι ἐγὼ μητίσομ' ἀρωγήν.
1027 εὖτ' ἂν δὴ μετιόντι πατὴρ ἐμὸς ἐγγυαλίξῃ
1028 ἐξ ὄφιος γενύων ὀλοοὺς σπείρασθαι ὀδόντας,
1029 δὴ τότε μέσσην νύκτα διαμμοιρηδὰ φυλάξας,
1030 ἀκαμάτοιο ῥοῇσι λοεσσάμενος ποταμοῖο,
1031 οἶος ἄνευθ' ἄλλων ἐνὶ φάρεσι κυανέοισιν
1032 βόθρον ὀρύξασθαι περιηγέα: τῷ δ' ἔνι θῆλυν
1033 ἀρνειὸν σφάζειν, καὶ ἀδαίετον ὠμοθετῆσαι,
1034 αὐτῷ πυρκαϊὴν εὖ νηήσας ἐπὶ βόθρῳ.
1035 μουνογενῆ δ' Ἑκάτην Περσηίδα μειλίσσοιο,
1036 λείβων ἐκ δέπαος σιμβλήια ἔργα μελισσέων.
1037 ἔνθα δ' ἐπεί κε θεὰν μεμνημένος ἱλάσσηαι,
1038 ἂψ ἀπὸ πυρκαϊῆς ἀναχάζεο: μηδέ σε δοῦπος
1039 ἠὲ ποδῶν ὄρσῃσι μεταστρεφθῆναι ὀπίσσω,
1040 ἠὲ κυνῶν ὑλακή, μή πως τὰ ἕκαστα κολούσας
1041 οὐδ' αὐτὸς κατὰ κόσμον ἑοῖς ἑτάροισι πελάσσῃς.
1042 ἦρι δὲ μυδήνας τόδε φάρμακον, ἠύτ' ἀλοιφῇ
1043 γυμνωθεὶς φαίδρυνε τεὸν δέμας: ἐν δέ οἱ ἀλκὴ
1044 ἔσσετ' ἀπειρεσίη μέγα τε σθένος, οὐδέ κε φαίης
1045 ἀνδράσιν, ἀλλὰ θεοῖσιν ἰσαζέμεν ἀθανάτοισιν.
1046 πρὸς δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ δουρὶ σάκος πεπαλαγμένον ἔστω
1047 καὶ ξίφος. ἔνθ' οὐκ ἄν σε διατμήξειαν ἀκωκαὶ
1048 γηγενέων ἀνδρῶν, οὐδ' ἄσχετος ἀίσσουσα
1049 φλὸξ ὀλοῶν ταύρων. τοῖός γε μὲν οὐκ ἐπὶ δηρὸν
1050 ἔσσεαι, ἀλλ' αὐτῆμαρ: ὅμως σύγε μή ποτ' ἀέθλου
1051 χάζεο. καὶ δέ τοι ἄλλο παρὲξ ὑποθήσομ' ὄνειαρ.
1052 αὐτίκ' ἐπὴν κρατεροὺς ζεύξῃς βόας, ὦκα δὲ πᾶσαν
1053 χερσὶ καὶ ἠνορέῃ στυφελὴν διὰ νειὸν ἀρόσσῃς,
1054 οἱ δ' ἤδη κατὰ ὦλκας ἀνασταχύωσι Γίγαντες
1055 σπειρομένων ὄφιος δνοφερὴν ἐπὶ βῶλον ὀδόντων,
1056 αἴ κεν ὀρινομένους πολέας νειοῖο δοκεύσῃς,
1057 λάθρῃ λᾶαν ἄφες στιβαρώτερον: οἱ δ' ἂν ἐπ' αὐτῷ,
1058 καρχαλέοι κύνες ὥστε περὶ βρώμης, ὀλέκοιεν
1059 ἀλλήλους: καὶ δ' αὐτὸς ἐπείγεο δηιοτῆτος
1060 ἰθῦσαι. τὸ δὲ κῶας ἐς Ἑλλάδα τοῖό γ' ἕκητι
1061 οἴσεαι ἐξ Αἴης τηλοῦ ποθί: νίσσεο δ' ἔμπης,
1062 ᾗ φίλον, ἤ τοι ἕαδεν ἀφορμηθέντι νέεσθαι."

(3.1063-1068) Thus she spake, and cast her eyes to her feet in silence, and her cheek, divinely fair, was wet with warm tears as she sorrowed for that he was about to wander far from her side over the wide sea: and once again she addressed him face to face with mournful words, and took his right hand; for now shame had left her eyes:

1063      Ὧς ἄρ' ἔφη, καὶ σῖγα ποδῶν πάρος ὄσσε βαλοῦσα
1064 θεσπέσιον λιαροῖσι παρηίδα δάκρυσι δεῦεν
1065 μυρομένη, ὅ τ' ἔμελλεν ἀπόπροθι πολλὸν ἑοῖο
1066 πόντον ἐπιπλάγξεσθαι: ἀνιηρῷ δέ μιν ἄντην
1067 ἐξαῦτις μύθῳ προσεφώνεεν, εἷλέ τε χειρὸς
1068 δεξιτερῆς: δὴ γάρ οἱ ἀπ' ὀφθαλμοὺς λίπεν αἰδώς:

(3.1069-1076) "Remember, if haply thou returnest to thy home, Medea's name; and so will I remember thine, though thou be far away. And of thy kindness tell me this, where is thy home, whither wilt thou sail hence in thy ship over the sea; wilt thou come near wealthy Orchomenus, or near the Aeaean isle? And tell me of the maiden, whosoever she be that thou hast named, the far-renowned daughter of Pasiphae, who is kinswoman to my father."

1069     "Μνώεο δ', ἢν ἄρα δή ποθ' ὑπότροπος οἴκαδ' ἵκηαι,
1070 οὔνομα Μηδείης: ὧς δ' αὖτ' ἐγὼ ἀμφὶς ἐόντος
1071 μνήσομαι. εἰπὲ δέ μοι πρόφρων τόδε, πῇ τοι ἔασιν
1072 δώματα, πῇ νῦν ἔνθεν ὑπεὶρ ἅλα νηὶ περήσεις:
1073 ἤ νύ που ἀφνειοῦ σχεδὸν ἵξεαι Ὀρχομενοῖο,
1074 ἦε καὶ Αἰαίης νήσου πέλας; εἰπὲ δὲ κούρην,
1075 ἥντινα τήνδ' ὀνόμηνας ἀριγνώτην γεγαυῖαν
1076 Πασιφάης, ἣ πατρὸς ὁμόγνιός ἐστιν ἐμεῖο."

(3.1077-1078) Thus she spake; and over him too, at the tears of the maiden, stole Love the destroyer, and he thus answered her:

1077     Ὧς φάτο: τὸν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπήιε δάκρυσι κούρης
1078 οὖλος Ἔρως, τοῖον δὲ παραβλήδην ἔπος ηὔδα:

(3.1079-1101) "All too surely do I deem that never by night and never by day will I forget thee if I escape death and indeed make my way in safety to the Achaean land, and Aeetes set not before us some other contest worse than this. And if it pleases thee to know about my fatherland, I will tell it out; for indeed my own heart bids me do that. There is a land encircled by lofty mountains, rich in sheep and in pasture, where Prometheus, son of Iapetus, begat goodly Deucalion, who first founded cities and reared temples to the immortal gods, and first ruled over men. This land the neighbours who dwell around call Haemonia. And in it stands Ioleus, my city, and in it many others, where they have not so much as heard the name of the Aeaean isle; yet there is a story that Minyas starting thence, Minyas son of Aeolus, built long ago the city of Orchomenus that borders on the Cadmeians. But why do I tell thee all this vain talk, of our home and of Minos' daughter, far-famed Ariadne, by which glorious name they called that lovely maiden of whom thou askest me? Would that, as Minos then was well inclined to Theseus for her sake, so may thy father be joined to us in friendship!"

1079 "Καὶ λίην οὐ νύκτας ὀίομαι, οὐδέ ποτ' ἦμαρ
1080 σεῦ ἐπιλήσεσθαι, προφυγὼν μόρον, εἰ ἐτεόν γε
1081 φεύξομαι ἀσκηθὴς ἐς Ἀχαιίδα, μηδέ τιν' ἄλλον
1082 Αἰήτης προβάλῃσι κακώτερον ἄμμιν ἄεθλον.
1083 εἰ δέ τοι ἡμετέρην ἐξίδμεναι εὔαδε πάτρην,
1084 ἐξερέω: μάλα γάρ με καὶ αὐτὸν θυμὸς ἀνώγει.
1085 ἔστι τις αἰπεινοῖσι περίδρομος οὔρεσι γαῖα,
1086 πάμπαν ἐύρρηνός τε καὶ εὔβοτος, ἔνθα Προμηθεὺς
1087 Ἰαπετιονίδης ἀγαθὸν τέκε Δευκαλίωνα,
1088 ὃς πρῶτος ποίησε πόλεις καὶ ἐδείματο νηοὺς
1089 ἀθανάτοις, πρῶτος δὲ καὶ ἀνθρώπων βασίλευσεν.
1090 Αἱμονίην δὴ τήνγε περικτίονες καλέουσιν.
1091 ἐν δ' αὐτῇ Ἰαωλκός, ἐμὴ πόλις, ἐν δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι
1092 πολλαὶ ναιετάουσιν, ἵν' οὐδέ περ οὔνομ' ἀκοῦσαι
1093 Αἰαίης νήσου: Μινύην γε μὲν ὁρμηθέντα,
1094 Αἰολίδην Μινύην ἔνθεν φάτις Ὀρχομενοῖο
1095 δή ποτε Καδμείοισιν ὁμούριον ἄστυ πολίσσαι.
1096 ἀλλὰ τίη τάδε τοι μεταμώνια πάντ' ἀγορεύω,
1097 ἡμετέρους τε δόμους τηλεκλείτην τ' Ἀριάδνην,
1098 κούρην Μίνωος, τόπερ ἀγλαὸν οὔνομα κείνην
1099 παρθενικὴν καλέεσκον ἐπήρατον, ἥν μ' ἐρεείνεις;
1100 αἴθε γάρ, ὡς Θησῆι τότε ξυναρέσσατο Μίνως
1101 ἀμφ' αὐτῆς, ὧς ἄμμι πατὴρ τεὸς ἄρθμιος εἴη."


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