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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 1 [609]

(1.609-639) Here the whole of the men of the people together had been ruthlessly slain through the transgressions of the women in the year gone by. For the men had rejected their lawful wives, loathing them, and had conceived a fierce passion for captive maids whom they themselves brought across the sea from their forays in Thrace; for the terrible wrath of Cypris came upon them, because for a long time they had grudged her the honours due. O hapless women, and insatiate in jealousy to their own ruin! Not their husbands alone with the captives did they slay on account of the marriage-bed, but all the males at the same time, that they might thereafter pay no retribution for the grim murder. And of all the women, Hypsipyle alone spared her aged father Thoas, who was king over the people; and she sent him in a hollow chest, to drift over the sea, if haply he should escape. And fishermen dragged him to shore at the island of Oenoe, formerly Oenoe, but afterwards called Sicinus from Sicinus, whom the water-nymph Oenoe bore to Thoas. Now for all the women to tend kine, to don armour of bronze, and to cleave with the plough-share the wheat-bearing fields, was easier than the works of Athena, with which they were busied aforetime. Yet for all that did they often gaze over the broad sea, in grievous fear against the Thracians' coming. So when they saw Argo being rowed near the island, straightway crowding in multitude from the gates of Myrine and clad in their harness of war, they poured forth to the beach like ravening Thyiades: for they deemed that the Thracians were come; and with them Hypsipyle, daughter of Thoas, donned her father's harness. And they streamed down speechless with dismay; such fear was wafted about them.

609     Ἔνθ' ἄμυδις πᾶς δῆμος ὑπερβασίῃσι γυναικῶν
610 νηλειῶς δέδμητο παροιχομένῳ λυκάβαντι.
611 δὴ γὰρ κουριδίας μὲν ἀπηνήναντο γυναῖκας
612 ἀνέρες ἐχθήραντες, ἔχον δ' ἐπὶ ληιάδεσσιν
613 τρηχὺν ἔρον, ἃς αὐτοὶ ἀγίνεον ἀντιπέρηθεν
614 Θρηικίην δῃοῦντες: ἐπεὶ χόλος αἰνὸς ὄπαζεν
615 Κύπιδος, οὕνεκά μιν γεράων ἐπὶ δηρὸν ἄτισσαν.
616 ὦ μέλεαι, ζήλοιό τ' ἐπισμυγερῶς ἀκόρητοι.
617 οὐκ οἶον σὺν τῇσιν ἑοὺς ἔρραισαν ἀκοίτας
618 ἀμφ' εὐνῇ, πᾶν δ' ἄρσεν ὁμοῦ γένος, ὥς κεν ὀπίσσω
619 μήτινα λευγαλέοιο φόνου τίσειαν ἀμοιβήν.
620 οἴη δ' ἐκ πασέων γεραροῦ περιφείσατο πατρὸς
621 Ὑψιπύλεια Θόαντος, ὃ δὴ κατὰ δῆμον ἄνασσεν:
622 λάρνακι δ' ἐν κοίλῃ μιν ὕπερθ' ἁλὸς ἧκε φέρεσθαι,
623 αἴ κε φύγῃ. καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐς Οἰνοίην ἐρύσαντο
624 πρόσθεν, ἀτὰρ Σίκινόν γε μεθύστερον αὐδηθεῖσαν
625 νῆσον, ἐπακτῆρες, Σικίνου ἄπο, τόν ῥα Θόαντι
626 νηιὰς Οἰνοίη νύμφη τέκεν εὐνηθεῖσα.
627 τῇσι δὲ βουκόλιαί τε βοῶν χάλκειά τε δύνειν
628 τεύχεα, πυροφόρους τε διατμήξασθαι ἀροὔρας
629 ῥηίτερον πάσῃσιν Ἀθηναίης πέλεν ἔργων,
630 οἷς αἰεὶ τὸ πάροιθεν ὁμίλεον. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἔμπης
631 ἦ θαμὰ δὴ πάπταινον ἐπὶ πλατὺν ὄμμασι πόντον
632 δείματι λευγαλέῳ, ὁπότε Θρήικες ἴασιν.
633 τῶ καὶ ὅτ' ἐγγύθι νήσου ἐρεσσομένην ἴδον Ἀργώ,
634 αὐτίκα πασσυδίῃ πυλέων ἔκτοσθε Μυρίνης
635 δήια τεύχεα δῦσαι ἐς αἰγιαλὸν προχέοντο,
636 Θυιάσιν ὠμοβόροις ἴκελαι: φὰν γάρ που ἱκάνειν
637 Θρήικας: ἡ δ' ἅμα τῇσι Θοαντιὰς Ὑψιπύλεια
638 δῦν' ἐνὶ τεύχεσι πατρός. ἀμηχανίῃ δ' ἐχέοντο
639 ἄφθογγοι: τοῖόν σφιν ἐπὶ δέος ᾐωρεῖτο.

(1.640-652) Meantime from the ship the chiefs had sent Aethalides the swift herald, to whose care they entrusted their messages and the wand of Hermes, his sire, who had granted him a memory of all things, that never grew dim; and not even now, though he has entered the unspeakable whirlpools of Acheron, has forgetfulness swept over his soul, but its fixed doom is to be ever changing its abode; at one time to be numbered among the dwellers beneath the earth, at another to be in the light of the sun among living men. But why need I tell at length tales of Aethalides? He at that time persuaded Hypsipyle to receive the new-comers as the day was waning into darkness; nor yet at dawn did they loose the ship's hawsers to the breath of the north wind.

640     Τείως δ' αὖτ' ἐκ νηὸς ἀριστῆες προέηκαν
641 Αἰθαλίδην κήρυκα θοόν, τῷπέρ τε μέλεσθαι
642 ἀγγελίας καὶ σκῆπτρον ἐπέτρεπον Ἑρμείαο,
643 σφωιτέροιο τοκῆος, ὅ οἱ μνῆστιν πόρε πάντων
644 ἄφθιτον: οὐδ' ἔτι νῦν περ ἀποιχομένου Ἀχέροντος
645 δίνας ἀπροφάτους ψυχὴν ἐπιδέδρομε λήθη:
646 ἀλλ' ἥγ' ἔμπεδον αἰὲν ἀμειβομένη μεμόρηται,
647 ἄλλοθ' ὑποχθονίοις ἐναρίθμιος, ἄλλοτ' ἐς αὐγὰς
648 ἠελίου ζωοῖσι μετ' ἀνδράσιν. ἀλλὰ τί μύθους
649 Αἰθαλίδεω χρειώ με διηνεκέως ἀγορεύειν;
650 ὅς ῥα τόθ' Ὑψιπύλην μειλίξατο δέχθαι ἰόντας
651 ἤματος ἀνομένοιο διὰ κνέφας: οὐδὲ μὲν ἠοῖ
652 πείσματα νηὸς ἔλυσαν ἐπὶ πνοιῇ βορέαο.

(1.653-656) Now the Lemnian women fared through the city and sat down to the assembly, for Hypsipyle herself had so bidden. And when they were all gathered together in one great throng straightway she spake among them with stirring words:

653     Λημνιάδες δὲ γυναῖκες ἀνὰ πτόλιν ἷζον ἰοῦσαι
654 εἰς ἀγορήν: αὐτὴ γὰρ ἐπέφραδεν Ὑψιπύλεια.
655 καί ῥ' ὅτε δὴ μάλα πᾶσαι ὁμιλαδὸν ἠγερέθοντο,
656 αὐτίκ' ἄρ' ἥγ' ἐνὶ τῇσιν ἐποτρύνουσ' ἀγόρευεν:

(1.657-666) "O friends, come let us grant these men gifts to their hearts' desire, such as it is fitting that they should take on ship-board, food and sweet wine, in order that they may steadfastly remain outside our towers, and may not, passing among us for need's sake, get to know us all too well, and so an evil report be widely spread; for we have wrought a terrible deed and in nowise will it be to their liking, should they learn it. Such is our counsel now, but if any of you can devise a better plan let her rise, for it was on this account that I summoned you hither."

657     "̂Ὠφιλαι, εἰ δ' ἄγε δὴ μενοεικέα δῶρα πόρωμεν
658 ἀνδράσιν, οἷά τ' ἔοικεν ἄγειν ἐπὶ νηὸς ἔχοντας,
659 ἤια, καὶ μέθυ λαρόν, ἵν' ἔμπεδον ἔκτοθι πύργων
660 μίμνοιεν, μηδ' ἄμμε κατὰ χρειὼ μεθέποντες
661 ἀτρεκέως γνώωσι, κακὴ δ' ἐπὶ πολλὸν ἵκηται
662 βάξις: ἐπεὶ μέγα ἔργον ἐρέξαμεν, οὐδέ τι πάμπαν
663 θυμηδὲς καὶ τοῖσι τόγ' ἔσσεται, εἴ κε δαεῖεν.
664 ἡμετέρη μὲν νῦν τοίη παρενήνοθε μῆτις:
665 ὑμέων δ' εἴ τις ἄρειον ἔπος μητίσεται ἄλλη,
666 ἐγρέσθω: τοῦ γάρ τε καὶ εἵνεκα δεῦρ' ἐκάλεσσα."

(1.667-674) Thus she spake and sat upon her father's seat of stone, and then rose up her dear nurse Polyxo, for very age halting upon her withered feet, bowed over a staff, and she was eager to address them. Near her were seated four virgins, unwedded, crowned with white hair. And she stood in the midst of the assembly and from her bent back she feebly raised her neck and spake thus:

667     Ὧς ἄρ' ἔφη, καὶ θῶκον ἐφίζανε πατρὸς ἑοῖο
668 λάινον: αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα φίλη τροφὸς ὦρτο Πολυξώ,
669 γήραϊ δὴ ῥικνοῖσιν ἐπισκάζουσα πόδεσσιν,
670 βάκτρῳ ἐρειδομένη, περὶ δὲ μενέαιν' ἀγορεῦσαι.
671 τῇ καὶ παρθενικαὶ πίσυρες σχεδὸν ἑδριόωντο
672 ἀδμῆτες λευκῇσιν ἐπιχνοαούσῃ ἐθείραις.
673 στῆ δ' ἄρ' ἐνὶ μέσσῃ ἀγορῇ, ἀνὰ δ' ἔσχεθε δειρὴν
674 ἦκα μόλις κυφοῖο μεταφρένου, ὧδέ τ' ἔειπεν:

(1.675-696) "Gifts, as Hypsipyle herself wishes, let us send to the strangers, for it is better to give them. But for you what device have ye to get profit of your life if the Thracian host fall upon us, or some other foe, as often happens among men, even as now this company is come unforeseen? But if one of the blessed gods should turn this aside yet countless other woes, worse than battle, remain behind, when the aged women die off and ye younger ones, without children, reach hateful old age. How then will ye live, hapless ones? Will your oxen of their own accord yoke themselves for the deep plough-lands and draw the earth-cleaving share through the fallow, and forthwith, as the year comes round, reap the harvest? Assuredly, though the fates till now have shunned me in horror, I deem that in the coming year I shall put on the garment of earth, when I have received my meed of burial even so as is right, before the evil days draw near. But I bid you who are younger give good heed to this. For now at your feet a way of escape lies open, if ye trust to the strangers the care of your homes and all your stock and your glorious city."

675     "Δῶρα μέν, ὡς αὐτῇ περ ἐφανδάνει Ὑψιπυλείῃ,
676 πέμπωμεν ξείνοισιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἄρειον ὀπάσσαι.
677 ὔμμι γε μὴν τίς μῆτις ἐπαύρεσθαι βιότοιο,
678 αἴ κεν ἐπιβρίσῃ Θρήιξ στρατός, ἠέ τις ἄλλος
679 δυσμενέων, ἅ τε πολλὰ μετ' ἀνθρώποισι πέλονται;
680 ὡς καὶ νῦν ὅδ' ὅμιλος ἀνωίστως ἐφικάνει.
681 εἰ δὲ τὸ μὲν μακάρων τις ἀποτρέποι, ἄλλα δ' ὀπίσσω
682 μυρία δηιοτῆτος ὑπέρτερα πήματα μίμνει,
683 εὖτ' ἂν δὴ γεραραὶ μὲν ἀποφθινύθωσι γυναῖκες,
684 κουρότεραι δ' ἄγονοι στυγερὸν ποτὶ γῆρας ἵκησθε.
685 πῶς τῆμος βώσεσθε δυσάμμοροι; ἦε βαθείαις
686 αὐτόματοι βόες ὔμμιν ἐνιζευχθέντες ἀρούραις
687 γειοτόμον νειοῖο διειρύσσουσιν ἄροτρον,
688 καὶ πρόκα τελλομένου ἔτεος στάχυν ἀμήσονται;
689 ἦ μὲν ἐγών, εἰ καί με τὰ νῦν ἔτι πεφρίκασιν
690 Κῆρες, ἐπερχόμενόν που ὀίομαι εἰς ἔτος ἤδη
691 γαῖαν ἐφέσσεσθαι, κτερέων ἀπὸ μοῖραν ἑλοῦσαν
692 αὔτως, ἣ θέμις ἐστί, πάρος κακότητα πελάσσαι.
693 ὁπλοτέρῃσι δὲ πάγχυ τάδε φράζεσθαι ἄνωγα.
694 νῦν γὰρ δὴ παρὰ ποσσὶν ἐπήβολός ἐστ' ἀλεωρή,
695 εἴ κεν ἐπιτρέψητε δόμους καὶ ληίδα πᾶσαν
696 ὑμετέρην ξείνοισι καὶ ἀγλαὸν ἄστυ μέλεσθαι."

(1.697-699) Thus she spake, and the assembly was filled with clamour. For the word pleased them. And after her straightway Hypsipyle rose up again, and thus spake in reply.

697     Ὧς ἔφατ': ἐν δ' ἀγορὴ πλῆτο θρόου. εὔαδε γάρ σφιν
698 μῦθος. ἀτὰρ μετὰ τήνγε παρασχεδὸν αὖτις ἀνῶρτο
699 Ὑψιπύλη, καὶ τοῖον ὑποβλήδην ἔπος ηὔδα:


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