Sacred Texts  Classics  Index  Previous  Next 
Buy this Book at Amazon.com

ARGONAUTICA BOOK 1 [910]

(1.910-921) He spake, and mounted the ship first of all; and so the rest of the chiefs followed, and, sitting in order, seized the oars; and Argus loosed for them the hawsers from under the sea-beaten rock. Whereupon they mightily smote the water with their long oars, and in the evening by the injunctions of Orpheus they touched at the island of Electra, daughter of Atlas, in order that by gentle initiation they might learn the rites that may not be uttered, and so with greater safety sail over the chilling sea. Of these I will make no further mention; but I bid farewell to the island itself and the indwelling deities, to whom belong those mysteries, which it is not lawful for me to sing.

910     ̂Ἠ, καὶ ἔβαιν' ἐπὶ νῆα παροίτατος: ὧς δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι
911 βαῖνον ἀριστῆες: λάζοντο δὲ χερσὶν έρετμὰ
912 ἐνσχερὼ ἑζόμενοι: πρυμνήσια δέ σφισιν Ἄργος
913 λῦσεν ὑπὲκ πέτρης ἁλιμυρέος. ἔνθ' ἄρα τοίγε
914 κόπτον ὕδωρ δολιχῇσιν ἐπικρατέως ἐλάτῃσιν.
915 ἑσπέριοι δ' Ὀρφῆος ἐφημοσύνῃσιν ἔκελσαν
916 νῆσον ἐς Ἠλέκτρης Ἀτλαντίδος, ὄφρα δαέντες
917 ἀρρήτους ἀγανῇσι τελεσφορίῃσι θέμιστας
918 σωότεροι κρυόεσσαν ὑπεὶρ ἅλα ναυτίλλοιντο.
919 τῶν μὲν ἔτ' οὐ προτέρω μυθήσομαι: ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ
920 νῆσος ὁμῶς κεχάροιτο καὶ οἳ λάχον ὄργια κεῖνα
921 δαίμονες ἐνναέται, τὰ μὲν οὐ θέμις ἄμμιν ἀείδειν.

(1.922-935) Thence did they row with eagerness over the depths of the black Sea, having on the one side the land of the Thracians, on the other Imbros on the south; and as the sun was just setting they reached the foreland of the Chersonesus. There a strong south wind blew for them; and raising the sails to the breeze they entered the swift stream of the maiden daughter of Athamas; and at dawn the sea to the north was left behind and at night they were coasting inside the Rhoeteian shore, with the land of Ida on their right. And leaving Dardania they directed their course to Abydus, and after it they sailed past Percote and the sandy beach of Abarnis and divine Pityeia. And in that night, as the ship sped on by sail and oar, they passed right through the Hellespont dark-gleaming with eddies.

922     Κεῖθεν δ' εἰρεσίῃ Μέλανος διὰ βένθεα πόντου
923 ἱέμενοι τῇ μὲν Θρῃκῶν χθόνα, τῇ δὲ περαίην
924 Ἴμβρον ἔχον καθύπερθε: νέον γε μὲν ἠελίοιο
925 δυομένου Χερόνησον ἐπὶ προύχουσαν ἵκοντο.
926 ἔνθα σφιν λαιψηρὸς ἄη νότος, ἱστία δ' οὔρῳ
927 στησάμενοι κούρης Ἀθαμαντίδος αἰπὰ ῥέεθρα
928 εἰσέβαλον: πέλαγος δὲ τὸ μὲν καθύπερθε λέλειπτο
929 ἦρι, τὸ δ' ἐννύχιοι Ῥοιτειάδος ἔνδοθεν ἀκτῆς
930 μέτρεον, Ἰδαίην ἐπὶ δεξιὰ γαῖαν ἔχοντες.
931 Δαρδανίην δὲ λιπόντες ἐπιποοσέβαλλον Ἀβύδῳ,
932 Περκώτην δ' ἐπὶ τῇ καὶ Ἀβαρνίδος ἠμαθόεσσαν
933 ἠιόνα ζαθέην τε παρήμειβον Πιτύειαν.
934 καὶ δὴ τοίγ' ἐπὶ νυκτὶ διάνδιχα νηὸς ἰούσης
935 δίνῃ πορφύροντα διήνυσαν Ἑλλήσποντον.

(1.936-960) There is a lofty island inside the Propontis, a short distance from the Phrygian mainland with its rich cornfields, sloping to the sea, where an isthmus in front of the mainland is flooded by the waves, so low does it lie. And the isthmus has double shores, and they lie beyond the river Aesepus, and the inhabitants round about call the island the Mount of Bears. And insolent and fierce men dwell there, Earthborn, a great marvel to the neighbours to behold; for each one has six mighty hands to lift up, two from his sturdy shoulders, and four below, fitting close to his terrible sides. And about the isthmus and the plain the Doliones had their dwelling, and over them Cyzicus son of Aeneus was king, whom Aenete the daughter of goodly Eusorus bare. But these men the Earthborn monsters, fearful though they were, in nowise harried, owing to the protection of Poseidon; for from him had the Doliones first sprung. Thither Argo pressed on, driven by the winds of Thrace, and the Fair haven received her as she sped. There they cast away their small anchorstone by the advice of Tiphys and left it beneath a fountain, the fountain of Artaeie; and they took another meet for their purpose, a heavy one; but the first, according to the oracle of the Far-Darter, the Ionians, sons of Neleus, in after days laid to be a sacred stone, as was right, in the temple of Jasonian Athena.

936     Ἔστι δέ τις αἰπεῖα Προποντίδος ἔνδοθι νῆσος
937 τυτθὸν ἀπὸ Φρυγίης πολυληίου ἠπείροιο
938 εἰς ἅλα κεκλιμένη, ὅσσον τ' ἐπιμύρεται ἰσθμὸς
939 χέρσῳ ἐπιπρηνὴς καταειμένος: ἐν δέ οἱ ἀκταὶ
940 ἀμφίδυμοι, κεῖνται δ' ὑπὲρ ὕδατος Λἰσήποιο.
941 ̓́Λρκτων μιν καλέουσιν ὄρος περιναιετάοντες:
942 καὶ τὸ μὲν ὑβρισταί τε καὶ ἄγριοι ἐνναίουσιν
943 Γηγενέες, μέγα θαῦμα περικτιόνεσσιν ἰδέσθαι.
944 ἓξ γὰρ ἑκάστῳ χεῖρες ὑπέρβιοι ἠερέθονται,
945 αἱ μὲν ἀπὸ στιβαρῶν ὤμων δύο, ταὶ δ' ὑπένερθεν
946 τέσσαρες αἰνοτάτῃσιν ἐπὶ πλευρῇς ἀραρυῖαι.
947 ἰσθμὸν δ' αὖ πεδίον τε Δολίονες ἀμφενέμοντο
948 ἀνέρες: ἐν δ' ἥρως Λἰνήιος υἱὸς ἄνασσεν
949 Κύζικος, ὃν κούρη δίου τέκεν Εὐσώροιο
950 Αἰνήτη. τοὺς δ' οὔτι καὶ ἔκπαγλοί περ ἐόντες
951 Γηγενέες σίνοντο, Ποσειδάωνος ἀρωγῇ:
952 τοῦ γὰρ ἔσαν τὰ πρῶτα Δολίονες ἐκγεγαῶτες.
953 ἔνθ' Ἀργὼ προύτυψεν ἐπειγομένη ἀνέμοισιν
954 Θρηικίοις, Καλὸς δὲ λιμὴν ὑπέδεκτο θέουσαν.
955 κεῖσε καὶ εὐναίης ὀλίγον λίθον ἐκλύσαντες
956 Τίφυος ἐννεσίῃσιν ὑπὸ κρήνῃ ἐλίποντο,
957 κρήνῃ ὑπ' Ἀρτακίῃ: ἕτερον δ' ἔλον, ὅστις ἀρήρει,
958 βριθύν: ἀτὰρ κεῖνόν γε θεοπροπίαις Ἑκάτοιο
959 Νηλεΐδαι μετόπισθεν Ἰάονες ἱδρύσαντο
960 ἱερόν, ἣ θέμις ἦεν, Ἰησονίης ἐν Ἀθήνης.

(1.961-988) Now the Doliones and Cyzicus himself all came together to meet them with friendliness, and when they knew of the quest and their lineage welcomed them with hospitality, and persuaded them to row further and to fasten their ship's hawsers at the city harbour. Here they built an altar to Ecbasian Apollo and set it up on the beach, and gave heed to sacrifices. And the king of his own bounty gave them sweet wine and sheep in their need; for he had heard a report that whenever a godlike band of heroes should come, straightway he should meet it with gentle words and should have no thought of war. As with Jason, the soft down was just blooming on his chin, nor yet had it been his lot to rejoice in children, but still in his palace his wife was untouched by the pangs of child-birth, the daughter of Percosian Merops, fair-haired Cleite, whom lately by priceless gifts he had brought from her father's home from the mainland opposite. But even so he left his chamber and bridal bed and prepared a banquet among the strangers, casting all fears from his heart. And they questioned one another in turn. Of them would he learn the end of their voyage and the injunctions of Pelias; while they enquired about the cities of the people round and all the gulf of the wide Propontis; but further he could not tell them for all their desire to learn. In the morning they climbed mighty Dindymum that they might themselves behold the various paths of that sea; and they brought their ship from its former anchorage to the harbour, Chytus; and the path they trod is named the path of Jason.

961    Τοὺς δ' ἄμυδις φιλότητι Δολίονες ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτὸς
962 Κύζικος ἀντήσαντες ὅτε στόλον ἠδὲ γενέθλην
963 ἔκλυον, οἵτινες εἶεν, ἐυξείνως ἀρέσαντο,
964 καί σφεας εἰρεσίῃ πέπιθον προτέρωσε κιόντας
965 ἄστεος ἐν λιμένι πρυμνήσια νηὸς ἀνάψαι,
966 ἔνθ' οἵγ' Ἐκβασίῳ βωμὸν θέσαν Ἀπόλλωνι
967 εἱσάμενοι παρὰ θῖνα, θυηπολίης τ' ἐμελοντο.
968 δῶκεν δ' αὐτὸς ἄναξ λαρὸν μέθυ δευουένοισιν
969 μῆλά θ' ὁμοῦ: δὴ γάρ οἱ ἔην φάτις, εὖτ' ἂν ἵκωνται
970 ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων θεῖος στόλος, αὐτίκα τόνγε
971 μείλιχον ἀντιάαν, μηδὲ πτολέμοιο μέλεσθαι.
972 ἶσόν που κἀκείνῳ ἐπισταχύεσκον ἴουλοι,
973 οὐδέ νύ πω παίδεσσιν ἀγαλλόμενος μεμόρητο:
974 ἀλλ' ἔτι οἱ κατὰ δώματ' ἀκήρατος ἦεν ἄκοιτις
975 ὠδίνων, Μέροπος Περκωσίου ἐκγεγαυῖα,
976 Κλείτη ἐυπλόκαμος, τὴν μὲν νέον ἐξέτι πατρὸς
977 θεσπεσίοις ἕδνοισιν ἀνήγαγεν ἀντιπέρηθεν.
978 ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς θάλαμόν τε λιπὼν καὶ δέμνια νύμφης
979 τοῖς μέτα δαῖτ' ἀλέγυνε, βάλεν δ' ἀπὸ δείματα θυμοῦ.
980 ἀλλήλους δ' ἐρέεινον ἀμοιβαδίς: ἤτοι ὁ μέν σφεων
981 πεύθετο ναυτιλίης ἄνυσιν, Πελίαό τ' ἐφετμάς:
982 οἱ δὲ περικτιόνων πόλιας καὶ κόλπον ἅπαντα
983 εὐρείης πεύθοντο Προποντίδος: οὐ μὲν ἐπιπρὸ
984 ἠείδει καταλέξαι ἐελδομένοισι δαῆναι.
985 ἠοῖ δ' εἰσανέβαν μέγα Δίνδυμον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτοὶ
986 θηήσαιντο πόρους κείνης ἁλός: ἐκ δ' ἄρα τοίγε
987 νῆα Χυτοῦ λιμένος προτέρω ἐξήλασαν ὅρμον:
988 ἥδε δ' Ἰησονίη πέφαται ὁδός, ἥνπερ ἔβησαν.

(1.989-1011) But the Earthborn men on the other side rushed down from the mountain and with crags below blocked up the mouth of vast Chytus towards the sea, like men lying in wait for a wild beast within. But there Heracles had been left behind with the younger heroes and he quickly bent his back-springing bow against the monsters and brought them to earth one after another; and they in their turn raised huge ragged rocks and hurled them. For these dread monsters too, I ween, the goddess Hera, bride of Zeus, had nurtured to be a trial for Heracles. And therewithal came the rest of the martial heroes returning to meet the foe before they reached the height of outlook, and they fell to the slaughter of the Earthborn, receiving them with arrows and spears until they slew them all as they rushed fiercely to battle. And as when woodcutters cast in rows upon the beach long trees just hewn down by their axes, in order that, once sodden with brine, they may receive the strong bolts; so these monsters at the entrance of the foam-fringed harbour lay stretched one after another, some in heaps bending their heads and breasts into the salt waves with their limbs spread out above on the land; others again were resting their heads on the sand of the shore and their feet in the deep water, both alike a prey to birds and fishes at once.

989     Γηγενέες δ' ἑτέρωθεν ἀπ' οὔρεος ἀίξαντες
990 φράξαν ἀπειρεσίοιο Χυτοῦ στόμα νειόθι πέτρῃς
991 πόντιον, οἷά τε θῆρα λοχώμενοι ἔνδον ἐόντα.
992 ἀλλὰ γὰρ αὖθι λέλειπτο σὺν ἀνδράσιν ὁπλοτέροισιν
993 Ἡρακλέης, ὃς δή σφι παλίντονον αἶψα τανύσσας
994 τόξον ἐπασσυτέρους πέλασε χθονί: τοὶ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ
995 πέτρας ἀμφιρρῶγας ἀερτάζοντες ἔβαλλον.
996 δὴ γάρ που κἀκεῖνα θεὰ τρέφεν αἰνὰ πέλωρα
997 Ἥρη, Ζηνὸς ἄκοιτις, ἀέθλιον Ἡρακλῆι.
998 σὺν δὲ καὶ ὧλλοι δῆθεν ὑπότροποι ἀντιόωντες,
999 πρίν περ ἀνελθέμεναι σκοπιήν, ἥπτοντο φόνοιο
1000 Γηγενέων ἥρωες ἀρήιοι, ἠμὲν ὀιστοῖς
1001 ἠδὲ καὶ ἐγχείῃσι δεδεγμένοι, εἰσόκε πάντας
1002 ἀντιβίην ἀσπερχὲς ὀρινομένους ἐδάιξαν.
1003 ὡς δ' ὅτε δούρατα μακρὰ νέον πελέκεσσι τυπέντα
1004 ὑλοτόμοι στοιχηδὸν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι βάλωσιν,
1005 ὄφρα νοτισθέντα κρατεροὺς ἀνεχοίατο γόμφους:
1006 ὧς οἱ ἐνὶ ξυνοχῇ λιμένος πολιοῖο τέταντο
1007 ἑξείης, ἄλλοι μὲν ἐς ἁλμυρὸν ἀθρόοι ὕδωρ
1008 δύπτοντες κεφαλὰς καὶ στήθεα, γυῖα δ' ὕπερθεν
1009 χέρσῳ τεινάμενοι: τοὶ δ' ἔμπαλιν, αἰγιαλοῖο
1010 κράατα μὲν ψαμάθοισι, πόδας δ' εἰς βένθος ἔρειδον,
1011 ἄμφω ἅμ' οἰωνοῖσι καὶ ἰχθύσι κύρμα γενέσθαι.


Next: line 1012