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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 1 [1103]

(1.1103-1152) Thus he spake, and his words were welcome to Jason's ear. And he arose from his bed with joy and woke all his comrades hurriedly and told them the prophecy of Mopsus the son of Ampycus. And quickly the younger men drove oxen from their stalls and began to lead them to the mountain's lofty summit. And they loosed the hawsers from the sacred rock and rowed to the Thracian harbour; and the heroes climbed the mountain, leaving a few of their comrades in the ship. And to them the Macrian heights and all the coast of Thrace opposite appeared to view close at hand. And there appeared the misty mouth of Bosporus and the Mysian hills; and on the other side the stream of the river Aesepus and the city and Nepeian plain of Adrasteia. Now there was a sturdy stump of vine that grew in the forest, a tree exceeding old; this they cut down, to be the sacred image of the mountain goddess; and Argus smoothed it skilfully, and they set it upon that rugged hill beneath a canopy of lofty oaks, which of all trees have their roots deepest. And near it they heaped an altar of small stones, and wreathed their brows with oak leaves and paid heed to sacrifice, invoking the mother of Dindymum, most venerable, dweller in Phrygia, and Titias and Cyllenus, who alone of many are called dispensers of doom and assessors of the Idaean mother, -- the Idaean Dactyls of Crete, whom once the nymph Anchiale, as she grasped with both hands the land of Oaxus, bare in the Dictaean cave. And with many prayers did Aeson's son beseech the goddess to turn aside the stormy blasts as he poured libations on the blazing sacrifice; and at the same time by command of Orpheus the youths trod a measure dancing in full armour, and clashed with their swords on their shields, so that the ill-omened cry might be lost in the air the wail which the people were still sending up in grief for their king. Hence from that time forward the Phrygians propitiate Rhea with the wheel and the drum. And the gracious goddess, I ween, inclined her heart to pious sacrifices; and favourable signs appeared. The trees shed abundant fruit, and round their feet the earth of its own accord put forth flowers from the tender grass. And the beasts of the wild wood left their lairs and thickets and came up fawning on them with their tails. And she caused yet another marvel; for hitherto there was no flow of water on Dindymum, but then for them an unceasing stream gushed forth from the thirsty peak just as it was, and the dwellers around in after times called that stream, the spring of Jason. And then they made a feast in honour of the goddess on the Mount of Bears, singing the praises of Rhea most venerable; but at dawn the winds had ceased and they rowed away from the island.

1103     Ὧς φάτο: τῷ δ' ἀσπαστὸν ἔπος γένετ' εἰσαΐοντι.
1104 ὤρνυτο δ' ἐξ εὐνῆς κεχαρημένος: ὦρσε δ' ἑταίρους
1105 πάντας ἐπισπέρχων, καί τέ σφισιν ἐγρομένοισιν
1106 Ἀμπυκίδεω Μόψοιο θεοπροπίας ἀγόρευεν.
1107 αἶψα δὲ κουρότεροι μὲν ἀπὸ σταθμῶν ἐλάσαντες
1108 ἔνθεν ἐς αἰπεινὴν ἄναγον βόας οὔρεος ἄκρην.
1109 οἱ δ' ἄρα λυσάμενοι Ἱερῆς ἐκ πείσματα πέτρης
1110 ἤρεσαν ἐς λιμένα Θρηίκιον: ἂν δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ
1111 βαῖνον, παυροτέρους ἑτάρων ἐν νηὶ λιπόντες.
1112 τοῖσι δὲ Μακριάδες σκοπιαὶ καὶ πᾶσα περαίη
1113 Θρηικίης ἐνὶ χερσὶν ἑαῖς προυφαίνετ' ἰδέσθαι:
1114 φαίνετο δ' ἠερόεν στόμα Βοσπόρου ἠδὲ κολῶναι
1115 Μυσίαι: ἐκ δ' ἑτέρης ποταμοῦ ῥόος Αἰσήποιο
1116 ἄστυ τε καὶ πεδίον Νηπήιον Ἀδρηστείης.
1117 ἔσκε δέ τι στιβαρὸν στύπος ἀμπέλου ἔντροφον ὕλῃ,
1118 πρόχνυ γεράνδρυον: τὸ μὲν ἔκταμον, ὄφρα πέλοιτο
1119 δαίμονος οὐρείης ἱερὸν βρέτας: ἔξεσε δ' Ἄργος
1120 εὐκόσμως, καὶ δή μιν ἐπ' ὀκριόεντι κολωνῷ
1121 ἵδρυσαν φηγοῖσιν ἐπηρεφὲς ἀκροτάτῃσιν,
1122 αἵ ῥά τε πασάων πανυπέρταται ἐρρίζωνται.
1123 βωμὸν δ' αὖ χέραδος παρενήνεον: ἀμφὶ δὲ φύλλοις
1124 στεψάμενοι δρυΐνοισι θυηπολίης ἐμέλοντο
1125 Μητέρα Δινδυμίην πολυπότνιαν ἀγκαλέοντες,
1126 ἐνναέτιν Φρυγίης, Τιτίην θ' ἅμα Κύλληνόν τε,
1127 οἳ μοῦνοι πολέων μοιρηγέται ἠδὲ πάρεδροι
1128 Μητέρος Ἰδαίης κεκλήαται, ὅσσοι ἔασιν
1129 Δάκτυλοι Ἰδαῖοι Κρηταιέες, οὕς ποτε νύμφη
1130 Ἀγχιάλη Δικταῖον ἀνὰ σπέος ἀμφοτέρῃσιν
1131 δραξαμένη γαίης Οἰαξίδος ἐβλάστησεν.
1132 πολλὰ δὲ τήνγε λιτῇσιν ἀποστρέψαι ἐριώλας
1133 Λἰσονίδης γουνάζετ' ἐπιλλείβων ἱεροῖσιν
1134 αἰθομένοις: ἄμυδις δὲ νέοι Ὀρφῆος ἀνωγῇ
1135 σκαίροντες βηταρμὸν ἐνόπλιον ὠρχήσαντο,
1136 καὶ σάκεα ξιφέεσσιν ἐπέκτυπον, ὥς κεν ἰωὴ
1137 δύσφημος πλάζοιτο δι' ἠέρος, ἣν ἔτι λαοὶ
1138 κηδείῃ βασιλῆος ἀνέστενον. ἔνθεν ἐσαιεὶ
1139 ῥόμβῳ καὶ τυπάνῳ Ῥείην Φρύγες ἱλάσκονται.
1140 ἡ δέ που εὐαγέεσσιν ἐπὶ φρένα θῆκε θυηλαῖς
1141 ἀνταίη δαίμων: τὰ δ' ἐοικότα σήματ' ἔγεντο.
1142 δένδρεα μὲν καρπὸν χέον ἄσπετον, ἀμφὶ δὲ ποσσὶν
1143 αὐτομάτη φύε γαῖα τερείνης ἄνθεα ποίης.
1144 θῆρες δ' εἰλυούς τε κατὰ ξυλόχους τε λιπόντες
1145 οὐρῇσιν σαίνοντες ἐπήλυθον. ἡ δὲ καὶ ἄλλο
1146 θῆκε τέρας: ἐπεὶ οὔτι παροίτερον ὕδατι νᾶεν
1147 Δίνδυμον: ἀλλά σφιν τότ' ἀνέβραχε διψάδος αὔτως
1148 ἐκ κορυφῆς ἄλληκτον: Ἰησονίην δ' ἐνέπουσιν
1149 κεῖνο ποτὸν κρήνην περιναιέται ἄνδρες ὀπίσσω.
1150 καὶ τότε μὲν δαῖτ' ἀμφὶ θεᾶς θέσαν οὔρεσιν Ἄρκτων,
1151 μέλποντες Ῥείην πολυπότνιαν: αὐτὰρ ἐς ἠὼ
1152 ληξάντων ἀνέμων νῆσον λίπον εἰρεσίῃσιν.

(1.1153-1171) Thereupon a spirit of contention stirred each chieftain, who should be the last to leave his oar. For all around the windless air smoothed the swirling waves and lulled the sea to rest. And they, trusting in the calm, mightily drove the ship forward; and as she sped through the salt sea, not even the storm-footed steeds of Poseidon would have overtaken her. Nevertheless when the sea was stirred by violent blasts which were just rising from the rivers about evening, forspent with toil, they ceased. But Heracles by the might of his arms pulled the weary rowers along all together, and made the strong-knit timbers of the ship to quiver. But when, eager to reach the Mysian mainland, they passed along in sight of the mouth of Rhyndaeus and the great cairn of Aegaeon, a little way from Phrygia, then Heracles, as he ploughed up the furrows of the roughened surge, broke his oar in the middle. And one half he held in both his hands as he fell sideways, the other the sea swept away with its receding wave. And he sat up in silence glaring round; for his hands were unaccustomed to he idle.

1153     Ἔνθ' ἔρις ἄνδρα ἕκαστον ἀριστήων ὀρόθυνεν,
1154 ὅστις ἀπολλήξειε πανύστατος. ἀμφὶ γὰρ αἰθὴρ
1155 νήνεμος ἐστόρεσεν δίνας, κατὰ δ' εὔνασε πόντον.
1156 οἱ δὲ γαληναίῃ πίσυνοι ἐλάασκον ἐπιπρὸ
1157 νῆα βίῃ: ̣̣ δ' οὔ κε διὲξ ἁλὸς ἀίσσουσαν
1158 οὐδὲ Ποσειδάωνος ἀελλόποδες κίχον ἵπποι.
1159 ἔμπης δ' ἐγρομένοιο σάλου ζαχρηεσιν αὔραις,
1160 αἳ νέον ἐκ ποταμῶν ὑπὸ δείελον ἠερέθονται,
1161 τειρόμενοι καὶ δὴ μετελώφεον: αὐτὰρ ὁ τούσγε
1162 πασσυδίῃ μογέοντας ἐφέλκετο κάρτεϊ χειρῶν
1163 Ἡρακλέης, ἐτίνασσε δ' ἀρη̣̣ότα δούρατα νηός.
1164 ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ Μυσῶν λελιημένοι ἠπείροιο
1165 Ῥυνδακίδας προχοὰς μέγα τ' ἠρίον Λἰγαίωνος
1166 τυτθὸν ὑπὲκ Φρυγίης παρεμέτρεον εἰσορόωντες,
1167 δὴ τότ' ἀνοχλίζων τετρηχότος οἴδματος ὁλκοὺς
1168 μεσσόθεν ἆξεν ἐρετμόν. ἀτὰρ τρύφος ἄλλο μὲν αὐτὸς
1169 ἄμφω χερσὶν ἔχων πέσε δόχμιος, ἄλλο δὲ πόντος
1170 κλύζε παλιρροθίοισι φέρων. ἀνὰ δ' ἕζετο σιγῇ
1171 παπταίνων: χεῖρες γὰρ ἀήθεον ἠρεμέουσαι.

(1.1172-1186) Now at the hour when from the field some delver or ploughman goes gladly home to his hut, longing for his evening meal, and there on the threshold, all squalid with dust, bows his wearied knees, and, beholding his hands worn with toil, with many a curse reviles his belly; at that hour the heroes reached the homes of the Cianian land near the Arganthonian mount and the outfall of Cius. Them as they came in friendliness, the Mysians, inhabitants of that land, hospitably welcomed, and gave them in their need provisions and sheep and abundant wine. Hereupon some brought dried wood, others from the meadows leaves for beds which they gathered in abundance for strewing, whilst others were twirling sticks to get fire; others again were mixing wine in the bowl and making ready the feast, after sacrificing at nightfall to Apollo Ecbasius.

1172     ̂Ἠμος δ' ἀγρόθεν εἶσι φυτοσκάφος ἤ τις ἀροτρεὺς
1173 ἀσπασίως εἰς αὖλιν ἑήν, δόρποιο χατίζων,
1174 αὐτοῦ δ' ἐν προμολῇ τετρυμένα γούνατ' ἔκαμψεν
1175 αὐσταλέος κονίῃσι, περιτριβέας δέ τε χεῖρας
1176 εἰσορόων κακὰ πολλὰ ἑῇ ἠρήσατο γαστρί:
1177 τῆμος ἄρ' οἵγ' ἀφίκοντο Κιανίδος ἤθεα γαίης
1178 ἀμφ' Ἀργανθώνειον ὄρος προχοάς τε Κίοιο.
1179 τοὺς μὲν ἐυξείνως Μυσοὶ φιλότητι κιόντας
1180 δειδέχατ', ἐνναέται κείνης χθονός, ἤιά τέ σφιν
1181 μῆλά τε δευομένοις μέθυ τ' ἄσπετον ἐγγυάλιξαν.
1182 ἔνθα δ' ἔπειθ' οἱ μὲν ξύλα κάγκανα, τοὶ δὲ λεχαίην
1183 φυλλάδα λειμώνων φέρον ἄσπετον ἀμήσαντες,
1184 στόρνυσθαι: τοὶ δ' ἀμφὶ πυρήια δινεύεσκον:
1185 οἱ δ' οἶνον κρητῆρσι κέρων, πονέοντο τε δαῖτα,
1186 Ἐκβασίῳ ῥέξαντες ὑπὸ κνέφας Ἀπόλλωνι.

(1.1187-1206) But the son of Zeus having duly enjoined on his comrades to prepare the feast took his way into a wood, that he might first fashion for himself an oar to fit his hand. Wandering about he found a pine not burdened with many branches, nor too full of leaves, but like to the shaft of a tall poplar; so great was it both in length and thickness to look at. And quickly he laid on the ground his arrow-holding quiver together with his bow, and took off his lion's skin. And he loosened the pine from the ground with his bronze-tipped club and grasped the trunk with both hands at the bottom, relying on his strength; and he pressed it against his broad shoulder with legs wide apart; and clinging close he raised it from the ground deep-rooted though it was, together with clods of earth. And as when unexpectedly, just at the time of the stormy setting of baleful Orion, a swift gust of wind strikes down from above, and wrenches a ship's mast from its stays, wedges and all; so did Heracles lift the pine. And at the same time he took up his bow and arrows, his lion skin and club, and started on his return.

1187     Αὐτὰρ ὁ δαίνυσθαι ἑτάροις οἷς εὖ ἐπιτείλας
1188 βῆ ῥ̓ ἴμεν εἰς ὕλην υἱὸς Διός, ὥς κεν ἐρετμὸν
1189 οἷ αὐτῷ φθαίη καταχείριον ἐντύνασθαι.
1190 εὗρεν ἔπειτ' ἐλάτην ἀλαλήμενος, οὔτε τι πολλοῖς
1191 ἀχθομένην ὄζοις, οὐδὲ μέγα τηλεθόωσαν,
1192 ἀλλ' οἷον ταναῆς ἔρνος πέλει αἰγείροιο:
1193 τόσση ὁμῶς μῆκός τε καὶ ἐς πάχος ἦεν ἰδέσθαι.
1194 ῥίμφα δ' ὀιστοδόκην μὲν ἐπὶ χθονὶ θῆκε φαρέτρην
1195 αὐτοῖσιν τόξοισιν, ἔδυ δ' ἀπὸ δέρμα λέοντος.
1196 τὴν δ' ὅγε χαλκοβαρεῖ ῥοπάλῳ δαπέδοιο τινάξας
1197 νειόθεν ἀμφοτέρῃσι περὶ στύπος ἔλλαβε χερσίν,
1198 ἠνορέῃ πίσυνος: ἐν δὲ πλατὺν ὦμον ἔρεισεν
1199 εὖ διαβάς: πεδόθεν δὲ βαθύρριζόν περ ἐοῦσαν
1200 προσφὺς ἐξήειρε σὺν αὐτοῖς ἔχμασι γαίης.
1201 ὡς δ' ὅταν ἀπροφάτως ἱστόν νεός, εὖτε μάλιστα
1202 χειμερίη ὀλοοῖο δύσις πέλει Ὠρίωνος,
1203 ὑψόθεν ἐμπλήξασα θοὴ ἀνέμοιο κατάιξ
1204 αὐτοῖσι σφήνεσσιν ὑπὲκ προτόνων ἐρύσηται:
1205 ὧς ὅγε τὴν ἤειρεν. ὁμοῦ δ' ἀνὰ τόξα καὶ ἰοὺς
1206 δέρμα θ' ἑλὼν ῥόπαλόν τε παλίσσυτος ὦρτο νέεσθαι.


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