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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 2 [301]

(2.301-310) Meanwhile the chiefs carefully cleansed the old man's squalid skin and with due selection sacrificed sheep which they had borne away from the spoil of Amycus. And when they had laid a huge supper in the hall, they sat down and feasted, and with them feasted Phineus ravenously, delighting his soul, as in a dream. And there, when they had taken their fill of food and drink, they kept awake all night waiting for the sons of Boreas. And the aged sire himself sat in the midst, near the hearth, telling of the end of their voyage and the completion of their journey:

301     Τόφρα δ' ἀριστῆες πινόεν περὶ δέρμα γέροντος
302 πάντῃ φοιβήσαντες ἐπικριδὸν ἱρεύσαντο
303 μῆλα, τά τ' ἐξ Ἀμύκοιο λεηλασίης ἐκόμισσαν.
304 αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ μέγα δόρπον ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔθεντο,
305 δαίνυνθ' ἑζόμενοι: σὺν δέ σφισι δαίνυτο Φινεὺς
306 ἁρπαλέως, οἷόν τ' ἐν ὀνείρασι θυμὸν ἰαίνων.
307 ἔνθα δ', ἐπεὶ δόρποιο κορέσσαντ' ἠδὲ ποτῆτος,
308 παννύχιοι Βορέω μένον υἱέας ἐγρήσσοντες.
309 αὐτὸς δ' ἐν μέσσοισι παρ' ἐσχάρῃ ἧστο γεραιὸς
310 πείρατα ναυτιλίης ἐνέπων ἄνυσίν τε κελεύθου:

(2.311-315) "Listen then. Not everything is it lawful for you to know clearly; but whatever is heaven's will, I will not hide. I was infatuated aforetime, when in my folly I declared the will of Zeus in order and to the end. For he himself wishes to deliver to men the utterances of the prophetic art incomplete, in order that they may still have some need to know the will of heaven.

311     "Κλῦτέ νυν. οὐ μὲν πάντα πέλει θέμις ὔμμι δαῆναι
312 ἀτρεκές: ὅσσα δ' ὄρωρε θεοῖς φίλον, οὐκ ἐπικεύσω.
313 ἀασάμην καὶ πρόσθε Διὸς νόον ἀφραδίῃσιν
314 χρείων ἑξείης τε καὶ ἐς τέλος. ὧδε γὰρ αὐτὸς
315 βούλεται ἀνθρώποις ἐπιδευέα θέσφατα φαίνειν

(2.316-340) "First of all, after leaving me, ye will see the twin Cyanean rocks where the two seas meet. No one, I ween, has won his escape between them. For they are not firmly fixed with roots beneath, but constantly clash against one another to one point, and above a huge mass of salt water rises in a crest, boiling up, and loudly dashes upon the hard beach. Wherefore now obey my counsel, if indeed with prudent mind and reverencing the blessed gods ye pursue your way; and perish not foolishly by a self-sought death, or rush on following the guidance of youth. First entrust the attempt to a dove when ye have sent her forth from the ship. And if she escapes safe with her wings between the rocks to the open sea, then no more do ye refrain from the path, but grip your oars well in your hands and cleave the sea's narrow strait, for the light of safety will be not so much in prayer as in strength of hands. Wherefore let all else go and labour boldly with might and main, but ere then implore the gods as ye will, I forbid you not. But if she flies onward and perishes midway, then do ye turn back; for it is better to yield to the immortals. For ye could not escape an evil doom from the rocks, not even if Argo were of iron.

316 μαντοσύνης, ἵνα καί τι θεῶν χατέωσι νόοιο.
317     Πέτρας μὲν πάμπρωτον, ἀφορμηθέντες ἐμεῖο,
318 Κυανέας ὄψεσθε δύω ἁλὸς ἐν ξυνοχῇσιν,
319 τάων οὔτινά φημι διαμπερὲς ἐξαλέασθαι.
320 οὐ γάρ τε ῥίζῃσιν ἐρήρεινται νεάτῃσιν,
321 ἀλλὰ θαμὰ ξυνίασιν ἐναντίαι ἀλλήλῃσιν
322 εἰς ἕν, ὕπερθε δὲ πολλὸν ἁλὸς κορθύεται ὕδωρ
323 βρασσόμενον: στρηνὲς δὲ περὶ στυφελῇ βρέμει ἀκτῇ.
324 τῶ νῦν ἡμετέρῃσι παραιφασίῃσι πίθεσθε,
325 εἰ ἐτεὸν πυκινῷ τε νόῳ μακάρων τ' ἀλέγοντες
326 πείρετε: μηδ' αὔτως αὐτάγρετον οἶτον ὄλησθε
327 ἀφραδέως, ἢ θύνετ' ἐπισπόμενοι νεότητι.
328 οἰωνῷ δή πρόσθε πελειάδι πειρήσασθαι
329 νηὸς ἄπο προμεθέντες ἐφιέμεν. ἢν δὲ δι' αὐτῶν
330 πετράων πόντονδε σόη πτερύγεσσι δίηται,
331 μηκέτι δὴν μηδ' αὐτοὶ ἐρητύεσθε κελεύθου,
332 ἀλλ' εὖ καρτύναντες ἑαῖς ἐνὶ χερσὶν ἐρετμὰ
333 τέμνεθ' ἁλὸς στεινωπόν: ἐπεὶ φάος οὔ νύ τι τόσσον
334 ἔσσετ' ἐν εὐχωλῇσιν, ὅσον τ' ἐνὶ κάρτεϊ χειρῶν.
335 τῶ καὶ τἆλλα μεθέντες ὀνήιστον πονέεσθαι
336 θαρσαλέως: πρὶν δ' οὔτι θεοὺς λίσσεσθαι ἐρύκω.
337 εἰ δέ κεν ἀντικρὺ πταμένη μεσσηγὺς ὄληται,
338 ἄψορροι στέλλεσθαι ἐπεὶ πολὺ βέλτερον εἶξαι
339 ἀθανάτοις. οὐ γάρ κε κακὸν μόρον ἐξαλέαισθε
340 πετράων, οὐδ' εἴ κε σιδηρείη πέλοι ̓Λργώ.

(2.341-359) "O hapless ones, dare not to transgress my divine warning, even though ye think that I am thrice as much hated by the sons of heaven as I am, and even more than thrice; dare not to sail further with your ship in despite of the omen. And as these things will fall, so shall they fall. But if ye shun the clashing rocks and come scatheless inside Pontus, straightway keep the land of the Bithynians on your right and sail on, and beware of the breakers, until ye round the swift river Rhebas and the black beach, and reach the harbour of the Isle of Thynias. Thence ye must turn back a little space through the sea and beach your ship on the land of the Mariandyni lying opposite. Here is a downward path to the abode of Hades, and the headland of Acherusia stretches aloft, and eddying Acheron cleaves its way at the bottom, even through the headland, and sends its waters forth from a huge ravine. And near it ye will sail past many hills of the Paphlagonians, over whom at the first Eneteian Pelops reigned, and of his blood they boast themselves to be.

341 ὦ μέλεοι, μὴ τλῆτε παρὲξ ἐμὰ θέσφατα βῆναι,
342 εἰ καί με τρὶς τόσσον ὀίεσθ' Οὐρανίδῃσιν,
343 ὅσσον ἀνάρσιός εἰμι, καὶ εἰ πλεῖον στυγέεσθαι:
344 μὴ τλῆτ' οἰωνοῖο πάρεξ ἔτι νηὶ περῆσαι.
345 καὶ τὰ μὲν ὥς κε πέλῃ, τὼς ἔσσεται. ἢν δὲ φύγητε
346 σύνδρομα πετράων ἀσκηθέες ἔνδοθι Πόντου,
347 αὐτίκα Βιθυνῶν ἐπὶ δεξιὰ γαῖαν ἔχοντες
348 πλώετε ῥηγμῖνας πεφυλαγμένοι, εἰσόκεν αὖτε
349 Ῥήβαν ὠκυρόην ποταμὸν ἄκρην τε Μέλαιναν
350 γνάμψαντες νήσου Θυνηίδος ὅρμον ἵκησθε.
351 κεῖθεν δ' οὐ μάλα πουλὺ διὲξ ἁλὸς ἀντιπέραιαν
352 γῆν Μαριανδυνῶν ἐπικέλσετε νοστήσαντες.
353 ἔνθα μὲν εἰς Ἀίδαο καταιβάτις ἐστὶ κέλευθος,
354 ἄκρη τε προβλὴς Ἀχερουσιὰς ὑψόθι τείνει,
355 δινήεις τ' Ἀχέρων αὐτὴν διὰ νειόθι τέμνων
356 ἄκρην ἐκ μεγάλης προχοὰς ἵησι φάραγγος.
357 ἀγχίμολον δ' ἐπὶ τῇ πολέας παρανεῖσθε κολωνοὺς
358 Παφλαγόνων, τοῖσίν τ' Ἐνετήιος ἐμβασίλευσεν
359 πρῶτα Πέλοψ, τοῦ καί περ ἀφ' αἵματος εὐχετόωνται.

(2.360-406) "Now there is a headland opposite Helice the Bear, steep on all sides, and they call it Carambis, about whose crests the blasts of the north wind are sundered. So high in the air does it rise turned towards the sea. And when ye have rounded it broad Aegialus stretches before you; and at the end of broad Aegialus, at a jutting point of coast, the waters of the river Halys pour forth with a terrible roar; and after it his flowing near, but smaller in stream, rolls into the sea with white eddies. Onward from thence the bend of a huge and towering cape reaches out from the land, next Thermodon at its mouth flows into a quiet bay at the Themiscyreian headland, after wandering through a broad continent. And here is the plain of Doeas, and near are the three cities of the Amazons, and after them the Chalybes, most wretched of men, possess a soil rugged and unyielding sons of toil, they busy themselves with working iron. And near them dwell the Tibareni, rich in sheep, beyond the Genetaean headland of Zeus, lord of hospitality. And bordering on it the Mossynoeci next in order inhabit the well-wooded mainland and the parts beneath the mountains, who have built in towers made from trees their wooden homes and well-fitted chambers, which they call Mossynes, and the people themselves take their name from them. After passing them ye must beach your ship upon a smooth island, when ye have driven away with all manner of skill the ravening birds, which in countless numbers haunt the desert island. In it the Queens of the Amazons, Otrere and Antiope, built a stone temple of Ares what time they went forth to war. Now here an unspeakable help will come to you from the bitter sea; wherefore with kindly intent I bid you stay. But what need is there that I should sin yet again declaring everything to the end by my prophetic art? And beyond the island and opposite mainland dwell the Philyres: and above the Philyres are the Macrones, and after them the vast tribes of the Becheiri. And next in order to them dwell the Sapeires, and the Byzeres have the lands adjoining to them, and beyond them at last live the warlike Colchians themselves. But speed on in your ship, till ye touch the inmost bourne of the sea. And here at the Cytaean mainland and from the Amarantine mountains far away and the Circaean plain, eddying Phasis rolls his broad stream to the sea. Guide your ship to the mouth of that river and ye shall behold the towers of Cytaean Aeetes and the shady grove of Ares, where a dragon, a monster terrible to behold, ever glares around, keeping watch over the fleece that is spread upon the top of an oak; neither by day nor by night does sweet sleep subdue his restless eyes."

360 ἔστι δέ τις ἄκρη Ἑλίκης κατεναντίον Ἄρκτου,
361 πάντοθεν ἠλίβατος, καί μιν καλέουσι Κάραμβιν,
362 τῆς καὶ ὑπὲρ βορέαο περισχίζονται ἄελλαι:
363 ὧδε μάλ' ἂμ πέλαγος τετραμμένη αἰθέρι κύρει.
364 τήνδε περιγνάμψαντι πολὺς παρακέκλιται: ἤδη
365 Αἰγιαλός: πολέος δ' ἐπὶ πείρασιν Αἰγιαλοῖο
366 ἀκτῇ ἐπὶ προβλῆτι ῥοαὶ Ἅλυος ποταμοῖο
367 δεινὸν ἐρεύγονται: μετὰ τὸν δ' ἀγχίροος ̂Ἰρις
368 μειότερος λευκῇσιν ἑλίσσεται εἰς ἅλα δίναις.
369 κεῖθεν δὲ προτέρωσε μέγας καὶ ὑπείροχος ἀγκὼν
370 ἐξανέχει γαίης: ἐπὶ δὲ στόμα Θερμώδοντος
371 κόλπῳ ἐν εὐδιόωντι Θεμισκύρειον ὑπ' ἄκρην
372 μύρεται, εὐρείης διαειμένος ἠπείροιο.
373 ἔνθα δὲ Δοίαντος πεδίον, σχεδόθεν δὲ πόληες
374 τρισσαὶ Ἀμαζονίδων, μετά τε σμυγερώτατοι ἀνδρῶν
375 τρηχεῖαν Χάλυβες καὶ ἀτειρέα γαῖαν ἔχουσιν,
376 ἐργατίναι: τοὶ δ' ἀμφὶ σιδήρεα ἔργα μέλονται.
377 ἄγχι δὲ fαιετάουσι πολύρρηνες Τιβαρηνοὶ
378 Ζηνὸς Ἐυξείνοιο Γενηταίην ὑπὲρ ἄκρην.
379 τῇ δ' ἐπὶ Μοσσύνοικοι ὁμούριοι ὑλήεσσαν
380 ἑξείης ἤπειρον, ὑπωρείας τε νέμονται,
381 δουρατέοις πύργοισιν ἐν οἰκία τεκτήναντες [κάλινα καὶ πύργους εὐπηγέας, οὓς καλέουσιν μόσσυνας: καὶ δ' αὐτοὶ ἐπώνυμοι ἔνθεν ἔασιν.]
382 τοὺς παραμειβόμενοι λισσῇ ἐπικέλσετε νήσῳ,
383 μήτι παντοίῃ μέγ' ἀναιδέας ἐξελάσαντες
384 οἰωνούς, οἳ δῆθεν ἀπειρέσιοι ἐφέπουσιν
385 νῆσον ἐρημαίην. τῇ μέν τ' ἐνὶ νηὸν Ἄρηος
386 λαΐνεον ποίησαν Ἀμαζονίδων βασίλειαι
387 Ὀτρηρή τε καὶ Ἀντιόπη, ὁπότε στρατόωντο.
388 ἔνθα γὰρ ὔμμιν ὄνειαρ ἀδευκέος ἐξ ἁλὸς εἶσιν
389 ἄρρητον: τῶ καί τε φίλα φρονέων ἀγορεύω
390 ἰσχέμεν. ἀλλὰ τίη με πάλιν χρειὼ ἀλιτέσθαι
391 μαντοσύνῃ τὰ ἕκαστα διηνεκὲς ἐξενέποντα;
392 νήσου δὲ προτέρωσε καὶ ἠπείροιο περαίης
393 φέρβονται Φίλυρες: Φιλύρων δ' ἐφύπερθεν ἔασιν
394 Μάκρωνες: μετὰ δ' αὖ περιώσια φῦλα Βεχείρων.
395 ἑξείης δὲ Σάπειρες ἐπὶ σφίσι ναιετάουσιν:
396 Βύζηρες δ' ἐπὶ τοῖσιν ὁμώλακες, ὧν ὕπερ ἤδη
397 αὐτοὶ Κόλχοι ἔχονται ἀρήιοι. ἀλλ' ἐνὶ νηὶ
398 πείρεθ', ἕως μυχάτῃ κεν ἐνιχρίμψητε θαλάσσῃ.
399 ἔνθα δ' ἐπ' ἠπείροιο Κυταιίδος, ἠδ' Ἀμαραντῶν
400 τηλόθεν ἐξ ὀρέων πεδίοιό τε Κιρκαίοιο
401 Φᾶσις δινήεις εὐρὺν ῥόον εἰς ἅλα βάλλει.
402 κείνου νῆ' ἐλάοντες ἐπὶ προχοὰς ποταμοῖο
403 πύργους εἰσόψεσθε Κυταιέος Αἰήταο,
404 ἄλσος τε σκιόειν Ἄρεος, τόθι κῶας ἐπ' ἄκρης
405 πεπτάμενον φηγοῖο δράκων, τέρας αἰνὸν ἰδέσθαι,
406 ἀμφὶς ὀπιπεύει δεδοκημένος: οὐδέ οἱ ἦμαρ,


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