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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 4 [1601]

(4.1601-1637) He spake, and cut the victim's throat over the water and cast it from the stern. And the god rose up from the depths in form such as he really was. And as when a man trains a swift steed for the broad race-course, and runs along, grasping the bushy mane, while the steed follows obeying his master, and rears his neck aloft in his pride, and the gleaming bit rings loud as he champs it in his jaws from side to side; so the god, seizing hollow Argo's keel, guided her onward to the sea. And his body, from the crown of his head, round his back and waist as far as the belly, was wondrously like that of the blessed ones in form; but below his sides the tail of a sea monster lengthened far, forking to this side and that; and he smote the surface of the waves with the spines, which below parted into curving fins, like the horns of the new moon. And he guided Argo on until he sped her into the sea on her course; and quickly he plunged into the vast abyss; and the heroes shouted when they gazed with their eyes on that dread portent. There is the harbour of Argo and there are the signs of her stay, and altars to Poseidon and Triton; for during that day they tarried. But at dawn with sails outspread they sped on before the breath of the west wind, keeping the desert land on their right. And on the next morn they saw the headland and the recess of the sea, bending inward beyond the jutting headland. And straightway the west wind ceased, and there came the breeze of the clear south wind; and their hearts rejoiced at the sound it made. But when the sun sank and the star returned that bids the shepherd fold, which brings rest to wearied ploughmen, at that time the wind died down in the dark night; so they furled the sails and lowered the tall mast and vigorously plied their polished oars all night and through the day, and again when the next night came on. And rugged Carpathus far away welcomed them; and thence they were to cross to Crete, which rises in the sea above other islands.

1601     ̂Ἠ ῥ', ἅμα δ' εὐχωλῇσιν ἐς ὕδατα λαιμοτομήσας
1602 ἧκε κατὰ πρύμνης: ὁ δὲ βένθεος ἐξεφαάνθη
1603 τοῖος ἐών, οἷός περ ἐτήτυμος ἦεν ἰδέσθαι.
1604 ὡς δ' ὅτ' ἀνὴρ θοὸν ἵππον ἐς εὐρέα κύκλον ἀγῶνος
1605  στέλλῃ, ὀρεξάμενος λασίης εὐπειθέα χαίτης,
1606 εἶθαρ ἐπιτροχάων, ὁ δ' ἐπ' αὐχένι γαῦρος ἀερθεὶς
1607 ἕσπεται, ἀργινόεντα δ' ἐνὶ στομάτεσσι χαλινὰ
1608 ἀμφὶς ὀδακτάζοντι παραβλήδην κροτέονται:
1609 ὧς ὅγ' ἐπισχόμενος γλαφυρῆς ὁλκήιον Ἀργοῦς
1610  ἦγ' ἅλαδε προτέρωσε. δέμας δέ οἱ ἐξ ὑπάτοιο
1611 κράατος, ἀμφί τε νῶτα καὶ ἰξύας ἔστ' ἐπὶ νηδὺν
1612 ἀντικρὺ μακάρεσσι φυὴν ἔκπαγλον ἔικτο:
1613 αὐτὰρ ὑπαὶ λαγόνων δίκραιρά οἱ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα
1614 κήτεος ὁλκαίη μηκύνετο: κόπτε δ' ἀκάνθαις
1615  ἄκρον ὕδωρ, αἵ τε σκολιοῖς ἐπινειόθι κέντροις
1616 μήνης ὡς κεράεσσιν ἐειδόμεναι διχόωντο.
1617 τόφρα δ' ἄγεν, τείως μιν ἐπιπροέηκε θαλάσσῃ
1618 νισσομένην: δῦ δ' αἶψα μέγαν βυθόν: οἱ δ' ὁμάδησαν
1619 ἥρωες, τέρας αἰνὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδόντες.
1620  ἔνθα μὲν Ἀργῷός τε λιμὴν καὶ σήματα νηὸς
1621 ἠδὲ Ποσειδάωνος ἰδὲ Τρίτωνος ἔασιν
1622 βωμοί: ἐπεὶ κεῖν' ἦμαρ ἐπέσχεθον. αὐτὰρ ἐς ἠῶ
1623 λαίφεσι πεπταμένοις αὐτὴν ἐπὶ δεξί' ἔχοντες
1624 γαῖαν ἐρημαίην, πνοιῇ ζεφύροιο θέεσκον.
1625  ἦρι δ' ἔπειτ' ἀγκῶνά θ' ὁμοῦ μυχάτην τε θάλασσαν
1626 κεκλιμένην ἀγκῶνος ὕπερ προύχοντος ἴδοντο.
1627 αὐτίκα δὲ ζέφυρος μὲν ἐλώφεεν, ἤλυθε δ' αὔρη
1628 ἀργέσταο νότου: κεχάροντο δὲ θυμὸν ἰωῇ.
1629 ἦμος δ' ἠέλιος μὲν ἔδυ, ἀνὰ δ' ἤλυθεν ἀστὴρ
1630  αὔλιος, ὅς τ' ἀνέπαυσεν ὀιζυροὺς ἀροτῆρας,
1631 δὴ τότ' ἔπειτ' ἀνέμοιο κελαινῇ νυκτὶ λιπόντος
1632 ἱστία λυσάμενοι περιμήκεά τε κλίναντες
1633 ἱστόν, ἐυξέστῃσιν ἐπερρώοντ' ἐλάτῃσιν
1634 παννύχιοι καὶ ἐπ' ἦμαρ, ἐπ' ἤματι δ' αὖτις ἰοῦσαν
1635  νύχθ' ἑτέρην. ὑπέδεκτο δ' ἀπόπροθι παιπαλόεσσα
1636 Κάρπαθος: ἔνθεν δ' οἵγε περαιώσεσθαι ἔμελλον
1637 Κρήτην, ἥ τ' ἄλλων ὑπερέπλετο εἰν ἁλὶ νήσων.

(4.1638-1653) And Talos, the man of bronze, as he broke off rocks from the hard cliff, stayed them from fastening hawsers to the shore, when they came to the roadstead of Dicte's haven. He was of the stock of bronze, of the men sprung from ash-trees, the last left among the sons of the gods; and the son of Cronos gave him to Europa to be the warder of Crete and to stride round the island thrice a day with his feet of bronze. Now in all the rest of his body and limbs was he fashioned of bronze and invulnerable; but beneath the sinew by his ankle was a blood-red vein; and this, with its issues of life and death, was covered by a thin skin. So the heroes, though outworn with toil, quickly backed their ship from the land in sore dismay. And now far from Crete would they have been borne in wretched plight, distressed both by thirst and pain, had not Medea addressed them as they turned away:

1638     Τοὺς δὲ Τάλως χάλκειος, ἀπὸ στιβαροῦ σκοπέλοιο
1639 ῥηγνύμενος πέτρας, εἶργε χθονὶ πείσματ' ἀνάψαι,
1640  Δικταίην ὅρμοιο κατερχομένους ἐπιωγήν:
1641 τὸν μὲν χαλκείης μελιηγενέων ἀνθρώπων
1642 ῥίζης λοιπὸν ἐοντα μετ' ἀνδράσιν ἡμιθέοισιν
1643 Εὐρώπῃ Κρονίδης νήσου πόρεν ἔμμεναι σὖρον,
1644 τρὶς περὶ χαλκείοις Κρήτην ποσὶ δινεύοντα.
1645  ἀλλ' ἤτοι τὸ μὲν ἄλλο δέμας καὶ γυῖα τέτυκτο
1646 χάλκεος ἠδ' ἄρρηκτος: ὑπαὶ δέ οἱ ἔσκε τένοντος
1647 σύριγξ αἱματόεσσα κατὰ σφυρόν: αὐτὰρ ὅ τ' ἦγχε
1648 λεπτὸς ὑμὴν ζωῆς ἔχε πείρατα καὶ θανάτοιο.
1649 οἱ δέ, δύῃ μάλα περ δεδμημένοι, αἶψ' ἀπὸ χέρσου
1650  νῆα περιδδείσαντες ἀνακρούεσκον ἐρετμοῖς.
1651 καί νύ κ' ἐπισμυγερῶς Κρήτης ἑκὰς ἠέρθησαν,
1652 ἀμφότερον δίψῃ τε καὶ ἄλγεσι μοχθίζοντες,
1653 εἰ μή σφιν Μήδεια λιαζομένοις ἀγόρευσεν:

(4.1654-1658) "Hearken to me. For I deem that I alone can subdue for you that man, whoever he be, even though his frame be of bronze throughout, unless his life too is everlasting. But be ready to keep your ship here beyond the cast of his stones, till he yield the victory to me."

1654      "Κέκλυτέ μευ. μούνη γὰρ ὀίομαι ὔμμι δαμάσσειν
1655  ἄνδρα τόν, ὅστις ὅδ' ἐστί, καὶ εἰ παγχάλκεον ἴσχει
1656 ὃν δέμας, ὁππότε μή οἱ ἐπ' ἀκάματος πέλοι αἰών.
1657 ἀλλ' ἔχετ' αὐτοῦ νῆα θελήμονες ἐκτὸς ἐρωῆς
1658 πετράων, εἵως κεν ἐμοὶ εἴξειε δαμῆναι."

(4.1659-1672) Thus she spake; and they drew the ship out of range, resting on their oars, waiting to see what plan unlooked for she would bring to pass; and she, holding the fold of her purple robe over her cheeks on each side, mounted on the deck; and Aeson's son took her hand in his and guided her way along the thwarts. And with songs did she propitiate and invoke the Death- spirits, devourers of life, the swift hounds of Hades, who, hovering through all the air, swoop down on the living. Kneeling in supplication, thrice she called on them with songs, and thrice with prayers; and, shaping her soul to mischief, with her hostile glance she bewitched the eyes of Talos, the man of bronze; and her teeth gnashed bitter wrath against him, and she sent forth baneful phantoms in the frenzy of her rage.

1659     Ὧς ἄρ' ἔφη: καὶ τοὶ μὲν ὑπὲκ βελέων ἐρύσαντο
1660  νῆ' ἐπ' ἐρετμοῖσιν, δεδοκημένοι ἥντινα ῥέξει
1661 μῆτιν ἀνωίστως: ἡ δὲ πτύχα πορφυρέοιο
1662 προσχομένη πέπλοιο παρειάων ἑκάτερθεν
1663 βήσατ' ἐπ' ἰκριόφιν: χειρὸς δέ ἑ χειρὶ μεμαρπὼς
1664 Αἰσονίδης ἐκόμιζε διὰ κληῖδας ἰοῦσαν.
1665  ἔνθα δ' ἀοιδῇσιν μειλίσσετο, μέλπε δὲ Κῆρας
1666 θυμοβόρους, Ἀίδαο θοὰς κύνας, αἳ περὶ πᾶσαν
1667 ἠέρα δινεύουσαι ἐπὶ ζωοῖσιν ἄγονται.
1668 τὰς γουναζομένη τρὶς μὲν παρεκέκλετ' ἀοιδαῖς,
1669 τρὶς δὲ λιταῖς: θεμένη δὲ κακὸν νόον, ἐχθοδοποῖσιν
1670  ὄμμασι χαλκείοιο Τάλω ἐμέγηρεν ὀπωπάς:
1671 λευγαλέον δ' ἐπί οἱ πρῖεν χόλον, ἐκ δ' ἀίδηλα
1672 δείκηλα προΐαλλεν, ἐπιζάφελον κοτέουσα.

(4.1673-1693) Father Zeus, surely great wonder rises in my mind, seeing that dire destruction meets us not from disease and wounds alone, but lo! even from afar, may be, it tortures us! So Talos, for all his frame of bronze, yielded the victory to the might of Medea the sorceress. And as he was heaving massy rocks to stay them from reaching the haven, he grazed his ankle on a pointed crag; and the ichor gushed forth like melted lead; and not long thereafter did he stand towering on the jutting cliff. But even as some huge pine, high up on the mountains, which woodmen have left half hewn through by their sharp axes when they returned from the forest -- at first it shivers in the wind by night, then at last snaps at the stump and crashes down; so Talos for a while stood on his tireless feet, swaying to and fro, when at last, all strengthless, fell with a mighty thud. For that night there in Crete the heroes lay; then, just as dawn was growing bright, they built a shrine to Minoan Athena, and drew water and went aboard, so that first of all they might by rowing pass beyond Salmone's height.

1673     Ζεῦ πάτερ, ἦ μέγα δή μοι ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θάμβος ἄηται,
1674 εἰ δὴ μὴ νούσοισι τυπῇσί τε μοῦνον ὄλεθρος
1675  ἀντιάει, καὶ δή τις ἀπόπροθεν ἄμμε χαλέπτει.
1676 ὧς ὅγε χάλκειός περ ἐὼν ὑπόειξε δαμῆναι
1677 Μηδείης βρίμῃ πολυφαρμάκου. ἂν δὲ βαρείας
1678 ὀχλίζων λάιγγας, ἐρυκέμεν ὅρμον ἱκέσθαι.
1679 πετραίῳ στόνυχι χρίμψε σφυρόν: ἐκ δέ οἱ ἰχὼρ
1680  τηκομένῳ ἴκελος μολίβῳ ῥέεν: οὐδ' ἔτι δηρὸν
1681 εἱστήκει προβλῆτος ἐπεμβεβαὼς σκοπέλοιο.
1682 ἀλλ' ὥς τίς τ' ἐν ὄρεσσι πελωρίη ὑψόθι πεύκη,
1683 τήν τε θοοῖς πελέκεσσιν ἔθ' ἡμιπλῆγα λιπόντες
1684 ὑλοτόμοι δρυμοῖο κατήλυθον: ἡ δ' ὑπὸ νυκτὶ
1685  ῥιπῇσιν μὲν πρῶτα τινάσσεται, ὕστερον αὖτε
1686 πρυμνόθεν ἐξαγεῖσα κατήριπεν: ὧς ὅγε ποσσὶν
1687 ἀκαμάτοις τείως μὲν ἐπισταδὸν ᾐωρεῖτο,
1688 ὕστερον αὖτ' ἀμενηνὸς ἀπείρονι κάππεσε δούπῳ.
1689 κεῖνο μὲν οὖν Κρήτῃ ἐνὶ δὴ κνέφας ηὐλίζοντο
1690  ἥρωες: μετὰ δ' οἵγε νέον φαέθουσαν ἐς ἠῶ
1691 ἱρὸν Ἀθηναίης Μινωίδος ἱδρύσαντο,
1692 ὕδωρ τ' εἰσαφύσαντο καὶ εἰσέβαν, ὥς κεν ἐρετμοῖς
1693 παμπρώτιστα βάλοιεν ὑπὲρ Σαλμωνίδος ἄκρης.

(4.1694-1730) But straightway as they sped over the wide Cretan sea night scared them, that night which they name the Pall of Darkness; the stars pierced not that fatal night nor the beams of the moon, but black chaos descended from heaven, or haply some other darkness came, rising from the nethermost depths. And the heroes, whether they drifted in Hades or on the waters, knew not one whit; but they committed their return to the sea in helpless doubt whither it was bearing them. But Jason raised his hands and cried to Phoebus with mighty voice, calling on him to save them; and the tears ran down in his distress; and often did he promise to bring countless offerings to Pytho, to Amyclae, and to Ortygia. And quickly, O son of Leto, swift to hear, didst thou come down from heaven to the Melantian rocks, which lie there in the sea. Then darting upon one of the twin peaks, thou raisedst aloft in thy right hand thy golden bow; and the bow flashed a dazzling gleam all round. And to their sight appeared a small island of the Sporades, over against the tiny isle Hippuris, and there they cast anchor and stayed; and straightway dawn arose and gave them light; and they made for Apollo a glorious abode in a shady wood, and a shady altar, calling on Phoebus the "Gleamer", because of the gleam far-seen; and that bare island they called Anaphe, for that Phoebus had revealed it to men sore bewildered. And they sacrificed all that men could provide for sacrifice on a desolate strand; wherefore when Medea's Phaeacian handmaids saw them pouring water for libations on the burning brands, they could no longer restrain laughter within their bosoms, for that ever they had seen oxen in plenty slain in the halls of Alcinous. And the heroes delighted in the jest and attacked them with taunting words; and merry railing and contention flung to and fro were kindled among them. And from that sport of the heroes such scoffs do the women fling at the men in that island whenever they propitiate with sacrifices Apollo the gleaming god, the warder of Anaphe.

1694     Λὐτίκα δὲ Κρηταῖον ὑπὲρ μέγα λαῖτμα θέοντας
1695  νὺξ ἐφόβει, τήνπερ τε κατουλάδα κικλήσκουσιν:
1696 νύκτ' ὀλοὴν οὐκ ἄστρα διίσχανεν, οὐκ ἀμαρυγαὶ
1697 μήνης: οὐρανόθεν δὲ μέλαν χάος, ἠέ τις ἄλλη
1698 ὠρώρει σκοτίη μυχάτων ἀνιοῦσα βερέθρων.
1699 αὐτοὶ δ', εἴτ' Ἀίδῃ, εἴθ' ὕδασιν ἐμφορέοντο,
1700  ἠείδειν οὐδ' ὅσσον: ἐπέτρεψαν δὲ θαλάσσῃ
1701 νόστον, ἀμηχανέοντες, ὅπῃ φέροι. αὐτὰρ Ἰήσων
1702 χεῖρας ἀνασχόμενος μεγάλῃ ὀπὶ Φοῖβον ἀύτει,
1703 ῥύσασθαι καλέων: κατὰ δ' ἔρρεεν ἀσχαλόωντι
1704 δάκρυα: πολλὰ δὲ Πυθοῖ ὑπέσχετο, πολλὰ δ' Ἀμύκλαις,
1705  πολλὰ δ' ἐς Ὀρτυγίην ἀπερείσια δῶρα κομίσσειν.
1706 Λητοΐδη, τύνη δὲ κατ' οὐρανοῦ ἵκεο πέτρας
1707 ῥίμφα Μελαντίους ἀριήκοος, αἵ τ' ἐνὶ πόντῳ
1708 ἧνται: δοιάων δὲ μιῆς ἐφύπερθεν ὀρούσας,
1709 δεξιτερῇ χρύσειον ἀνέσχεθες ὑψόθι τόξον:
1710  μαρμαρέην δ' ἀπέλαμψε βιὸς περὶ πάντοθεν αἴγλην.
1711 τοῖσι δέ τις Σποράδων βαιὴ ἀπὸ τόφρ' ἐφαάνθη
1712 νῆσος ἰδεῖν, ὀλίγης Ἱππουρίδος ἀντία νήσου,
1713 ἔνθ' εὐνὰς ἐβάλοντο καὶ ἔσχεθον: αὐτίκα δ' Ἠὼς
1714 φέγγεν ἀνερχομένη: τοὶ δ' ἀγλαὸν Ἀπόλλωνι
1715  ἄλσει ἐνὶ σκιερῷ τέμενος σκιόεντά τε βωμὸν
1716 ποίεον, Αἰγλήτην μὲν ἐυσκόπου εἵνεκεν αἴγλης
1717 Φοῖβον κεκλόμενοι: Ἀνάφην δέ τε λισσάδα νῆσον
1718 ἴσκον, ὃ δὴ Φοῖβός μιν ἀτυζομένοις ἀνέφηνεν.
1719 ῥέζον δ' ὅσσα περ ἄνδρες ἐρημαίῃ ἐνὶ ῥέζειν
1720  ἀκτῇ ἐφοπλίσσειαν: ὃ δή σφεας ὁππότε δαλοῖς
1721 ὕδωρ αἰθομένοισιν ἐπιλλείβοντας ἴδοντο
1722 Μηδείης δμωαὶ Φαιηκίδες, οὐκέτ' ἔπειτα
1723 ἴσχειν ἐν στήθεσσι γέλω σθένον, οἷα θαμειὰς
1724 αἰὲν ἐν Ἀλκινόοιο βοοκτασίας ὁρόωσαι.
1725  τὰς δ' αἰσχροῖς ἥρωες ἐπεστοβέεσκον ἔπεσσιν
1726 χλεύῃ γηθόσυνοι: γλυκερὴ δ' ἀνεδαίετο τοῖσιν
1727 κερτομίη καὶ νεῖκος ἐπεσβόλον. ἐκ δέ νυ κείνης
1728 μολπῆς ἡρώων νήσῳ ἔνι τοῖα γυναῖκες
1729 ἀνδράσι δηριόωνται, ὅτ' Ἀπόλλωνα θυηλαῖς
1730  Αἰγλήτην Ἀνάφης τιμήορον ἱλάσκωνται.


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