(1.363-393) He spake, and was the first to turn to the work, and they stood up in obedience to him; and they heaped their garments, one upon the other, on a smooth stone, which the sea did not strike with its waves, but the stormy surge had cleansed it long before. First of all, by the command of Argus, they strongly girded the ship with a rope well twisted within, stretching it tight on each side, in order that the planks might be well compacted by the bolts and might withstand the opposing force of the surge. And they quickly dug a trench as wide as the space the ship covered, and at the prow as far into the sea as it would run when drawn down by their hands. And they ever dug deeper in front of the stem, and in the furrow laid polished rollers; and inclined the ship down upon the first rollers, that so she might glide and be borne on by them. And above, on both sides, reversing the oars, they fastened them round the thole- pins, so as to project a cubit's space. And the heroes themselves stood on both sides at the oars in a row, and pushed forward with chest and hand at once. And then Tiphys leapt on board to urge the youths to push at the right moment; and calling on them he shouted loudly; and they at once, leaning with all their strength, with one push started the ship from her place, and strained with their feet, forcing her onward; and Pelian Argo followed swiftly; and they on each side shouted as they rushed on. And then the rollers groaned under the sturdy keel as they were chafed, and round them rose up a dark smoke owing to the weight, and she glided into the sea; but the heroes stood there and kept dragging her back as she sped onward. And round the thole-pins they fitted the oars, and in the ship they placed the mast and the well-made sails and the stores.
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363 Η ῥα, καὶ εἰς ἔργον πρῶτος τράπεθ̓: οἱ δ' ἐπανέσταν
364 πειθόμενοι: ἀπὸ δ' εἵματ' ἐπήτριμα νηήσαντο
365 λείῳ ἐπὶ πλαταμῶνι, τὸν οὐκ ἐπέβαλλε θάλασσα
366 κύμασι, χειμερίη δὲ πάλαι ἀποέκλυσεν ἅλμη.
367 νῆα δ' ἐπικρατέως Ἄργου ὑποθημοσύνῃσιν
368 ἔζωσαν πάμπρωτον ἐυστρεφεῖ ἔνδοθεν ὅπλῳ
369 τεινάμενοι ἑκάτερθεν, ἵν' εὖ ἀραροίατο γόμφοις
370 δούρατα καὶ ῥοθίοιο βίην ἔχοι ἀντιόωσαν.
371 σκάπτον δ' αἶψα κατ' εὖρος ὅσον περιβάλλετο χῶρον,
372 ἠδὲ κατὰ πρῴραν εἴσω ἁλὸς ὁσσάτιόν περ
373 ἑλκομένη χείρεσσιν ἐπιδραμέεσθαι ἔμελλεν.
374 αἰεὶ δὲ προτέρω χθαμαλώτερον ἐξελάχαινον
375 στείρης, ἐν δ' ὁλκῷ ξεστὰς στορέσαντο φάλαγγας:
376 τὴν δὲ κατάντη κλῖναν ἐπὶ πρώτῃσι φάλαγξιν,
377 ὥς κεν ὀλισθαίνουσα δι' αὐτάων φορέοιτο.
378 ὕψι δ' ἄρ' ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα μεταστρέψαντες ἐρετμὰ
379 πήχυιον προύχοντα περὶ σκαλμοῖσιν ἔδησαν.
380 τῶν δ' ἐναμοιβαδὶς αὐτοὶ ἐνέσταθεν ἀμφοτέρωθεν,
381 στέρνα θ' ὁμοῦ καὶ χεῖρας ἐπήλασαν. ἐν δ' ἄρα Τῖφυς
382 βήσαθ', ἵν' ὀτρύνειε νέους κατὰ καιρὸν ἐρύσσαι:
383 κεκλόμενος δ' ἤυσε μάλα μέγα: τοὶ δὲ παρᾶσσον
384 ᾧ κράτεϊ βρίσαντες ἰῇ στυφέλιξαν ἐρωῇ
385 νειόθεν ἐξ ἕδρης, ἐπὶ δ' ἐρρώσαντο πόδεσσιν
386 προπροβιαζόμενοι: ἡ δ' ἕσπετο Πηλιὰς Ἀργὼ
387 ῥίμφα μάλ': οἱ δ' ἑκάτερθεν ἐπίαχον ἀίσσοντες.
388 αἱ δ' ἄρ' ὑπὸ τρόπιδι στιβαρῇ στενάχοντο φάλαγγες
389 τριβόμεναι περὶ δέ σφιν ἀιδνὴ κήκιε λιγνὺς
390 βριθοσύνῃ, κατόλισθε δ' ἔσω ἁλός: οἱ δέ μιν αὖθι
391 ἂψ ἀνασειράζοντες ἔχον προτέρωσε κιοῦσαν.
392 σκαλμοῖς δ' ἀμφὶς ἐρετμὰ κατήρτυον: ἐν δέ οἱ ἱστὸν
393 λαίφεά τ' εὐποίητα καὶ ἁρμαλιὴν ἐβάλοντο.
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