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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 1 [1315]

(1.1315-1325) "Why against the counsel of mighty Zeus do ye purpose to lead bold Heracles to the city of Aeetes? At Argos it is his fate to labour for insolent Eurystheus and to accomplish full twelve toils and dwell with the immortals, if so be that he bring to fulfilment a few more yet; wherefore let there be no vain regret for him. Likewise it is destined for Polyphemus to found a glorious city at the mouth of Cius among the Mysians and to fill up the measure of his fate in the vast land of the Chalybes. But a goddess-nymph through love has made Hylas her husband, on whose account those two wandered and were left behind."

1315    "Τίπτε παρὲκ μεγάλοιο Διὸς μενεαίνετε βουλὴν
1316 Αἰήτεω πτολίεθρον ἄγειν θρασὺν Ἡρακλῆα;
1317 Ἄργεΐ οἱ μοῖρ' ἐστὶν ἀτασθάλῳ Εὐρυσθῆι
1318 ἐκπλῆσαι μογέοντα δυώδεκα πάντας ἀέθλους,
1319 ναίειν δ' ἀθανάτοισι συνέστιον, εἴ κ' ἔτι παύρους
1320 ἐξανύσῃ: τῶ μή τι ποθὴ κείνοιο πελέσθω.
1321 αὔτως δ' αὖ Πολύφημον ἐπὶ προχοῇσι Κίοιο
1322 πέπρωται Μυσοῖσι περικλεὲς ἄστυ καμόντα
1323 μοῖραν ἀναπλήσειν Χαλύβων ἐν ἀπείρονι γαίῃ.
1324 αὐτὰρ Ὕλαν φιλότητι θεὰ ποιήσατο νύμφη
1325 ὃν πόσιν, οἷό περ οὕνεκ' ἀποπλαγχθέντες ἔλειφθεν."

(1.1326-1331) He spake, and with a plunge wrapped him about with the restless wave; and round him the dark water foamed in seething eddies and dashed against the hollow ship as it moved through the sea. And the heroes rejoiced, and Telamon son of Aeacus came in haste to Jason, and grasping his hand in his own embraced him with these words:

1326     ̂Ἠ, καὶ κῦμ' ἀλίαστον ἐφέσσατο νειόθι δύψας:
1327 ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ δίνῃσι κυκώμενον ἄφρεεν ὕδωρ
1328 πορφύρεον, κοίλην δὲ διὲξ ἁλὸς ἔκλυσε νῆα.
1329 γήθησαν δ' ἥρωες: ὁ δ' ἐσσυμένως ἐβεβήκει
1330 Αἰακίδης Τελαμὼν ἐς Ἰήσονα, χεῖρα δὲ χειρὶ
1331 ἄκρην ἀμφιβαλὼν προσπτύξατο, φώνησέν τε:

(1.1332-1335) "Son of Aeson, be not wroth with me, if in my folly I have erred, for grief wrought upon me to utter a word arrogant and intolerable. But let me give my fault to the winds and let our hearts be joined as before."

1332     "Αἰσονίδη, μή μοί τι χολώσεαι, ἀφραδίῃσιν
1333 εἴ τί περ ἀασάμην: πέρι γάρ μ' ἄχος εἷλεν ἐνισπεῖν
1334 μῦθον ὑπερφίαλόν τε καὶ ἄσχετον, ἀλλ' ἀνέμοισιν
1335 δώομεν ἀμπλακίην, ὡς καὶ πάρος εὐμενέοντες."

(1.1336-1343) Him the son of Aeson with prudence addressed: "Good friend, assuredly with an evil word didst thou revile me, saying before them all that I was the wronger of a kindly man. But not for long will I nurse bitter wrath, though indeed before I was grieved. For it was not for flocks of sheep, no, nor for possessions that thou wast angered to fury, but for a man, thy comrade. And I were fain thou wouldst even champion me against another man if a like thing should ever befall me."

1336     Τὸν δ' αὖτ' Αἴσονος υἱὸς ἐπιφραδέως προσέειπεν:
1337 "̂Ὠ πέπον, ἦ μάλα δή με κακῷ ἐκυδάσσαο μύθῳ,
1338 φὰς ἐνὶ τοῖσιν ἅπασιν ἐνηέος ἀνδρὸς ἀλείτην
1339 ἔμμεναι. ἀλλ' οὐ θήν τοι ἀδευκέα μῆνιν ἀέξω,
1340 πρίν περ ἀνιηθείς: ἐπεὶ οὐ περὶ πώεσι μήλων,
1341 οὐδὲ περὶ κτεάτεσσι χαλεψάμενος μενέηνας,
1342 ἀλλ' ἑτάρου περὶ φωτός. ἔολπα δέ τοι σὲ καὶ ἄλλῳ
1343 ἀμφ' ἐμεῦ, εἰ τοιόνδε πέλοι ποτέ, δηρίσασθαι."

(1.1344-1357) He spake, and they sat down, united as of old. But of those two, by the counsel of Zeus, one, Polyphemus son of Eilatus, was destined to found and build a city among the Mysians bearing the river's name, and the other, Heracles, to return and toil at the labours of Eurystheus. And he threatened to lay waste the Mysian land at once, should they not discover for him the doom of Hylas, whether living or dead. And for him they gave pledges choosing out the noblest sons of the people and took an oath that they would never cease from their labour of search. Therefore to this day the people of Cius enquire for Hylas the son of Theiodamas, and take thought for the well-built Trachis. For there did Heracles settle the youths whom they sent from Cius as pledges.

1344     ̂Ἠ ῥα, καὶ ἀρθμηθέντες, ὅπῃ πάρος, ἑδριόωντο.
1345 τὼ δὲ Διὸς βουλῇσιν, ὁ μὲν Μυσοῖσι βαλέσθαι
1346 μέλλεν ἐπώνυμον ἄστυ πολισσάμενος ποταμοῖο
1347 Εἰλατίδης Πολύφημος: ὁ δ' Εὐρυσθῆος ἀέθλους
1348 αὖτις ἰὼν πονέεσθαι. ἐπηπείλησε δὲ γαῖαν
1349 Μυσίδ' ἀναστήσειν αὐτοσχεδόν, ὁππότε μή οἱ
1350 ἢ ζωοῦ εὕροιεν Ὕλα μόρον, ἠὲ θανόντος.
1351 τοῖο δὲ ῥύσι' ὄπασσαν ἀποκρίναντες ἀρίστους
1352 υἱέας ἐκ δήμοιο, καὶ ὅρκια ποιήσαντο,
1353 μήποτε μαστεύοντες ἀπολλήξειν καμάτοιο.
1354 τούνεκεν εἰσέτι νῦν περ Ὕλαν ἐρέουσι Κιανοί,
1355 κοῦρον Θειοδάμαντος, ἐυκτιμένης τε μέλονται
1356 Τρηχῖνος. δὴ γάρ ῥα κατ' αὐτόθι νάσσατο παῖδας,
1357 οὕς οἱ ῥύσια κεῖθεν ἐπιπροέηκαν ἄγεσθαι.

(1.1358-1362) And all day long and all night the wind bore the ship on, blowing fresh and strong; but when dawn rose there was not even a breath of air. And they marked a beach jutting forth from a bend of the coast, very broad to behold, and by dint of rowing came to land at sunrise.

1358     Νηῦν δὲ πανημερίην ἄνεμος φέρε νυκτί τε πάσῃ
1359 λάβρος ἐπιπνείων: ἀτὰρ οὐδ' ἐπὶ τυτθὸν ἄητο
1360 ἠοῦς τελλομένης, οἱ δὲ χθονὸς εἰσανέχουσαν
1361 ἀκτὴν ἐκ κόλποιο μάλ' εὐρεῖαν ἐσιδέσθαι
1362 φρασσαμενοι, κώπῃσιν ἅμ' ἠελίῳ ἐπέκελσαν


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