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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 4 [627]

(4.627-658) Thence they entered the deep stream of Rhodanus which flows into Eridanus; and where they meet there is a roar of mingling waters. Now that river, rising from the ends of the earth, where are the portals and mansions of Night, on one side bursts forth upon the beach of Ocean, at another pours into the Ionian sea, and on the third through seven mouths sends its stream to the Sardinian sea and its limitless bay. And from Rhodanus they entered stormy lakes, which spread throughout the Celtic mainland of wondrous size; and there they would have met with an inglorious calamity; for a certain branch of the river was bearing them towards a gulf of Ocean which in ignorance they were about to enter, and never would they have returned from there in safety. But Hera leaping forth from heaven pealed her cry from the Hercynian rock; and all together were shaken with fear of her cry; for terribly crashed the mighty firmament. And backward they turned by reason of the goddess, and noted the path by which their return was ordained. And after a long while they came to the beach of the surging sea by the devising of Hera, passing unharmed through countless tribes of the Celts and Ligyans. For round them the goddess poured a dread mist day by day as they fared on. And so, sailing through the midmost mouth, they reached the Stoechades islands in safety by the aid of the sons of Zeus; wherefore altars and sacred rites are established in their honour for ever; and not that sea-faring alone did they attend to succour; but Zeus granted to them the ships of future sailors too. Then leaving the Stoechades they passed on to the island Aethalia, where after their toil they wiped away with pebbles sweat in abundance; and pebbles like skin in colour are strewn on the beach; and there are their quoits and their wondrous armour; and there is the Argoan harbour called after them.

627     Ἐκ δὲ τόθεν Ῥοδανοῖο βαθὺν ῥόον εἰσαπέβησαν,
628 ὅς τ' εἰς Ἠριδανὸν μετανίσσεται: ἄμμιγα δ' ὕδωρ
629 ἐν ξυνοχῇ βέβρυκε κυκώμενον. αὐτὰρ ὁ γαίης
630  ἐκ μυχάτης, ἵνα τ' εἰσὶ πύλαι καὶ ἐδέθλια Νυκτός,
631 ἔνθεν ἀπορνύμενος τῇ μέν τ' ἐπερεύγεται ἀκτὰς
632 Ὠκεανοῦ, τῇ δ' αὖτε μετ' Ἰονίην ἅλα βάλλει,
633 τῇ δ' ἐπὶ Σαρδόνιον πέλαγος καὶ ἀπείρονα κόλπον
634 ἑπτὰ διὰ στομάτων ἵει ῥόον. ἐκ δ' ἄρα τοῖο
635  λίμνας εἰσέλασαν δυσχείμονας, αἵ τ' ἀνὰ Κελτῶν
636 ἤπειρον πέπτανται ἀθέσφατον: ἔνθα κεν οἵγε
637 ἄτῃ ἀεικελίῃ πέλασαν. φέρε γάρ τις ἀπορρὼξ
638 κόλπον ἐς Ὠκεανοῖο, τὸν οὐ προδαέντες ἔμελλον
639 εἰσβαλέειν, τόθεν οὔ κεν ὑπότροποι ἐξεσάωθεν.
640  ἀλλ' Ἥρη σκοπέλοιο καθ' Ἑρκυνίου ἰάχησεν
641 οὐρανόθεν προθοροῦσα: φόβῳ δ' ἐτίναχθεν ἀυτῆς
642 πάντες ὁμῶς: δεινὸν γὰρ ἐπὶ μέγας ἔβραχεν αἰθήρ.
643 ἂψ δὲ παλιντροπόωντο θεᾶς ὕπο, καί ῥ' ἐνόησαν
644 τὴν οἶμον, τῇπέρ τε καὶ ἔπλετο νόστος ἰοῦσιν.
645  δηναιοὶ δ' ἀκτὰς ἁλιμυρέας εἰσαφίκοντο
646 Ἥρης ἐννεσίῃσι, δι' ἔθνεα μυρία Κελτῶν
647 καὶ Λιγύων περόωντες ἀδήιοι. ἀμφὶ γὰρ αἰνὴν
648 ἠέρα χεῦε θεὰ πάντ' ἤματα νισσομένοισιν.
649 μεσσότατον δ' ἄρα τοίγε διὰ στόμα νηὶ βαλόντες
650  Στοιχάδας εἰσαπέβαν νήσους σόοι εἵνεκα κούρων
651 Ζηνός: ὃ δὴ βωμοί τε καὶ ἱερὰ τοῖσι τέτυκται
652 ἔμπεδον: οὐδ' οἶον κείνης ἐπίκουροι ἕποντο
653 ναυτιλίης: Ζεὺς δέ σφι καὶ ὀψιγόνων πόρε νῆας.
654 Στοιχάδας αὖτε λιπόντες ἐς Αἰθαλίην ἐπέρησαν
655  νῆσον, ἵνα ψηφῖσιν ἀπωμόρξαντο καμόντες
656 ἱδρῶ ἅλις: χροιῇ δὲ κατ' αἰγιαλοῖο κέχυνται
657 εἴκελαι: ἐν δὲ σόλοι καὶ τεύχεα θέσκελα κείνων:
658 ἐν δὲ λιμὴν Ἀργῷος ἐπωνυμίην πεφάτισται.

(4.659-684) And quickly from there they passed through the sea, beholding the Tyrrhenian shores of Ausonia; and they came to the famous harbour of Aeaea, and from the ship they cast hawsers to the shore near at hand. And here they found Circe bathing her head in the salt sea-spray, for sorely had she been scared by visions of the night. With blood her chambers and all the walls of her palace seemed to be running, and flame was devouring all the magic herbs with which she used to bewitch strangers whoever came; and she herself with murderous blood quenched the glowing flame, drawing it up in her hands; and she ceased from deadly fear. Wherefore when morning came she rose, and with sea-spray was bathing her hair and her garments. And beasts, not resembling the beasts of the wild, nor yet like men in body, but with a medley of limbs, went in a throng, as sheep from the fold in multitudes follow the shepherd. Such creatures, compacted of various limbs, did each herself produce from the primeval slime when she had not yet grown solid beneath a rainless sky nor yet had received a drop of moisture from the rays of the scorching sun; but time combined these forms and marshalled them in their ranks; in such wise these monsters shapeless of form followed her. And exceeding wonder seized the heroes, and at once, as each gazed on the form and face of Circe, they readily guessed that she was the sister of Aeetes.

659     Καρπαλίμως δ' ἐνθένδε διὲξ ἁλὸς οἶδμα νέοντο
660  Αὐσονίης ἀκτὰς Τυρσηνίδας εἰσορόωντες:
661 ἷξον δ' Αἰαίης λιμένα κλυτόν: ἐκ δ' ἄρα νηὸς
662 πείσματ' ἐπ' ἠιόνων σχεδόθεν βάλον. ἔνθα δὲ Κίρκην
663 εὗρον ἁλὸς νοτίδεσσι κάρη ἐπιφαιδρύνουσαν:
664 τοῖον γὰρ νυχίοισιν ὀνείρασιν ἐπτοίητο.
665  αἵματί οἱ θάλαμοί τε καὶ ἕρκεα πάντα δόμοιο
666 μύρεσθαι δόκεον: φλὸξ δ' ἀθρόα φάρμακ' ἔδαπτεν,
667 οἷσι πάρος ξείνους θέλγ' ἀνέρας, ὅστις ἵκοιτο:
668 τὴν δ' αὐτὴ φονίῳ σβέσεν αἵματι πορφύρουσαν,
669 χερσὶν ἀφυσσαμένη: λῆξεν δ' ὀλοοῖο φόβοιο.
670  τῶ καὶ ἐπιπλομένης ἠοῦς νοτίδεσσι θαλάσσης
671 ἐγρομένη πλοκάμους τε καὶ εἵματα φαιδρύνεσκεν.
672 θῆρες δ' οὐ θήρεσσιν ἐοικότες ὠμηστῇσιν,
673 οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδ' ἄνδρεσσιν ὁμὸν δέμας, ἄλλο δ' ἀπ' ἄλλων
674 συμμιγέες μελέων, κίον ἀθρόοι, ἠύτε μῆλα
675  ἐκ σταθμῶν ἅλις εἶσιν ὀπηδεύοντα νομῆι.
676 τοίους καὶ προτέρης ἐξ ἰλύος ἐβλάστησε
677 χθὼν αὐτὴ μικτοῖσιν ἀρηρεμένους μελέεσσιν,
678 οὔπω διψαλέῳ μάλ' ὑπ' ἠέρι πιληθεῖσα,
679 οὐδέ πω ἀζαλέοιο βολαῖς τόσον ἠελίοιο
680  ἰκμάδας αἰνυμένη: τὰ δ' ἐπὶ στίχας ἤγαγεν αἰὼν
681 συγκρίνας: τὼς οἵγε φυὴν ἀίδηλοι ἕποντο.
682 ἥρωας δ' ἕλε θάμβος ἀπείριτον: αἶψα δ' ἕκαστος
683 Κίρκης εἴς τε φυήν, εἴς τ' ὄμματα παπταίνοντες
684 ῥεῖα κασιγνήτην φάσαν ἔμμεναι Αἰήταο.

(4.685-717) Now when she had dismissed the fears of her nightly visions, straightway she fared backwards, and in her subtlety she bade the heroes follow, charming them on with her hand. Thereupon the host remained stedfast at the bidding of Aeson's son, but Jason drew with him the Colchian maid. And both followed the selfsame path till they reached the hall of Circe, and she in amaze at their coming bade them sit on brightly burnished seats. And they, quiet and silent, sped to the hearth and sat there, as is the wont of wretched suppliants. Medea hid her face in both her hands, but Jason fixed in the ground the mighty hilted sword with which he had slain Aeetes' son; nor did they raise their eyes to meet her look. And straightway Circe became aware of the doom of a suppliant and the guilt of murder. Wherefore in reverence for the ordinance of Zeus, the god of suppliants, who is a god of wrath yet mightily aids slayers of men, she began to offer the sacrifice with which ruthless suppliants are cleansed from guilt when they approach the altar. First, to atone for the murder still unexpiated, she held above their heads the young of a sow whose dugs yet swelled from the fruit of the womb, and, severing its neck, sprinkled their hands with the blood; and again she made propitiation with other drink offerings, calling on Zeus the Cleanser, the protector of murder- stained suppliants. And all the defilements in a mass her attendants bore forth from the palace -- the Naiad nymphs who ministered all things to her. And within, Circe, standing by the hearth, kept burning atonement-cakes without wine, praying the while that she might stay from their wrath the terrible Furies, and that Zeus himself might be propitious and gentle to them both, whether with hands stained by the blood of a stranger or, as kinsfolk, by the blood of a kinsman, they should implore his grace.

685     Ἡ δ' ὅτε δὴ νυχίων ἀπὸ δείματα πέμψεν ὀνείρων,
686 αὐτίκ' ἔπειτ' ἄψορρον ἀπέστιχε: τοὺς δ' ἅμ' ἕπεσθαι,
687 χειρὶ καταρρέξασα, δολοφροσύνῃσιν ἄνωγεν.
688 ἔνθ' ἤτοι πληθὺς μὲν ἐφετμαῖς Αἰσονίδαο
689 μίμνεν ἀπηλεγέως: ὁ δ' ἐρύσσατο Κολχίδα κούρην.
690  ἄμφω δ' ἑσπέσθην αὐτὴν ὁδόν, ἔστ' ἀφίκοντο
691 Κίρκης ἐς μέγαρον: τοὺς δ' ἐν λιπαροῖσι κέλευεν
692 ἥγε θρόνοις ἕζεσθαι, ἀμηχανέουσα κιόντων.
693 τὼ δ' ἄνεῳ καὶ ἄναυδοι ἐφ' ἑστίῃ ἀίξαντε
694 ἵζανον, ἥ τε δίκη λυγροῖς ἱκέτῃσι τέτυκται,
695  ἡ μὲν ἐπ' ἀμφοτέραις θεμένη χείρεσσι μέτωπα,
696 αὐτὰρ ὁ κωπῆεν μέγα φάσγανον ἐν χθονὶ πήξας,
697 ᾧπέρ τ' Αἰήταο πάιν κτάνεν: οὐδέ ποτ' ὄσσε
698 ἰθὺς ἐνὶ βλεφάροισιν ἀνέσχεθον. αὐτίκα δ' ἔγνω
699 Κίρκη φύξιον οἶτον ἀλιτροσύνας τε φόνοιο.
700  τῶ καὶ ὀπιζομένη Ζηνὸς θέμιν Ἱκεσίοιο,
701 ὃς μέγα μὲν κοτέει, μέγα δ' ἀνδροφόνοισιν ἀρήγει,
702 ῥέζε θυηπολίην, οἵῃ τ' ἀπολυμαίνονται
703 νηλειεῖς ἱκέται, ὅτ' ἐφέστιοι ἀντιόωσιν.
704 πρῶτα μὲν ἀτρέπτοιο λυτήριον ἥγε φόνοιο
705  τειναμένη καθύπερθε συὸς τέκος, ἧς ἔτι μαζοὶ
706 πλήμμυρον λοχίης ἐκ νηδύος, αἵματι χεῖρας
707 τέγγεν, ἐπιτμήγουσα δέρην: αὖτις δὲ καὶ ἄλλοις
708 μείλισσεν χύτλοισι, καθάρσιον ἀγκαλέουσα
709 Ζῆνα, παλαμναίων τιμήορον ἱκεσιάων.
710  καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀθρόα πάντα δόμων ἐκ λύματ' ἔνεικαν
711 νηιάδες πρόπολοι, ταί οἱ πόρσυνον ἕκαστα.
712 ἡ δ' εἴσω πελάνους μείλικτρά τε νηφαλίῃσιν
713 καῖεν ἐπ' εὐχωλῇσι παρέστιος, ὄφρα χόλοιο
714 σμερδαλέας παύσειεν Ἐρινύας, ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτὸς
715  εὐμειδής τε πέλοιτο καὶ ἤπιος ἀμφοτέροισιν,
716 εἴτ' οὖν ὀθνείῳ μεμιασμένοι αἵματι χεῖρας,
717 εἴτε καὶ ἐμφύλῳ προσκηδέες ἀντιόωσιν.


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