(4.1277-1317) Thus he spake with tears, and all of them that had knowledge of ships agreed thereto; but the hearts of all grew numb, and pallor overspread their cheeks. And as, like lifeless spectres, men roam through a city awaiting the issue of war or of pestilence, or some mighty storm which overwhelms the countless labours of oxen, when the images of their own accord sweat and run down with blood, and bellowings are heard in temples, or when at mid-day the sun draws on night from heaven, and the stars shine clear through the mist; so at that time along the endless strand the chieftains wandered, groping their way. Then straightway dark evening came upon them; and piteously did they embrace each other and say farewell with tears, that they might, each one apart from his fellow, fall on the sand and die. And this way and that they went further to choose a resting-place; and they wrapped their heads in their cloaks and, fasting and unfed, lay down all that night and the day, awaiting a piteous death. But apart the maidens huddled together lamented beside the daughter of Aeetes. And as when, forsaken by their mother, unfledged birds that have fallen from a cleft in the rock chirp shrilly; or when by the banks of fair-flowing Pactolus, swans raise their song, and all around the dewy meadow echoes and the river's fair stream; so these maidens, laying in the dust their golden hair, all through the night wailed their piteous lament. And there all would have parted from life without a name and unknown to mortal men, those bravest of heroes, with their task unfulfilled; but as they pined in despair, the heroine-nymphs, warders of Libya, had pity on them, they who once found Athena, what time she leapt in gleaming armour from her father's head, and bathed her by Trito's waters. It was noon-tide and the fiercest rays of the sun were scorching Libya; they stood near Aeson's son, and lightly drew the cloak from his head. And the hero cast down his eyes and looked aside, in reverence for the goddesses, and as he lay bewildered all alone they addressed him openly with gentle words:
|
|
1277 Ὧς φάτο δακρυόεις: σὺν δ' ἔννεπον ἀσχαλόωντι
1278 ὅσσοι ἔσαν νηῶν δεδαημένοι: ἐν δ' ἄρα πᾶσιν
1279 παχνώθη κραδίη, χύτο δὲ χλόος ἀμφὶ παρειάς.
1280 οἷον δ' ἀψύχοισιν ἐοικότες εἰδώλοισιν
1281 ἀνέρες εἱλίσσονται ἀνὰ πτόλιν, ἢ πολέμοιο
1282 ἢ λοιμοῖο τέλος ποτιδέγμενοι, ἠέ τιν' ὄμβρον
1283 ἄσπετον, ὅς τε βοῶν κατὰ μυρία ἔκλυσεν ἔργα,
1284 ἢ ὅταν αὐτόματα ξόανα ῥέῃ ἱδρώοντα
1285 αἵματι, καὶ μυκαὶ σηκοῖς ἔνι φαντάζωνται,
1286 ὴὲ καὶ ἠέλιος μέσῳ ἤματι νύκτ' ἐπάγῃσιν
1287 οὐρανόθεν, τὰ δὲ λαμπρὰ δι' ἠέρος ἄστρα φαείνοι:
1288 ὧς τότ' ἀριστῆες δολιχοῦ πρόπαρ αἰγιαλοῖο
1289 ἤλυον ἑρπύζοντες. ἐπήλυθε δ' αὐτίκ' ἐρεμνὴ
1290 ἕσπερος. οἱ δ' ἐλεεινὰ χεροῖν σφέας ἀμφιβαλόντες
1291 δακρυόειν ἀγάπαζον, ἵν' ἄνδιχα δῆθεν ἕκαστος
1292 θυμὸν ἀποφθίσειαν ἐνὶ ψαμάθοισι πεσόντες.
1293 βὰν δ' ἴμεν ἄλλυδις ἄλλος ἑκαστέρω αὖλιν ἑλέσθαι:
1294 ἐν δὲ κάρη πέπλοισι καλυψάμενοι σφετέροισιν
1295 ἄκμηνοι καὶ ἄπαστοι ἐκείατο νύκτ' ἔπι πᾶσαν
1296 καὶ φάος, οἰκτίστῳ θανάτῳ ἔπι. νόσφι δὲ κοῦραι
1297 ἀθρόαι Αἰήταο παρεστενάχοντο θυγατρί.
1298 ὡς δ' ὅτ' ἐρημαῖοι πεπτηότες ἔκτοθι πέτρης
1299 χηραμοῦ ἀπτῆνες λιγέα κλάζουσι νεοσσοί:
1300 ἢ ὅτε καλὰ νάοντος ἐπ' ὀφρύσι Πακτωλοῖο
1301 κύκνοι κινήσωσιν ἑὸν μέλος, ἀμφὶ δὲ λειμὼν
1302 ἑρσήεις βρέμεται ποταμοῖό τε καλὰ ῥέεθρα:
1303 ὧς αἱ ἐπὶ ξανθὰς θέμεναι κονίῃσιν ἐθείρας
1304 παννύχιαι ἐλεεινὸν ἰήλεμον ὠδύροντο.
1305 καί νύ κεν αὐτοῦ πάντες ἀπὸ ζωῆς ἐλίασθεν
1306 νώνυμνοι καὶ ἄφαντοι ἐπιχθονίοισι δαῆναι
1307 ἡρώων οἱ ἄριστοι ἀνηνύστῳ ἐπ' ἀέθλῳ:
1308 ἀλλά σφεας ἐλέηραν ἀμηχανίῃ μινύθοντας
1309 ἡρῷσσαι, Λιβύης τιμήοροι, αἵ ποτ' ̓Λθήνην,
1310 ἦμος ὅτ' ἐκ πατρὸς κεφαλῆς θόρε παμφαίνουσα,
1311 ἀντόμεναι Τρίτωνος ἐφ' ὕδασι χυτλώσαντο.
1312 ἔνδιον ἦμαρ ἔην, περὶ δ' ὀξύταται θέρον αὐγαὶ
1313 ἠελίου Λιβύην: αἱ δὲ σχεδὸν Λἰσονίδαο
1314 ἔσταν, ἕλον δ' ἀπὸ χερσὶ καρήατος ἠρέμα πέπλον.
1315 αὐτὰρ ὅγ' εἰς ἑτέρωσε παλιμπετὲς ὄμματ' ἔνεικεν,
1316 δαίμονας αἰδεσθείς: αὐτὸν δέ μιν ἀμφαδὸν οἶον
1317 μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσιν ἀτυζόμενον προσέειπον:
|