(4.1461-1484) So they spake, and those who were ready for this work answered, and they separated this way and that, each starting to search. For by the night winds the footsteps had been effaced where the sand was stirred. The two sons of Boreas started up, trusting in their wings; and Euphemus, relying on his swift feet, and Lynceus to cast far his piercing eyes; and with them darted off Canthus, the fifth. He was urged on by the doom of the gods and his own courage, that he might learn for certain from Heracles where he had left Polyphemus, son of Eilatus; for he was minded to question him on every point concerning his comrade. But that hero had founded a glorious city among the Mysians, and, yearning for his home-return, had passed far over the mainland in search of Argo; and in time he reached the land of the Chalybes, who dwell near the sea; there it was that his fate subdued him. And to him a monument stands under a tall poplar, just facing the sea. But that day Lynceus thought he saw Heracles all alone, far off, over measureless land, as a man at the month's beginning sees, or thinks he sees, the moon through a bank of cloud. And he returned and told his comrades that no other searcher would find Heracles on his way, and they also came back, and swift-footed Euphemus and the twin sons of Thracian Boreas, after a vain toil.
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1461 ̂Ἠ, καὶ ἀμειβομένων, οἵ τ' ἄρμενοι ἐς τόδε ἔργον,
1462 ἔκριθεν ἄλλυδις ἄλλος ἐπαΐξας ἐρεείνειν.
1463 ἴχνια γὰρ νυχίοισιν ἐπηλίνδητ' ἀνέμοισιν
1464 κινυμένης ἀμάθου. Βορέαο μὲν ὡρμήθησαν
1465 υἷε δύω, πτερύγεσσι πεποιθότε. ποσσὶ δὲ κούφοις
1466 Εὔφημος πίσυνος, Λυγκεύς γε μὲν ὀξέα τηλοῦ
1467 ὄσσε βαλεῖν: πέμπτος δὲ μετὰ σφίσιν ἔσσυτο Κάνθος.
1468 τὸν μὲν ἄρ' αἶσα θεῶν κείνην ὁδὸν ἠνορέη τε
1469 ὦρσεν, ἵν' Ἡρακλῆος ἀπηλεγέως πεπύθοιτο,
1470 Εἰλατίδην Πολύφημον ὅπῃ λίπε: μέμβλετο γάρ οἱ
1471 οὗ ἕθεν ἀμφ' ἑτάροιο μεταλλῆσαι τὰ ἕκαστα.
1472 ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν οὖν Μυσοῖσιν ἐπικλεὲς ἄστυ πολίσσας
1473 νόστου κηδοσύνῃσιν ἔβη διζήμενος ̣̣ργὼ
1474 τῆλε δι' ἠπείροιο: τέως δ' ἐξίκετο γαῖαν
1475 ἀγχιάλων Χαλύβων: τόθι μιν καὶ Μοῖρ' ἐδάμασσεν.
1476 καί οἱ ὑπὸ βλωθρὴν ἀχερωίδα σῆμα τέτυκται
1477 τυτθὸν ἁλὸς προπάροιθεν. ἀτὰρ τότε γ' Ἡρακλῆα
1478 μοῦνον ἀπειρεσίης τηλοῦ χθονὸς εἴσατο Λυγκεὺς
1479 τὼς ἰδέειν, ὥς τίς τε νέῳ ἐνὶ ἤματι μήνην
1480 ἢ ἴδεν, ἢ ἐδόκησεν ἐπαχλύουσαν ἰδέσθαι.
1481 ἐς δ' ἑτάρους ἀνιὼν μυθήσατο, μή μιν ἔτ' ἄλλον
1482 μαστῆρα στείχοντα κιχησέμεν: οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ
1483 ἤλυθον, Εὔφημός τε πόδας ταχὺς υἷέ τε δοιὼ
1484 Θρηικίου Βορέω, μεταμώνια μοχθήσαντε.
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