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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 4 [718]

(4.718-738) But when she had wrought all her task, then she raised them up and seated them on well polished seats, and herself sat near, face to face with them. And at once she asked them clearly of their business and their voyaging, and whence they had come to her land and palace, and had thus seated themselves as suppliants at her hearth. For in truth the hideous remembrance of her dreams entered her mind as she pondered; and she longed to hear the voice of the maiden, her kinswoman, as soon as she saw that she had raised her eyes from the ground. For all those of the race of Helios were plain to discern, since by the far flashing of their eyes they shot in front of them a gleam as of gold. So Medea told her all she asked -- the daughter of Aeetes of the gloomy heart, speaking gently in the Colchian tongue, both of the quest and the journeyings of the heroes, and of their toils in the swift contests, and how she had sinned through the counsels of her much-sorrowing sister, and how with the sons of Phrixus she had fled afar from the tyrannous horrors of her father; but she shrank from telling of the murder of Apsyrtus. Yet she escaped not Circe's ken; nevertheless, in spite of all, she pitied the weeping maiden, and spake thus:

718     Αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ μάλα πάντα πονήσατο, δή τότ' ἔπειτα
719 εἷσεν ἐπὶ ξεστοῖσιν ἀναστήσασα θρόνοισιν,
720  καὶ δ' αὐτὴ πέλας ἷζεν ἐνωπαδίς. αἶψα δὲ μύθῳ
721 χρειὼ ναυτιλίην τε διακριδὸν ἐξερέεινεν.
722 ἠδ' ὁπόθεν μετὰ γαῖαν ἑὴν καὶ δώματ' ἰόντες
723 αὔτως ἱδρύνθησαν ἐφέστιοι. ἦ γὰρ ὀνείρων
724 μνῆστις ἀεικελίη δῦνεν φρένας ὁρμαίνουσαν:
725  ἵετο δ' αὖ κούρης ἐμφύλιον ἴδμεναι ὀμφήν,
726 αὐτίχ' ὅπως ἐνόησεν ἀπ' οὔδεος ὄσσε βαλοῦσαν.
727 πᾶσα γὰρ Ἠελίου γενεὴ ἀρίδηλος ἰδέσθαι
728 ἦεν, ἐπεὶ βλεφάρων ἀποτηλόθι μαρμαρυγῇσιν
729 οἷόν τέ χρυσέην ἀντώπιον ἵεσαν αἴγλην.
730  ἡ δ' ἄρα τῇ τὰ ἕκαστα διειρομένῃ κατελεξεν,
731 Κολχίδα γῆρυν ἱεῖσα, βαρύφρονος Αἰήταο
732 κούρη μειλιχίως, ἠμὲν στόλον ἠδὲ κελεύθους
733 ἡρώων, ὅσα τ' ἀμφὶ θοοῖς ἐμόγησαν ἀέθλοις,
734 ὥς τε κασιγνήτης πολυκηδέος ἤλιτε βουλαῖς,
735  ὥς τ' ἀπονόσφιν ἄλυξεν ὑπέρβια δείματα πατρὸς
736 σὺν παισὶν Φρίξοιο: φόνον δ' ἀλέεινεν ἐνισπεῖν
737 Ἀψύρτου. τὴν δ' οὔτι νόῳ λάθεν: ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔμπης
738 μυρομένην ἐλέαιρεν, ἔπος δ' ἐπὶ τοῖον ἔειπεν:

(4.739-748) "Poor wretch, an evil and shameful return hast thou planned. Not for long, I ween, wilt thou escape the heavy wrath of Aeetes; but soon will he go even to the dwellings of Hellas to avenge the blood of his son, for intolerable are the deeds thou hast done. But since thou art my suppliant and my kinswoman, no further ill shall I devise against thee at thy coming; but begone from my halls, companioning the stranger, whosoever he be, this unknown one that thou hast taken in thy father's despite; and kneel not to me at my hearth, for never will I approve thy counsels and thy shameful flight."

739      "Σχετλίη, ἦ ῥα κακὸν καὶ ἀεικέα μήσαο νόστον.
740  ἔλπομαι οὐκ ἐπὶ δήν σε βαρὺν χόλον Αἰήταο
741 ἐκφυγέειν: τάχα δ' εἶσι καὶ Ἑλλάδος ἤθεα γαίης
742 τισόμενος φόνον υἷος, ὅτ' ἄσχετα ἔργ' ἐτέλεσσας.
743 ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ οὖν ἱκέτις καὶ ὁμόγνιος ἔπλευ ἐμεῖο,
744 ἄλλο μὲν οὔτι κακὸν μητίσομαι ἐνθάδ' ἰούσῃ:
745  ἔρχεο δ' ἐκ μεγάρων ξείνῳ συνοπηδὸς ἐοῦσα,
746 ὅντινα τοῦτον ἄιστον ἀείραο πατρὸς ἄνευθεν:
747 μηδέ με γουνάσσηαι ἐφέστιος, οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγε
748 αἰνήσω βουλάς τε σέθεν καὶ ἀεικέα φύξιν."

(4.749-752) Thus she spake, and measureless anguish seized the maid; and over her eyes she cast her robe and poured forth a lamentation, until the hero took her by the hand and led her forth from the hall quivering with fear. So they left the home of Circe.

749     Ὧς φάτο: τὴν δ' ἀμέγαρτον ἄχος λάβεν: ἀμφὶ δὲ πέπλον
750  ὀφθαλμοῖσι βαλοῦσα γόον χέεν, ὄφρα μιν ἥρως
751 χειρὸς ἐπισχόμενος μεγάρων ἐξῆγε θύραζε
752 δείματι παλλομένην: λεῖπον δ' ἀπὸ δώματα Κίρκης.

(4.753-756) But they were not unmarked by the spouse of Zeus, son of Cronos; but Iris told her when she saw them faring from the hall. For Hera had bidden her watch what time they should come to the ship; so again she urged her and spake:

753     Οὐδ' ἄλοχον Κρονίδαο Διὸς λάθον: ἀλλά οἱ ̂Ἰρις
754 πέφραδεν, εὖτ' ἐνόησεν ἀπὸ μεγάροιο κιόντας.
755  αὐτὴ γάρ μιν ἄνωγε δοκευέμεν, ὁππότε νῆα
756 στείχοιεν: τὸ καὶ αὖτις ἐποτρύνουσ' ἀγόρευεν:

(4.757-769) "Dear Iris, now come, if ever thou hast fulfilled my bidding, hie thee away on light pinions, and bid Thetis arise from the sea and come hither. For need of her is come upon me. Then go to the sea-beaches where the bronze anvils of Hephaestus are smitten by sturdy hammers, and tell him to still the blasts of fire until Argo pass by them. Then go to Aeolus too, Aeolus who rules the winds, children of the clear sky; and to him also tell my purpose so that he may make all winds cease under heaven and no breeze may ruffle the sea; yet let the breath of the west wind blow until the heroes have reached the Phaeacian isle of Alcinous."

757     "̂Ἰρι φίλη, νῦν, εἴ ποτ' ἐμὰς ἐτέλεσσας ἐφετμάς,
758 εἰ δ' ἄγε λαιψηρῇσι μετοιχομένη πτερύγεσσιν,
759 δεῦρο Θέτιν μοι ἄνωχθι μολεῖν ἁλὸς ἐξανιοῦσαν.
760  κείνης γὰρ χρειώ με κιχάνεται. αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
761 ἐλθεῖν εἰς ἀκτάς, ὅθι τ' ἄκμονες Ἡφαίστοιο
762 χάλκειοι στιβαρῇσιν ἀράσσονται τυπίδεσσιν:
763 εἰπὲ δὲ κοιμῆσαι φύσας πυρός, εἰσόκεν Ἀργὼ
764 τάσγε παρεξελάσῃσιν. ἀτὰρ καὶ ἐς Αἴολον ἐλθεῖν,
765  Αἴολον, ὅς τ' ἀνέμοις αἰθρηγενέεσσιν ἀνάσσει:
766 καὶ δὲ τῷ εἰπέμεναι τὸν ἐμὸν νόον, ὥς κεν ἀήτας
767 πάντας ἀπολλήξειεν ὑπ' ἠέρι, μηδέ τις αὔρη
768 τρηχύνοι πέλαγος: Ζεφύρου γε μὲν οὖρος ἀήτω,
769 ὄφρ' οἵγ' Ἀλκινόου Φαιηκίδα νῆσον ἵκωνται."

(4.770-782) So she spake, and straightway Iris leapt down from Olympus and cleft her way, with light wings outspread. And she plunged into the Aegean Sea, where is the dwelling of Nereus. And she came to Thetis first and, by the promptings of Hera, told her tale and roused her to go to the goddess. Next she came to Hephaestus, and quickly made him cease from the clang of his iron hammers; and the smoke-grimed bellows were stayed from their blast. And thirdly she came to Aeolus, the famous son of Hippotas. And when she had given her message to him also and rested her swift knees from her course, then Thetis leaving Nereus and her sisters had come from the sea to Olympus to the goddess Hera; and the goddess made her sit by her side and uttered her word:

770      Ὧς ἔφατ': αὐτίκα δ' ̂Ἰρις ἀπ' Οὐλύμποιο θοροῦσα
771 τέμνε, τανυσσαμένη κοῦφα πτερά. δῦ δ' ἐνὶ πόντῳ
772 Αἰγαίῳ, τόθι πέρ τε δόμοι Νηρῆος ἔασιν.
773 πρώτην δ' εἰσαφίκανε Θέτιν, καὶ ἐπέφραδε μῦθον
774 Ἥρης ἐννεσίῃς, ὦρσέν τέ μιν εἰς ἓ νέεσθαι.
775  δεύτερα δ' εἰς Ἥφαιστον ἐβήσατο: παῦσε δὲ τόνγε
776 ῥίμφα σιδηρείων τυπίδων: ἔσχοντο δ' ἀυτμῆς
777 αἰθαλέοι πρηστῆρες. ἀτὰρ τρίτον εἰσαφίκανεν
778 Αἴολον Ἱππότεω παῖδα κλυτόν. ὄφρα δὲ καὶ τῷ
779 ἀγγελίην φαμένη θοὰ γούνατα παῦσεν ὁδοῖο,
780  τόφρα Θέτις Νηρῆα κασιγνήτας τε λιποῦσα
781 ἐξ ἁλὸς Οὔλυμπόνδε θεὰν μετεκίαθεν Ἥρην:
782 ἡ δέ μιν ἆσσον ἑοῖο παρεῖσέ τε, φαῖνέ τε μῦθον:

(4.783-832) "Hearken now, lady Thetis, to what I am eager to tell thee. Thou knowest how honoured in my heart is the hero, Aeson's son, and the others that have helped him in the contest, and how I saved them when they passed between the Wandering rocks, where roar terrible storms of fire and the waves foam round the rugged reefs. And now past the mighty rock of Scylla and Charybdis horribly belching, a course awaits them. But thee indeed from thy infancy did I tend with my own hands and love beyond all others that dwell in the salt sea because thou didst refuse to share the couch of Zeus, for all his desire. For to him such deeds are ever dear, to embrace either goddesses or mortal women. But in reverence for me and with fear in thy heart thou didst shrink from his love; and he then swore a mighty oath that thou shouldst never be called the bride of an immortal god. Yet he ceased not from spying thee against thy will, until reverend Themis declared to him the whole truth, how that it was thy fate to bear a son mightier than his sire; wherefore he gave thee up, for all his desire, fearing lest another should be his match and rule the immortals, and in order that he might ever hold his own dominion. But I gave thee the best of the sons of earth to be thy husband, that thou mightest find a marriage dear to thy heart and bear children; and I summoned to the feast the gods, one and all. And with my own hand I raised the bridal torch, in return for the kindly honour thou didst pay me. But come, let me tell a tale that erreth not. When thy son shall come to the Elysian plain, he whom now in the home of Cheiron the Centaur water-nymphs are tending, though he still craves thy mother milk, it is fated that he be the husband of Medea, Aeetes' daughter; do thou aid thy daughter-in-law as a mother-in-law should, and aid Peleus himself. Why is thy wrath so steadfast? He was blinded by folly. For blindness comes even upon the gods. Surely at my behest I deem that Hephaestus will cease from kindling the fury of his flame, and that Aeolus, son of Hippotas, will check his swift rushing winds, all but the steady west wind, until they reach the havens of the Phaeacians; do thou devise a return without bane. The rocks and the tyrannous waves are my fear, they alone, and them thou canst foil with thy sisters' aid. And let them not fall in their helplessness into Charybdis lest she swallow them at one gulp, or approach the hideous lair of Scylla, Ausonian Scylla the deadly, whom night-wandering Hecate, who is called Crataeis, bare to Phoreys, lest swooping upon them with her horrible jaws she destroy the chiefest of the heroes. But guide their ship in the course where there shall be still a hair's breadth escape from destruction."

783     "Κέκλυθι νῦν, Θέτι δῖα, τά τοι ἐπιέλδομ' ἐνισπεῖν.
784 οἶσθα μέν, ὅσσον ἐμῇσιν ἐνὶ φρεσὶ τίεται ἥρως
785  Αἰσονίδης, οἱ δ' ἄλλοι ἀοσσητῆρες ἀέθλου,
786 οἵως τέ σφ' ἐσάωσα διὰ πλαγκτὰς περόωντας
787 πέτρας, ἔνθα πάρος δειναὶ βρομέουσι θύελλαι,
788 κύματά τε σκληρῇσι περιβλύει σπιλάδεσσιν.
789 νῦν δὲ παρὰ Σκύλλης σκόπελον μέγαν ἠδὲ Χάρυβδιν
790  δεινὸν ἐρευγομένην δέχεται ὁδός. ἀλλά σε γὰρ δὴ
791 ἐξέτι νηπυτίης αὐτὴ τρέφον ἠδ' ἀγάπησα
792 ἔξοχον ἀλλάων, αἵ τ' εἰν ἁλὶ ναιετάουσιν,
793 οὕνεκεν οὐκ ἔτλης εὐνῇ Διὸς ἱεμένοιο
794 λέξασθαι. κείνῳ γὰρ ἀεὶ τάδε ἔργα μέμηλεν,
795  ἠὲ σὺν ἀθανάταις ἠὲ θνητῇσιν ἰαύειν.
796 ἀλλ' ἐμὲ αἰδομένη καὶ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ δειμαίνουσα,
797 ἠλεύω: ὁ δ' ἔπειτα πελώριον ὅρκον ὄμοσσεν,
798 μήποτέ σ' ἀθανάτοιο θεοῦ καλέεσθαι ἄκοιτιν.
799 ἔμπης δ' οὐ μεθίεσκεν ὀπιπεύων ἀέκουσαν,
800  εἰσότε οἱ πρέσβειρα Θέμις κατέλεξεν ἅπαντα,
801 ὡς δή τοι πέπρωται ἀμείνονα πατρὸς ἑοῖο
802 παῖδα τεκεῖν: τῶ καί σε λιλαιόμενος μεθέηκεν,
803 δείματι, μή τις ἑοῦ ἀντάξιος ἄλλος ἀνάσσοι
804 ἀθανάτων, ἀλλ' αἰὲν ἑὸν κράτος εἰρύοιτο.
805  αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τὸν ἄριστον ἐπιχθονίων πόσιν εἶναι
806 δῶκά τοι, ὄφρα γάμου θυμηδέος ἀντιάσειας,
807 τέκνα τε φιτύσαιο: θεοὺς δ' ἐς δαῖτ' ἐκάλεσσα
808 πάντας ὁμῶς: αὐτὴ δὲ σέλας χείρεσσιν ἀνέσχον
809 νυμφίδιον, κείνης ἀγανόφρονος εἵνεκα τιμῆς.
810  ἀλλ' ἄγε καί τινά τοι νημερτέα μῦθον ἐνίψω.
811 εὖτ' ἂν ἐς Ἠλύσιον πεδίον τεὸς υἱὸς ἵκηται,
812 ὃν δὴ νῦν Χείρωνος ἐν ἤθεσι Κενταύροιο
813 νηιάδες κομέουσι τεοῦ λίπτοντα γάλακτος,
814 χρειώ μιν κούρης πόσιν ἔμμεναι Αἰήταο
815  Μηδείης: σὺ δ' ἄρηγε νυῷ ἑκυρή περ ἐοῦσα,
816 ἠδ' αὐτῷ Πηλῆι. τί τοι χόλος ἐστήρικται;
817 ἀάσθη. καὶ γάρ τε θεοὺς ἐπινίσσεται ἄτη.
818 ναὶ μὲν ἐφημοσύνῃσιν ἐμαῖς Ἥφαιστον ὀίω
819 λωφήσειν πρήσοντα πυρὸς μένος, Ἱπποτάδην δὲ
820  Αἴολον ὠκείας ἀνέμων ἄικας ἐρύξειν,
821 νόσφιν ἐυσταθέος ζεφύρου, τείως κεν ἵκωνται
822 Φαιήκων λιμένας: σὺ δ' ἀκηδέα μήδεο νόστον.
823 δεῖμα δέ τοι πέτραι καὶ ὑπέρβια κύματ' ἔασιν
824 μοῦνον, ἅ κεν τρέψαιο κασιγνήτῃσι σὺν ἄλλαις.
825  μηδὲ σύγ' ἠὲ Χάρυβδιν ἀμηχανέοντας ἐάσῃς
826 ἐσβαλέειν, μὴ πάντας ἀναβρόξασα φέρῃσιν,
827 ἠὲ παρὰ Σκύλλης στυγερὸν κευθμῶνα νέεσθαι,
828 Σκύλλης Αὐσονίης ὀλοόφρονος, ἣν τέκε Φόρκυι
829 νυκτιπόλος Ἑκάτη, τήν τε κλείουσι Κράταιιν,
830  μή πως σμερδαλέῃσιν ἐπαΐξασα γένυσσιν
831 λεκτοὺς ἡρώων δηλήσεται. ἀλλ' ἔχε νῆα
832 κεῖσ', ὅθι περ τυτθή γε παραίβασις ἔσσετ' ὀλέθρου."


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