Sacred Texts  Classics  Index  Previous  Next 
Buy this Book at Amazon.com

ARGONAUTICA BOOK 4 [922]

(4.922-981) For on one side appeared the smooth rock of Scylla; on the other Charybdis ceaselessly spouted and roared; in another part the Wandering rocks were booming beneath the mighty surge, where before the burning flame spurted forth from the top of the crags, above the rock glowing with fire, and the air was misty with smoke, nor could you have seen the sun's light. Then, though Hephaestus had ceased from his toils, the sea was still sending up a warm vapour. Hereupon on this side and on that the daughters of Nereus met them; and behind, lady Thetis set her hand to the rudder-blade, to guide them amid the Wandering rocks. And as when in fair weather herds of dolphins come up from the depths and sport in circles round a ship as it speeds along, now seen in front, now behind, now again at the side and delight comes to the sailors; so the Nereids darted upward and circled in their ranks round the ship Argo, while Thetis guided its course. And when they were about to touch the Wandering rocks, straightway they raised the edge of their garments over their snow-white knees, and aloft, on the very rocks and where the waves broke, they hurried along on this side and on that apart from one another. And the ship was raised aloft as the current smote her, and all around the furious wave mounting up broke over the rocks, which at one time touched the sky like towering crags, at another, down in the depths, were fixed fast at the bottom of the sea and the fierce waves poured over them in floods. And the Nereids, even as maidens near some sandy beach roll their garments up to their waists out of their way and sport with a shapely-rounded ball; then they catch it one from another and send it high into the air; and it never touches the ground; so they in turn one from another sent the ship through the air over the waves, as it sped on ever away from the rocks; and round them the water spouted and foamed. And lord Hephaestus himself standing on the summit of a smooth rock and resting his massy shoulder on the handle of his hammer, beheld them, and the spouse of Zeus beheld them as she stood above the gleaming heaven; and she threw her arms round Athena, such fear seized her as she gazed. And as long as the space of a day is lengthened out in springtime, so long a time did they toil, heaving the ship between the loud-echoing rocks; then again the heroes caught the wind and sped onward; and swiftly they passed the mead of Thrinacia, where the kine of Helios fed. There the nymphs, like sea-mews, plunged beneath the depths, when they had fulfilled the behests of the spouse of Zeus. And at the same time the bleating of sheep came to the heroes through the mist and the lowing of kine, near at hand, smote their ears. And over the dewy leas Phaethusa, the youngest of the daughters of Helios, tended the sheep, bearing in her hand a silver crook; while Lampetia, herding the kine, wielded a staff of glowing orichalcum as she followed. These kine the heroes saw feeding by the river's stream, over the plain and the water-meadow; not one of them was dark in hue but all were white as milk and glorying in their horns of gold. So they passed them by in the day-time, and when night came on they were cleaving a great sea-gulf, rejoicing, until again early rising dawn threw light upon their course.

922 τῇ μὲν γὰρ Σκύλλης λισσὴ προυφαίνετο πέτρη:
923 τῇ δ' ἄμοτον βοάασκεν ἀναβλύζουσα Χάρυβδις:
924 ἄλλοθι δὲ Πλαγκταὶ μεγάλῳ ὑπὸ κύματι πέτραι
925  ῥόχθεον, ᾗχι πάροιθεν ἀπέπτυεν αἰθομένη φλὸξ
926 ἄκρων ἐκ σκοπέλων, πυριθαλπέος ὑψόθι πέτρης,
927 καπνῷ δ' ἀχλυόεις αἰθὴρ πέλεν, οὐδέ κεν αὐγὰς
928 ἔδρακες ἠελίοιο. τότ' αὖ λήξαντος ἀπ' ἔργων
929 Ἡφαίστου θερμὴν ἔτι κήκιε πόντος ἀυτμήν.
930  ἔνθα σφιν κοῦραι Νηρηίδες ἄλλοθεν ἄλλαι
931 ἤντεον: ἡ δ' ὄπιθεν πτέρυγος θίγε πηδαλίοιο
932 δῖα Θέτις, Πλαγκτῇσιν ἐνὶ σπιλάδεσσιν ἐρύσσαι.
933 ὡς δ' ὁπόταν δελφῖνες ὑπὲξ ἁλὸς εὐδιόωντες
934 σπερχομένην ἀγεληδὸν ἑλίσσωνται περὶ νῆα,
935  ἄλλοτε μἑν προπάροιθεν ὁρώμενοι, ἄλλοτ' ὄπισθεν,
936 ἄλλοτε παρβολάδην, ναύτῃσι δὲ χάρμα τέτυκται:
937 ὧς αἱ ὑπεκπροθέουσαι ἐπήτριμοι εἱλίσσοντο
938 Ἀργῴῃ περὶ νηί, Θέτις δ' ἴθυνε κέλευθον.
939 καί ῥ' ὅτε δὴ Πλαγκτῇσιν ἐνιχρίμψεσθαι ἔμελλον,
940  αὐτίκ' ἀνασχόμεναι λευκοῖς ἐπὶ γούνασι πέζας,
941 ὑψοῦ ἐπ' αὐτάων σπιλάδων καὶ κύματος ἀγῆς
942 ῥώοντ' ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διασταδὸν ἀλλήλῃσιν.
943 τὴν δὲ παρηορίην κόπτεν ῥόος: ἀμφὶ δὲ κῦμα
944 λάβρον ἀειρόμενον πέτραις ἐπικαχλάζεσκεν,
945  αἵ θ' ὁτὲ μὲν κρημνοῖς ἐναλίγκιαι ἠέρι κῦρον,
946 ἄλλοτε δὲ βρύχιαι νεάτῳ ὑπὸ πυθμένι πόντου
947 ἠρήρειν, τὸ δὲ πολλὸν ὑπείρεχεν ἄγριον οἶδμα.
948 αἱ δ', ὥστ' ἠμαθόεντος ἐπισχεδὸν αἰγιαλοῖο
949 παρθενικαί, δίχα κόλπον ἐπ' ἰξύας εἱλίξασαι
950  σφαίρῃ ἀθύρουσιν περιηγέι: αἱ μὲν ἔπειτα
951 ἄλλη ὑπ' ἐξ ἄλλης δέχεται καὶ ἐς ἠέρα πέμπει
952 ὕψι μεταχρονίην: ἡ δ' οὔποτε πίλναται οὔδει:
953 ὧς αἱ νῆα θέουσαν ἀμοιβαδὶς ἄλλοθεν ἄλλη
954 πέμπε διηερίην ἐπὶ κύμασιν, αἰὲν ἄπωθεν
955  πετράων: περὶ δέ σφιν ἐρευγόμενον ζέεν ὕδωρ.
956 τὰς δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἄναξ κορυφῆς ἔπι λισσάδος ἄκρης
957 ὀρθὸς ἐπὶ στελεῇ τυπίδος βαρὺν ὦμον ἐρείσας
958 Ἥφαιστος θηεῖτο, καὶ αἰγλήεντος ὕπερθεν
959 οὐρανοῦ ἑστηυῖα Διὸς δάμαρ: ἀμφὶ δ' Ἀθήνῃ
960  βάλλε χέρας, τοῖόν μιν ἔχεν δέος εἰσορόωσαν.
961 ὅσση δ' εἰαρινοῦ μηκύνεται ἤματος αἶσα,
962 τοσσάτιον μογέεσκον ἐπὶ χρόνον, ὀχλίζουσαι
963 νῆα διὲκ πέτρας πολυηχέας: οἱ δ' ἀνέμοιο
964 αὖτις ἐπαυρόμενοι προτέρω θέον: ὦκα δ' ἄμειβον
965  Θρινακίης λειμῶνα, βοῶν τροφὸν Ἠελίοιο.
966 ἔνθ' αἱ μὲν κατὰ βένθος ἀλίγκιαι αἰθυίῃσιν
967 δῦνον, ἐπεί ῥ' ἀλόχοιο Διὸς πόρσυνον ἐφετμάς.
968 τοὺς δ' ἄμυδις βληχή τε δι' ἠέρος ἵκετο μήλων,
969 μυκηθμός τε βοῶν αὐτοσχεδὸν οὔατ' ἔβαλλεν.
970  καὶ τὰ μὲν ἑρσήεντα κατὰ δρία ποιμαίνεσκεν
971 ὁπλοτέρη Φαέθουσα θυγατρῶν Ἠελίοιο,
972 ἀργύρεον χαῖον παλάμῃ ἔνι πηχύνουσα:
973 Λαμπετίη δ' ἐπὶ βουσὶν ὀρειχάλκοιο φαεινοῦ
974 πάλλεν ὀπηδεύουσα καλαύροπα. τὰς δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ
975  βοσκομένας ποταμοῖο παρ' ὕδασιν εἰσορόωντο
976 ἂμ πεδίον καὶ ἕλος λειμώνιον: οὐδέ τις ἦεν
977 κυανέη μετὰ τῇσι δέμας, πᾶσαι δὲ γάλακτι
978 εἰδόμεναι, χρυσέοισι κεράασι κυδιάασκον.
979 καὶ μὲν τὰς παράμειβον ἐπ' ἤματι: νυκτὶ δ' ἰούσῃ
980  πεῖρον ἁλὸς μέγα λαῖτμα κεχαρμένοι, ὄφρα καὶ αὖτις
981 Ἠὼς ἠριγενὴς φέγγος βάλε νισσομένοισιν.

(4.982-1013) Fronting the Ionian gulf there lies an island in the Ceraunian sea, rich in soil, with a harbour on both sides, beneath which lies the sickle, as legend saith -- grant me grace, O Muses, not willingly do I tell this tale of olden days -- wherewith Cronos pitilessly mutilated his father; but others call it the reaping-hook of Demeter, goddess of the nether world. For Demeter once dwelt in that island, and taught the Titans to reap the ears of corn, all for the love of Macris. Whence it is called Drepane, the sacred nurse of the Phaeacians; and thus the Phaeacians themselves are by birth of the blood of Uranus. To them came Argo, held fast by many toils, borne by the breezes from the Thrinacian sea; and Alcinous and his people with kindly sacrifice gladly welcomed their coming; and over them all the city made merry; thou wouldst say they were rejoicing over their own sons. And the heroes themselves strode in gladness through the throng, even as though they had set foot in the heart of Haemonia; but soon were they to arm and raise the battle-cry; so near to them appeared a boundless host of Colchians, who had passed through the mouth of Pontus and between the Cyanean rocks in search of the chieftains. They desired forthwith to carry off Medea to her father's house apart from the rest, or else they threatened with fierce cruelty to raise the dread war-cry both then and thereafter on the coming of Aeetes. But lordly Alcinous checked them amid their eagerness for war. For he longed to allay the lawless strife between both sides without the clash of battle. And the maiden in deadly fear often implored the comrades of Aeson's son, and often with her hands touched the knees of Arete, the bride of Aleinous:

982     Ἔστι δέ τις πορθμοῖο παροιτέρη Ἰονίοιο
983 ἀμφιλαφὴς πίειρα Κεραυνίῃ εἰν ἁλὶ νῆσος,
984 ᾗ ὕπο δὴ κεῖσθαι δρέπανον φάτις--ἵλατε Μοῦσαι,
985  οὐκ ἐθέλων ἐνέπω προτέρων ἔπος--ᾧ ἀπὸ πατρὸς
986 μήδεα νηλειῶς ἔταμεν Κρόνος: οἱ δέ ἑ Δηοῦς
987 κλείουσι χθονίης καλαμητόμον ἔμμεναι ἅρπην.
988 Δηὼ γὰρ κείνῃ ἐνὶ δή ποτε νάσσατο γαίῃ,
989 Τιτῆνας δ' ἔδαε στάχυν ὄμπνιον ἀμήσασθαι,
990  Μάκριδα φιλαμένη. Δρεπάνη τόθεν ἐκλήισται
991 οὔνομα, Φαιήκων ἱερὴ τροφός: ὧς δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ
992 αἵματος Οὐρανίοιο γένος Φαίηκες ἔασιν.
993 τοὺς Ἀργὼ πολέεσσιν ἐνισχομένη καμάτοισιν
994 Θρινακίης αὔρῃς ἵκετ' ἐξ ἁλός: οἱ δ' ἀγανῇσιν
995  Ἀλκίνοος λαοί τε θυηπολίῃσιν ἰόντας
996 δειδέχατ' ἀσπασίως: ἐπὶ δέ σφισι καγχαλάασκεν
997 πᾶσα πόλις: φαίης κεν ἑοῖς ἐπὶ παισὶ γάνυσθαι.
998 καὶ δ' αὐτοὶ ἥρωες ἀνὰ πληθὺν κεχάροντο,
999 τῷ ἴκελοι, οἷόν τε μεσαιτάτῃ ἐμβεβαῶτες
1000  Αἱμονίῃ: μέλλον δὲ βοῇ ἔνι θωρήξεσθαι:
1001 ὧδε μάλ' ἀγχίμολον στρατὸς ἄσπετος ἐξεφαάνθη
1002 Κόλχων, οἳ Πόντοιο κατὰ στόμα καὶ διὰ πέτρας
1003 Κυανέας μαστῆρες ἀριστήων ἐπέρησαν.
1004 Μήδειαν δ' ἔξαιτον ἑοῦ ἐς πατρὸς ἄγεσθαι
1005  ἵεντ' ἀπροφάτως, ἠὲ στονόεσσαν ἀυτὴν
1006 νωμήσειν χαλεπῇσιν ὁμόκλεον ἀτροπίῃσιν
1007 αὖθί τε καὶ μετέπειτα σὺν Αἰήταο κελεύθῳ.
1008 ἀλλά σφεας κατέρυκεν ἐπειγομένους πολέμοιο
1009 κρείων Ἀλκίνοος. λελίητο γὰρ ἀμφοτέροισιν
1010  δηιοτῆτος ἄνευθεν ὑπέρβια νείκεα λῦσαι.
1011 κούρη δ' οὐλομένῳ ὑπὸ δείματι πολλὰ μὲν αὐτοὺς
1012 Αἰσονίδεω ἑτάρους μειλίσσετο, πολλὰ δὲ χερσὶν
1013 Ἀρήτης γούνων ἀλόχου θίγεν Ἀλκινόοιο:


Next: line 1014