The Argonautica
that magic strain, that grow at Zone on the Thracian shore, stand in
ordered ranks close together, the same which under the charm of his
lyre he led down from Pieria. Such then was Orpheus whom Aeson’s son
welcomed to share his toils, in obedience to the behest of Cheiron,
Orpheus ruler of Bistonian Pieria.
Straightway came Asterion, whom Cometes begat by the waters of eddying
Apidanus; he dwelt at Peiresiae near the Phylleian mount, where mighty
Apidanus and bright Enipeus join their streams, coming together from
afar.
Next to them from Larisa came Polyphemus, son of Eilatus, who aforetime
among the mighty Lapithae, when they were arming themselves against the
Centaurs, fought in his younger days; now his limbs were grown heavy
with age, but his martial spirit still remained, even as of old.
Nor was Iphiclus long left behind in Phylace, the uncle of Aeson’s son;
for Aeson had wedded his sister Alcimede, daughter of Phylacus: his
kinship with her bade him be numbered in the host.
Nor did Admetus, the lord of Pherae rich in sheep, stay behind beneath
the peak of the Chalcodonian mount.
Nor at Alope stayed the sons of Hermes, rich in corn-land, well skilled
in craftiness, Erytus and Echion, and with them on their departure
their kinsman Aethalides went as the third; him near the streams of
Amphrysus Eupolemeia bare, the daughter of Myrmidon, from Phthia; the
two others were sprung from Antianeira, daughter of Menetes.
From rich Gyrton came Coronus, son of Caeneus, brave, but not braver
than his father. For bards relate that Caeneus though still living
perished at the hands of the Centaurs, when apart from other chiefs he
routed them; and they, rallying against him, could neither bend nor
slay him; but unconquered and unflinching he passed beneath the earth,
overwhelmed by the downrush of massy pines.
There came too Titaresian Mopsus, whom above all men the son of Leto
taught the augury of birds; and Eurydamas the son of Ctimenus; he dwelt
at Dolopian Ctimene near the Xynian lake.
Moreover Actor sent his son Menoetius from Opus that he might accompany
the chiefs.
Eurytion followed and strong Eribotes, one the son of Teleon, the other
of Irus, Actor’s son; the son of Teleon renowned Eribotes, and of Irus
Eurytion. A third with them was Oileus, peerless in courage and well
skilled to attack the flying foe, when they break their ranks.
Now from Euboea came Canthus eager for the quest, whom Canethus son of
Abas sent; but he was not destined to return to Cerinthus. For fate had
ordained that he and Mopsus, skilled in the seer’s art, should wander
and perish in the furthest ends of Libya. For no ill is too remote for
mortals to incur, seeing that they buried them in Libya, as far from
the Colchians as is the space that is seen between the setting and the
rising of the sun.
To him Clytius and Iphitus joined themselves, the warders of Oechalia,
sons of Eurytus the ruthless, Eurytus, to whom the Far-shooting god
gave his bow; but he had no joy of the gift; for of his own choice he
strove even with the giver.
After them came the sons of Aeacus, not both together, nor from the
same spot; for they settled far from Aegina in exile, when in their
folly they had slain their brother Phoeus. Telamon dwelt in the Attic
island; but Peleus departed and made his home in Phthia.
After them from Cecropia came warlike Butes, son of brave Teleon, and
Phalerus of the ashen spear. Alcon his father sent him forth; yet no
other sons had he to care for his old age and livelihood. But him, his
well-beloved and only son, he sent forth that amid bold heroes he might
shine conspicuous. But Theseus, who surpassed all the sons of
Erechtheus, an unseen bond kept beneath the land of Taenarus, for he
had followed that path with Peirithous; assuredly both would have
lightened for all the fulfilment of their toil.
Tiphys, son of Hagnias, left the Siphaean people of the Thespians, well
skilled to foretell the rising wave on the broad sea, and well skilled
to infer from sun and star the stormy winds and the time for sailing.
Tritonian Athena herself urged him to join the band of chiefs, and he
came among them a welcome comrade. She herself too fashioned the swift
ship; and with her Argus, son of Arestor, wrought it by her counsels.
Wherefore it proved the most excellent of all ships that have made
trial of the sea with oars.
After them came Phlias from Araethyrea, where he dwelt in affluence by
the favour of his father Dionysus, in his home by the springs of
Asopus.
From Argos came Talaus and Areius, sons of Bias, and mighty Leodocus,
all of whom Pero daughter of Neleus bare; on her account the Aeolid
Melampus endured sore affliction in the steading of Iphiclus.
Nor do we learn that Heracles of the mighty heart disregarded the eager
summons of Aeson’s son. But when he heard a report of the heroes’
gathering and had reached Lyrceian Argos from Arcadia by the road along
which he carried the boar alive that fed in the thickets of Lampeia,
near the vast Erymanthian swamp, the boar bound with chains he put down
from his huge shoulders at the entrance to the market-place of Mycenae;
and himself of his own will set out against the purpose of Eurystheus;
and with him went Hylas, a brave comrade, in the flower of youth, to
bear his arrows and to guard his bow.
Next to him came a scion of the race of divine Danaus, Nauplius. He was
the son of Clytonaeus son of Naubolus; Naubolus was son of Lernus;
Lernus we know was the son of Proetus son of Nauplius; and once Amymone
daughter of Danaus, wedded to Poseidon, bare Nauplius, who surpassed
all men in naval skill.
Idmon came last of all them that dwelt at Argos, for though he had
learnt his own fate by augury, he came, that the people might not
grudge him fair renown. He was not in truth the son of Abas, but Leto’s
son himself begat him to be numbered among the illustrious Aeolids; and
himself taught him the art of prophecy—to pay heed to birds and to
observe the signs of the burning sacrifice.
Moreover Aetolian Leda sent from Sparta strong Polydeuces and Castor,
skilled to guide swift-footed steeds; these her dearly-loved sons she
bare at one birth in the house of Tyndareus; nor did she forbid their
departure; for she had thoughts worthy of the bride of Zeus.
The sons of Aphareus, Lynceus and proud Idas, came from Arene, both
exulting in their great strength; and Lynceus too excelled in keenest
sight, if the report is true that that hero could easily direct his
sight even beneath the earth.
And with them Neleian Periclymenus set out to come, eldest of all the
sons of godlike Neleus who were born at Pylos; Poseidon had given him
boundless strength and granted him that whatever shape he should crave
during the fight, that he should take in the stress of battle.
Moreover from Arcadia came Amphidamas and Cepheus, who inhabited Tegea
and the allotment of Apheidas, two sons of Aldus; and Ancaeus followed
them as the third, whom his father Lycurgus sent, the brother older
than both. But he was left in the city to care for Aleus now growing
old, while he gave his son to join his brothers. Antaeus went clad in
the skin of a Maenalian bear, and wielding in his right hand a huge
two-edged battleaxe. For his armour his grandsire had hidden in the
house’s innermost recess, to see if he might by some means still stay
his departure.
There came also Augeias, whom fame declared to be the son of Helios; he
reigned over the Eleans, glorying in his wealth; and greatly he desired
to behold the Colchian land and Aeetes himself the ruler of the
Colchians.
Asterius and Amphion, sons of Hyperasius, came from Achaean Pellene,
which once Pelles their grandsire founded on the brows of Aegialus.
After them from Taenarus came Euphemus whom, most swift-footed of men,
Europe, daughter of mighty Tityos, bare to Poseidon. He was wont to
skim the swell of the grey sea, and wetted not his swift feet, but just
dipping the tips of his toes was borne on the watery path.
Yea, and two other sons of Poseidon came; one Erginus, who left the
citadel of glorious Miletus, the other proud Ancaeus, who left
Parthenia, the seat of Imbrasion Hera; both boasted their skill in
seacraft and in war.
After them from Calydon came the son of Oeneus, strong Meleagrus, and
Laocoon—Laocoon the brother of Oeneus, though not by the same mother,
for a serving-woman bare him; him, now growing old, Oeneus sent to
guard his son: thus Meleagrus, still a youth, entered the bold band of
heroes. No other had come superior to him, I ween, except Heracles, if
for one year more he had tarried and been nurtured among the Aetolians.
Yea, and his uncle, well skilled to fight whether with the javelin or
hand to hand, Iphiclus son of Thestius, bare him company on his way.
With him came Palaemonius, son of Olenian Lernus, of Lernus by repute,
but his birth was from Hephaestus; and so he was crippled in his feet,
but his bodily frame and his valour no one would dare to scorn.
Wherefore he was numbered among all the chiefs, winning fame for Jason.
From the Phocians came Iphitus sprung from Naubolus son of Ornytus;
once he had been his host when Jason went to Pytho to ask for a
response concerning his voyage; for there he welcomed him in his own
hails.
Next came Zetes and Calais, sons of Boreas, whom once Oreithyia,
daughter of Erechtheus, bare to Boreas on the verge of wintry Thrace;
thither it was that Thracian Boreas snatched her away from Cecropia as
she was whirling in the dance, hard by Hissus’ stream. And, carrying
her far off, to the spot that men called the rock of Sarpedon, near the
river Erginus, he wrapped her in dark clouds and forced her to his
will. There they were making their dusky wings quiver upon their ankles
on both sides as they rose, a great wonder to behold, wings that
gleamed with golden scales: and round their backs from the top of the
head and neck, hither and thither, their dark tresses were being shaken
by the wind.
No, nor had Acastus son of mighty Pelias himself any will to stay
behind in the palace of his brave sire, nor Argus, helper of the
goddess Athena; but they too were ready to be numbered in the host.
So many then were the helpers who assembled to join the son of Aeson.
All the chiefs the dwellers thereabout called Minyae, for the most and
the bravest avowed that they were sprung from the blood of the
daughters of Minyas; thus Jason himself was the son of Alcimede who was
born of Clymene the daughter of Minyas.
Now when all things had been made ready by the thralls, all things that
fully-equipped ships are furnished withal when men’s business leads
them to voyage across the sea, then the heroes took their way through
the city to the ship where it lay on the strand that men call Magnesian
Pagasae; and a crowd of people hastening rushed together; but the
heroes shone like gleaming stars among the clouds; and each man as he
saw them speeding along with their armour would say:
“King Zeus, what is the purpose of Pelias? Whither is he driving forth
from the Panachaean land so great a host of heroes? On one day they
would waste the palace of Aeetes with baleful fire, should he not yield
them the fleece of his own goodwill. But the path is not to be shunned,
the toil is hard for those who venture.”
Thus they spake here and there throughout the city; but the women often
raised their hands to the sky in prayer to the immortals to grant a
return, their hearts’ desire. And one with tears thus lamented to her
fellow:
“Wretched Alcimede, evil has come to thee at last though late, thou
hast not ended with splendour of life. Aeson too, ill-fated man! Surely
better had it been for him, if he were lying beneath the earth,