The Argonautica
Thebes. As yet all the stars that wheel in the heaven were not, nor
yet, though one should inquire, could aught be heard of the sacred race
of the Danai. Apidanean Arcadians alone existed, Arcadians who lived
even before the moon, it is said, eating acorns on the hills; nor at
that time was the Pelasgian land ruled by the glorious sons of
Deucalion, in the days when Egypt, mother of men of an older time, was
called the fertile Morning-land, and the river fair-flowing Triton, by
which all the Morning-land is watered; and never does the rain from
Zeus moisten the earth; but from the flooding of the river abundant
crops spring up. From this land, it is said, a king[27] made his way
all round through the whole of Europe and Asia, trusting in the might
and strength and courage of his people; and countless cities did he
found wherever he came, whereof some are still inhabited and some not;
many an age hath passed since then. But Aea abides unshaken even now
and the sons of those men whom that king settled to dwell in Aea. They
preserve the writings of their fathers, graven on pillars, whereon are
marked all the ways and the limits of sea and land as ye journey on all
sides round. There is a river, the uttermost horn of Ocean, broad and
exceeding deep, that a merchant ship may traverse; they call it Ister
and have marked it far off; and for a while it cleaves the boundless
tilth alone in one stream; for beyond the blasts of the north wind, far
off in the Rhipaean mountains, its springs burst forth with a roar. But
when it enters the boundaries of the Thracians and Scythians, here,
dividing its stream into two, it sends its waters partly into the
Ionian sea,[28] and partly to the south into a deep gulf that bends
upwards from the Trinaerian sea, that sea which lies along your land,
if indeed Achelous flows forth from your land.”
Thus he spake, and to them the goddess granted a happy portent, and all
at the sight shouted approval, that this was their appointed path. For
before them appeared a trail of heavenly light, a sign where they might
pass. And gladly they left behind there the son of Lyeus and with
canvas outspread sailed over the sea, with their eyes on the
Paphlagonian mountains. But they did not round Carambis, for the winds
and the gleam of the heavenly fire stayed with them till they reached
Ister’s mighty stream.
Now some of the Colchians, in a vain search, passed out from Pontus
through the Cyanean rocks; but the rest went to the river, and them
Apsyrtus led, and, turning aside, he entered the mouth called Fair.
Wherefore he outstripped the heroes by crossing a neck of land into the
furthest gulf of the Ionian sea. For a certain island is enclosed by
Ister, by name Peuee, three-cornered, its base stretching along the
coast, and with a sharp angle towards the river; and round it the
outfall is cleft in two. One mouth they call the mouth of Narex, and
the other, at the lower end, the Fair mouth. And through this Apsyrtus
and his Colchians rushed with all speed; but the heroes went upwards
far away towards the highest part of the island. And in the meadows the
country shepherds left their countless flocks for dread of the ships,
for they deemed that they were beasts coming forth from the
monster-teeming sea. For never yet before had they seen seafaring
ships, neither the Scythians mingled with the Thracians, nor the
Sigynni, nor yet the Graucenii, nor the Sindi that now inhabit the vast
desert plain of Laurium. But when they had passed near the mount
Angurum, and the cliff of Cauliacus, far from the mount Angurum, round
which Ister, dividing his stream, falls into the sea on this side and
on that, and the Laurian plain, then indeed the Colchians went forth
into the Cronian sea and cut off all the ways, to prevent their foes’
escape. And the heroes came down the river behind and reached the two
Brygean isles of Artemis near at hand. Now in one of them was a sacred
temple; and on the other they landed, avoiding the host of Apsyrtus;
for the Colchians had left these islands out of many within the river,
just as they were, through reverence for the daughter of Zeus; but the
rest, thronged by the Colchians, barred the ways to the sea. And so on
other islands too, close by, Apsyrtus left his host as far as the river
Salangon and the Nestian land.
There the Minyae would at that time have yielded in grim fight, a few
to many; but ere then they made a covenant, shunning a dire quarrel; as
to the golden fleece, that since Aeetes himself had so promised them if
they should fulfill the contests, they should keep it as justly won,
whether they carried it off by craft or even openly in the king’s
despite; but as to Medea—for that was the cause of strife—that they
should give her in ward to Leto’s daughter apart from the throng, until
some one of the kings that dispense justice should utter his doom,
whether she must return to her father’s home or follow the chieftains
to the land of Hellas.
Now when the maiden had mused upon all this, sharp anguish shook her
heart unceasingly; and quickly she called forth Jason alone apart from
his comrades, and led him aside until they were far away, and before
his face uttered her speech all broken with sobs:
“What is this purpose that ye are now devising about me, O son of
Aeson? Has thy triumph utterly cast forgetfulness upon thee, and
reekest thou nothing of all that thou spakest when held fast by
necessity? Whither are fled the oaths by Zeus the suppliants’ god,
whither are fled thy honied promises? For which in no seemly wise, with
shameless will, I have left my country, the glories of my home and even
my parents—things that were dearest to me; and far away all alone I am
borne over the sea with the plaintive kingfishers because of thy
trouble, in order that I might save thy life in fulfilling the contests
with the oxen and the earthborn men. Last of all the fleece—when the
matter became known, it was by my folly thou didst win it; and a foul
reproach have I poured on womankind. Wherefore I say that as thy child,
thy bride and thy sister, I follow thee to the land of Hellas. Be ready
to stand by me to the end, abandon me not left forlorn of thee when
thou dost visit the kings. But only save me; let justice and right, to
which we have both agreed, stand firm; or else do thou at once shear
through this neck with the sword, that I may gain the guerdon due to my
mad passion. Poor wretch! if the king, to whom you both commit your
cruel covenant, doom me to belong to my brother. How shall I come to my
father’s sight? Will it be with a good name? What revenge, what heavy
calamity shall I not endure in agony for the terrible deeds I have
done? And wilt thou win the return that thy heart desires? Never may
Zeus’ bride, the queen of all, in whom thou dost glory, bring that to
pass. Mayst thou some time remember me when thou art racked with
anguish; may the fleece like a dream vanish into the nether darkness on
the wings of the wind! And may my avenging Furies forthwith drive thee
from thy country, for all that I have suffered through thy cruelty!
These curses will not be allowed to fall unaccomplished to the ground.
A mighty oath hast thou transgressed, ruthless one; but not long shalt
thou and thy comrades sit at ease casting eyes of mockery upon me, for
all your covenants.”
Thus she spake, seething with fierce wrath; and she longed to set fire
to the ship and to hew it utterly in pieces, and herself to fall into
the raging flame. But Jason, half afraid, thus addressed her with
gentle words:
“Forbear, lady; me too this pleases not. But we seek some respite from
battle, for such a cloud of hostile men, like to a fire, surrounds us,
on thy account. For all that inhabit this land are eager to aid
Apsyrtus, that they may lead thee back home to thy father, like some
captured maid. And all of us would perish in hateful destruction, if we
closed with them in fight; and bitterer still will be the pain, if we
are slain and leave thee to be their prey. But this covenant will weave
a web of guile to lead him to ruin. Nor will the people of the land for
thy sake oppose us, to favour the Colchians, when their prince is no
longer with them, who is thy champion and thy brother; nor will I
shrink from matching myself in fight with the Colchians, if they bar my
way homeward.”
Thus he spake soothing her; and she uttered a deadly speech: “Take heed
now. For when sorry deeds are done we must needs devise sorry counsel,
since at first I was distraught by my error, and by heaven’s will it
was I wrought the accomplishment of evil desires. Do thou in the
turmoil shield me from the Colchians’ spears; and I will beguile
Apsyrtus to come into thy hands—do thou greet him with splendid
gifts—if only I could persuade the heralds on their departure to bring
him alone to hearken to my words. Thereupon if this deed pleases thee,
slay him and raise a conflict with the Colchians, I care not.”
So they two agreed and prepared a great web of guile for Apsyrtus, and
provided many gifts such as are due to guests, and among them gave a
sacred robe of Hypsipyle, of crimson hue. The Graces with their own
hands had wrought it for Dionysus in sea-girt Dia, and he gave it to
his son Thoas thereafter, and Thoas left it to Hypsipyle, and she gave
that fair-wrought guest-gift with many another marvel to Aeson’s son to
wear. Never couldst thou satisfy thy sweet desire by touching it or
gazing on it. And from it a divine fragrance breathed from the time
when the king of Nysa himself lay to rest thereon, flushed with wine
and nectar as he clasped the beauteous breast of the maiden-daughter of
Minos, whom once Theseus forsook in the island of Dia, when she had
followed him from Cnossus. And when she had worked upon the heralds to
induce her brother to come, as soon as she reached the temple of the
goddess, according to the agreement, and the darkness of night
surrounded them, that so she might devise with him a cunning plan for
her to take the mighty fleece of gold and return to the home of Aeetes,
for, she said, the sons of Phrixus had given her by force to the
strangers to carry off; with such beguiling words she scattered to the
air and the breezes her witching charms, which even from afar would
have drawn down the savage beast from the steep mountain-height.
Ruthless Love, great bane, great curse to mankind, from thee come
deadly strifes and lamentations and groans, and countless pains as well
have their stormy birth from thee. Arise, thou god, and arm thyself
against the sons of our foes in such guise as when thou didst fill
Medea’s heart with accursed madness. How then by evil doom did she slay
Apsyrtus when he came to meet her? For that must our song tell next.
When the heroes had left the maiden on the island of Artemis, according
to the covenant, both sides ran their ships to land separately. And
Jason went to the ambush to lie in wait for Apsyrtus and then for his
comrades. But he, beguiled by these dire promises, swiftly crossed the
swell of the sea in his ship, and in dark night set foot on the sacred
island; and faring all alone to meet her he made trial in speech of his
sister, as a tender child tries a wintry torrent which not even strong
men can pass through, to see if she would devise some guile against the
strangers. And so they two agreed together on everything; and
straightway Aeson’s son leapt forth from the thick ambush, lifting his
bare sword in his hand; and quickly the maiden turned her eyes aside
and covered them with her veil that she might not see the blood of her
brother when he was smitten. And Jason marked him and struck him down,
as a butcher strikes down a mighty strong-horned bull, hard by the
temple which the Brygi on the mainland opposite had once built for