The Argonautica
with Achelous; and once they tended Demeter’s noble daughter still
unwed, and sang to her in chorus; and at that time they were fashioned
in part like birds and in part like maidens to behold. And ever on the
watch from their place of prospect with its fair haven, often from many
had they taken away their sweet return, consuming them with wasting
desire; and suddenly to the heroes, too, they sent forth from their
lips a lily-like voice. And they were already about to cast from the
ship the hawsers to the shore, had not Thracian Orpheus, son of
Oeagrus, stringing in his hands his Bistonian lyre, rung forth the
hasty snatch of a rippling melody so that their ears might be filled
with the sound of his twanging; and the lyre overcame the maidens’
voice. And the west wind and the sounding wave rushing astern bore the
ship on; and the Sirens kept uttering their ceaseless song. But even so
the goodly son of Teleon alone of the comrades leapt before them all
from the polished bench into the sea, even Butes, his soul melted by
the clear ringing voice of the Sirens; and he swam through the dark
surge to mount the beach, poor wretch. Quickly would they have robbed
him of his return then and there, but the goddess that rules Eryx,
Cypris, in pity snatched him away, while yet in the eddies, and
graciously meeting him saved him to dwell on the Lilybean height. And
the heroes, seized by anguish, left the Sirens, but other perils still
worse, destructive to ships, awaited them in the meeting-place of the
seas.
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[34]
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.
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,[35] 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:
“I beseech thee, O queen, be gracious and deliver me not to the
Colchians to be borne to my father, if thou thyself too art one of the
race of mortals, whose heart rushes swiftly to ruin from light
transgressions. For my firm sense forsook me—it was not for wantonness.
Be witness the sacred light of Helios, be witness the rites of the
maiden that wanders by night, daughter of Perses. Not willingly did I
haste from my home with men of an alien race; but a horrible fear
wrought on me to bethink me of flight when I sinned; other device was
there none. Still my maiden’s girdle remains, as in the halls of my
father, unstained, untouched. Pity me, lady, and turn thy lord to
mercy; and may the immortals grant thee a perfect life, and joy, and
children, and the glory of a city unravaged!”
Thus did she implore Arete, shedding tears, and thus each of the
chieftains in turn:
“On your account, ye men of peerless might, and on account of my toils
in your ventures am I sorely afflicted; even I, by whose help ye yoked
the bulls, and reaped the deadly harvest of the earthborn men; even I,
through whom on your homeward path ye shall bear to Haemonia the golden
fleece. Lo, here am I, who have lost my country and my parents, who
have lost my home and all the delights of life; to you have I restored
your country and your homes; with eyes of gladness ye will see again
your parents; but from me a heavy-handed god has raft all joy; and with
strangers I wander, an accursed thing. Fear your covenant and your
oaths, fear the Fury that avenges suppliants and the retribution of
heaven, if I fall into Aeetes’ hands and am slain with grievous
outrage. To no shrines, no tower of defence, no other refuge do I pay
heed, but only to you. Hard and pitiless in your cruelty! No reverence
have ye for me in your heart though ye see me helpless, stretching my
hands towards the knees of a stranger queen; yet, when ye longed to
seize the fleece, ye would have met all the Colchians face to thee and
haughty Aeetes himself; but now ye have forgotten your courage, now
that they are all alone and cut off.”
Thus she spake, beseeching; and to whomsoever she bowed in prayer, that
man tried to give her heart and to check her anguish. And in their
hands they shook their sharp pointed spears, and drew the swords from
their sheaths; and they swore they would not hold back from giving
succour, if she should meet with an unrighteous judgement. And the host
were all wearied and Night came on them, Night that puts to rest the
works of men, and lulled all the earth to sleep; but to the maid no
sleep brought rest, but in her bosom her heart was wrung with anguish.
Even as when a toiling woman turns her spindle through the night, and
round her moan her orphan children, for she is a widow, and down her
cheeks fall the tears, as she bethinks her how dreary a lot hath seized
her; so Medea’s cheeks were wet; and her heart within her was in agony,
pierced with sharp pain.
Now within the palace in the city, as aforetime, lay lordly Alcinous
and Arete, the revered wife of Alcinous, and on their couch through the
night they were devising plans about the maiden; and him, as her wedded
husband, the wife addressed with loving words:
“Yea, my friend, come, save the woe-stricken maid from the Colchians
and show grace to the Minyae. Argos is near our isle and the men of
Haemonia; but Aeetes dwells not near, nor do we know of Aeetes one
whit: we hear but his name; but this maiden of dread suffering hath
broken my heart by her prayers. O king, give her not up to the
Colchians to be borne back to her father’s home. She was distraught
when first she gave him the drugs to charm the oxen; and next, to cure
one ill by another, as in our sinning we do often, she fled from her
haughty sire’s heavy wrath. But Jason, as I hear, is bound to her by
mighty oaths that he will make her his wedded wife within his halls.
Wherefore, my friend, make not, of thy will, Aeson’s son to be
forsworn, nor let the father, if thou canst help, work with angry heart
some intolerable mischief on his child. For fathers are all too jealous
against their children; what wrong did Nycteus devise against Antiope,
fair of face! What woes did Danae endure on the wide sea through her
sire’s mad rage! Of late, and not far away, Echetus in wanton cruelty
thrust spikes of bronze in his daughter’s eyes; and by a grievous fate
is she wasting away, grinding grains of bronze in a dungeon’s gloom.”
Thus she spake, beseeching; and by his wife’s words his heart was
softened, and thus he spake:
“Arete, with arms I could drive forth the Colchians, showing grace to
the heroes for the maiden’s sake. But I fear to set at nought the
righteous judgment of Zeus. Nor is it well to take no thought of
Aeetes, as thou sayest: for none is more lordly than Aeetes. And, if he
willed, he might bring war upon Hellas, though he dwell afar. Wherefore
it is right for me to deliver the judgement that in all men’s eyes
shall be best; and I will not hide it from thee. If she be yet a maid I
decree that they carry her back to her father; but if she shares a
husband’s bed, I will not separate her from her lord; nor, if she bear
a child beneath her breast, will I give it up to an enemy.”