The Argonautica
enveloped in his shroud, still unconscious of bitter toils. Would that
the dark wave, when the maiden Helle perished, had overwhelmed Phrixus
too with the ram; but the dire portent even sent forth a human voice,
that it might cause to Alcimede sorrows and countless pains hereafter.”
Thus the women spake at the departure of the heroes. And now many
thralls, men and women, were gathered together, and his mother, smitten
with grief for Jason. And a bitter pang seized every woman’s heart; and
with them groaned the father in baleful old age, lying on his bed,
closely wrapped round. But the hero straightway soothed their pain,
encouraging them, and bade the thralls take up his weapons for war; and
they in silence with downcast looks took them up. And even as the
mother had thrown her arms about her son, so she clung, weeping without
stint, as a maiden all alone weeps, falling fondly on the neck of her
hoary nurse, a maid who has now no others to care for her, but she
drags on a weary life under a stepmother, who maltreats her continually
with ever fresh insults, and as she weeps, her heart within her is
bound fast with misery, nor can she sob forth all the groans that
struggle for utterance; so without stint wept Alcimede straining her
son in her arms, and in her yearning grief spake as follows:
“Would that on that day when, wretched woman that I am, I heard King
Pelias proclaim his evil behest, I had straightway given up my life and
forgotten my cares, so that thou thyself, my son, with thine own hands,
mightest have buried me; for that was the only wish left me still to be
fulfilled by time, all the other rewards for thy nurture have I long
enjoyed. Now I, once so admired among Achaean women, shall be left
behind like a bondwoman in my empty halls, pining away, ill-fated one,
for love of thee, thee on whose account I had aforetime so much
splendour and renown, my only son for whom I loosed my virgin zone
first and last. For to me beyond others the goddess Eileithyia grudged
abundant offspring. Alas for my folly! Not once, not even in nay dreams
did I forebode this, that the flight of Phrixus would bring me woe.”
Thus with moaning she wept, and her handmaidens, standing by, lamented;
but Jason spake gently to her with comforting words:
“Do not, I pray thee, mother, store up bitter sorrows overmuch, for
thou wilt not redeem me from evil by tears, but wilt still add grief to
grief. For unseen are the woes that the gods mete out to mortals; be
strong to endure thy share of them though with grief in thy heart; take
courage from the promises of Athena, and from the answers of the gods
(for very favourable oracles has Phoebus given), and then from the help
of the chieftains. But do thou remain here, quiet among thy handmaids,
and be not a bird of ill omen to the ship; and thither my clansmen and
thralls will follow me.”
He spake, and started forth to leave the house. And as Apollo goes
forth from some fragrant shrine to divine Delos or Claros or Pytho or
to broad Lyeia near the stream of Xanthus, in such beauty moved Jason
through the throng of people; and a cry arose as they shouted together.
And there met him aged Iphias, priestess of Artemis guardian of the
city, and kissed his right hand, but she had not strength to say a
word, for all her eagerness, as the crowd rushed on, but she was left
there by the wayside, as the old are left by the young, and he passed
on and was gone afar.
Now when he had left the well-built streets of the city, he came to the
beach of Pagasae, where his comrades greeted him as they stayed
together near the ship Argo. And he stood at the entering in, and they
were gathered to meet him. And they perceived Aeastus and Argus coming
from the city, and they marvelled when they saw them hasting with all
speed, despite the will of Pelias. The one, Argus, son of Arestor, had
cast round his shoulders the hide of a bull reaching to his feet, with
the black hair upon it, the other, a fair mantle of double fold, which
his sister Pelopeia had given him. Still Jason forebore from asking
them about each point but bade all be seated for an assembly. And
there, upon the folded sails and the mast as it lay on the ground, they
all took their seats in order. And among them with goodwill spake
Aeson’s son:
“All the equipment that a ship needs for all is in due order—lies ready
for our departure. Therefore we will make no long delay in our sailing
for these things’ sake, when the breezes but blow fair. But,
friends,—for common to all is our return to Hellas hereafter, and
common to all is our path to the land of Aeetes—now therefore with
ungrudging heart choose the bravest to be our leader, who shall be
careful for everything, to take upon him our quarrels and covenants
with strangers.”
Thus he spake; and the young heroes turned their eyes towards bold
Heracles sitting in their midst, and with one shout they all enjoined
upon him to be their leader; but he, from the place where he sat,
stretched forth his right hand and said:
“Let no one offer this honour to me. For I will not consent, and I will
forbid any other to stand up. Let the hero who brought us together,
himself be the leader of the host.”
Thus he spake with high thoughts, and they assented, as Heracles bade;
and warlike Jason himself rose up, glad at heart, and thus addressed
the eager throng:
“If ye entrust your glory to my care, no longer as before let our path
be hindered. Now at last let us propitiate Phoebus with sacrifice and
straightway prepare a feast. And until my thralls come, the overseers
of my steading, whose care it is to choose out oxen from the herd and
drive them hither, we will drag down the ship to the sea, and do ye
place all the tackling within, and draw lots for the benches for
rowing. Meantime let us build upon the beach an altar to Apollo
Embasius[5] who by an oracle promised to point out and show me the
paths of the sea, if by sacrifice to him I should begin my venture for
King Pelias.”
He spake, and was the first to turn to the work, and they stood up in
obedience to him; and they heaped their garments, one upon the other,
on a smooth stone, which the sea did not strike with its waves, but the
stormy surge had cleansed it long before. First of all, by the command
of Argus, they strongly girded the ship with a rope well twisted
within,[6] stretching it tight on each side, in order that the planks
might be well compacted by the bolts and might withstand the opposing
force of the surge. And they quickly dug a trench as wide as the space
the ship covered, and at the prow as far into the sea as it would run
when drawn down by their hands. And they ever dug deeper in front of
the stem, and in the furrow laid polished rollers; and inclined the
ship down upon the first rollers, that so she might glide and be borne
on by them. And above, on both sides, reversing the oars, they fastened
them round the thole-pins, so as to project a cubit’s space. And the
heroes themselves stood on both sides at the oars in a row, and pushed
forward with chest and hand at once. And then Tiphys leapt on board to
urge the youths to push at the right moment; and calling on them he
shouted loudly; and they at once, leaning with all their strength, with
one push started the ship from her place, and strained with their feet,
forcing her onward; and Pelian Argo followed swiftly; and they on each
side shouted as they rushed on. And then the rollers groaned under the
sturdy keel as they were chafed, and round them rose up a dark smoke
owing to the weight, and she glided into the sea; but the heroes stood
there and kept dragging her back as she sped onward. And round the
thole-pins they fitted the oars, and in the ship they placed the mast
and the well-made sails and the stores.
Now when they had carefully paid heed to everything, first they
distributed the benches by lot, two men occupying one seat; but the
middle bench they chose for Heracles and Ancaeus apart from the other
heroes, Ancaeus who dwelt in Tegea. For them alone they left the middle
bench just as it was and not by lot; and with one consent they
entrusted Tiphys with guarding the helm of the well-stemmed ship.
Next, piling up shingle near the sea, they raised there an altar on the
shore to Apollo, under the name of Actius[7] and Embasius, and quickly
spread above it logs of dried olive-wood. Meantime the herdsmen of
Aeson’s son had driven before them from the herd two steers. These the
younger comrades dragged near the altars, and the others brought
lustral water and barley meal, and Jason prayed, calling on Apollo the
god of his fathers:
“Hear, O King, that dwellest in Pagasae and the city Aesonis, the city
called by my father’s name, thou who didst promise me, when I sought
thy oracle at Pytho, to show the fulfilment and goal of my journey, for
thou thyself hast been the cause of my venture; now do thou thyself
guide the ship with my comrades safe and sound, thither and back again
to Hellas. Then in thy honour hereafter we will lay again on thy altar
the bright offerings of bulls—all of us who return; and other gifts in
countless numbers I will bring to Pytho and Ortygia. And now, come,
Far-darter, accept this sacrifice at our hands, which first of all we
have offered thee for this ship on our embarcation; and grant, O King,
that with a prosperous wind I may loose the hawsers, relying on thy
counsel, and may the breeze blow softly with which we shall sail over
the sea in fair weather.”
He spake, and with his prayer cast the barley meal. And they two girded
themselves to slay the steers, proud Ancaeus and Heracles. The latter
with his club smote one steer mid-head on the brow, and falling in a
heap on the spot, it sank to the ground; and Ancaeus struck the broad
neck of the other with his axe of bronze, and shore through the mighty
sinews; and it fell prone on both its horns. Their comrades quickly
severed the victims’ throats, and flayed the hides: they sundered the
joints and carved the flesh, then cut out the sacred thigh bones, and
covering them all together closely with fat burnt them upon cloven
wood. And Aeson’s son poured out pure libations, and Idmon rejoiced
beholding the flame as it gleamed on every side from the sacrifice, and
the smoke of it mounting up with good omen in dark spiral columns; and
quickly he spake outright the will of Leto’s son:
“For you it is the will of heaven and destiny that ye shall return here
with the fleece; but meanwhile both going and returning, countless
trials await you. But it is my lot, by the hateful decree of a god, to
die somewhere afar off on the mainland of Asia. Thus, though I learnt
my fate from evil omens even before now, I have left my fatherland to
embark on the ship, that so after my embarking fair fame may be left me
in my house.”
Thus he spake; and the youths hearing the divine utterance rejoiced at
their return, but grief seized them for the fate of Idmon. Now at the
hour when the sun passes his noon-tide halt and the ploughlands are
just being shadowed by the rocks, as the sun slopes towards the evening
dusk, at that hour all the heroes spread leaves thickly upon the sand
and lay down in rows in front of the hoary surf-line; and near them
were spread vast stores of viands and sweet wine, which the cupbearers
had drawn off in pitchers; afterwards they told tales one to another in
turn, such as youths often tell when at the feast and the bowl they
take delightful pastime, and insatiable insolence is far away. But here
the son of Aeson, all helpless, was brooding over each event in his
mind, like one oppressed with thought. And Idas noted him and assailed
him with loud voice:
“Son of Aeson, what is this plan thou art turning over in mind. Speak