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ARGONAUTICA BOOK 4 [1502]

(4.1502-1536) Thereupon on the same day a pitiless fate seized Mopsus too, son of Ampycus; and he escaped not a bitter doom by his prophesying; for there is no averting of death. Now there lay in the sand, avoiding the midday heat, a dread serpent, too sluggish of his own will to strike at an unwilling foe, nor yet would he dart full face at one that would shrink back. But into whatever of all living beings that life-giving earth sustains that serpent once injects his black venom, his path to Hades becomes not so much as a cubit's length, not even if Paeeon, if it is right for me to say this openly, should tend him, when its teeth have only grazed the skin. For when over Libya flew godlike Perseus Eurymedon for by that name his mother called him -- bearing to the king the Gorgon's head newly severed, all the drops of dark blood that fell to the earth, produced a brood of those serpents. Now Mopsus stepped on the end of its spine, setting thereon the sole of his left foot; and it writhed round in pain and bit and tore the flesh between the shin and the muscles. And Medea and her handmaids fled in terror; but Canthus bravely felt the bleeding wound; for no excessive pain harassed him. Poor wretch! Already a numbness that loosed his limbs was stealing beneath his skin, and a thick mist was spreading over his eyes. Straightway his heavy limbs sank helplessly to the ground and he grew cold; and his comrades and the hero, Aeson's son, gathered round, marvelling at the close-coming doom. Nor yet though dead might he lie beneath the sun even for a little space. For at once the poison began to rot his flesh within, and the hair decayed and fell from the skin. And quickly and in haste they dug a deep grave with mattocks of bronze; and they tore their hair, the heroes and the maidens, bewailing the dead man's piteous suffering; and when he had received due burial rites, thrice they marched round the tomb in full armour, and heaped above him a mound of earth.

1502     Ἔνθα καὶ Ἀμπυκίδην αὐτῷ ἐνὶ ἤματι Μόψον
1503 νηλειὴς ἕλε πότμος: ἀδευκέα δ' οὐ φύγεν αἶσαν
1504 μαντοσύναις: οὐ γάρ τις ἀποτροπίη θανάτοιο.
1505  κεῖτο δ' ἐπὶ ψαμάθοισι μεσημβρινὸν ἦμαρ ἀλύσκων
1506 δεινὸς ὄφις, νωθὴς μὲν ἑκὼν ἀέκοντα χαλέψαι:
1507 οὐδ' ἂν ὑποτρέσσαντος ἐνωπαδὶς ἀίξειεν.
1508 ἀλλὰ μὲν ᾧ τὰ πρῶτα μελάγχιμον ἰὸν ἐνείη
1509 ζωόντων, ὅσα γαῖα φερέσβιος ἔμπνοα βόσκει,
1510  οὐδ' ὁπόσον πήχυιον ἐς Ἄιδα γίγνεται οἶμος,
1511 οὐδ' εἰ Παιήων, εἴ μοι θέμις ἀμφαδὸν εἰπεῖν,
1512 φαρμάσσοι, ὅτε μοῦνον ἐνιχρίμψῃσιν ὀδοῦσιν.
1513 εὖτε γὰρ ἰσόθεος Λιβύην ὑπερέπτατο Περσεὺς
1514 Εὐρυμέδων--καὶ γὰρ τὸ κάλεσκέ μιν οὔνομα μήτηρ--
1515  Γοργόνος ἀρτίτομον κεφαλὴν βασιλῆι κομίζων,
1516 ὅσσαι κυανέου στάγες αἵματος οὖδας ἵκοντο,
1517 αἱ πᾶσαι κείνων ὀφίων γένος ἐβλάστησαν.
1518 τῷ δ' ἄκρην ἐπ' ἄκανθαν ἐνεστηρίξατο Μόψος
1519 λαιὸν ἐπιπροφέρων ταρσὸν ποδός: αὐτὰρ ὁ μέσσην
1520  κερκίδα καὶ μυῶνα, πέριξ ὀδύνῃσιν ἑλιχθείς,
1521 σάρκα δακὼν ἐχάραξεν. ἀτὰρ Μήδεια καὶ ἄλλαι
1522 ἔτρεσαν ἀμφίπολοι: ὁ δὲ φοίνιον ἕλκος ἄφασσεν
1523 θαρσαλέως, ἕνεκ' οὔ μιν ὑπέρβιον ἄλγος ἔτειρεν.
1524 σχέτλιος: ἦ τέ οἱ ἤδη ὑπὸ χροῒ δύετο κῶμα
1525  λυσιμελές, πολλὴ δὲ κατ' ὀφθαλμῶν χέετ' ἀχλύς.
1526 αὐτίκα δὲ κλίνας δαπέδῳ βεβαρηότα γυῖα
1527 ψύχετ' ἀμηχανίῃ: ἕταροι δέ μιν ἀμφαγέροντο
1528 ἥρως τ' Αἰσονίδης, ἀδινῇ περιθαμβέες ἄτῃ.
1529 οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδ' ἐπὶ τυτθὸν ἀποφθίμενός περ ἔμελλεν
1530  κεῖσθαι ὑπ' ἠελίῳ. πύθεσκε γὰρ ἔνδοθι σάρκας
1531 ἰὸς ἄφαρ, μυδόωσα δ' ἀπὸ χροὸς ἔρρεε λάχνη.
1532 αἶψα δὲ χαλκείῃσι βαθὺν τάφον ἐξελάχαινον
1533 ἐσσυμένως μακέλῃσιν: ἐμοιρήσαντο δὲ χαίτας
1534 αὐτοὶ ὁμῶς κοῦραί τε, νέκυν ἐλεεινὰ παθόντα
1535  μυρόμενοι: τρὶς δ' ἀμφὶ σὺν ἔντεσι δινηθέντες
1536 εὖ κτερέων ἴσχοντα, χυτὴν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἔθεντο.

(4.1537-1553) But when they had gone aboard, as the south wind blew over the sea, and they were searching for a passage to go forth from the Tritonian lake, for long they had no device, but all the day were borne on aimlessly. And as a serpent goes writhing along his crooked path when the sun's fiercest rays scorch him; and with a hiss he turns his head to this side and that, and in his fury his eyes glow like sparks of fire, until he creeps to his lair through a cleft in the rock; so Argo seeking an outlet from the lake, a fairway for ships, wandered for a long time. Then straightway Orpheus bade them bring forth from the ship Apollo's massy tripod and offer it to the gods of the land as propitiation for their return. So they went forth and set Apollo's gift on the shore; then before them stood, in the form of a youth, farswaying Triton, and he lifted a clod from the earth and offered it as a stranger's gift, and thus spake:

1537     Ἀλλ' ὅτε δή ῥ' ἐπὶ νηὸς ἔβαν, πρήσοντος ἀήτεω
1538 ἂμ πέλαγος νοτίοιο, πόρους τ' ἀπετεκμήραντο
1539 λίμνης ἐκπρομολεῖν Τριτωνίδος, οὔτινα μῆτιν
1540  δὴν ἔχον, ἀφραδέως δὲ πανημέριοι φορέοντο.
1541 ὡς δὲ δράκων σκολιὴν εἱλιγμένος ἔρχεται οἶμον,
1542 εὖτέ μιν ὀξύτατον θάλπει σέλας ἠελίοιο:
1543 ῥοίζῳ δ' ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα κάρη στρέφει, ἐν δέ οἱ ὄσσε
1544 σπινθαρύγεσσι πυρὸς ἐναλίγκια μαιμώοντι
1545  λάμπεται, ὄφρα μυχόνδε διὰ ῥωχμοῖο δύηται:
1546 ὧς Ἀργὼ λίμνης στόμα ναύπορον ἐξερέουσα
1547 ἀμφεπόλει δηναιὸν ἐπὶ χρόνον. αὐτίκα δ' Ὀρφεὺς
1548 κέκλετ' Ἀπόλλωνος τρίποδα μέγαν ἔκτοθι νηὸς
1549 δαίμοσιν ἐγγενέταις νόστῳ ἔπι μείλια θέσθαι.
1550  καὶ τοὶ μὲν Φοίβου κτέρας ἵδρυον ἐν χθονὶ βάντες:
1551 τοῖσιν δ' αἰζηῷ ἐναλίγκιος ἀντεβόλησεν
1552 Τρίτων εὐρυβίης, γαίης δ' ἀνὰ βῶλον ἀείρας
1553 ξείνι' ἀριστήεσσι προΐσχετο, φώνησέν τε:

(4.1554-1561) "Take it, friends, for no stranger's gift of great worth have I here by me now to place in the hands of those who beseech me. But if ye are searching for a passage through this sea, as often is the need of men passing through a strange land, I will declare it. For my sire Poseidon has made me to be well versed in this sea. And I rule the shore if haply in your distant land you have ever heard of Eurypylus, born in Libya, the home of wild beasts."

1554     "Δέχθε, φίλοι: ἐπεὶ οὐ περιώσιον ἐγγυαλίξαι
1555  ἐνθάδε νῦν πάρ' ἐμοὶ ξεινήιον ἀντομένοισιν.
1556 εἰ δέ τι τῆσδε πόρους μαίεσθ' ἁλός, οἷά τε πολλὰ
1557 ἄνθρωποι χατέουσιν ἐπ' ἀλλοδαπῇ περόωντες,
1558 ἐξερέω. δὴ γάρ με πατὴρ ἐπιίστορα πόντου
1559 θῆκε Ποσειδάων τοῦδ' ἔμμεναι. αὐτὰρ ἀνάσσω
1560  παρραλίης, εἰ δή τιν' ἀκούετε νόσφιν ἐόντες
1561 Εὐρύπυλον Λιβύῃ θηροτρόφῳ ἐγγεγαῶτα."

(4.1562-1563) Thus he spake, and readily Euphemus held out his hands towards the clod, and thus addressed him in reply:

1562     Ὧς ηὔδα: πρόφρων δ' ὑπερέσχεθε βώλακι χεῖρας
1563 Εὔφημος, καὶ τοῖα παραβλήδην προσέειπεν:

(4.1564-1570) "If haply, hero, thou knowest aught of Apis and the sea of Minos, tell us truly, who ask it of you. For not of our will have we come hither, but by the stress of heavy storms have we touched the borders of this land, and have borne our ship aloft on our shoulders to the waters of this lake over the mainland, grievously burdened; and we know not where a passage shows itself for our course to the land of Pelops."

1564     "Ἀπίδα καὶ πέλαγος Μινώιον εἴ νύ που, ἥρως,
1565  ἐξεδάης, νημερτὲς ἀνειρομένοισιν ἔνισπε.
1566 δεῦρο γὰρ οὐκ ἐθέλοντες ἱκάνομεν, ἀλλὰ βαρείαις
1567 χρίμψαντες γαίης ἐπὶ πείρασι τῆσδε θυέλλαις
1568 νῆα μεταχρονίην ἐκομίσσαμεν ἐς τόδε λίμνης
1569 χεῦμα δι' ἠπείρου βεβαρημένοι: οὐδέ τι ἴδμεν,
1570  πῇ πλόος ἐξανέχει Πελοπηίδα γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι."

(4.1571-1585) So he spake; and Triton stretched out his hand and showed afar the sea and the lake's deep mouth, and then addressed them: "That is the outlet to the sea, where the deep water lies unmoved and dark; on each side roll white breakers with shining crests; and the way between for your passage out is narrow. And that sea stretches away in mist to the divine land of Pelops beyond Crete; but hold to the right, when ye have entered the swell of the sea from the lake, and steer your course hugging the land, as long as it trends to the north; but when the coast bends, falling away in the other direction, then your course is safely laid for you if ye go straight forward from the projecting cape. But go in joy, and as for labour let there be no grieving that limbs in youthful vigour should still toil."

1571     Ὧς ἄρ' ἔφη: ὁ δὲ χεῖρα τανύσσατο, δεῖξε δ' ἄπωθεν
1572 φωνήσας πόντον τε καὶ ἀγχιβαθὲς στόμα λίμνης:
1573 "Κείνη μὲν πόντοιο διήλυσις, ἔνθα μάλιστα
1574 βένθος ἀκίνητον μελανεῖ: ἑκάτερθε δὲ λευκαὶ
1575  ῥηγμῖνες φρίσσουσι διαυγέες: ἡ δὲ μεσηγὺ
1576 ῥηγμίνων στεινὴ τελέθει ὁδὸς ἐκτὸς ἐλάσσαι.
1577 κεῖνο δ' ὑπηέριον θείην Πελοπηίδα γαῖαν
1578 εἰσανέχει πέλαγος Κρήτης ὕπερ: ἀλλ' ἐπὶ χειρὸς
1579 δεξιτερῆς, λίμνηθεν ὅτ' εἰς ἁλὸς οἶδμα βάλητε,
1580  τόφρ' αὐτὴν παρὰ χέρσον ἐεργμένοι ἰθύνεσθε,
1581 ἔστ' ἂν ἄνω τείνῃσι: περιρρήδην δ' ἑτέρωσε
1582 κλινομένης χέρσοιο, τότε πλόος ὔμμιν ἀπήμων
1583 ἀγκῶνος τέτατ' ἰθὺς ἀπὸ προύχοντος ἰοῦσιν.
1584 ἀλλ' ἴτε γηθόσυνοι, καμάτοιο δὲ μήτις ἀνίη
1585  γιγνέσθω, νεότητι κεκασμένα γυῖα μογῆσαι."

(4.1586-1596) He spake with kindly counsel; and they at once went aboard, intent to come forth from the lake by the use of oars. And eagerly they sped on; meanwhile Triton took up the mighty tripod, and they saw him enter the lake; but thereafter did no one mark how he vanished so near them along with the tripod. But their hearts were cheered, for that one of the blessed had met them in friendly guise. And they bade Aeson's son offer to him the choicest of the sheep and when he had slain it chant the hymn of praise. And straightway he chose in haste and raising the victim slew it over the stern, and prayed with these words:

1586     Ἴσκεν ἐυφρονέων: οἱ δ' αἶψ' ἐπὶ νηὸς ἔβησαν
1587 λίμνης ἐκπρομολεῖν λελιημένοι εἰρεσίῃσιν.
1588 καὶ δὴ ἐπιπρονέοντο μεμαότες: αὐτὰρ ὁ τείως
1589 Τρίτων ἀνθέμενος τρίποδα μέγαν, εἴσατο λίμνην
1590  εἰσβαίνειν: μετὰ δ' οὔτις ἐσέδρακεν, οἷον ἄφαντος
1591 αὐτῷ σὺν τρίποδι σχεδὸν ἔπλετο. τοῖσι δ' ἰάνθη
1592 θυμός, ὃ δὴ μακάρων τις ἐναίσιμος ἀντεβόλησεν.
1593 καί ῥά οἱ Αἰσονίδην μήλων ὅ τι φέρτατον ἄλλων
1594 ἤνωγον ῥέξαι καὶ ἐπευφημῆσαι ἑλόντα.
1595  αἶψα δ' ὅγ' ἐσσυμένως ἐκρίνατο, καί μιν ἀείρας
1596 σφάξε κατὰ πρύμνης, ἐπὶ δ' ἔννεπεν εὐχωλῇσιν:

(4.1597-1600) "Thou god, who hast manifested thyself on the borders of this land, whether the daughters born of the sea call thee Triton, the great sea-marvel, or Phoreys, or Nereus, be gracious, and grant the return home dear to our hearts."

1597     "Δαῖμον, ὅτις λίμνης ἐπὶ πείρασι τῆσδ' ἐφαάνθης,
1598 εἴτε σέγε Τρίτων', ἅλιον τέρας, εἴτε σε Φόρκυν,
1599 ἢ Νηρῆα θύγατρες ἐπικλείουσ' ἁλοσύδναι,
1600  ἵλαθι, καὶ νόστοιο τέλος θυμηδὲς ὄπαζε."


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