Tag: Apollonius of Rhodes

Τόφρα δ’ Ἔρως πολιοῖο δι’ ἠέρος ἷξεν ἄφαντος,
τετρηχώς, οἷόν τε νέαις ἐπὶ φορβάσιν οἶστρος
τέλλεται, ὅν τε μύωπα βοῶν κλείουσι νομῆες.
ὦκα δ’ ὑπὸ φλιὴν προδόμῳ ἔνι τόξα τανύσσας
ἰοδόκης ἀβλῆτα πολύστονον ἐξέλετ’ ἰόν.
ἐκ δ’ ὅγε καρπαλίμοισι λαθὼν ποσὶν οὐδὸν ἄμειψεν
ὀξέα δενδίλλων· αὐτῷ ὑπὸ βαιὸς ἐλυσθεὶς
Αἰσονίδῃ γλυφίδας μέσσῃ ἐνικάτθετο νευρῇ,
ἰθὺς δ’ ἀμφοτέρῃσι διασχόμενος παλάμῃσιν
ἧκ’ ἐπὶ Μηδείῃ· τὴν δ’ ἀμφασίη λάβε θυμόν.
αὐτὸς δ’ ὑψορόφοιο παλιμπετὲς ἐκ μεγάροιο
καγχαλόων ἤϊξε· βέλος δ’ ἐνεδαίετο κούρῃ
νέρθεν ὑπὸ κραδίῃ, φλογὶ εἴκελον· ἀντία δ’ αἰεὶ
βάλλεν ὑπ’ Αἰσονίδην ἀμαρύγματα, καί οἱ ἄηντο
στηθέων ἐκ πυκιναὶ καμάτῳ φρένες, οὐδέ τιν᾽ ἄλλην
μνῆστιν ἔχεν, γλυκερῇ δὲ κατείβετο θυμὸν ἀνίῃ.
ὡς δὲ γυνὴ μαλερῷ περὶ κάρφεα χεύατο δαλῷ
χερνῆτις, τῇπερ ταλασήια ἔργα μέμηλεν,
ὥς κεν ὑπωρόφιον νύκτωρ σέλας ἐντύναιτο,
ἄγχι μάλ’ ἐγρομένη· τὸ δ’ ἀθέσφατον ἐξ ὀλίγοιο
δαλοῦ ἀνεγρόμενον σὺν κάρφεα πάντ’ ἀμαθύνει·
τοῖος ὑπὸ κραδίῃ εἰλυμένος αἴθετο λάθρῃ
οὖλος Ἔρως· ἁπαλὰς δὲ μετετρωπᾶτο παρειὰς
ἐς χλόον, ἄλλοτ᾽ ἔρευθος, ἀκηδείῃσι νόοιο.
(Apollonius of Rhodes, Arg. 3.275-298)

Meantime through the gray fog, Eros, unseen, achieved his goal, and brought such havoc there as gadflies make for heifers as they graze (I mean the creatures that herdsmen call breeze flies). Now standing in the doorway of the porch, he snaps his bowstring taut and from his quiver takes a fresh arrow, anguish-laden. Then unperceived he passes over the sill, then, quick-eyed for hazards, he crouches in front of Jason, centers the notch and flexes the bow between his hands, and shoots Medea. A mute amazement seized and held her spirit, and Eros, with outrageous laughter, fled away from the lofty hall, but the arrow stayed, burned deep in the girl’s body, burned like flames. Again and again on Jason the girl cast glistering glances, and in her breast the heart shuddered incessantly, and she could fix  her mind on nothing but the man: her soul by such delicious sickness was distilled. And as a poor woman, spinner of wool, piles brittle twigs upon a redhot brand to coax, against the coming of the night, bright comfort for her shelter, rises early to end this chore before her work begins; so, wreathing round and round Medea’s heart, annihilating Love clandestine blazed, and on her delicate cheeks the color shifted, now paled, now crimsoned, in her reason’s ruin. (tr. W.R. Johnson)

This is part 3 of 3. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here.

αὐτίκ’ ἐπὴν κρατεροὺς ζεύξῃς βόας, ὦκα δὲ πᾶσαν
χερσὶ καὶ ἠνορέῃ στυφελὴν διὰ νειὸν ἀρόσσῃς,
οἱ δ’ ἤδη κατὰ ὦλκας ἀνασταχύωσι Γίγαντες
σπειρομένων ὄφιος δνοφερὴν ἐπὶ βῶλον ὀδόντων,
αἴ κεν ὀρινομένους πολέας νειοῖο δοκεύσῃς,
λάθρῃ λᾶαν ἄφες στιβαρώτερον· οἱ δ’ ἂν ἐπ’ αὐτῷ,
καρχαλέοι κύνες ὥστε περὶ βρώμης, ὀλέκοιεν
ἀλλήλους· καὶ δ’ αὐτὸς ἐπείγεο δηϊοτῆτος
ἰθῦσαι. τὸ δὲ κῶας ἐς Ἑλλάδα τοῖό γ’ ἕκητι
οἴσεαι ἐξ Αἴης τηλοῦ ποθί· νίσσεο δ’ ἔμπης,
ᾗ φίλον, ἤ τοι ἕαδεν ἀφορμηθέντι νέεσθαι.
(Apollonius of Rhodes, Arg. 3.1052-1062)

As soon as you yoke the mighty bulls and swiftly plow through all the hard field with might and main, and once those giants are sprouting up along the furrows when the snake’s teeth are sown on the darkened soil, if you spot many of them arising from the field, without being seen cast a mighty stone, and over it, like ravenous dogs over food, they will kill one another; and you yourself hasten to rush into the fray. And as far as the contest is concerned, you shall bear the fleece to Hellas—somewhere far away from Aea. All the same, go where you wish or it pleases you to travel once you have departed. (tr. William H. Race)

This is part 2 of 3. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is here.

ἔνθα δ’ ἐπεί κε θεὰν μεμνημένος ἱλάσσηαι,
ἂψ ἀπὸ πυρκαϊῆς ἀναχάζεο· μηδέ σε δοῦπος
ἠὲ ποδῶν ὄρσῃσι μεταστρεφθῆναι ὀπίσσω,
ἠὲ κυνῶν ὑλακή, μή πως τὰ ἕκαστα κολούσας
οὐδ’ αὐτὸς κατὰ κόσμον ἑοῖς ἑτάροισι πελάσσῃς.
ἦρι δὲ μυδήνας τόδε φάρμακον, ἠΰτ’ ἀλοιφῇ
γυμνωθεὶς φαίδρυνε τεὸν δέμας· ἐν δέ οἱ ἀλκὴ
ἔσσετ’ ἀπειρεσίη μέγα τε σθένος, οὐδέ κε φαίης
ἀνδράσιν, ἀλλὰ θεοῖσιν ἰσαζέμεν ἀθανάτοισιν.
πρὸς δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ δουρὶ σάκος πεπαλαγμένον ἔστω
καὶ ξίφος. ἔνθ’ οὐκ ἄν σε διατμήξειαν ἀκωκαὶ
γηγενέων ἀνδρῶν, οὐδ’ ἄσχετος ἀΐσσουσα
φλὸξ ὀλοῶν ταύρων. τοῖός γε μὲν οὐκ ἐπὶ δηρὸν
ἔσσεαι, ἀλλ’ αὐτῆμαρ· ὅμως σύγε μή ποτ’ ἀέθλου
χάζεο. καὶ δέ τοι ἄλλο παρὲξ ὑποθήσομ’ ὄνειαρ.
(Apollonius of Rhodes, Arg. 3.1037-1062)

Then, after you propitiate the goddess with due heed, withdraw from the pyre and let neither the sound of footsteps make you turn back around, nor the barking of dogs, lest you invalidate all these rites and you yourself fail to return in good order to your comrades. At dawn moisten this drug, strip, and anoint your body as with oil; and in it there will be unbounded valor and great strength, and you would think it equal not to men’s bodies but to those of the immortal gods. Moreover, along with your spear let your shield and sword be sprinkled. Then the earthborn men’s spear points will not penetrate you nor the unbearable flame shooting from the deadly oxen. Not for long, however, will you remain in this state, but for that day only. Nonetheless, you must never shrink from the contest. And I shall give you yet another piece of helpful advice. (tr. William H. Race)

This is part 1 of 3. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.

Φράζεο νῦν, ὥς κέν τοι ἐγὼ μητίσομ’ ἀρωγήν.
εὖτ’ ἂν δὴ μετιόντι πατὴρ ἐμὸς ἐγγυαλίξῃ
ἐξ ὄφιος γενύων ὀλοοὺς σπείρασθαι ὀδόντας,
δὴ τότε μέσσην νύκτα διαμμοιρηδὰ φυλάξας,
ἀκαμάτοιο ῥοῇσι λοεσσάμενος ποταμοῖο,
οἶος ἄνευθ’ ἄλλων ἐνὶ φάρεσι κυανέοισιν
βόθρον ὀρύξασθαι περιηγέα· τῷ δ’ ἔνι θῆλυν
ἀρνειὸν σφάζειν, καὶ ἀδαίετον ὠμοθετῆσαι,
αὐτῷ πυρκαϊὴν εὖ νηήσας ἐπὶ βόθρῳ.
μουνογενῆ δ’ Ἑκάτην Περσηΐδα μειλίσσοιο,
λείβων ἐκ δέπαος σιμβλήϊα ἔργα μελισσέων.
(Apollonius of Rhodes, Arg. 3.1.1026-1036)

Listen carefully now, so that I can devise help for you. After you go to meet my father and he gives you the deadly teeth from the snake’s jaws to sow, then watch for the time when the night is divided in the middle and bathe in the streams of a tireless river; and, alone, apart from all others, clad in dark garments, dig a round pit. Slay a female sheep in it and place the unbutchered carcass on a pyre which you have carefully erected over the pit itself. Appease Hecate, the only child of Perses, as you pour from a goblet libations of the hive-held labors of bees. (tr. William H. Race)

 

Ἦ, καὶ δεξιτερῆς χειρὸς θίγεν· αἶψα δ’ ὀπίσσω
βῆ ῥ’ ἴμεν· ἀμφὶ δὲ τόν γε νεήνιδες ἄλλοθεν ἄλλαι
μυρίαι εἱλίσσοντο κεχαρμέναι, ὄφρα πυλάων
ἐξέμολεν. μετέπειτα δ’ ἐυτροχάλοισιν ἀμάξαις
ἀκτὴν εἰσανέβαν ξεινήια πολλὰ φέρουσαι,
μῦθον ὅτ’ ἤδη πάντα διηνεκέως ἀγόρευσεν,
τόν ῥα καλεσσαμένη διεπέφραδεν Ὑψιπύλεια·
καὶ δ’ αὐτοὺς ξεινοῦσθαι ἐπὶ σφέα δώματ’ ἄγεσκον
ῥηιδίως· Κύπρις γὰρ ἐπὶ γλυκὺν ἵμερον ὦρσεν
Ἡφαίστοιο χάριν πολυμήτιος, ὄφρα κεν αὖτις
ναίηται μετόπισθεν ἀκήρατος ἀνδράσι Λῆμνος.
(Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 1.842-852)

He* spoke and touched her right hand, and immediately set out to go back. And around him from every direction swarmed countless young women full of joy, until he passed outside the gates. Then the women came to the shore in well-wheeled wagons, bringing many guest-gifts, as soon as he had announced from beginning to end the entire proposal Hypsipyle had declared when she summoned him. And the women led the men to their homes to host them – easily, because Cypris had aroused sweet desire in them as a favor to resourceful Hephaestus, so that Lemnos would again be populated by males and suffer no harm thereafter.

* Jason.

(tr. William H. Race)

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα
κλίτεα Παλλήναια Καναστραίην ὑπὲρ ἄκρην,
ἤνυσαν ἐννύχιοι πνοιῇ ἀνέμοιο θέοντες.
ἦρι δὲ νισσομένοισιν Ἄθω ἀνέτελλε κολώνη
Θρηικίη, ἣ τόσσον ἀπόπροθι Λῆμνον ἐοῦσαν,
ὅσσον ἐς ἔνδιόν κεν ἐύστολος ὁλκὰς ἀνύσσαι,
ἀκροτάτῃ κορυφῇ σκιάει καὶ ἐσάχρι Μυρίνης.
τοῖσιν δ᾽ αὐτῆμαρ μὲν ἄεν καὶ ἐπι κνέφας οὖρος
πάγχυ μάλ᾽ ἀκραής, τετάνυστο δὲ λαίφεα νηός.
αὐτὰρ ἅμ᾽ ἠελίοιο βολαῖς ἀνέμοιο λιπόντος
εἰρεσίῃ κραναὴν Σιντηίδα Λῆμνον ἵκοντο.
(Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 1.598-608)

But then, running all night with the blowing wind, they passed the cliffs of Pallene beyond the headland of Canastra. At dawn, as they fared on, the Thracian mountain of Athos rose before them, which with its highest peak casts a shadow over Lemnos even as far as Myrine, although the island lies as far away as a well-equipped merchant ship could travel from dawn to midday. That whole day until dark a very strong wind was blowing for them, and the ship’s sails were stretched taut. But when the wind died as the sun’s rays disappeared, it was by oar that they reached rocky Lemnos, the Sintian island. (tr. William H. Race)