The Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius

Part 4 out of 4



Apollo the gleaming god, the warder of Anaphe.

(ll. 1731-1740) But when they had loosed the hawsers thence in
fair weather, then Euphemus bethought him of a dream of the
night, reverencing the glorious son of Maia. For it seemed to
him that the god-given clod of earth held in his palm close to
his breast was being suckled by white streams of milk, and that
from it, little though it was, grew a woman like a virgin; and
he, overcome by strong desire, lay with her in love's embrace;
and united with her he pitied her, as though she were a maiden
whom he was feeding with his own milk; but she comforted him with
gentle words:

(ll. 1741-1745) "Daughter of Triton am I, dear friend, and nurse
of thy children, no maiden; Triton and Libya are my parents. But
restore me to the daughters of Nereus to dwell in the sea near
Anaphe; I shall return again to the light of the sun, to prepare
a home for thy descendants."

(ll. 1746-1748) Of this he stored in his heart the memory, and
declared it to Aeson's son; and Jason pondered a prophecy of the
Far-Darter and lifted up his voice and said:

(ll. 1749-1754) "My friend, great and glorious renown has fallen
to thy lot. For of this clod when thou hast cast it into the
sea, the gods will make an island, where thy children's children
shall dwell; for Triton gave this to thee as a stranger's gift
from the Libyan mainland. None other of the immortals it was
than he that gave thee this when he met thee."

(ll. 1755-1764) Thus he spake; and Euphemus made not vain the
answer of Aeson's son; but, cheered by the prophecy, he cast the
clod into the depths. Therefrom rose up an island, Calliste,
sacred nurse of the sons of Euphemus, who in former days dwelt in
Sintian Lemnos, and from Lemnos were driven forth by Tyrrhenians
and came to Sparta as suppliants; and when they left Sparta,
Theras, the goodly son of Autesion, brought them to the island
Calliste, and from himself he gave it the name of Thera. But
this befell after the days of Euphemus.

(ll. 1765-1772) And thence they steadily left behind long
leagues of sea and stayed on the beach of Aegina; and at once
they contended in innocent strife about the fetching of water,
who first should draw it and reach the ship. For both their need
and the ceaseless breeze urged them on. There even to this day
do the youths of the Myrmidons take up on their shoulders full-
brimming jars, and with swift feet strive for victory in the
race.

(ll. 1773-1781) Be gracious, race of blessed chieftains! And
may these songs year after year be sweeter to sing among men.
For now have I come to the glorious end of your toils; for no
adventure befell you as ye came home from Aegina, and no tempest
of winds opposed you; but quietly did ye skirt the Cecropian land
and Aulis inside of Euboea and the Opuntian cities of the
Locrians, and gladly did ye step forth upon the beach of Pagasae.


ENDNOTES:
(1) The allusion is to Sesotris. See Herodotus ii. 102 foll.
(2) Or, reading EMETEREN, "into our sea". The Euxine is meant
in any case and the word Ionian is therefore wrong.
(3) Apollonius seems to have thought that the Po, the Rhone, and
the Rhine are all connected together.
(4) i.e. like the scrapings from skin, APOSTLEGGISMATA; see
Strabo p. 224 for this adventure.
(5) The "Symplegades" are referred to, where help was given by
Athena, not by Hera. It is strange that no mention is made
of the "Planctae", properly so called, past which they are
soon to be helped. Perhaps some lines have fallen out.
(6) i.e. the Mighty One.
(7) i.e. the Wanderers.
(8) A fabulous metal, resembling gold in appearance.
(9) i.e. the Sickle-island.
(10) The old name of Corinth.
(11) This seems to be the only possible translation, but the
optative is quite anomalous. We should expect EKOMIZES.
(12) An old name of the Peloponnesus.
(13) i.e. the isle of Revealing.







 


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