Jason and the Argonauts

by Apollonius Of Rhodes

  It’s likely that my mother will provide

  crucial support, so, eager as you are,

  remain here on the ship a little longer

  just as before, since holding back is better

  700than rashly snatching up a dreadful doom.

  There is a girl, a maiden. King Aeëtes

  raised her here at court, and Hecate

  has taught her to prepare with perfect skill

  all the magic herbs that earth and water

  705 (531)nurture to growth. Armed with these tinctures, she

  can blunt the fury of relentless fire,

  check suddenly a roaring river’s spate,

  pause stars, and halt the holy moon’s advance.

  As we were coming back along the road

  710out of the court, I thought of her and thought

  to ask my mother to persuade this girl,

  her sister, to assist us in the contest.

  If all of you agree to my proposal,

  I shall return to King Aeëtes’ palace

  715this very day and see what I can do.

  With god’s assistance my attempt will prosper.”

  So he submitted, and the gods provided

  a sign to show their will: a timid dove

  that happened to be fleeing from a hawk

  720 (542)dropped, in confusion, into Jason’s lap,

  and its assailant then impaled itself

  upon the splintered stern post. Mopsus swiftly

  interpreted the omen for his comrades:

  “My friends, this auspice has appeared for you

  725with god’s approval. There’s no better way

  to read the sign than that we should approach

  the girl and win her over with persuasion.

  She won’t refuse, I think, if Phineus

  has rightly prophesied that our return

  730lies with the goddess Cypris, since it was

  her gentle bird that just escaped its doom.

  And as the heart within me reads this omen,

  so may it now be brought to pass. Come, friends,

  first call on Cytherea to protect us,

  735 (554)then go and act on Argus’ proposal.”

  So he interpreted, and all the heroes

  took thought of Phineus’ prophecy

  and shouted in approval. Only Idas

  the son of Aphareus started up

  740and grumbled an abominable reproach:

  “My, my, have we come here as fellow crewmen

  to women, now that we are asking Cypris

  for help and not the mighty Enyalius?

  Look at you—ogling hawks and doves and shirking

  745heroic labors. On your way, then, boys.

  Neglect the work of soldiers; go and woo

  fainthearted maidens over to our cause.”

  So growled he in a huff. Though many heroes

  murmured words of muted disapproval,

  750 (565)none of them spoke against him, so he gruffly

  sat down again, and Jason spoke his mind

  to the assembly, rousing them to action:

  “Now, since everyone agrees, let Argus

  head to the palace. We ourselves should loosen

  755our cables from the riverbank and fix them

  openly to the mainland. Lurking here

  like coward ne’er-do-wells is unbecoming.”

  So he commanded and at once dispatched

  Argus at full speed back toward town again

  760while all the others heeded Jason’s orders,

  weighed the anchor stone, and rowed the ship

  ashore a short ways from the river flats.

  Aeëtes, meanwhile, had convened the Colchians

  far from the palace at the council place

  765 (577)where they had often met, and they were planning

  atrocious schemes and torments for the Minyans.

  Aeëtes vowed that, once the bulls had ravaged

  the man who had agreed to undergo

  the lethal labor, he would fell the oaks

  770atop the wooded banks and torch the ship

  and all the men aboard it, so that they

  might scream away their wicked insolence,

  and all their wanton scheming come to nothing.

  He never would have welcomed to his hearth

  775Phrixus the son of Aeolus, despite

  the fact that he surpassed all other guests

  in piety and kindness, and despite

  his desperate need, had Zeus himself not sent

  Hermes from heaven as a messenger

  780 (588)to make sure Phrixus found his host receptive.

  So much the less, then, would the band of pirates

  who had descended on his land abide there,

  uninjured, long. Their only interest

  was laying hands on other people’s goods,

  785hatching dishonest plots, and plundering

  the herdsmen’s steadings in tumultuous raids.

  He added that, beyond these penalties,

  the sons of Phrixus personally should pay him

  fitting indemnities for bringing home

  790impetuous marauders who were plotting

  to drive him from his throne and royal power.

  In fact, his father Helius had once

  uttered a baleful prophecy that warned him

  to be on guard against clandestine plots

  795 (601)and treachery within his family—

  that was the reason he had sent the boys

  out of the way to Hellas, though the trip

  was what they wanted and their father’s bidding.

  He knew his daughters never could devise

  800infernal schemes, nor could his son Absyrtus.

  No, he assumed Chalciope’s sons only

  would bring the prophecy to its fulfillment.

  So in his rage he spoke of horrid deeds

  among his subjects and with mighty threats

  805warned them to watch the ship and heroes closely

  and make sure none of them escaped destruction.

  Argus, meanwhile, had reached Aeëtes’ palace

  and with resourceful pleading urged his mother

  to ask the girl for help. Chalciope

  810 (612)had thought of this already, but a fear

  had gripped her heart, a fear that fate would stop her

  or her appeals would come to naught because

  the girl would dread their father’s deadly anger

  or, even if the girl agreed to help them,

  815their plan would be discovered and forestalled.

  The girl herself was lying on her bed.

  Deep sleep at first relieved her of her torment,

  but soon beguiling, violent dreams assailed her,

  as often happens with an anxious girl.

  820She dreamed the stranger undertook the trial

  not from a need to bring the fleece to Hellas,

  no, that was not why he had visited

  Aeëtes’ palace; rather, he had come

  to take her back home as his wedded wife.

  825 (623)She dreamed that she herself had undertaken

  the contest and performed the tasks with ease,

  but that her parents backed out of the promise

  since they had set the labor of the yoking

  not for their daughter but the visitor

  830alone. And then a two-edged quarrel broke out

  between her father and the visitors.

  Both sides submitted to her arbitration

  and bade h
er side with whom her heart preferred.

  Straight off she chose the stranger and ignored

  835her parents. Infinite resentment gripped them.

  They howled in rage and at their howling sleep

  released her. She awoke in shock and shivered,

  her wild eyes swiveling from wall to wall

  around the room. She strained to pull her spirit

  840 (635)back down inside herself and said aloud:

  “Oh, how these baneful dreams have frightened me.

  I fear the coming of these heroes means

  catastrophe. My thoughts keep fluttering

  around that stranger. Let him go and woo

  845a Greek girl far away among his people.

  Maidenhood and the palace of my parents

  should be my lone concerns. And yet, my heart

  made shameless as a bitch’s, I no longer

  shall stand aside but go feel out my sister

  850to see if she entreats me to assist

  the trial, because she hopes to save her sons.

  Yes, that would quell my heart’s rebellious anguish.”

  So she resolved, then rose and left the chamber,

  barefoot and covered only by a nightgown.

  855 (646)She was desperate to see her sister,

  yet, when she crossed the threshold of the courtyard,

  she lingered for a spell before her chamber,

  checked by shame. She turned around, returned,

  then stepped outside again, and then again

  860shrank back inside. Her feet conveyed her here,

  there, nowhere, since, whenever she emerged,

  the shame within her turned her steps around.

  Whenever shame, though, turned her steps around,

  fierce longing turned her back and urged her onward.

  865Three times she started and she stopped three times.

  The fourth time, though, she whirled about, then tumbled

  headlong onto her bed.

  Think of a girl,

  a bride, bewailing in the marriage chamber

  the absence of the blooming youth on whom

  870 (658)her parents and her brothers had bestowed her—

  how, out of shame and shyness, she does not

  make conversation with his household’s servants

  but sits apart in grief. Some death has claimed him

  before, as man and wife, they had the pleasure

  875of one another’s charms. Her heart on fire,

  she looks upon her freshly widowed bed

  and sobs in silence, worrying that women

  will mock and scorn her. So Medea wept.

  Just then it chanced that, while she was lamenting,

  880one of the servants who attended her

  approached and noticed her and right away

  bustled next door to tell Chalciope,

  who happened to be with her sons, debating

  how she might win her sister to their cause.

  885 (669)Though busy planning, she did not ignore

  the serving woman’s unexpected news

  but rushed in wonder straight out of her chamber

  into the chamber where Medea lay

  distraught, with two fresh scratches on her cheeks.

  890Chalciope could see her sister’s eyes

  were dim with weeping, so she started thus:

  “Dear, dear Medea, why are you in tears?

  What’s wrong? What heavy grief has crushed your heart?

  What, has some heaven-sent affliction wrapped

  895its coils around your body? Have you heard

  some dire threat that father has pronounced

  against my sons and me? If only I

  were not now looking on our parents’ palace

  or even on this city but were living

  900 (680)off at the world’s outskirts where the word

  ‘Colchian’ never, ever has been spoken.”

  So she exclaimed. The maiden’s cheeks turned red,

  and for a long time virgin modesty

  restrained her, though she ached to tell her tale.

  905At one time words were rising to her tongue’s tip

  and at another sinking in her breast.

  Time and again they reached her shapely lips

  and strained to blossom forth, but no sound came.

  When she at last could speak, she lied, because

  910the stubborn love gods still were pressing on her:

  “Chalciope, my heart is all atremble

  over your sons. I fear our father shortly

  will cut them down together with the strangers.

  Sleeping just now a fitful sleep, I saw

  915 (691)such ghastly nightmares. May a god make sure

  they never come to pass. Yes, may you never

  endure hard sorrow for your children’s sake.”

  So she exclaimed to find out if her sister

  would come out with a plea to save her sons.

  920The story overwhelmed Chalciope

  with terror past all bearing. She disclosed:

  “I, too, was worrying about this matter

  and came to see if you, perhaps, might work

  together with me to devise a plan.

  925First, you must swear by Heaven and Earth to seal

  whatever I reveal inside your heart

  and thus be my accomplice. In the names

  of all the blessed gods, in your own name,

  and those of father and mother, I implore you

  930 (702)not to sit by and watch an evil doom

  viciously cut my children down or else,

  when I have died beside my darling sons,

  I shall return hereafter out of Hades

  as an avenging Fury to torment you.”

  935So she threatened, and a flood of tears

  burst forth when she had finished. Then she knelt

  and gripped Medea’s knees with both her arms

  and laid her head upon her sister’s lap.

  Each of them poured out piteous lamentation

  940over the other, and the sound of wailing

  echoed faintly through the court. Grief-stricken

  Medea was the first to speak again:

  “How can I help you, sister, when you threaten

  Furies and baneful curses? All I want is

  945 (713)to save your sons. I summon as my witness

  the potent oath code of the Colchians

  by which you have insisted that I swear.

  I call as well on mighty Heaven and Earth,

  the mother of the gods, to witness that,

  950as much as there is strength within my body,

  you never shall be lacking in support,

  provided what you ask is possible.”

  So vowed Medea, and her sister asked:

  “To save my sons, Medea, could you please

  955conjure some trick to help the stranger win

  the contest? He is desperate as well.

  Argus, in fact, has just now come from him

  and asked that I attempt to win your aid.

  When I came out, I left him in my chamber.”

  960 (724)So she explained. The heart within Medea

  leapt up for joy. Her lovely cheeks went flush.

  She melted with delight. A mist descended

  over her liquid eyes, and she replied:

  “Sister, I shall provide whatever aid

  965you and your sons would find most beneficial.

  Never may dawn again light up my eyes,

  nor may my mouth take in an
other breath,

  if I place anything above your life

  and that of all your sons. They are my brothers,

  970my dear protectors and my playmates. Yes,

  I tell you that I am a sister to you

  and daughter also, equal with your sons,

  because you nursed me at your breast when I

  was but an infant, as I’ve heard my mother

  many times declare.

  975 (736)Go now, but bury

  all that I shall perform for you in silence,

  so that I can do what I must do

  without my parents finding out. At daybreak

  I shall be at the shrine of Hecate

  980with drugs to beat the bulls and so assist

  the stranger who has started all this trouble.”

  With that, her sister strode out of the chamber

  to tell her sons about Medea’s plan.

  Shame, though, and hateful terror gripped the maiden

  985when she was left alone. To help a stranger

  by weaving schemes behind her father’s back!

  Now night was covering the earth in darkness,

  and sailors from their ships were studying

  the stars of Ursa Major and Orion.

  990 (746)Travelers and watchmen turned their thoughts

  toward sleep,

  and deep, deep slumber was relieving even

  those mothers who had lately lost their children.

  No dogs were barking in the streets; no voices

  echoed; silence held the blackening gloom.

  995Sweet sleep, however, never eased Medea—

  no, worry and her love for Jason roused her.

  She feared the bulls, the overwhelming force

  beneath which he was all but sure to suffer

  shameful destruction on the field of Ares.

  1000Her heart was fitful, restless in the way

  a sunbeam, when reflected off the water

  swirling out of a pail or pitcher, dances

  upon the walls—yes, that was how her heart

  was quivering. And tears of pity flowed

  1005 (759)out of her eyes, and anguish burned her insides

  by smoldering into her skin and sinews,

  even into the apex of her spine,

  the point where torment peaks when the relentless

  love gods have filled us up with agony.

  1010Sometimes she said, yes, she would offer him

  the magic drug to charm the bulls; at others,

  no, she would not and she would kill herself;

  at others, she would neither take her life

  nor offer him the magic, but remain

  1015just as she had been, suffering, in silence.

  She sat down then and, wavering, exclaimed: