Αἴσονος δὲ τοῦ Κρηθέως καὶ Πολυμήδης τῆς Αὐτολύκου Ἰάσων. οὗτος ᾤκει ἐν Ἰωλκῷ, τῆς δὲ Ἰωλκοῦ Πελίας ἐβασίλευσε μετὰ Κρηθέα, ᾧ χρωμένῳ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐθέσπισεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν μονοσάνδαλον φυλάξασθαι. τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἠγνόει τὸν χρησμόν, αὖθις δὲ ὕστερον αὐτὸν ἔγνω. τελῶν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ Ποσειδῶνι θυσίαν ἄλλους τε πολλοὺς ἐπὶ ταύτῃ καὶ τὸν Ἰάσονα μετεπέμψατο. ὁ δὲ πόθῳ γεωργίας ἐν τοῖς χωρίοις διατελῶν ἔσπευσεν ἐπὶ τὴν θυσίαν· διαβαίνων δὲ ποταμὸν Ἄναυρον ἐξῆλθε μονοσάνδαλος, τὸ ἕτερον ἀπολέσας ἐν τῷ ῥείθρῳ πέδιλον. θεασάμενος δὲ Πελίας αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν χρησμὸν συμβαλὼν ἠρώτα προσελθών, τί ἂν ἐποίησεν ἐξουσίαν ἔχων, εἰ λόγιον ἦν αὐτῷ πρός τινος φονευθήσεσθαι τῶν πολιτῶν. ὁ δέ, εἴτε ἐπελθὸν ἄλλως, εἴτε διὰ μῆνιν Ἥρας, ἵνʼ ἔλθοι κακὸν Μήδεια Πελίᾳ (τὴν γὰρ Ἥραν οὐκ ἐτίμα), τὸ χρυσόμαλλον δέρας ἔφη προσέταττον ἂν φέρειν αὐτῷ. τοῦτο Πελίας ἀκούσας εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τὸ δέρας ἐλθεῖν ἐκέλευσεν αὐτόν. τοῦτο δὲ ἐν Κόλχοις ἦν ἐν Ἄρεος ἄλσει κρεμάμενον ἐκ δρυός, ἐφρουρεῖτο δὲ ὑπὸ δράκοντος ἀύπνου.
ἐπὶ τοῦτο πεμπόμενος Ἰάσων Ἄργον παρεκάλεσε τὸν Φρίξου, κἀκεῖνος Ἀθηνᾶς ὑποθεμένης πεντηκόντορον ναῦν κατεσκεύασε τὴν προσαγορευθεῖσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κατασκευάσαντος Ἀργώ· κατὰ δὲ τὴν πρῷραν ἐνήρμοσεν Ἀθηνᾶ φωνῆεν φηγοῦ τῆς Δωδωνίδος ξύλον. ὡς δὲ ἡ ναῦς κατεσκευάσθη, χρωμένῳ ὁ θεὸς αὐτῷ πλεῖν ἐπέτρεψε συναθροίσαντι τοὺς ἀρίστους τῆς Ἑλλάδος. οἱ δὲ συναθροισθέντες εἰσὶν οἵδε· Τῖφυς Ἁγνίου, ὃς ἐκυβέρνα τὴν ναῦν, Ὀρφεὺς Οἰάγρου, Ζήτης καὶ Κάλαϊς Βορέου, Κάστωρ καὶ Πολυδεύκης Διός, Τελαμὼν καὶ Πηλεὺς Αἰακοῦ, Ἡρακλῆς Διός, Θησεὺς Αἰγέως, Ἴδας καὶ Λυγκεὺς Ἀφαρέως, Ἀμφιάραος Ὀικλέους, Καινεὺς Κορώνου Παλαίμων Ἡφαίστου ἢ Αἰτωλοῦ, Κηφεὺς Ἀλεοῦ, Λαέρτης Ἀρκεισίου, Αὐτόλυκος Ἑρμοῦ, Ἀταλάντη Σχοινέως, Μενοίτιος Ἄκτορος, Ἄκτωρ Ἱππάσου, Ἄδμητος Φέρητος, Ἄκαστος Πελίου, Εὔρυτος Ἑρμοῦ, Μελέαγρος Οἰνέως, Ἀγκαῖος Λυκούργου, Εὔφημος Ποσειδῶνος, Ποίας Θαυμάκου, Βούτης Τελέοντος, Φᾶνος καὶ Στάφυλος Διονύσου, Ἐργῖνος Ποσειδῶνος, Περικλύμενος Νηλέως, Αὐγέας Ἡλίου, Ἴφικλος Θεστίου, Ἄργος Φρίξου, Εὐρύαλος Μηκιστέως, Πηνέλεως Ἱππάλμου, Λήιτος Ἀλέκτορος, Ἴφιτος Ναυβόλου, Ἀσκάλαφος καὶ Ἰάλμενος Ἄρεος, Ἀστέριος Κομήτου, Πολύφημος Ἐλάτου.
Aeson, son of Cretheus, had a son Jason by Polymede, daughter of Autolycus. Now Jason dwelt in Iolcus, of which Pelias was king after Cretheus. But when Pelias consulted the oracle concerning the kingdom, the god warned him to beware of the man with a single sandal. At first the king understood not the oracle, but afterwards he apprehended it. For when he was offering a sacrifice at the sea to Poseidon, he sent for Jason, among many others, to participate in it. Now Jason loved husbandry and therefore abode in the country, but he hastened to the sacrifice, and in crossing the river Anaurus he lost a sandal in the stream and landed with only one. When Pelias saw him, he bethought him of the oracle, and going up to Jason asked him what, supposing he had the power, he would do if he had received an oracle that he should be murdered by one of the citizens. Jason answered, whether at haphazard or instigated by the angry Hera in order that Medea should prove a curse to Pelias, who did not honor Hera, “ I would command him,” said he, “ to bring the Golden Fleece. ” No sooner did Pelias hear that than he bade him go in quest of the fleece. Now it was at Colchis in a grove of Ares, hanging on an oak and guarded by a sleepless dragon. Sent to fetch the fleece, Jason called in the help of Argus, son of Phrixus; and Argus, by Athena's advice, built a ship of fifty oars named Argo after its builder; and at the prow Athena fitted in a speaking timber from the oak of Dodona. When the ship was built, and he inquired of the oracle, the god gave him leave to assemble the nobles of Greece and sail away. And those who assembled were as follows: Tiphys, son of Hagnias, who steered the ship; Orpheus, son of Oeagrus; Zetes and Calais, sons of Boreas; Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus; Telamon and Peleus, sons of Aeacus; Hercules, son of Zeus; Theseus, son of Aegeus; Idas and Lynceus, sons of Aphareus; Amphiaraus, son of Oicles; Caeneus, son of Coronus; Palaemon, son of Hephaestus or of Aetolus; Cepheus, son of Aleus; Laertes son of Arcisius; Autolycus, son of Hermes; Atalanta, daughter of Schoeneus; Menoetius, son of Actor; Actor, son of Hippasus; Admetus, son of Pheres; Acastus, son of Pelias; Eurytus, son of Hermes; Meleager, son of Oeneus; Ancaeus, son of Lycurgus; Euphemus, son of Poseidon; Poeas, son of Thaumacus; Butes, son of Teleon; Phanus and Staphylus, sons of Dionysus; Erginus, son of Poseidon; Periclymenus, son of Neleus; Augeas, son of the Sun; Iphiclus, son of Thestius; Argus, son of Phrixus; Euryalus, son of Mecisteus; Peneleos, son of Hippalmus; Leitus, son of Alector; Iphitus, son of Naubolus; Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Ares; Asterius, son of Cometes; Polyphemus, son of Elatus.
οὗτοι ναυαρχοῦντος Ἰάσονος ἀναχθέντες προσίσχουσι Λήμνῳ. ἔτυχε δὲ ἡ Λῆμνος ἀνδρῶν τότε οὖσα ἔρημος, βασιλευομένη δὲ ὑπὸ Ὑψιπύλης τῆς Θόαντος διʼ αἰτίαν τήνδε. αἱ Λήμνιαι τὴν Ἀφροδίτην οὐκ ἐτίμων· ἡ δὲ αὐταῖς ἐμβάλλει δυσοσμίαν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οἱ γήμαντες αὐτὰς ἐκ τῆς πλησίον Θρᾴκης λαβόντες αἰχμαλωτίδας συνευνάζοντο αὐταῖς. ἀτιμαζόμεναι δὲ αἱ Λήμνιαι τούς τε πατέρας καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας φονεύουσι· μόνη δὲ ἔσωσεν Ὑψιπύλη τὸν ἑαυτῆς πατέρα κρύψασα Θόαντα. προσσχόντες οὖν τότε γυναικοκρατουμένῃ τῇ Λήμνῳ μίσγονται ταῖς γυναιξίν. Ὑψιπύλη δὲ Ἰάσονι συνευνάζεται, καὶ γεννᾷ παῖδας Εὔνηον καὶ Νεβροφόνον.
These with Jason as admiral put to sea and touched at Lemnos. At that time it chanced that Lemnos was bereft of men and ruled over by a queen, Hypsipyle, daughter of Thoas, the reason of which was as follows. The Lemnian women did not honor Aphrodite, and she visited them with a noisome smell; therefore their spouses took captive women from the neighboring country of Thrace and bedded with them. Thus dishonored, the Lemnian women murdered their fathers and husbands, but Hypsipyle alone saved her father Thoas by hiding him. So having put in to Lemnos, at that time ruled by women, the Argonauts had intercourse with the women, and Hypsipyle bedded with Jason and bore sons, Euneus and Nebrophonus.
ἀπὸ Λήμνου δὲ προσίσχουσι Δολίοσιν, ὧν ἐβασίλευε Κύζικος. οὗτος αὐτοὺς ὑπεδέξατο φιλοφρόνως. νυκτὸς δὲ ἀναχθέντες ἐντεῦθεν καὶ περιπεσόντες ἀντιπνοίαις, ἀγνοοῦντες πάλιν τοῖς Δολίοσι προσίσχουσιν. οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες Πελασγικὸν εἶναι στρατόν (ἔτυχον γὰρ ὑπὸ Πελασγῶν συνεχῶς πολεμούμενοι) μάχην τῆς νυκτὸς συνάπτουσιν ἀγνοοῦντες πρὸς ἀγνοοῦντας. κτείναντες δὲ πολλοὺς οἱ Ἀργοναῦται, μεθʼ ὧν καὶ Κύζικον, μεθʼ ἡμέραν, ὡς ἔγνωσαν, ἀποδυράμενοι τάς τε κόμας ἐκείραντο καὶ τὸν Κύζικον πολυτελῶς ἔθαψαν. καὶ μετὰ τὴν ταφὴν πλεύσαντες Μυσίᾳ προσίσχουσιν.
And after Lemnos they landed among the Doliones, of whom Cyzicus was king. He received them kindly. But having put to sea from there by night and met with contrary winds, they lost their bearings and landed again among the Doliones. However, the Doliones, taking them for a Pelasgian army ( for they were constantly harassed by the Pelasgians), joined battle with them by night in mutual ignorance of each other. The Argonauts slew many and among the rest Cyzicus; but by day, when they knew what they had done, they mourned and cut off their hair and gave Cyzicus a costly burial; and after the burial they sailed away and touched at Mysia.
ἐνταῦθα δὲ Ἡρακλέα καὶ Πολύφημον κατέλιπον. Ὕλας γὰρ ὁ Θειοδάμαντος παῖς, Ἡρακλέους δὲ ἐρώμενος, ἀποσταλεὶς ὑδρεύσασθαι διὰ κάλλος ὑπὸ νυμφῶν ἡρπάγη. Πολύφημος δὲ ἀκούσας αὐτοῦ βοήσαντος, σπασάμενος τὸ ξίφος ἐδίωκεν, ὑπὸ λῃστῶν ἄγεσθαι νομίζων. καὶ δηλοῖ συντυχόντι Ἡρακλεῖ. ζητούντων δὲ ἀμφοτέρων τὸν Ὕλαν ἡ ναῦς ἀνήχθη, καὶ Πολύφημος μὲν ἐν Μυσίᾳ κτίσας πόλιν Κίον ἐβασίλευσεν, Ἡρακλῆς δὲ ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς Ἄργος. Ἡρόδωρος δὲ αὐτὸν οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχήν φησι πλεῦσαι τότε, ἀλλὰ παρʼ Ὀμφάλῃ δουλεύειν. Φερεκύδης δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν Ἀφεταῖς τῆς Θεσσαλίας ἀπολειφθῆναι λέγει, τῆς Ἀργοῦς φθεγξαμένης μὴ δύνασθαι φέρειν τὸ τούτου βάρος. Δημάρατος δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς Κόλχους πεπλευκότα παρέδωκε· Διονύσιος μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ ἡγεμόνα φησὶ τῶν Ἀργοναυτῶν γενέσθαι.
There they left Hercules and Polyphemus. For Hylas, son of Thiodamas, a minion of Hercules, had been sent to draw water and was ravished away by nymphs on account of his beauty. But Polyphemus heard him cry out, and drawing his sword gave chase in the belief that he was being carried off by robbers. Falling in with Hercules, he told him; and while the two were seeking for Hylas, the ship put to sea. So Polyphemus founded a city Cius in Mysia and reigned as king; but Hercules returned to Argos. However Herodorus says that Hercules did not sail at all at that time, but served as a slave at the court of Omphale. But Pherecydes says that he was left behind at Aphetae in Thessaly, the Argo having declared with human voice that she could not bear his weight. Nevertheless Demaratus has recorded that Hercules sailed to Colchis; for Dionysius even affirms that he was the leader of the Argonauts.
ἀπὸ δὲ Μυσίας ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὴν Βεβρύκων γῆν, ἧς ἐβασίλευεν Ἄμυκος Ποσειδῶνος παῖς καὶ νύμφης Βιθυνίδος. γενναῖος δὲ ὢν οὗτος τοὺς προσσχόντας ξένους ἠνάγκαζε πυκτεύειν καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἀνῄρει. παραγενόμενος οὖν καὶ τότε ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀργὼ τὸν ἄριστον αὐτῶν εἰς πυγμὴν προεκαλεῖτο. Πολυδεύκης δὲ ὑποσχόμενος πυκτεύσειν πρὸς αὐτόν, πλήξας κατὰ τὸν ἀγκῶνα ἀπέκτεινε. τῶν δὲ Βεβρύκων ὁρμησάντων πρὸς αὐτόν, ἁρπάσαντες οἱ ἀριστεῖς τὰ ὅπλα πολλοὺς φεύγοντας φονεύουσιν αὐτῶν.
From Mysia they departed to the land of the Bebryces, which was ruled by King Amycus, son of Poseidon and a Bithynian nymph. Being a doughty man he compelled the strangers that landed to box and in that way made an end of them. So going to the Argo as usual, he challenged the best man of the crew to a boxing match. Pollux undertook to box against him and killed him with a blow on the elbow. When the Bebryces made a rush at him, the chiefs snatched up their arms and put them to flight with great slaughter.
ἐντεῦθεν ἀναχθέντες καταντῶσιν εἰς τὴν τῆς Θρᾴκης Σαλμυδησσόν, ἔνθα ᾤκει Φινεὺς μάντις τὰς ὄψεις πεπηρωμένος. τοῦτον οἱ μὲν Ἀγήνορος εἶναι λέγουσιν, οἱ δὲ Ποσειδῶνος υἱόν· καὶ πηρωθῆναί φασιν αὐτὸν οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ θεῶν, ὅτι προέλεγε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ μέλλοντα, οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ Βορέου καὶ τῶν Ἀργοναυτῶν, ὅτι πεισθεὶς μητρυιᾷ τοὺς ἰδίους ἐτύφλωσε παῖδας, τινὲς δὲ ὑπὸ Ποσειδῶνος, ὅτι τοῖς Φρίξου παισὶ τὸν ἐκ Κόλχων εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα πλοῦν ἐμήνυσεν. ἔπεμψαν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τὰς ἁρπυίας οἱ θεοί· πτερωταὶ δὲ ἦσαν αὗται, καὶ ἐπειδὴ τῷ Φινεῖ παρετίθετο τράπεζα, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καθιπτάμεναι τὰ μὲν πλείονα ἀνήρπαζον, ὀλίγα δὲ ὅσα ὀσμῆς ἀνάπλεα κατέλειπον, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι προσενέγκασθαι. βουλομένοις δὲ τοῖς Ἀργοναύταις τὰ περὶ τοῦ πλοῦ μαθεῖν ὑποθήσεσθαι τὸν πλοῦν ἔφη, τῶν ἁρπυιῶν αὐτὸν ἐὰν ἀπαλλάξωσιν. οἱ δὲ παρέθεσαν αὐτῷ τράπεζαν ἐδεσμάτων, ἅρπυιαι δὲ ἐξαίφνης σὺν βοῇ καταπτᾶσαι τὴν τροφὴν ἥρπασαν. θεασάμενοι δὲ οἱ Βορέου παῖδες Ζήτης καὶ Κάλαϊς, ὄντες πτερωτοί, σπασάμενοι τὰ ξίφη διʼ ἀέρος ἐδίωκον. ἦν δὲ ταῖς ἁρπυίαις χρεὼν τεθνάναι ὑπὸ τῶν Βορέου παίδων, τοῖς δὲ Βορέου παισὶ τότε τελευτήσειν ὅταν διώκοντες μὴ καταλάβωσι. διωκομένων δὲ τῶν ἁρπυιῶν ἡ μὲν κατὰ Πελοπόννησον εἰς τὸν Τίγρην ποταμὸν ἐμπίπτει, ὃς νῦν ἀπʼ ἐκείνης Ἅρπυς καλεῖται· ταύτην δὲ οἱ μὲν Νικοθόην οἱ δὲ Ἀελλόπουν καλοῦσιν. ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα καλουμένη Ὠκυπέτη, ὡς δὲ ἔνιοι Ὠκυθόη (Ἡσίοδος δὲ λέγει αὐτὴν Ὠκυπόδην), αὕτη κατὰ τὴν Προποντίδα φεύγουσα μέχρις Ἐχινάδων ἦλθε νήσων, αἳ νῦν ἀπʼ ἐκείνης Στροφάδες καλοῦνται· ἐστράφη γὰρ ὡς ἦλθεν ἐπὶ ταύτας, καὶ γενομένη κατὰ τὴν ἠιόνα ὑπὸ καμάτου πίπτει σὺν τῷ διώκοντι. Ἀπολλώνιος δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἀργοναύταις ἕως Στροφάδων νήσων φησὶν αὐτὰς διωχθῆναι καὶ μηδὲν παθεῖν, δούσας ὅρκον τὸν Φινέα μηκέτι ἀδικῆσαι.
Thence they put to sea and came to land at Salmydessus in Thrace, where dwelt Phineus, a seer who had lost the sight of both eyes. Some say he was a son of Agenor, but others that he was a son of Poseidon, and he is variously alleged to have been blinded by the gods for foretelling men the future; or by Boreas and the Argonauts because he blinded his own sons at the instigation of their stepmother; or by Poseidon, because he revealed to the children of Phrixus how they could sail from Colchis to Greece. The gods also sent the Harpies to him. These were winged female creatures, and when a table was laid for Phineus, they flew down from the sky and snatched up most of the victuals, and what little they left stank so that nobody could touch it. When the Argonauts would have consulted him about the voyage, he said that he would advise them about it if they would rid him of the Harpies. So the Argonauts laid a table of viands beside him, and the Harpies with a shriek suddenly pounced down and snatched away the food. When Zetes and Calais, the sons of Boreas, saw that, they drew their swords and, being winged, pursued them through the air. Now it was fated that the Harpies should perish by the sons of Boreas, and that the sons of Boreas should die when they could not catch up a fugitive. So the Harpies were pursued and one of them fell into the river Tigres in Peloponnese, the river that is now called Harpys after her; some call her Nicothoe, but others Aellopus. But the other, named Ocypete or, according to others, Ocythoe ( but Hesiod calls her Ocypode) fled by the Propontis till she came to the Echinadian Islands, which are now called Strophades after her; for when she came to them she turned (estraphe) and being at the shore fell for very weariness with her pursuer. But Apollonius in the Argonautica says that the Harpies were pursued to the Strophades Islands and suffered no harm, having sworn an oath that they would wrong Phineus no more.
ἀπαλλαγεὶς δὲ τῶν ἁρπυιῶν Φινεὺς ἐμήνυσε τὸν πλοῦν τοῖς Ἀργοναύταις, καὶ περὶ τῶν συμπληγάδων ὑπέθετο πετρῶν τῶν κατὰ θάλασσαν. ἦσαν δὲ ὑπερμεγέθεις αὗται, συγκρουόμεναι δὲ ἀλλήλαις ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν πνευμάτων βίας τὸν διὰ θαλάσσης πόρον ἀπέκλειον. ἐφέρετο δὲ πολλὴ μὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ὁμίχλη πολὺς δὲ πάταγος, ἦν δὲ ἀδύνατον καὶ τοῖς πετεινοῖς διʼ αὐτῶν διελθεῖν. εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ἀφεῖναι πελειάδα διὰ τῶν πετρῶν, καὶ ταύτην ἐὰν μὲν ἴδωσι σωθεῖσαν, διαπλεῖν καταφρονοῦντας, ἐὰν δὲ ἀπολομένην, μὴ πλεῖν βιάζεσθαι. ταῦτα ἀκούσαντες ἀνήγοντο, καὶ ὡς πλησίον ἦσαν τῶν πετρῶν, ἀφιᾶσιν ἐκ τῆς πρῴρας πελειάδα· τῆς δὲ ἱπταμένης τὰ ἄκρα τῆς οὐρᾶς ἡ σύμπτωσις τῶν πετρῶν ἀπεθέρισεν. ἀναχωρούσας οὖν ἐπιτηρήσαντες τὰς πέτρας μετʼ εἰρεσίας ἐντόνου, συλλαβομένης Ἥρας, διῆλθον, τὰ ἄκρα τῶν ἀφλάστων τῆς νεὼς περικοπείσης. αἱ μὲν οὖν συμπληγάδες ἔκτοτε ἔστησαν· χρεὼν γὰρ ἦν αὐταῖς νεὼς περαιωθείσης στῆναι παντελῶς.
Being rid of the Harpies, Phineus revealed to the Argonauts the course of their voyage, and advised them about the Clashing Rocks in the sea. These were huge cliffs, which, dashed together by the force of the winds, closed the sea passage. Thick was the mist that swept over them, and loud the crash, and it was impossible for even the birds to pass between them. So he told them to let fly a dove between the rocks, and, if they saw it pass safe through, to thread the narrows with an easy mind, but if they saw it perish, then not to force a passage. When they heard that, they put to sea, and on nearing the rocks let fly a dove from the prow, and as she flew the clash of the rocks nipped off the tip of her tail. So, waiting till the rocks had recoiled, with hard rowing and the help of Hera, they passed through, the extremity of the ship's ornamented poop being shorn away right round. Henceforth the Clashing Rocks stood still; for it was fated that, so soon as a ship had made the passage, they should come to rest completely.
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