Ἶρις τὴν νῆσον τὴν πλανωμένην, ὦ Πόσειδον, ἣν ἀποσπασθεῖσαν τῆς Σικελίας ὕφαλον ἔτι νήχεσθαι συμβέβηκε, ταύτην, φησὶν ὁ Ζεύς, στῆσον ἤδη καὶ ἀνάφηνον καὶ ποίησον ἤδη δῆλον ἐν τῷ Αἰγαίῳ μέσῳ βεβαίως μένειν στηρίξας πάνυ ἀσφαλῶς· δεῖται γάρ τι αὐτῆς.
Ποσειδῶν πεπράξεται ταῦτα, ὦ Ἶρι. τίνα δὲ ὅμως παρέξει αὐτῷ τὴν χρείαν ἀναφανεῖσα καὶ μηκέτι πλέουσα;
Ἶρις τὴν Λητὼ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς δεῖ ἀποκυῆσαι· ἤδη γὰρ πονήρως ὑπὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἔχει.
Ποσειδῶν τί οὖν; οὐχ ἱκανὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐντεκεῖν; εἰ δὲ μὴ οὗτος, ἀλλʼ ἥ γε γῆ πᾶσα οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ὑποδέξασθαι τὰς γονὰς αὐτῆς;
Ἶρις οὔκ, ὦ Πόσειδον· ἡ Ἥρα γὰρ ὅρκῳ μεγάλῳ κατέλαβε τὴν γῆν, μὴ παρασχεῖν τῇ Λητοῖ τῶν ὠδίνων ὑποδοχήν. ἡ τοίνυν νῆσος αὕτη ἀνώμοτός ἐστιν· ἀφανὴς γὰρ ἦν.
Ποσειδῶν συνίημι. στῆθι, ὦ νῆσε, καὶ ἀνάδυθι αὖθις ἐκ τοῦ βυθοῦ καὶ μηκέτι ὑποφέρου, ἀλλὰ βεβαίως μένε καὶ ὑπόδεξαι, ὦ εὐδαιμονεστάτη, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τα τέκνα δύο, τοὺς καλλίστους τῶν θεῶν· καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὦ Τρίτωνες, διαπορθμεύσατε τὴν Λητὼ ἐς αὐτήν· καὶ γαληνὰ ἅπαντα ἔστω. τὸν δράκοντα δέ, ὃς νῦν ἐξοιστρεῖ αὐτὴν φοβῶν, τὰ νεογνὰ ἐπειδὰν τεχθῇ, αὐτίκα μέτεισι καὶ τιμωρήσει τῇ μητρί. σὺ δὲ ἀπάγγελλε τῷ Διὶ πάντα εἶναι εὐτρεπῆ· ἕστηκεν ἡ Δῆλος· ἡκέτω ἡ Λητὼ ἤδη καὶ τικτέτω.
IRIS Posidon: you know that floating island, that was torn away from Sicily, and is still drifting about under water; you are to bring it to the surface, Zeus says, and fix it well in view in the middle of the Aegean; and mind it is properly secured; he has a use for it.
POSIDON Very good. And when I have got it up, and anchored it, what is he going to do with it?
IRIS Leto is to lie in there; her time is near.
POSIDON And is there no room in Heaven? Or is Earth too small to hold her children?
IRIS Ah, you see, Hera has bound the Earth by a great oath not to give shelter to Leto in her travail. This island, however, being out of sight, has not committed itself.
POSIDON I see.—Island, be still! Rise once more from the depths; and this time there must be no sinking. Henceforth you are terra firma; it will be your happiness to receive my brother’s twin children, fairest of the Gods.—Tritons, you will have to convey Leto across. Let all be calm.—As to that serpent who is frightening her out of her senses, wait till these children are born; they will soon avenge their mother.—You can tell Zeus that all is ready. Delos stands firm: Leto has only to come.
Ξάνθος δέξαι με, ὦ θάλασσα, δεινὰ πεπονθότα καὶ κατάσβεσόν μου τὰ τραύματα.
Θάλασσα τί τοῦτο, ὦ Ξάνθε; τίς σε κατέκαυσεν;
Ξάνθος ὁ Ἥφαιστος. ἀλλʼ ἀπηνθράκωμαι ὅλος ὁ κακοδαίμων καὶ ζέω.
Θάλασσα διὰ τί δαί σοι καὶ ἐνέβαλε τὸ πῦρ;
Ξάνθος διὰ τὸν ταύτης υἱὸν τῆς Θέτιδος· ἐπεὶ γὰρ φονεύοντα τοὺς Φρύγας ἱκετεύσας οὐκ ἔπαυσα τῆς ὀργῆς, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν ἐνέφραττέ μοι τὸν ῥοῦν, ἐλεήσας τοὺς ἀθλίους ἐπῆλθον ἐπικλύσαι ἐθέλων, ὡς φοβηθεὶς ἀπόσχοιτο τῶν ἀνδρῶν.
Ξάνθος ἐνταῦθα ὁ Ἥφαιστος — ἔτυχε γὰρ πλησίον που ὤν — πᾶν ὅσον, οἶμαι, πῦρ εἶχε καὶ ὅσον ἐν τῇ Αἴτνῃ καὶ εἴ ποθι ἄλλοθι, φέρων ἐπῆλθέ μοι, καὶ ἔκαυσε μὲν τὰς πτελέας καὶ μυρίκας, ὤπτησε δὲ καὶ τοὺς κακοδαίμονας ἰχθῦς καὶ τὰς ἐγχέλεις, αὐτὸν δὲ ἐμὲ ὑπερκαχλάσαι ποιήσας μικροῦ δεῖν ὅλον ξηρὸν εἴργασται. ὁρᾷς γοῦν, ὅπως διάκειμαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγκαυμάτων.
Θάλασσα θολερός, ὦ Ξάνθε, καὶ θερμός, ὡς εἰκός, τὸ αἷμα μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἡ θέρμη δέ, ὡς φής, ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρός· καὶ εἰκότως, ὦ Ξάνθε, ὃς ἐπὶ τὸν ἐμὸν υἱωνὸν ὥρμησας οὐκ αἰδεσθεὶς ὅτι Νηρηίδος υἱὸς ἦν.
Ξάνθος οὐκ ἔδει οὖν ἐλεῆσαι γείτονας ὄντας τοὺς Φρύγας;
Θάλασσα τὸν Ἥφαιστον δὲ οὐκ ἔδει ἐλεῆσαι Θέτιδος υἱὸν ὄντα τὸν Ἀχιλλέα.
XANTHUS O Sea, take me to you; see how horribly I have been treated; cool my wounds for me.
SEA What is this, Xanthus? who has burned you?
XANTHUS Hephaestus. Oh, I am burned to cinders! oh, oh, oh, I boil!
SEA What made him use his fire upon you?
XANTHUS Why, it was all that son of your Thetis. He was slaughtering the Phrygians; I tried entreaties, but he went raging on, damming my stream with their bodies; I was so sorry for the poor wretches, I poured down to see if I could make a flood and frighten him off them. But Hephaestus happened to be about, and he must have collected every particle of fire he had in Etna or anywhere else; on he came at me, scorched my elms and tamarisks, baked the poor fishes and eels, made me boil over, and very nearly dried me up altogether. You see what a state I am in with the burns.
SEA Indeed you are thick and hot, Xanthus, and no wonder; the dead men’s blood accounts for one, and the fire for the other, according to your story. Well, and serve you right; assaulting my grandson, indeed! paying no more respect to the son of a Nereid than that!
XANTHUS Was I not to take compassion on the Phrygians? they are my neighbours.
SEA And was Hephaestus not to take compassion on Achilles? He is the son of Thetis.
Νότος ταύτην, ὦ Ζέφυρε, τὴν δάμαλιν, ἣν διὰ τοῦ πελάγους ἐς Αἴγυπτον ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἄγει, ὁ Ζεὺς διεκόρευσεν ἁλοὺς ἔρωτι;
Ζέφυρος ναί, ὦ Νότε· οὐ δάμαλις δὲ τότε, ἀλλὰ παῖς ἦν τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ἰνάχου· νῦν δὲ ἡ Ἥρα τοιαύτην ἐποίησεν αὐτὴν ζηλοτυπήσασα, ὅτι καὶ πάνυ ἑώρα ἐρῶντα τὸν Δία.
Νότος νῦν οὖν ἔτι ἐρᾷ τῆς βοός;
Ζέφυρος καὶ μάλα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐς Αἴγυπτον αὐτὴν ἔπεμψε καὶ ἡμῖν προσέταξε μὴ κυμαίνειν τὴν θάλατταν ἔστʼ ἂν διανήξηται, ὡς ἀποτεκοῦσα ἐκεῖ — κυεῖ δὲ ἤδη — θεὸς γένοιτο καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ τὸ τεχθέν.
Νότος ἡ δάμαλις θεός;
Ζέφυρος καὶ μάλα, ὦ Νότε· ἄρξει τε, ὡς ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἔφη, τῶν πλεόντων καὶ ἡμῶν ἔσται δέσποινα, ὅντινα ἂν ἡμῶν ἐθέλῃ ἐκπέμψαι ἢ κωλῦσαι ἐπιπνεῖν.
Νότος Θεραπευτέα τοιγαροῦν, ὦ Ζέφυρε, ἤδη δέσποινά γε οὖσα.
Ζέφυρος νὴ Δίʼ· εὐνουστέρα γὰρ ἂν οὕτω γένοιτο. ἀλλʼ ἤδη γὰρ διεπέρασε καὶ ἐξένευσεν ἐς τὴν γῆν. ὁρᾷς ὅπως οὐκέτι μὲν τετραποδιστὶ βαδίζει, ἀνορθώσας δὲ αὐτὴν ὁ Ἑρμῆς γυναῖκα παγκάλην αὖθις ἐποίησε;
Νότος παράδοξα γοῦν ταῦτα, ὦ Ζέφυρε· οὐκέτι τὰ κέρατα οὐδὲ οὐρὰ καὶ δίχηλα τὰ σκέλη, ἀλλʼ ἐπέραστος κόρη. ὁ μέντοι Ἑρμῆς τί παθὼν μεταβέβληκεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀντὶ νεανίου κυνοπρόσωπος γεγένηται;
Ζέφυρος μὴ πολυπραγμονῶμεν, ὅτε ἄμεινον ἐκεῖνος οἶδε τὰ πρακτέα.
SOUTH WIND Zephyr, is it true about Zeus and the heifer that Hermes is convoying across the sea to Egypt?—that he fell in love with it?
WEST WIND Certainly. She was not a heifer then, though, but a daughter of the river Inachus. Hera made her what she is now; Zeus was so deep in love that Hera was jealous.
SOUTH WIND And is he still in love, now that she is a cow?
WEST WIND Oh, yes; that is why he has sent her to Egypt, and told us not to stir up the sea till she has swum across; she is to be delivered there of her child, and both of them are to be Gods.
SOUTH WIND The heifer a God?
WEST WIND Yes, I tell you. And Hermes said she was to be the patroness of sailors and our mistress, and send out or confine any of us that she chooses.
SOUTH WIND So we must regard ourselves as her servants at once?
WEST WIND Why, yes; she will be the kinder if we do. Ah, she has got across and landed. Do you see? she does not go on four legs now; Hermes has made her stand erect, and turned her back into a beautiful woman.
SOUTH WIND This is most remarkable, Zephyr; no horns, no tail, no cloven hoofs; instead, a lovely maid. But what is the matter with Hermes? he has changed his handsome face into a dog’s.
WEST WIND We had better not meddle; he knows his own business best.
Δῶρις τί δακρύεις, ὦ Θέτι;
Θέτις καλλίστην, ὦ Δωρί, κόρην εἶδον ἐς κιβωτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐμβληθεῖσαν, αὐτήν τε καὶ βρέφος αὐτῆς ἀρτιγέννητον· ἐκέλευσε δὲ ὁ πατὴρ τοὺς ναύτας ἀναλαβόντας τὸ κιβώτιον, ἐπειδὰν πολὺ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀποσπάσωσιν, ἀφεῖναι ἐς τὴν θάλατταν, ὡς ἀπόλοιτο ἡ ἀθλία, καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ τὸ βρέφος.
Δῶρις τίνος δὲ ἕνεκα, ὦ ἀδελφή; εἰπέ, εἴ τι ἔμαθες ἀκριβῶς ἅπαντα.
Θέτις ὁ Ἀκρίσιος ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῆς καλλίστην οὖσαν ἐπαρθένευεν ἐς χαλκοῦν τινα θάλαμον ἐμβαλών· εἶτα, εἰ μὲν ἀληθὲς οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, φασὶ δʼ οὖν τὸν Δία χρυσὸν γενόμενον ῥυῆναι διὰ τοῦ ὀρόφου ἐπʼ αὐτήν, δεξαμένην δὲ ἐκείνην ἐς τὸν κόλπον καταρρέοντα τὸν θεὸν ἐγκύμονα γενέσθαι. τοῦτο αἰσθόμενος ὁ πατήρ, ἄγριός τις καὶ ζηλότυπος γέρων, ἠγανάκτησε καὶ ὑπό τινος μεμοιχεῦσθαι οἰηθεὶς αὐτὴν ἐμβάλλει ἐς τὴν κιβωτὸν ἄρτι τετοκυῖαν.
Δῶρις ἡ δὲ τί ἔπραττεν, ὦ Θέτι, ὁπότε καθίετο;
Θέτις ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς μὲν ἐσίγα, ὦ Δωρί, καὶ ἔφερε τὴν καταδίκην, τὸ βρέφος δὲ παρῃτεῖτο μὴ ἀποθανεῖν δακρύουσα καὶ τῷ πάππῳ δεικνύουσα αὐτό, κάλλιστον ὄν· τὸ δὲ ὑπʼ ἀγνοίας τῶν κακῶν ὑπεμειδία πρὸς τὴν θάλατταν. ὑποπίμπλαμαι αὖθις τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς δακρύων μνημονεύουσα αὐτῶν.
Δῶρις κἀμὲ δακρῦσαι ἐποίησας. ἀλλʼ ἤδη τεθνᾶσιν;
Θέτις οὐδαμῶς· νήχεται γὰρ ἔτι ἡ κιβωτὸς ἀμφὶ τὴν Σέριφον ζῶντας αὐτοὺς φυλάττουσα.
Δῶρις τί οὖν οὐχὶ σώζομεν αὐτὴν τοῖς ἁλιεῦσι τούτοις ἐμβαλοῦσαι ἐς τὰ δίκτυα τοῖς Σεριφίοις; οἱ δὲ ἀνασπάσαντες σώσουσι δῆλον ὅτι.
Θέτις εὖ λέγεις, οὕτω ποιῶμεν· μὴ γὰρ ἀπολέσθω μήτε αὐτὴ μήτε τὸ παιδίον οὕτως ὂν καλόν.
DORIS Crying, dear?
THETIS Oh, Doris, I have just seen a lovely girl thrown into a chest by her father, and her little baby with her; and he gave the chest to some sailors, and told them, as soon as they were far enough from the shore, to drop it into the water; he meant them to be drowned, poor things.
DORIS Oh, sister, but why? What was it all about? Did you hear?
THETIS Her father, Acrisius, wanted to keep her from marrying. And, as she was so pretty, he shut her up in an iron room. And—I don’t know whether it’s true—but they say that Zeus turned himself into gold, and came showering down through the roof, and she caught the gold in her lap,—and it was Zeus all the time. And then her father found out about it—he is a horrid, jealous old man—and he was furious, and thought she had been receiving a lover; and he put her into the chest, the moment the child was born.
DORIS And what did she do then?
THETIS She never said a word against her own sentence; she was ready to submit: but she pleaded hard for the child’s life, and cried, and held him up for his grandfather to see; and there was the sweet babe, that thought no harm, smiling at the waves. I am beginning again, at the mere remembrance of it.
DORIS You make me cry, too. And is it all over?
THETIS No; the chest has carried them safely so far; it is by Seriphus.
DORIS Then why should we not save them? We can put the chest into those fishermen’s nets, look; and then of course they will be hauled in, and come safe to shore.
THETIS The very thing. She shall not die; nor the child, sweet treasure!
Τρίτων τὸ κῆτος ὑμῶν, ὦ Νηρηίδες, ὃ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Κηφέως θυγατέρα τὴν Ἀνδρομέδαν ἐπέμψατε, οὔτε τὴν παῖδα ἠδίκησεν, ὡς οἴεσθε, καὶ αὐτὸ ἤδη τέθνηκεν.
Νηρηίδες ὑπὸ τίνος, ὦ Τρίτων; ἢ ὁ Κηφεὺς καθάπερ δέλεαρ προθεὶς τὴν κόρην ἀπέκτεινεν ἐπιών, λοχήσας μετὰ πολλῆς δυνάμεως;
Τρίτων οὔκ· ἀλλὰ ἴστε, οἶμαι, ὦ Ἰφιάνασσα, τὸν Περσέα, τὸ τῆς Δανάης παιδίον, ὃ μετὰ τῆς μητρὸς ἐν τῇ κιβωτῷ ἐμβληθὲν ἐς τὴν θάλατταν ὑπὸ τοῦ μητροπάτορος ἐσώσατε οἰκτείρασαι αὐτούς.
Ἰφιάνασσα οἶδα ὃν λέγεις· εἰκὸς δὲ ἤδη νεανίαν εἶναι καὶ μάλα γενναῖόν τε καὶ καλὸν ἰδεῖν.
Τρίτων οὗτος ἀπέκτεινε τὸ κῆτος.
Ἰφιάνασσα διὰ τί, ὦ Τρίτων; οὐ γὰρ δὴ σῶστρα ἡμῖν τοιαῦτα ἐκτίνειν αὐτὸν ἐχρῆν.
Τρίτων ἐγὼ ὑμῖν φράσω τὸ πᾶν ὡς ἐγένετο· ἐστάλη μὲν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὰς Γοργόνας ἆθλόν τινα τοῦτον τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐπιτελῶν, ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀφίκετο ἐς τὴν Λιβύην —
Ἰφιάνασσα πῶς, ὦ Τρίτων; μόνος; ἢ καὶ ἄλλους συμμάχους ἦγεν; ἄλλως γὰρ δύσπορος ἡ ὁδός.
Τρίτων διὰ τοῦ ἀέρος· ὑπόπτερον γὰρ αὐτὸν ἡ Αθηνᾶ ἔθηκεν. ἐπεὶ δʼ οὖν ἧκεν ὅπου διῃτφντο, αἱ μὲν ἐκάθευδον, οἶμαι, ὁ δὲ ἀποτεμὼν τῆς Μεδούσης την κεφαλὴν ᾤχετο ἀποπτάμενος.
Ἰφιάνασσα πῶς ἰδών; ἀθέατοι γάρ εἰσιν· ἢ ὃς ἂν ἴδῃ, οὐκ ἄν τι ἄλλο μετὰ ταύτας ἴδοι.
Τρίτων ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ τὴν ἀσπίδα προφαίνουσα — τοιαῦτα γὰρ ἤκουσα διηγουμένου αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὴν Ἀνδρομέδαν καὶ πρὸς τὸν Κηφέα ὕστερον — ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ δὴ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀσπίδος ἀποστιλβούσης ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ κατόπτρου παρέσχεν αὐτῷ ἰδεῖν τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς Μεδούσης· εἶτα λαβόμενος τῇ λαιᾷ τῆς κόμης, ἐνορῶν δʼ ἐς τὴν εἰκόνα, τῇ δεξιᾷ τὴν ἅρπην ἔχων, ἀπέτεμε τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς, καὶ πρὶν ἀνεγρέσθαι τὰς ἀδελφὰς ἀνέπτατο.
Τρίτων ἐπεὶ δὲ κατὰ τὴν παράλιον ταύτην Αἰθιοπίαν ἐγένετο, ἤδη πρόσγειος πετόμενος, ὁρᾷ τὴν Ἀνδρομέδαν προκειμένην ἐπί τινος πέτρας προβλῆτος προσπεπατταλευμένην, καλλίστην, ὦ θεοί, καθειμένην τὰς κόμας, ἡμίγυμνον πολὺ ἔνερθεν τῶν μαστῶν· καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον οἰκτείρας τὴν τύχην αὐτῆς ἀνηρώτα τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς καταδίκης, κατὰ μικρὸν δὲ ἁλοὺς ἔρωτι — ἐχρῆν γὰρ σεσῶσθαι τὴν παῖδα — βοηθεῖν διέγνω· καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ κῆτος ἐπῄει μάλα φοβερὸν ὡς καταπιόμενον τὴν Ἀνδρομέδαν, ὑπεραιωρηθεὶς ὁ νεανίσκος πρόκωπον ἔχων τὴν ἅρπην τῇ μὲν καθικνεῖται, τῇ δὲ προδεικνὺς τὴν Γοργόνα λίθον ἐποίει αὐτό, τὸ δὲ τέθνηκεν ὁμοῦ καὶ πέπηγεν αὐτοῦ τὰ πολλά, ὅσα εἶδε τὴν Μέδουσαν· ὁ δὲ λύσας τὰ δεσμὰ τῆς παρθένου, ὑποσχὼν τὴν χεῖρα ὑπεδέξατο ἀκροποδητὶ κατιοῦσαν ἐκ τῆς πέτρας ὀλισθηρᾶς οὔσης, καὶ νῦν γαμεῖ ἐν τοῦ Κηφέως καὶ ἀπάξει αὐτὴν ἐς Ἄργος, ὥστε ἀντὶ θανάτου γάμον οὐ τὸν τυχόντα εὕρετο.
Ἰφιάνασσα ἐγὼ μὲν οὐ πάνυ τῷ γεγονότι ἄχθομαι· τί γὰρ ἡ παῖς ἠδίκει ἡμᾶς, εἴ τι ἡ μήτηρ ἐμεγαλαυχεῖτο καὶ ἠξίου καλλίων εἶναι;
Δῶρις ὅτι οὕτως ἂν ἤλγησεν ἐπὶ τῇ θυγατρὶ μήτηρ γε οὖσα.
Ἰφιάνασσα μηκέτι μεμνώμεθα, ὦ Δωρί, ἐκείνων, εἴ τι βάρβαρος γυνὴ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν ἐλάλησεν· ἱκανὴν γὰρ ἡμῖν τιμωρίαν ἔδωκε φοβηθεῖσα ἐπὶ τῇ παιδί. χαίρωμεν οὖν τῷ γάμῳ.
TRITON Well, ladies: so the monster you sent against the daughter of Cepheus has got killed himself, and never done Andromeda any harm at all!
NEREIDS Who did it? I suppose Cepheus was just using his daughter as a bait, and had a whole army waiting in ambush to kill him?
TRITON No, no.—Iphianassa, you remember Perseus, Danae’s boy?—they were both thrown into the sea by the boy’s grandfather, in that chest, you know, and you took pity on them.
IPHIANASSA I know; why, I suppose he is a fine handsome young fellow by now?
TRITON It was he who killed your monster.
IPHIANASSA But why? This was not the way to show his gratitude.
TRITON I’ll tell you all about it. The king had sent him on this expedition against the Gorgons, and when he got to Libya—
IPHIANASSA How did he get there? all by himself? he must have had some one to help him?—it is a dangerous journey otherwise.
TRITON He flew,—Athene gave him wings.—Well, so when he got to where the Gorgons were living, he caught them napping, I suppose, cut off Medusa’s head, and flew away.
IPHIANASSA How could he see them? The Gorgons are a forbidden sight. Whoever looks at them will never look at any one else again.
TRITON Athene held up her shield—I heard him telling Andromeda and Cepheus about it afterwards—Athene showed him the reflection of the Gorgon in her shield, which is as bright as any mirror; so he took hold of her hair in his left hand, grasped his scimetar with the right, still looking at the reflection, cut off her head, and was off before her sisters woke up. Lowering his flight as he reached the Ethiopian coast yonder, he caught sight of Andromeda, fettered to a jutting rock, her hair hanging loose about her shoulders; ye Gods, what loveliness was there exposed to view! And first pity of her hard fate prompted him to ask the cause of her doom: but Fate had decreed the maiden’s deliverance, and presently Love stole upon him, and he resolved to save her. The hideous monster now drew near, and would have swallowed her: but the youth, hovering above, smote him with the drawn scimetar in his right hand, and with his left uncovered the petrifying Gorgon’s head: in one moment the monster was lifeless; all of him that had met that gaze was turned to stone. Then Perseus released the maiden from her fetters, and supported her, as with timid steps she descended from the slippery rock.—And now he is to marry her in Cepheus’s palace, and take her home to Argos; so that where she looked for death, she has found an uncommonly good match.
IPHIANASSA I am not sorry to hear it. It is no fault of hers, if her mother has the vanity to set up for our rival.
DORIS Still, she is Andromeda’s mother; and we should have had our revenge on her through the daughter.
IPHIANASSA My dear, let bygones be bygones. What matter if a barbarian queen’s tongue runs away with her? She is sufficiently punished by the fright. So let us take this marriage in good part.
Ζέφυρος οὐ πώποτε πομπὴν ἐγὼ μεγαλοπρεπεστέραν εἶδον ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ, ἀφʼ οὗ γέ εἰμι καὶ πνέω. σὺ δὲ οὐκ εἶδες, ὦ Νότε;
Νότος τίνα ταύτην λέγεις, ὦ Ζέφυρε, τὴν πομπήν; ἢ τίνες οἱ πέμποντες ἦσαν;
Ζέφυρος ἡδίστου θεάματος ἀπελείφθης, οἷον οὐκ ἂν ἄλλο ἴδοις ἔτι.
Νότος περὶ τὴν ἐρυθρὰν γὰρ θάλατταν εἰργαζόμην, ἐπέπνευσα δὲ καὶ μέρος τῆς Ἰνδικῆς, ὅσα παράλια τῆς χώρας· οὐδὲν οὖν οἶδα ὧν λέγεις.
Ζέφυρος ἀλλὰ τὸν Σιδώνιον Ἀγήνορα οἶδας;
Νότος ναί· τὸν τῆς Εὐρώπης πατέρα. τί μην;
Ζέφυρος περὶ αὐτῆς ἐκείνης διηγήσομαί σοι.
Νότος μῶν ὅτι ὁ Ζεὺς ἐραστὴς τῆς παιδὸς ἐκ πολ λοῦ; τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ πάλαι ἠπιστάμην.
Ζέφυρος οὐκοῦν τὸν μὲν ἔρωτα οἶσθα, τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ἤδη ἄκουσον.
Ζέφυρος ἡ μὲν Εὐρώπη κατεληλύθει ἐπὶ τὴν ἠϊόνα παίζουσα τὰς ἡλικιώτιδας παραλαβοῦσα, ὁ Ζεὺς δὲ ταύρῳ εἰκάσας ἑαυτὸν συνέπαιζεν αὐταῖς κάλλιστος φαινόμενος· λευκός τε γὰρ ἦν ἀκριβῶς καὶ τὰ κέρατα εὐκαμπὴς καὶ τὸ βλέμμα ἥμερος· ἐσκίρτα οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τῆς ἠϊόνος καὶ ἐμυκᾶτο ἥδιστον, ὥστε τὴν Εὐρώπην τολμῆσαι καὶ ἀναβῆναι αὐτόν. ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἐγένετο, δρομαῖος μὲν ὁ Ζεὺς ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλατταν φέρων αὐτὴν καὶ ἐνήχετο ἐμπεσών, ἡ δὲ πάνυ ἐκπλαγὴς τῷ πράγματι τῇ λαιᾷ μὲν εἴχετο τοῦ κέρατος, ὡς μὴ ἀπολισθάνοι, τῇ ἑτέρᾳ δὲ ἠνεμωμένον τὸν πέπλον ξυνεῖχεν.
Νότος ἡδὺ τοῦτο θέαμα εἶδες, ὦ Ζέφυρε, καὶ ἐρωτικόν, νηχόμενον τὸν Δία φέροντα τὴν ἀγαπωμένην.
Ζέφυρος καὶ μὴν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα ἡδίω παρὰ πολύ, ὦ Νότε· ἥ τε γὰρ θάλαττα εὐθὺς ἀκύμων ἐγένετο καὶ τὴν γαλήνην ἐπισπασαμένη λείαν παρεῖχεν ἑαυτήν, ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἡσυχίαν ἄγοντες οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ θεαταὶ μόνον τῶν γιγνομένων παρηκολουθοῦμεν, Ἔρωτες δὲ παραπετόμενοι μικρὸν ἐκ τῆς θαλάττης, ὡς ἐνίοτε ἄκροις τοῖς ποσὶν ἐπιψαύειν τοῦ ὕδατος, ἡμμένας τὰς δᾷδας φέροντες ᾖδον ἅμα τὸν ὑμέναιον, αἱ Νηρηίδες δὲ ἀναδῦσαι παρίππευον ἐπὶ τῶν δελφίνων ἐπικροτοῦσαι ἡμίγυμνοι αἱ πολλαί, τό τε τῶν Τριτώνων γένος καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο μὴ φοβερὸν ἰδεῖν τῶν θαλαττίων ἅπαντα περιεχόρευε τὴν παῖδα· ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ποσειδῶν ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἅρματος, παροχουμένην τὴν Ἀμφιτρίτην ἔχων προῆγε γεγηθὼς ὁδοποιῶν νηχομένῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ· ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην δύο Τρίτωνες ἔφερον ἐπὶ κόγχης κατακειμένην, ἄνθη παντοῖα ἐπιπάττουσαν τῇ νύμφῃ.
Ζέφυρος ταῦτα ἐκ Φοινίκης ἄχρι τῆς Κρήτης ἐγένετο· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπέβη τῇ νήσῳ, ὁ μὲν ταῦρος οὐκέτι ἐφαίνετο, ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ τῆς χειρὸς ὁ Ζεὺς ἀπῆγε τὴν Εὐρώπην ἐς τὸ Δικταῖον ἄντρον ἐρυθριῶσαν καὶ κάτω ὁρῶσαν· ἠπίστατο γὰρ ἤδη ἐφʼ ὅτῳ ἄγοιτο. ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐμπεσόντες ἄλλο ἄλλος τοῦ πελάγους μέρος διεκυμαίνομεν.
Νότος ὦ μακάριε Ζέφυρε τῆς θέας· ἐγὼ δὲ γρῦπας καὶ ἐλέφαντας καὶ μέλανας ἀνθρώπους ἑώρων.
WEST WIND Such a splendid pageant I never saw on the waves, since the day I first blew. You were not there, Notus?
SOUTH WIND Pageant, Zephyr? what pageant? and whose?
WEST WIND You missed a most ravishing spectacle; such another chance you are not likely to have.
SOUTH WIND I was busy with the Red Sea; and I gave the Indian coasts a little airing too. So I don’t know what you are talking about.
WEST WIND Well, you know Agenor the Sidonian?
SOUTH WIND Europa’s father? what of him?
WEST WIND Europa it is that I am going to tell you about.
SOUTH WIND You need not tell me that Zeus has been in love with her this long while; that is stale news.
WEST WIND We can pass the love, then, and get on to the sequel.
Europa had come down for a frolic on the beach with her playfellows. Zeus transformed himself into a bull, and joined the game. A fine sight he was—spotless white skin, crumpled horns, and gentle eyes. He gambolled on the shore with them, bellowing most musically, till Europa took heart of grace and mounted him. No sooner had she done it than, with her on his back, Zeus made off at a run for the sea, plunged in, and began swimming; she was dreadfully frightened, but kept her seat by clinging to one of his horns with her left hand, while the right held her skirt down against the puffs of wind.
SOUTH WIND A lovely sight indeed, Zephyr, in every sense—Zeus swimming with his darling on his back.
WEST WIND Ay, but what followed was lovelier far.
Every wave fell; the sea donned her robe of peace to speed them on their way; we winds made holiday and joined the train, all eyes; fluttering Loves skimmed the waves, just dipping now and again a heedless toe—in their hands lighted torches, on their lips the nuptial song; up floated Nereids—few but were prodigal of naked charms—and clapped their hands, and kept pace on dolphin steeds; the Triton company, with every sea-creature that frights not the eye, tripped it around the maid; for Posidon on his car, with Amphitrite by him, led them in festal mood, ushering his brother through the waves. But, crowning all, a Triton pair bore Aphrodite, reclined on a shell, heaping the bride with all flowers that blow.
So went it from Phoenice even to Crete. But, when he set foot on the isle, behold, the bull was no more; ‘twas Zeus that took Europa’s hand and led her to the Dictaean Cave—blushing and downward-eyed; for she knew now the end of her bringing.
But we plunged this way and that, and roused the still seas anew.
SOUTH WIND Ah me, what sights of bliss! and I was looking at griffins, and elephants, and blackamoors!
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