the golden fleece(署剪谷)-及9准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
were said Telamon stood up and faced him。 ;Jason察─he said angrily察 you
do not bid Heracles come on board察and you would have the Argo leave
without him。 You would leave Heracles here so that he may not be with us
on the quest where his glory might overshadow your glory察Jason。;
Jason said no word察 but he sat back on his bench with head bowed。
And then察even as Telamon said these angry words察a strange figure rose
up out of the waves of the sea。
It was the figure of a man察wrinkled and old察with seaweed in his beard
and his hair。 There was a majesty about him察and the Argonauts all knew
that this was one of the immortalshe was Nereus察the ancient one of the
sea。
;To Heracles察and to you察the rest of the Argonauts察I have a thing to
say察─said the ancient one察Nereus。 ;Know察first察that Hylas has been taken
by the nymphs who love him and who think to win his love察and that he
will stay forever with them in their cold and glimmering cave。 For Hylas
seek no more。 And to you察Heracles察I will say this此Go aboard the Argo
again察the ship will take you to where a great labor awaits you察and which察
in accomplishing察you will work out the will of Zeus。 You will know what
this labor is when a spirit seizes on you。; So the ancient one of the sea said察
and he sank back beneath the waves。
Heracles went aboard the Argo once more察and he took his place on the
bench察the new oar in his hand。 Sad he was to think that young Hylas who
used to sit at his knee would never be there again。 The breeze filled the
sail察 the Argonauts pulled at the oars察 and in sadness they watched the
island where young Hylas had been lost to them recede from their view。
VII。 KING PHINEUS
Said Tiphys察the steersman此 If we could enter the Sea of Pontus察we
could make our way across that sea to Colchis in a short time。 But the
passage into the Sea of Pontus is most perilous察and few mortals dare even
to make approach to it。;
Said Jason察 the chieftain of the host此 The dangers of the passage察
Tiphys察we have spoken of察and it may be that we shall have to carry Argo
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THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
overland to the Sea of Pontus。 But You察 Tiphys察 have spoken of a wise
king who is hereabouts察 and who might help us to make the dangerous
passage。 Speak again to us察and tell us what the dangers of the passage are察
and who the king is who may be able to help us to make these dangers
less。;
Then said Tiphys察 the steersman of the Argo此 No ship sailed by
mortals has as yet gone through the passage that brings this sea into the
Sea of Pontus。 In the way are the rocks that mariners call The Clashers。
These rocks are not fixed as rocks should be察but they rush one against the
other察dashing up the sea察and crushing whatever may be between。 Yea察if
Argo were of iron察and if she were between these rocks when they met察
she would be crushed to bits。 I have sailed as far as that passage察 but
seeing The Clashers strike together I turned back my ship察and journeyed
as far as the Sea of Pontus overland。
;But I have been told of one who knows how a ship may be taken
through the passage that The Clashers make so perilous。 He who knows is
a king hereabouts察Phineus察who has made himself as wise as the gods。 To
no one has Phineus told how the passage may be made察but knowing what
high favor has been shown to us察the Argonauts察it may be that he will tell
us。;
So Tiphys said察and Jason commanded him to steer the Argo toward
the city where ruled Phineus察the wise king。
To Salmydessus察then察where Phineus ruled察Tiphys steered the Argo。
They left Heracles with Tiphys aboard to guard the ship察and察with the rest
of the heroes察Jason went through the streets of the city。 They met many
men察but when they asked any of them how they might come to the palace
of King Phineus the men turned fearfully away。
They found their way to the king's palace。 Jason spoke to the servants
and bade them tell the king of their coming。 The servants察 too察 seemed
fearful察 and as Jason and his comrades were wondering what there was
about him that made men fearful at his name察 Phineus察 the king察 came
amongst them。
Were it not that he had a purple border to his robe no one would have
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known him for the king察so miserable did this man seem。 He crept along察
touching the walls察for the eyes in his head were blind and withered。 His
body was shrunken察and when he stood before them leaning on his staff he
was like to a lifeless thing。 He turned his blinded eyes upon them察looking
from one to the other as if he were searching for a face。
Then his sightless eyes rested upon Zetes and Calais察 the sons of
Boreas察 the North Wind。 A change came into his face as it turned upon
them。 One would think that he saw the wonder that these two were
endowed withthe wings that grew upon their ankles。 It was awhile before
he turned his face from them察then he spoke to Jason and said此
;You have come to have counsel with one who has the wisdom of the
gods。 Others before you have come for such counsel察but seeing the misery
that is visible upon me they went without asking for counsel此 I would
strive to hold you here for a while。 Stay察and have sight of the misery the
gods visit upon those who would be as wise as they。 And when you have
seen the thing that is wont to befall me察it may be that help will come from
you for me。;
Then Phineus察the blind king察left them察and after a while the heroes
were brought into a great hall察 and they were invited to rest themselves
there while a banquet was being prepared for them。 The hall was richly
adorned察but it looked to the heroes as if it had known strange happenings察
rich hangings were strewn upon the ground察an ivory chair was overturned察
and the dais where the king sat had stains upon it。 The servants who went
through the hall making ready the banquet were white´faced and fearful。
The feast was laid on a great table察and the heroes were invited to sit
down to it。 The king did not come into the hall before they sat down察but a
table with food was set before the dais。 When the heroes had feasted察the
king came into the hall。 He sat at the table察 blind察 white´faced察 and
shrunken察and the Argonauts all turned their faces to him。
Said Phineus察 the blind king此 You see察 O heroes察 how much my
wisdom avails me。 You see me blind and shrunken察 who tried to make
myself in wisdom equal to the gods。 And yet you have not seen all。 Watch
now and see what feasts Phineus察the wise king察has to delight him。;
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He made a sign察and the white´faced and trembling servants brought
food and set it upon the table that was before him。 The king bent forward
as if to eat察and they saw that his face was covered with the damp of fear。
He took food from the dish and raised it to his mouth。 As he did察the doors
of the hall were flung open as if by a storm。 Strange shapes flew into the
hall and set themselves beside the king。 And when the Argonauts looked
upon them they saw that these were terrible and unsightly shapes。
They were things that had the wings and claws of birds and the heads
of women。 Black hair and gray feathers were mixed upon them察they had
red eyes察and streaks of blood were upon their breasts and wings。 And as
the king raised the food to his mouth they flew at him and buffeted his
head with their wings察and snatched the food from his hands。 Then they
devoured or scattered what was upon the table察 and all the time they
screamed and laughed and mocked。
;Ah察now ye see察─Phineus panted察 what it is to have wisdom equal to
the wisdom of the gods。 Now ye all see my misery。 Never do I strive to put
food to my lips but these foul things察 the Harpies察the Snatchers察 swoop
down and scatter or devour what I would eat。 Crumbs they leave me that
my life may not altogether go from me察but these cr