Gods and Mortals by Sarah Iles Johnston

Author:Sarah Iles Johnston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2022-12-07T00:00:00+00:00

85

THE HARPIES AND THE CLASHING ROCKS

Soon they came to the land of the Bebrycians, a bloodthirsty people ruled by Amycus, a violent, arrogant man. He exacted a terrible toll on visitors to his shores: someone from each ship had to box with him to the death before the ship could go on its way. Polydeuces stepped forward on behalf of the Argonauts—a slender, youthful contender against a man who loomed like a mountain.

For some minutes, there was an awful thud of hardened leather gloves against flesh and neither contender seemed able to win—but then Polydeuces darted up and struck Amycus above the ear, breaking his skull and spilling his brains out onto the ground. At that, the Bebrycians roared with anger and attacked the Argonauts. Heads were split, bones snapped and teeth shattered before the Argonauts beat off the Bebrycians and departed.

Two days later, they reached Bithynia, a country ruled by Phineus, a man to whom Apollo had granted the gift of prophecy. Reveling in his skill, Phineus soon boasted that he could foresee everything that Zeus would do. To punish Phineus’s hubris, Zeus blinded him and then sent against him two of the Harpies—rapacious birds with maidens’ faces, from whose wombs dripped the foulest of ooze. Whenever Phineus’s attendants set a meal upon the table, the baneful creatures swooped down from the clouds and snatched it away before Phineus could ease his hunger. Now and then, after they had glutted themselves, they allowed Phineus a few morsels, so as to keep his soul imprisoned in his emaciated body, but on other occasions, they squatted over whatever remained of the meal and dribbled their slime upon it.

Phineus had foreseen the Argonauts’ visit. When he heard that they had arrived, he hobbled forth to meet them, as gaunt as a skeleton sprung from its grave.

“Jason, fate has decreed that two of your shipmates will rescue me, at last, from the repulsive Harpies. Indeed, it will be two with whom I claim a bond of kinship: Zetes and Calais, sons of Boreas and brothers of my wife, Cleopatra. If they do this for me, I will reveal what lies ahead on your voyage and how you may win the Golden Fleece.”

Zetes and Calais came forward, the feathers of their purple wings fluttering in the breeze. They accompanied Phineus to the palace and stood in the shadows while attendants placed a meal before him. Immediately, the Harpies darted down like stormwinds, gobbled up the food and sped away. Zetes and Calais quickly caught up with them, but just as the twins were about to grab the creatures, Iris descended and blocked their way.

“Sons of Boreas!” she declared. “Zeus forbids you to harm the Harpies, who have their roles to play in the cosmos. But he has promised, by the River Styx, that they will never again torment Phineus.”

When the brothers returned to the palace, they found Phineus feasting alongside the Argonauts. At last, sighing with pleasure, the king laid aside the lamb shank that he’d been gnawing on and told the Argonauts what he knew.

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