Heroes of Olympus by Philip Freeman

Author:Philip Freeman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Phineus told the Argonauts that if they would drive the Harpies away, he would tell them what lay ahead on their journey. So, the Argonauts prepared a feast and waited for the Harpies to appear. When they did, Zetes and Calais flew after them with swords drawn and chased them out of sight. Some say the sons of the North Wind slew the Harpies, but others say they spared the monsters in exchange for a promise never to trouble Phineus again.

In gratitude, the seer told the sailors how to overcome the dreaded Clashing Rocks at the exit of the Bosporus. Then he described the lands and peoples along the southern shore of the Black Sea and the kingdom of Colchis where the Golden Fleece lay. He warned that a great monster guarded the treasure, one that no man had ever escaped alive.

Jason asked if he should turn around and go home rather than face certain death. The king asked what sort of hero he was if he ran away from danger.

“Put your trust in the gods,” Phineus said, “especially Aphrodite.”

The Argonauts made their way up the Bosporus. A cold fog enveloped them, but soon they began to hear a strange sound. It was like the pounding of a giant drum. When they finally rowed around a bend in the straits, they saw the Clashing Rocks. These two enormous stone guards stood on opposite sides of the entrance to the Black Sea. They rushed across the waterway and crushed anything that came between them. Phineus had told them their only hope of sailing between the rocks was to first send forth a dove from their ship. If this bird could fly between the rocks and survive, there was a chance that the Argo might also make it through.

The sailors were terrified, but to give up would bring shame on them forever. They released the dove. At first it seemed as if the Clashing Rocks would not notice the small creature, but suddenly they began to rush together. There was a sound as if the earth itself had split apart, but the dove lost only the tip of its tail feathers.

The Argonauts cheered for the bird as the rocks moved back, but they knew their boat could not fly as swiftly as a dove. They took oars in hand and prepared to row. Not even if Hercules had been aboard would the Argo have cut through the waves so fast. The rocks were even faster. The Argonauts shouted to each other to press on even as the rocks were almost on top of them. At the last moment, just as their strength was almost gone, they shot into the Black Sea. The Clashing Rocks met with a thunderous crash, cutting off the banner that flew from the stern of the Argo.

The gods had declared that if a ship ever sailed between the rocks, the rocks would never move again. So they withdrew to opposite sides of the straits where they would remain forever.

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