Jason and the Argonauts (Penguin Classics) by Apollonius Of Rhodes

Author:Apollonius Of Rhodes
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Classics, Ancient & Classical, Epic, Poetry, Fiction
ISBN: 9781101616802
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2014-10-28T04:00:00+00:00

a bride, bewailing in the marriage chamber

the absence of the blooming youth on whom

870 (658)her parents and her brothers had bestowed her—

how, out of shame and shyness, she does not

make conversation with his household’s servants

but sits apart in grief. Some death has claimed him

before, as man and wife, they had the pleasure

875of one another’s charms. Her heart on fire,

she looks upon her freshly widowed bed

and sobs in silence, worrying that women

will mock and scorn her. So Medea wept.

Just then it chanced that, while she was lamenting,

880one of the servants who attended her

approached and noticed her and right away

bustled next door to tell Chalciope,

who happened to be with her sons, debating

how she might win her sister to their cause.

885 (669)Though busy planning, she did not ignore

the serving woman’s unexpected news

but rushed in wonder straight out of her chamber

into the chamber where Medea lay

distraught, with two fresh scratches on her cheeks.

890Chalciope could see her sister’s eyes

were dim with weeping, so she started thus:

“Dear, dear Medea, why are you in tears?

What’s wrong? What heavy grief has crushed your heart?

What, has some heaven-sent affliction wrapped

895its coils around your body? Have you heard

some dire threat that father has pronounced

against my sons and me? If only I

were not now looking on our parents’ palace

or even on this city but were living

900 (680)off at the world’s outskirts where the word

‘Colchian’ never, ever has been spoken.”

So she exclaimed. The maiden’s cheeks turned red,

and for a long time virgin modesty

restrained her, though she ached to tell her tale.

905At one time words were rising to her tongue’s tip

and at another sinking in her breast.

Time and again they reached her shapely lips

and strained to blossom forth, but no sound came.

When she at last could speak, she lied, because

910the stubborn love gods still were pressing on her:

“Chalciope, my heart is all atremble

over your sons. I fear our father shortly

will cut them down together with the strangers.

Sleeping just now a fitful sleep, I saw

915 (691)such ghastly nightmares. May a god make sure

they never come to pass. Yes, may you never

endure hard sorrow for your children’s sake.”

So she exclaimed to find out if her sister

would come out with a plea to save her sons.

920The story overwhelmed Chalciope

with terror past all bearing. She disclosed:

“I, too, was worrying about this matter

and came to see if you, perhaps, might work

together with me to devise a plan.

925First, you must swear by Heaven and Earth to seal

whatever I reveal inside your heart

and thus be my accomplice. In the names

of all the blessed gods, in your own name,

and those of father and mother, I implore you

930 (702)not to sit by and watch an evil doom

viciously cut my children down or else,

when I have died beside my darling sons,

I shall return hereafter out of Hades

as an avenging Fury to torment you.”

935So she threatened, and a flood of tears

burst forth when she had finished. Then she knelt

and gripped Medea’s knees with both her arms

and laid her head upon her sister’s lap.

Each of them poured out piteous lamentation

940over the other, and the sound of wailing

echoed faintly through the court.

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