Pindar’s “Pythian 4”
147-187
What beginning took them on their voyage, 70
and what danger bound them with strong nails
of adamant? It was fated that Pelias
would perish because of the proud Aiolidai, at their hands
or through their inflexible counsels.
And an oracle came to him that chilled his crafty heart,
spoken at the central navel of the tree-clad mother,
to be greatly on guard in every way against 75
the man with one sandal,
when he should come from the high dwelling places
into the sunny land of famous Iolkos,
whether he be a stranger or a townsman. And so in time
he came, an awesome man with two spears,
and clothing of both kinds was covering him:
native garb of the Magnesians closely fitted 80
his marvelous limbs, but around it he protected
himself from chilly showers with a leopard skin;
nor were the splendid locks of his hair cut off and lost,
but they rippled down the length of his back.
Putting his intrepid resolve to the test,
he quickly went straight ahead and stood
in the agora as a crowd was thronging. 85
They did not recognize him, but, awestruck as they were,
one of them nevertheless said, among other things:
"He surely is not Apollo,
nor certainly is he Aphrodite's husband
of the bronze chariot; and they say that in shining Naxos
lphimedeia's sons died, Otos and you, bold
king Ephialtes;
and certainly Artemis' swift arrow hunted down Tityos, 90
as it sped from her invincible quiver,
warning a person to desire to attain loves
within his power."
While they were saying such things in turn
to one another, Pelias came
on his polished mule car
in precipitous haste. He was stunned as soon as 95
he caught sight of the single sandal in clear view
upon his right foot, but he hid his panic in his heart
and addressed him, "What land, O stranger, do you claim
to be your fatherland? And what mortal
born upon the earth delivered you forth
from her gray womb ? Tell me your lineage
and do not stain it with most hateful lies." 100
Taking courage, he answered him with gentle words
in this way: "I claim that I shall manifest the teachings
of Cheiron, for I come
from the side of Chariklo and Philyra and from the cave
where the Centaur's holy daughters raised me.
After completing twenty years without doing
or saying anything untoward to them I have come 105
home to reclaim my father's ancient honor
of kingship, now being wielded
unjustly which long ago Zeus granted
to Aiolos, leader of the people, and to his sons,
for I am told that lawless Pelias
gave in to his white wits
and usurped it 110
by force from my justly ruling parents
who, as soon as I saw the light,
fearing the violence of the overbearing ruler
made a dark funeral
in the house and added women's wailing as if I had died,
but secretly sent me away in my swaddling clothes,
and, entrusting the journey to the night, gave me 115
to Cheiron, son of Kronos, to raise.
But now you know the principal elements of my story.
Dear fellow citizens, show me clearly
to the home of my fathers who rode white horses,
I come here as the son of Aison, a native,
to no strangers' land.
The divine creature called me by the name Jason."
Thus he spoke. When he entered his home, his father's 120
eyes recognized him and then tears burst forth
from under his aged eyelids,
as he rejoiced in his soul to see his extraordinary
offspring, fairest of men.
147-187
It is not proper for the two of us to divide the great honor
of our forefathers with bronze-piercing swords
or javelins. For I give over to you the sheep,
the tawny herds of cattle, and all the fields
which you stole
from my parents and administer to fatten your wealth-- 150
do not mind if these overly enrich your house--
but, as for the scepter of sole rule
and the throne upon which Kretheus' son once
sat and rendered straight justice to his people of
horsemen,
these you must give up without grief
on both sides, lest some more troubling evil
arise for us from them." 155
Thus he spoke, and Pelias
responded calmly, "I shall be
such as you wish, but already the aged portion of life
attends me, whereas your flower of youth
is just cresting; and you are capable of removing
the anger of those in the underworld. For Phrixos orders
us to go to the halls of Aietes to bring back his soul 160
and to recover the thick-fleeced hide of the ram
by which he was once preserved from the sea
and from the impious weapons of his stepmother.
Such things does a wondrous dream come and tell
to me. I have inquired of the oracle at Kastalia
if some expedition must be made, and it orders me
to provide conveyance by ship as soon as possible.
Willingly accomplish this task and I swear 165
that I will hand over to you sole rule and kingship.
As a mighty pledge, let our witness be
Zeus, progenitor of both our families."
After agreeing to this pact, they parted.
But Jason himself at once began
sending heralds everywhere to announce that a voyage 170
was in the making. Swiftly came Kronian Zeus'
three tireless warrior sons, born to
bright-eyed Alkmene and to Leda,
and the two men with hair piled on high,
offspring of Earthshaker, out of respect for their valor,
from Pylos and the headland of Tainaros, whose noble
glory was fulfilled, that of Euphamos 175
and yours, mighty Periklymenos.
And from Apollo came the father of songs,
the widely praised minstrel Orpheus.
And Hermes of the golden wand sent his twin sons
for the endless toil,
one Echion, the other Erytos, both
swelling with youthfulness. Swift
to come were those dwelling at the base of Pangaion, 180
for with a cheerful heart their willing father Boreas,
king of the winds, swiftly equipped
Zetes and Kalais, men whose backs both
rippled with wings of purple.
And Hera enkindled in these demigods
that all-persuasive, sweet longing
for the ship Argo, so that no one might be left behind 185
to remain with his mother and coddle a life
without risk, but rather, even if it meant death.
What beginning took them on their voyage, 70
and what danger bound them with strong nails
of adamant? It was fated that Pelias
would perish because of the proud Aiolidai, at their hands
or through their inflexible counsels.
And an oracle came to him that chilled his crafty heart,
spoken at the central navel of the tree-clad mother,
to be greatly on guard in every way against 75
the man with one sandal,
when he should come from the high dwelling places
into the sunny land of famous Iolkos,
whether he be a stranger or a townsman. And so in time
he came, an awesome man with two spears,
and clothing of both kinds was covering him:
native garb of the Magnesians closely fitted 80
his marvelous limbs, but around it he protected
himself from chilly showers with a leopard skin;
nor were the splendid locks of his hair cut off and lost,
but they rippled down the length of his back.
Putting his intrepid resolve to the test,
he quickly went straight ahead and stood
in the agora as a crowd was thronging. 85
They did not recognize him, but, awestruck as they were,
one of them nevertheless said, among other things:
"He surely is not Apollo,
nor certainly is he Aphrodite's husband
of the bronze chariot; and they say that in shining Naxos
lphimedeia's sons died, Otos and you, bold
king Ephialtes;
and certainly Artemis' swift arrow hunted down Tityos, 90
as it sped from her invincible quiver,
warning a person to desire to attain loves
within his power."
While they were saying such things in turn
to one another, Pelias came
on his polished mule car
in precipitous haste. He was stunned as soon as 95
he caught sight of the single sandal in clear view
upon his right foot, but he hid his panic in his heart
and addressed him, "What land, O stranger, do you claim
to be your fatherland? And what mortal
born upon the earth delivered you forth
from her gray womb ? Tell me your lineage
and do not stain it with most hateful lies." 100
Taking courage, he answered him with gentle words
in this way: "I claim that I shall manifest the teachings
of Cheiron, for I come
from the side of Chariklo and Philyra and from the cave
where the Centaur's holy daughters raised me.
After completing twenty years without doing
or saying anything untoward to them I have come 105
home to reclaim my father's ancient honor
of kingship, now being wielded
unjustly which long ago Zeus granted
to Aiolos, leader of the people, and to his sons,
for I am told that lawless Pelias
gave in to his white wits
and usurped it 110
by force from my justly ruling parents
who, as soon as I saw the light,
fearing the violence of the overbearing ruler
made a dark funeral
in the house and added women's wailing as if I had died,
but secretly sent me away in my swaddling clothes,
and, entrusting the journey to the night, gave me 115
to Cheiron, son of Kronos, to raise.
But now you know the principal elements of my story.
Dear fellow citizens, show me clearly
to the home of my fathers who rode white horses,
I come here as the son of Aison, a native,
to no strangers' land.
The divine creature called me by the name Jason."
Thus he spoke. When he entered his home, his father's 120
eyes recognized him and then tears burst forth
from under his aged eyelids,
as he rejoiced in his soul to see his extraordinary
offspring, fairest of men.
147-187
It is not proper for the two of us to divide the great honor
of our forefathers with bronze-piercing swords
or javelins. For I give over to you the sheep,
the tawny herds of cattle, and all the fields
which you stole
from my parents and administer to fatten your wealth-- 150
do not mind if these overly enrich your house--
but, as for the scepter of sole rule
and the throne upon which Kretheus' son once
sat and rendered straight justice to his people of
horsemen,
these you must give up without grief
on both sides, lest some more troubling evil
arise for us from them." 155
Thus he spoke, and Pelias
responded calmly, "I shall be
such as you wish, but already the aged portion of life
attends me, whereas your flower of youth
is just cresting; and you are capable of removing
the anger of those in the underworld. For Phrixos orders
us to go to the halls of Aietes to bring back his soul 160
and to recover the thick-fleeced hide of the ram
by which he was once preserved from the sea
and from the impious weapons of his stepmother.
Such things does a wondrous dream come and tell
to me. I have inquired of the oracle at Kastalia
if some expedition must be made, and it orders me
to provide conveyance by ship as soon as possible.
Willingly accomplish this task and I swear 165
that I will hand over to you sole rule and kingship.
As a mighty pledge, let our witness be
Zeus, progenitor of both our families."
After agreeing to this pact, they parted.
But Jason himself at once began
sending heralds everywhere to announce that a voyage 170
was in the making. Swiftly came Kronian Zeus'
three tireless warrior sons, born to
bright-eyed Alkmene and to Leda,
and the two men with hair piled on high,
offspring of Earthshaker, out of respect for their valor,
from Pylos and the headland of Tainaros, whose noble
glory was fulfilled, that of Euphamos 175
and yours, mighty Periklymenos.
And from Apollo came the father of songs,
the widely praised minstrel Orpheus.
And Hermes of the golden wand sent his twin sons
for the endless toil,
one Echion, the other Erytos, both
swelling with youthfulness. Swift
to come were those dwelling at the base of Pangaion, 180
for with a cheerful heart their willing father Boreas,
king of the winds, swiftly equipped
Zetes and Kalais, men whose backs both
rippled with wings of purple.
And Hera enkindled in these demigods
that all-persuasive, sweet longing
for the ship Argo, so that no one might be left behind 185
to remain with his mother and coddle a life
without risk, but rather, even if it meant death.