Apollonius of Rhodes third
book of his Argonautica:
1278 Αἰσονίδης δ', ὅτε δὴ πρυμνήσια δῆσαν ἑταῖροι,
1279 δή ῥα τότε ξὺν δουρὶ καὶ ἀσπίδι βαῖν' ἐς ἄεθλον,
1280 νηὸς ἀποπροθορών: ἄμυδις δ' ἕλε παμφανόωσαν
1281 χαλκείην πήληκα θοῶν ἔμπλειον ὀδόντων
1282 καὶ ξίφος ἀμφ' ὤμοις, γυμνὸς δέμας, ἄλλα μὲν Ἄρει
1283 εἴκελος, ἄλλα δέ που χρυσαόρῳ Ἀπόλλωνι.
1284 παπτήνας δ' ἀνὰ νειὸν ἴδε ζυγὰ χάλκεα ταύρων
1285 αὐτόγυόν τ' ἐπὶ τοῖς στιβαροῦ ἀδάμαντος ἄροτρον.
1286 χρίμψε δ' ἔπειτα κιών, παρὰ δ' ὄβριμον ἔγχος ἔπηξεν
1287 ὀρθὸν ἐπ' οὐριάχῳ, κυνέην δ' ἀποκάτθετ' ἐρείσας.
1288 βῆ δ' αὐτῇ προτέρωσε σὺν ἀσπίδι νήριτα ταύρων
1289 ἴχνια μαστεύων: οἱ δ' ἔκποθεν ἀφράστοιο
1290 κευθμῶνος χθονίου, ἵνα τέ σφισιν ἔσκε βόαυλα
1291 καρτερὰ λιγνυόεντι πέριξ εἰλυμένα καπνῷ,
1292 ἄμφω ὁμοῦ προγένοντο πυρὸς σέλας ἀμπνείοντες.
1293 ἔδδεισαν δ' ἥρωες, ὅπως ἴδον. αὐτὰρ ὁ τούσγε,
1294 εὖ διαβάς, ἐπιόντας, ἅ τε σπιλὰς εἰν ἁλὶ πέτρη
1295 μίμνει ἀπειρεσίῃσι δονεύμενα κύματ' ἀέλλαις.
1296 πρόσθε δέ οἱ σάκος ἔσχεν ἐναντίον: οἱ δέ μιν ἄμφω
1297 μυκηθμῷ κρατεροῖσιν ἐνέπληξαν κεράεσσιν:
1298 οὐδ' ἄρα μιν τυτθόν περ ἀνώχλισαν ἀντιόωντες.
1299 ὡς δ' ὅτ' ἐνὶ τρητοῖσιν ἐύρρινοι χοάνοισιν
1300 φῦσαι χαλκήων ὁτὲ μέν τ' ἀναμαρμαίρουσιν,
1301 πῦρ ὀλοόν πιμπρᾶσαι, ὅτ' αὖ λήγουσιν ἀυτμῆς,
1302 δεινὸς δ' ἐξ αὐτοῦ πέλεται βρόμος, ὁππότ' ἀίξῃ
1303 νειόθεν: ὧς ἄρα τώγε θοὴν φλόγα φυσιόωντες
1304 ἐκ στομάτων ὁμάδευν, τὸν δ' ἄμφεπε δήιον αἶθος
1305 βάλλον ἅ τε στεροπή: κούρης δέ ἑ φάρμακ' ἔρυτο.
1306 καί ῥ' ὅγε δεξιτεροῖο βοὸς κέρας ἄκρον ἐρύσσας
1307 εἷλκεν ἐπικρατέως παντὶ σθένει, ὄφρα πελάσσῃ
1308 ζεύγλῃ χαλκείῃ, τὸν δ' ἐν χθονὶ κάββαλεν ὀκλάξ,
1309 ῥίμφα ποδὶ κρούσας πόδα χάλκεον. ὧς δὲ καὶ ἄλλον
1310 σφῆλεν γνὺξ ἐπιόντα, μιῇ βεβολημένον ὁρμῇ.
1311 εὐρὺ δ' ἀποπροβαλὼν χαμάδις σάκος, ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα
1312 τῇ καὶ τῇ βεβαὼς ἄμφω ἔχε πεπτηῶτας
1313 γούνασιν ἐν προτέροισι, διὰ φλογὸς εἶθαρ ἐλυσθείς.
1314 θαύμασε δ' Αἰήτης σθένος ἀνέρος. οἱ δ' ἄρα τείως
1315 Τυνδαρίδαι--δὴ γάρ σφι πάλαι προπεφραδμένον ἦεν--
1316 ἀγχίμολον ζυγά οἱ πεδόθεν δόσαν ἀμφιβαλέσθαι.
1317 αὐτὰρ ὁ εὖ ἐνέδησε λόφους: μεσσηγὺ δ' ἀείρας
1318 χάλκεον ἱστοβοῆα, θοῇ συνάρασσε κορώνῃ
1319 ζεύγληθεν. καὶ τὼ μὲν ὑπὲκ πυρὸς ἂψ ἐπὶ νῆα
1320 χαζέσθην. ὁ δ' ἄρ' αὖτις ἑλὼν σάκος ἔνθετο νώτῳ
1321 ἐξόπιθεν, καὶ γέντο θοῶν ἔμπλειον ὀδόντων
1322 πήληκα βριαρὴν δόρυ τ' ἄσχετον, ᾧ π̔' ὑπὸ μέσσας
1323 ἐργατίνης ὥς τίς τε Πελασγίδι νύσσεν ἀκαίνῃ
1324 οὐτάζων λαγόνας: μάλα δ' ἔμπεδον εὖ ἀραρυῖαν
1325 τυκτὴν ἐξ ἀδάμαντος ἐπιθύνεσκεν ἐχέτλην.
(3.1278-1325) Now Aeson's son, as soon as his comrades had made the hawsers fast, leapt from the ship, and with spear and shield came forth to the contest; and at the same time he took the gleaming helmet of bronze filled with sharp teeth, and his sword girt round his shoulders, his body stripped, in somewise resembling Ares and in somewise Apollo of the golden sword (χρυσαόρῳ Ἀπόλλωνι). And gazing over the field he saw the bulls' yoke of bronze and near it the plough, all of one piece, of stubborn adamant. Then he came near, and fixed his sturdy spear upright on its butt, and taking his helmet, off leant it against the spear. And he went forward with shield alone to examine the countless tracks of the bulls, and they from some unseen lair beneath the earth, where was their strong steading, wrapt in murky smoke, both rushed out together, breathing forth flaming fire. And sore afraid were the heroes at the sight. But Jason, setting wide his feet, withstood their onset, as in the sea a rocky reef withstands the waves tossed by the countless blasts. Then in front of him he held his shield; and both the bulls with loud bellowing attacked him with their mighty horns; nor did they stir him a jot by their onset. And as when through the holes of the furnace the armourers' bellows anon gleam brightly, kindling the ravening flame, and anon cease from blowing, and a terrible roar rises from the fire when it darts up from below; so the bulls roared, breathing forth swift flame from their mouths, while the consuming heat played round him, smiting like lightning; but the maiden's charms protected him. Then grasping the tip of the horn of the right- hand bull, he dragged it mightily with all his strength to bring it near the yoke of bronze, and forced it down on to its knees, suddenly striking with his foot the foot of bronze. So also he threw the other bull on to its knees as it rushed upon him, and smote it down with one blow. And throwing to the ground his broad shield, he held them both down where they had fallen on their fore-knees, as he strode from side to side, now here, now there, and rushed swiftly through the flame. But Aeetes marvelled at the hero's might. And meantime the sons of Tyndareus for long since had it been thus ordained for them -- near at hand gave him the yoke from the ground to cast round them. Then tightly did he bind their necks; and lifting the pole of bronze between them, he fastened it to the yoke by its golden tip. So the twin heroes started back from the fire to the ship. But Jason took up again his shield and cast it on his back behind him, and grasped the strong helmet filled with sharp teeth, and his resistless spear, wherewith, like some ploughman with a Pelasgian goad, he pricked the bulls beneath, striking their flanks; and very firmly did he guide the well fitted plough handle, fashioned of adamant. [awending R. C. Seaton]
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