Argonautica IV 1729-1781

Euphemus has a dream and the Argonauts reach home:

The Argonautica reaches a climax with the conclusion of the story of Euphemus and the clod of earth (begun in 1552–63): Read Full Essay . . .

1731: κἀκεῖθεν: with crasis. There was dispute among Alexandrian (and subsequently modern) editors whether κεῖθεν or ἐκεῖθενshould in the Homeric text. The above is the MS tradition. ὑπεύδια: “under calm skies”. Used as an adverb. πείσματ᾽ ἔλυσαν: The Argonauts do not wait for elaborate descriptions of dawn (Od. 5.390) but are underway immediately. “They loosed the cables”, one of the phrases that A. perhaps shares with Callimachus” version (Aetia fr. 18.10) of the Argonauts’ story.

1732: after the initial burst of activity, it is “then” (ἔπειτ᾿(α)) that Euphemus remembered (μνήσατ <μιμνήσκω (remind): aor. ind. mid. 3rd sg. (Homeric, Ionic)) his dream. He gives an accurate report of what he has dreamt. ὀνείρατος ἐννυχίοιο: both genitivesdepending on μνήσατ(ο) (Smyth § 1356).

1733: ἁζόμενος: “honouring”, perhaps with a touch of fear, since Euphemos, before Jason’s interpretation is worried about his actions in the dream. Μαίης υἷα κλυτόν: “the famous son of Maia=Hermes. υἷα: epic masc. sing. < υἱός. He has an important role as a sender of dreams (Homeric Hymn 4.14 ἡγήτορ᾽ ὀνείρων, “Marshall of dreams”). A. has εἴσατο elsewhere at 2.582, 3.399, 502, 4.145, 4.1478, 1589, always in the sense of “to appear” or “to seem”, except perhaps at 4.1589–90 εἴσατο λίμνην / εἰσβαίνειν, “he seemed / made to slip into the lake” which seems to reflect an Homeric ambiguity at Od. 8.283 εἴσατ᾽ ἴμεν ἐς Λῆμνον, “he seemed / went to go to Lemnos.”

οἱ: “to him” > ἕ: masc/fem. dat. sg. (epic, ionic).

1734: δαιμονίη βῶλαξ: the “divine clod” from which Thera will arise in the distant future (Pindar Pythian 4.37). Euphemus” dream combines imperial vision with Freudian nightmare. Artemidorus, the second century AD writer on dreams, had something to say (p.11) on these matters. ἐπιμάστιος: also agreeing with βῶλαξ, the clod is held to his breast. The word is A.’s version of ἐπιμαστίδιος. Two interpretations of ᾧ ἐν ἀγοστῷ are possible: “palm of the hand” or cradle of the arms”. Either would suit, perhaps the latter seems more appropriate to the context of breastfeeding and, ultimately, love-making. ᾧ, “his”: dat. sing. of the possessive adjective.

1735–6: ἄρδεσθαι . . . πέλειν: both infinitives depend on εἴσατο, “seemed to be watered”, “seemed to become.” The idea of “nourishing” is implicit in ἄρδω. The same word describes the fertility of Egypt at Arg. 4.270. Some MSS. have the reading ὑπαί. There is no need to adopt this. The second syllable of ὑπό is lengthened before the λ of λιβάδεσσι. This happens with words like ἀνα, διά, κατά, μάλα, μέγα etc. For the dat. endings in the phrase λευκῇσιν . . . λιβάδεσσι, click here. The nurturing of the clod described here is the start of a chain: it will in turn nuture Euphemos” descendants on Thera and then Libya will be the nurse of the colonists who come from there. The descriptive detail of the “whiteness” of the milk adds to the fertile nature of the act.

1736: βώλοιο: the gen. depends on ἐκ. A. varies with βώλος rather than βῶλαξ on which ὀλίγης περ ἐούσης in turn depends.

1737–9: παρθενικῇ ἰκέλη: the enjambed position increases the shocking nature of the phrase, immediately followed after the Caesura, by a description of the deed to which Euphemos” arousal (ἄσχετον ἱμερθείς <ἱμείρω) leads, cloaked, so to speak, by a Homeric formula (B4). ὀλοφύρετο: he begins to regret his actions straightaway. Marriage or rape? ζευξάμενος <ζεύγνυμι (A ii 2), “yoking” is a common ancient Greek metaphor for marriage and by association for colonisation. The maiden”s opening words (1741) reveal the true nature of the dreamed action. ἀτίταλλε: Possibly a reduplicated form of ἀτάλλω and connected with ἀταλός, “tender, delicate, of youthful persons, as of maidens”. The word is a rare form that occurs in Homer, in contexts of taking good care of the young. It also occurs in another context where an island “nurses” divine or royal offspring: Theocr. 17.58–9 (of the birth of Ptolemy).

1740: ἑ: click here for the part of speech. παρηγορέεσκεν: the iterative form of the verb stresses the intensity of the coming statement (Smyth 495) and the adjectival accompaniment μειλιχίοισι . . . ἔπεσσιν, the conciliatory nature of what she has to say. She is trying to reassure him because he believes that he has committed an offence. “Sweet, gentle words” –sometimes “honey sweet”= Arg. 4.395) – often play a part in the approach adopted by characters in the Argonautica. This is particularly so in the case of Jason, though sometimes his diplomacy can produce unfavourable reactions: see, especially Medea's reply (Arg. 4.410–20) to his speech that begins Arg. 4.394 μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσιν ὑποδδείσας προσέειπεν.

1741: Τρίτωνος γένος εἰμί: “Of the race of Triton, am I”, spoken somewhat in the nature of a prophecy. A. seems to be echoing here, and also later (1764), Poseidon words, when about to save Aeneas: Il. 20.307­–8.

τροφός . . . παίδων: Again the emphasis on nursing and nurturing. οὐ κούρη: “not your daughter.” The second half of the lines supports this interpretation: Triton and Libya (personified) are her parents. Triton (Lake Triton) are both characters in the story and geographical entities.

1743: Νηρῆος . . . παρθενικῇσιν: “the daughters of Nereus.” παρακάτθεο: aor. imperat. mid. 2nd sg. For the apocope of the α in κατα click here (75D).

1744: ἂμ πέλαγος = ἀνά: click here. ἄμ, for ἀνά, before words beginning with β, π, φ, μ, e.g. ἂμ βωμοῖσι, ἂμ μέσον, ἂμ πεδίον, ἂμ πέλαγος, ἂμ φυτά: “in and throughout the sea.” ναίειν Ἀνάφης σχεδόν: The naming of Anaphe is described at 1717–18.

1745: νεπόδεσσιν (dat. plural): a rare Homeric word stresses the mysterious nature of the Maiden”s words.

1746: τῶν ἄρ᾿ ἐπὶ μνῆστιν κραδίῃ βάλεν: has a stately ring and is like the Homeric θυμῷ, ἐς θυμὸν β. (A ii 6). ἐπί governs κραδίῃ. “He cast memory of these things (τῶν for τῶνδε) into his heart.” ἔκ τ᾿ὀνόμηνεν <ἐξονομαίνω: In contrast to the first part of the line, he describes “out loud” what had happened to Jason.

1747: ὁ δ᾿: Jason begins to explain the significance of what has been done and said. θεοπροπίας Ἑκάτοιο: “the prophecies of the Far-shooter.” Calchas, the prophet and explainer of oracles, is similarly described at the beginning of Iliad 1.384–5.

1748: θυμῷ πεμπάζων: emphasising the thought that Jason puts into his words. πεμπάζω (see 350–2 n.) is a word denoting mental calculation. ἀνενείκατο, φώνησέν τε: A. tries to use new ways to introduce dialogue compared to those he found in the Homeric poems. Here he is using Il. 19.314 μνησάμενος δ᾽ ἁδινῶς ἀνενείκατο φώνησέν τε.

1749: ὦ πέπον: a very affectionate term here: “My dear fellow”, πέπον being the vocative of πέπων, “mature.” The expression can cover a wide range of sentiment from warm friendship to scorn, e.g. the blinded Cyclops calls his favourite ram κριὲ πέπον (Od.9.447). Usually μείρομαι takes the genitive:

1750: βώλακα: Euphemus” deliberate casting of the clod into the sea, “in joy at his prophecies” (θεοπροπίῃσιν ἰανθείς, 4.1756), contrasts sharply with the tale of the foundation of Thera in Pindar”s Pythian 4.35–40, where Euphemus accidentally loses the clod when a wave washes over the Argo. A.”s attribution of an active agency to Ephemus in the foundation of Thera definitively marks him as the founder of the island. πόντονδε βαλόντι: dative of interest or disadvantage (Smyth § 1474). 

1751: νῆσον: In first position in the line, as is the βώλακα from which it is created. ἵν (α): “where᾿, (Smyth 2498). ὁπλότεροιπαίδων σέθεν . . . παῖδες: “the younger children of the children from you (σέθεν: epic gen. < σύ). The tone is prophetic. Jason understands the significance of the clod and thoughtfully explains its importance for Euphemos, the generations to come and the reader.

1752: The language echoes the language of Triton”s appearance at 4. 1551–6: ἀντεβόλησεν~ ἐγγυαλίξαι ~ ξεινήιον. Jason is putting “two and two together.” ἐγγυάλιξεν: see 294–6 n.).

1753: τήνδε τοι ἠπείροιο Λιβυστίδος: “ this (piece = βώλακα) of the Libyan land.” τήνδε τοι: emphasises the importance of the piece of earth ( Smyth § 2984) as does the rare adjective Λῐβυστίς, ίδος (add Callimachus fr. 676).

1753–4: οὔ νύ τις ἄλλος: The final revelation: “it was no other now indeed than he . . .”.

1755 οὐδ᾿ ἁλίωσεν: “make fruitless, disappoint.” ὑπόκρισιν Αἰσονίδαο: Not “interpretation” (pace Hunter ad loc.) but “answer”. Jason has answered Euphemos” request for clarification.

1757: ἧκεν ὑποβρυχίην: “Sent under water”, i.e. another way of saying “threw into the sea”, (1743–4, 1750). ἧκεν: aorist < ἵημι. 

1758: Καλλίστη: the old name for Thera. Near this "Island of Appearance," made visible by Apollo (Aegletes - “the shining one”) when the Argonauts arc lost in darkness, Euphemus is to throw into the sea the Libyan clod which turns into the island of Kalliste, the idea apparently being that the etymologically ambivalent “Anaphe” will make “Kalliste” visible. παίδων ἱερὴ τροφὸς Εὐφήμοιο: “The holy nurse of the children of Euphemus. For the island as “nurse”, see introduction to this section above. Pindar calls Thera holy at the beginning of his Pythian Ode (4. 7) While it is not unusual for a city to be personified as a mother or nurse(Α2), the use of ἱερός (ii 3) marks Thera as a special place. There was a cult of Apollo (p.105) on the island.

1759: Σιντηίδα Λῆμνον: The earliest inhabitants of Lemnos were the Sintians. The adjective (used of the island) introduces the episode of the Lemnian Women in Book 1.

1760: ἐξελαθέντες: “having been driven out of” (aor. pass. part. <ξελαύνω). For Tyrrhenian occupation of Lemnos (ὑπ᾿ ἀνδράσι Τυρσηνοῖσιν) see here.

1761: ἐφέστιοι: <(ἑστία) “as fellow residents” or “in order to dwell with them (Hunter).” The reference (p. 148) seems also to be to the fact that when a colony was sent out, the emigrants took the fire which was to burn on the hearth of their new home from that of the mother town.

1762: Αὐτεσίωνος ἐὺς πάις ἤγαγε Θήρας: “The excellent son of Autesion, Theras.” The genealogy is Oedipus–Polyneices–Thersander–Autesion–Theras (Herodotus 4.147). For background to the colonisation click here. (p. 89).

1763–4: ἀμείψατο δ᾿ οὔνομα, Θήρα / ἐκ σέθεν: A. apostrophises the colonist. Maybe he had Callimachus” hymn in mind (quoted above). The text depends on emendations of transmitted ἀμείψατο δ᾿ οὔνομα Θήρης / ἐξ ἕθεν but they seem to be certain alterations.

1764: ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν μετόπιν γένετ᾿ Εὐφήμοιο: “But this happened in the days after Euphemos.” Based on the language of colonisation: Hdt. 4.148. An omniscient comment about the future, typical of a Hellenistic narrator: 1.1309, 4.276, 1216 based perhaps on Il. 12.34–5, Od. 8.510.

1765–72: There are a number of reasons why the Argonauts make Aegina their last stop . . . Read Full Essay.

1765: κεῖθεν: “From there” (Aegina). See above. The Argonauts continue their journey at high speed. The line almost has the sense of “in one bound . . .” they reached Aegina. ἀπτερέως: By using this rare adverb, A. is introducing a variation on the common Homeric phrases for “swift ship(s).” The Argo is a special ship and needs a special word. διὰ . . . ταμόντες: This emendation for transmitted λιπόντες should be adopted. τέμνω (A iv 3) and διατέμνω (DGE: 1 fig.) are used of a ship cutting through the sea (See 225–7n.). μυρίον οἶδμα: “the boundless swell” (of the sea). μυρίος is not usually used in this way but Pindar, an important author for this passage, has μυρία παντᾷ κέλευθος, “a boundless course” (Pi.I.4.1). The Argonauts sail on in lyrical fashion. 

1766: ἐπέσχεθον: Poetic 2^nd Aor. (Smyth § 546) of ἐπέχω. LSJ is wrong here. Not A III b, “held straight for the beach.” but IV 2, “stay make a pause” as at Arg. 4.1623. Αἰγίνης ἀκτῇσιν: “on the beach at Aegina.” Dative of place: Smyth § 1528. 

1767: ὑδρείης πέρι: Anastrophe of the preposition is very common: Smyth § 176. δῆριν . . . δηρίσαντο is a cognative accusative where the object is etymologically related to the verb: Od. 13.26 δαίνυντ᾽ ἐρικυδέα δαῖτα 13.50 κρητῆρα κερασσάμενος. A. had phrases like 13.26 in mind in writing his own oxymoronic variation. ἀμεμφέα keeping δῆριν and δηρίσαντο apart emphasises that the contest was a peaceful one. 

1768: ὅς κεν . . . φθαίη: For φθάνω constructed with an aorist participle click here. The indirect question depends on the underlying interrogative sense of δῆριν . . . δηρίσαντο: “who is going to win the contest?” (Smyth § 2677 b). μετὰ νῆάδ᾿ ἱκέσθαι: lit. “to arrive to to the ship”. See 134–5n. for the particle –δε (Smyth § 1589).

1769: χρειώ τε καὶ ἄσπετος οὖρος: “need and the ceaseless breeze.” The hendiadys – the two disparate subjects, taken together – succinctly describe the pressure on the Argonauts to draw the water as quickly as possible. Another excellent discussion of hendiadys is here. ἔπειγεν: the imperfect marks the fact that the wind does not stop blowing all the time they are on Aegina. The phrase is Odyssean: ἔπειγε γὰρ οὖρος (Od. 12.167). 

1770: ἔνθ᾿ ἔτι νῦν: As often A. links actions on the part of the Argonauts to cults that survive to his own day. See 250–3 n. and here. ἐπωμαδὸν is a rare word, perhaps based on analogous formation of epic adverbs in Homer such as ὁμιλαδόν, ἰλαδόν or even σχεδόν.

1771: ἀνθέμενοι: “lifting up” see 170–1, 187–9 nn., where there is a difference between lifting something up in one’s hands (170–1) and putting something on board a ship (187–9). κούφοισιν ἄφαρ κατ᾿ ἀγῶνα πόδεσσιν: A. is echoing a phrase from Pindar Nem. 10. 63–4 λαιψηροῖς δὲ πόδεσσιν ἄφαρ / ἐξικέσθαν (“they immediately arrived on light feet”), “which is very appropriate, bearing in mind the connection between Aegina and Pindar, already alluded to above, and to be reinforced at the beginning of the next line. 

1772: κοῦροι Μυρμιδόνων: An enigmatic reference: “the sons of the Myrmidons”. This must be the Aeginetans.

1773–81: The poem closes with a wealth of literary allusion. A. addresses his Argonautic heroes in the tones of the Homeric Hymns, resonant with lyric language, concluding with a final acknowledgment of the Odyssey, a text which has been of fundamental importance in the composition of his own poem. 

1773: ἵλατ᾿: ἵλατε is the aorist imperative of ἱλάομαι / ἱλάσκομαι, “be gracious.” The narrator propitiates the Argonauts with a verb used throughout the poem (and elsewhere) in contexts of address to deities, anticipated by the propitiation of Apollo on Thunias and Anaphe, the honours for the Dioskouroi, and more recently, the addresses to the Hesperides, Libyan heroines and Triton. The use of this imperative gives the sense that the status of the heroes has changed over the length of the poem: their ἄεθλοι at an end, the Argonauts have achieved a form of divinity. A. concludes with the hope that their epic fame will continually increase, completing the fusion of cult and epic immortality signalled at the beginning of the poem, at which point the narrator ends his tale (See further here). ἀριστήες: Accept Fränkel”s emendation from the transmitted ἀριστήων:

1774: γλυκερώτεραι: “sweeter”. The sweetness of ancient poetry (μολπή, ἀοιδή) is a frequent topic and γλυκερός, a frequent adjective used to describe it.

1775: κλυτὰ πείραθ᾿ ἱκάνω: “I come to the glorious end (of your toils).” This is perhaps another echo of a Pindaric sentiment: ἄποινα μόχθων κλυταῖς ἐπέων ἀοιδαῖς (Pind. N. 7.16), “recompense for his labours in poetry”s famous songs.”

1776: ὑμετέρων καμάτων: Book 4 opened with the κάματος of Medea, it closes with the καμάτοι of the group as a whole. Pehaps, for the moment, as chief agent in the gaining of the Fleece, as conqueror of Talos and consort of the Argonauts” leader Medea is one of them. The allusion to Odyssey mentioned above, however, hints that this may not continue indefinitely. ἄεθλος: No more contests or tasks! ἄεθλος is an important theme throughout the Argonautica and the poet sees it as brought to completion after its announcement in the opening lines. ὔμμιν: “to you” 

1777: ἀπ᾿ Αἰγίνηθεν: “from Aegina”. –θεν is an old termination of the genitive (other Homeric examples are Il. 8.304 ἐξ Αἰσύμηθεν, 24.492 ἀπὸ Τροίηθεν). The ending may be more than an archaic usage imported to give Homeric colour: it is found on inscriptions that come from the same linguistic area as Aegina. ἐτύχθη (A ii): Pass., “to be caused, and so, arise, occur.” There is support for Hunter”s preference (ad loc.) for the translation “on your return home” rather than “as you departed from”. The Argonauts and the Argonautica are both returning home: Il. 4.392 ἂψ ἄρ᾽ ἀνερχομένῳ, Od. 1.317 αὖτις ἀνερχομένῳ. There is also the sense of returning back (A ii 2) to the beginning of something: a relevant idea for both the poem and its heroes. 

1778: ἀνέμων ἐριῶλαι: “Storm winds”. This is a truly recondite phrase and must be the result of Alexandrian textual scholarship.

1779: γαῖαν Κεκροπίην: see above. The land of Cecrops is Attica. 

1780: Εὐβοίης ἔντοσθεν: There is a reminiscence of the Homeric Catalogue of Ships here: Il. 2.534–5 τῷ δ᾽ ἅμα τεσσαράκοντα μέλαιναι νῆες ἕποντο / Λοκρῶν, οἳ ναίουσι πέρην ἱερῆς Εὐβοίης, “<with Aias> followed forty black ships of the Locrians that dwell over against sacred Euboea.” Ὀπούντιά τ᾿ ἄστεα Λοκρῶν: “The cities of the Opuntian Locrians.” There is also a typical Alexandrian display of geographical knowledge. The sea route that passes between the coast of Eastern Locris and Euboea was the main route linking the territories of northern and southern Greece, because the route that followed the east coast of Euboea was beset by many dangers, as the Persians discovered in 480 BC (Hdt. 8.13). This area may also have been a strategically significant  during the Hellenistic period. 

1781: ἀσπασίως: In their beginning was their end. The Argonauts started from Pagasae and that is where they finish. There may be fleeting reminiscences of the end of the Odyssey: Od. 23.296 ἀσπάσιοι λέκτροιο παλαιοῦ θεσμὸν ἵκοντο, “And they then gladly came to the place of the bed that was theirs of old.” The Alexandrian critics, Aristophanes and Aristarchus thought that this line was the real end of the Odyssey. Perhaps A. also thought so. There are, however, lines that might be thought to bear a closer resemblance: Od. 23.238 ἀσπάσιοι δ᾽ ἐπέβαν γαίης, κακότητα φυγόντες (with the three-fold repetition of ἀσπάσιος and ἀσπαστός in the immediate context).

Bibliography:

Boardman, J., Edwards, I., Hammond, N., & Sollberger, E. (eds.) (1982) The Cambridge Ancient History (Cambridge).

Burnett, A. P. (2005) Pindar”s Songs for Young Athletes of Aigina (Oxford).

Cameron, A. (1995) Callimachus and His Critics (New Jersey).

Carnuth, O. (1869) Aristonici Peri sēmeiōn Odysseias reliquiae emendatiores (Leipzig).

Cooper, C. (2008) (ed.) Epigraphy and the Greek Historian (Toronto).

Harder, A. (2012) Callimachus: Aetia (2 vols.) (Oxford).

Malkin, I. (1994) Myth and Territory in the Spartan Mediterranean (Cambridge).

Langslow (D.) (2009) (ed.) Jacob Wackernagel. Lectures on Syntax: With Special Reference to Greek, Latin, and Germanic (Oxford and New York).

Leitao, D. (2012) The Pregnant Male as Myth and Metaphor in Classical Greek Literature. (Cambridge).

Molyneux, J. H. (1992) Simonides: A Historical Study (Wauconda, IL)

Morrison, A. D. (2007) The Narrator in Archaic Greek and Hellenistic Poetry 

Moul, V. (2010) Jonson, Horace and the Classical Tradition (Cambridge).

Myers, K. Sara (1994) Ovid”s Causes: Cosmogony and Aetiology in the Metamorphoses (Ann Arbor).

Pascual J., and Papakonstantinou, M.F. (2013) Topography and History of Ancient Epicnemidian Locris (Leiden).

Pfeijffer, I. L. (1999) Three Aeginetan Odes of Pindar. A Commentary on Nemean V, Nemean III, and Pythian VIII (Leiden).

Sansone, D. (1984) “On Hendiadys in Greek”, Glotta, 62(1/2): 16-25.

Sens, A. (1994) “Hellenistic Reference in the Proem of Theocritus, Idyll 22”, CQ 44(1): 66-74.