οἱ δ᾽ ἄμυδις πυρσοῖο σέλας προπάροιθεν ἰδόντες,

τό σφιν παρθενικὴ τέκμαρ μετιοῦσιν ἄειρεν,

Κολχίδος ἀγχόθι νηὸς ἑὴν παρὰ νῆ᾽ ἐβάλοντο

ἥρωες: Κόλχον δ᾽ ὄλεκον στόλον, ἠύτε κίρκοι485

φῦλα πελειάων, ἠὲ μέγα πῶυ λέοντες

ἀγρότεροι κλονέουσιν ἐνὶ σταθμοῖσι θορόντες.

οὐδ᾽ ἄρα τις κείνων θάνατον φύγε, πάντα δ᾽ ὅμιλον

πῦρ ἅ τε δηιόωντες ἐπέδραμον: ὀψὲ δ᾽ Ἰήσων

ἤντησεν, μεμαὼς ἐπαμυνέμεν οὐ μάλ᾽ ἀρωγῆς490

δευομένοις: ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἀμφ᾽ αὐτοῖο μέλοντο.

ἔνθα δὲ ναυτιλίης πυκινὴν περὶ μητιάασκον

ἑζόμενοι βουλήν: ἐπὶ δέ σφισιν ἤλυθε κούρη

φραζομένοις: Πηλεὺς δὲ παροίτατος ἔκφατο μῦθον:

ἤδη νῦν κέλομαι νύκτωρ ἔτι νῆ᾽ ἐπιβάντας495

εἰρεσίῃ περάαν πλόον ἀντίον, ᾧ ἐπέχουσιν

δήιοι: ἠῶθεν γὰρ ἐπαθρήσαντας ἕκαστα

ἔλπομαι οὐχ ἕνα μῦθον, ὅτις προτέρωσε δίεσθαι

ἡμέας ὀτρυνέει, τοὺς πεισέμεν: οἷα δ᾽ ἄνακτος

εὔνιδες, ἀργαλέῃσι διχοστασίῃς κεδόωνται.500

ῥηιδίη δέ κεν ἄμμι, κεδασθέντων δίχα λαῶν,

ἤ τ᾽ εἴη μετέπειτα κατερχομένοισι κέλευθος.

ὧς ἔφατ᾽: ᾔνησαν δὲ νέοι ἔπος Λἰακίδαο.

ῥίμφα δὲ νῆ᾽ ἐπιβάντες ἐπερρώοντ᾽ ἐλάτῃσιν

νωλεμές, ὄφρ᾽ ἱερὴν Ἠλεκτρίδα νῆσον ἵκοντο,505

ἀλλάων ὑπάτην, ποταμοῦ σχεδὸν Ἠριδανοῖο.

Κόλχοι δ᾽ ὁππότ᾽ ὄλεθρον ἐπεφράσθησαν ἄνακτος,

ἤτοι μὲν δίζεσθαι ἐπέχραον ἔνδοθι πάσης

Ἀργὼ καὶ Μινύας Κρονίης ἁλός. ἀλλ᾽ ἀπέρυκεν

Ἥρη σμερδαλέῃσι κατ᾽ αἰθέρος ἀστεροπῇσιν.510

ὕστατον αὖ (δὴ γάρ τε Κυταιίδος ἤθεα γαίης

στύξαν, ἀτυζόμενοι χόλον ἄγριον Αἰήταο),

ἔμπεδα δ᾽ ἄλλυδις ἄλλοι ἐφορμηθέντες ἔνασθεν.

οἱ μὲν ἐπ᾽ αὐτάων νήσων ἔβαν, ᾗσιν ἐπέσχον

ἥρωες, ναίουσι δ᾽ ἐπώνυμοι Ἀψύρτοιο:515

οἱ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐπ᾽ Ἰλλυρικοῖο μελαμβαθέος ποταμοῖο,

τύμβος ἵν᾽ Ἁρμονίης Κάδμοιό τε, πύργον ἔδειμαν,

ἀνδράσιν Ἐγχελέεσσιν ἐφέστιοι: οἱ δ᾽ ἐν ὄρεσσιν

ἐνναίουσιν, ἅπερ τε Κεραύνια κικλήσκονται,

ἐκ τόθεν, ἐξότε τούσγε Διὸς Κρονίδαο κεραυνοὶ520

νῆσον ἐς ἀντιπέραιαν ἀπέτραπον ὁρμηθῆναι.

ἥρωες δ᾽, ὅτε δή σφιν ἐείσατο νόστος ἀπήμων,

δή ῥα τότε προμολόντες ἐπὶ χθονὶ πείσματ᾽ ἔδησαν

Ὑλλήων. νῆσοι γὰρ ἐπιπρούχοντο θαμειαὶ

ἀργαλέην πλώουσιν ὁδὸν μεσσηγὺς ἔχουσαι525

οὐδέ σφιν, ὡς καὶ πρίν, ἀνάρσια μητιάασκον

Ὑλλῆες: πρὸς δ᾽ αὐτοὶ ἐμηχανόωντο κέλευθον,

μισθὸν ἀειρόμενοι τρίποδα μέγαν Ἀπόλλωνος.

δοιοὺς γὰρ τρίποδας τηλοῦ πόρε Φοῖβος ἄγεσθαι

Αἰσονίδῃ περόωντι κατὰ χρέος, ὁππότε Πυθὼ530

ἱρὴν πευσόμενος μετεκίαθε τῆσδ᾽ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς

ναυτιλίης: πέπρωτο δ᾽, ὅπῃ χθονὸς ἱδρυνθεῖεν,

μήποτε τὴν δῄοισιν ἀναστήσεσθαι ἰοῦσιν.

τούνεκεν εἰσέτι νῦν κείνῃ ὅδε κεύθεται αἴῃ

ἀμφὶ πόλιν ἀγανὴν Ὑλληίδα, πολλὸν ἔνερθεν535

οὔδεος, ὥς κεν ἄφαντος ἀεὶ μερόπεσσι πέλοιτο.

οὐ μὲν ἔτι ζώοντα καταυτόθι τέτμον ἄνακτα

Ὕλλον, ὃν εὐειδὴς Μελίτη τέκεν Ἡρακλῆι

δήμῳ Φαιήκων. ὁ γὰρ οἰκία Ναυσιθόοιο

Μάκριν τ᾽ εἰσαφίκανε, Διωνύσοιο τιθήνην,540

νιψόμενος παίδων ὀλοὸν φόνον: ἔνθ᾽ ὅγε κούρην

Αἰγαίου ἐδάμασσεν ἐρασσάμενος ποταμοῖο,

νηιάδα Μελίτην: ἡ δὲ σθεναρὸν τέκεν Ὕλλον.

οὐδ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὅγ᾽ ἡβήσας αὐτῇ ἐνὶ ἔλδετο νήσῳ

ναίειν, κοιρανέοντος ὑπ᾽ ὀφρύσι Ναυσιθόοιο:

βῆ δ᾽ ἅλαδε Κρονίην, αὐτόχθονα λαὸν ἀγείρας

Φαιήκων: σὺν γάρ οἱ ἄναξ πόρσυνε κέλευθον

ἥρως Ναυσίθοος: τόθι δ᾽ εἵσατο, καί μιν ἔπεφνον550

Μέντορες, ἀγραύλοισιν ἀλεξόμενον περὶ βουσίν.

THE AFTERMATH:

After the murder of Apsyrtus, carried out by the two protagonists, the action switches to the Argonauts, who deal with the rest of Apsyrtus’ crew in short order. A. condenses his description of the fight into an intricately constructed passage, decorated with a simile, which is carried forward by enjambment to its surprising denouement (see below).

482  ἄμυδις: stresses that they (οἱ) act “together,” in contrast with Jason and Medea who have carried out the murder on their own. πυρσοῖο σέλας: “the flame of the torch.”

483­–4  τό: “which” Medea (παρθενικὴ, as often in the poem) holds aloft (ἄειρεν) to guide them as they as they move (σφιν . . . τέκμαρ μετιοῦσιν) towards the anchorage (παρὰ νῆα βάλοντο: the verb is in tmesis) of the Colchian ship (Κολχίδος ἀγχόθι νηὸς).

485–7  ἥρωες: the delay in naming the subject links the opening period together and enables A. to make an effective juxtaposition with the fate of the Colchians, the actual deed being described in three words, although it is later elaborated in the simile. κίρκοι: the Argonauts are first likened to hawks attacking flocks of doves and then to lions coming down (ἐνὶ σταθμοῖσι θορόντες) on sheep-folds. Both parts of the balanced simile (φῦλα πελειάων ~ μέγα πῶυ) have a brutal Homeric tone about them.

488  οὐδ᾿ ἄρα τις κείνων: “not a single one . . .” emphasises the brutality of the attack. ἄρα: marks the suddenness of the action.

489  πῦρ τε: the Argonauts’ boarding party spread “like fire,” through the Colchians’ ship as they attack (ἐπέδραμον) and cut down (δηιόωντες) their opponents. 

489–91  ὀψὲ δ᾿ Ἰήσων: the leader is a late-comer. μεμαὼς ἐπαμυνέμεν: he’s eager to help but they don’t really need him (οὐ μάλ᾿ἀρωγῆς / δευομένοις). In fact, the Argonauts were already beginning to be concerned (μέλοντο) about him (ἀμφ᾿ αὐτοῖο.) A possibly ironical authorial comment on the heroical qualities of his main character, perhaps reinforced by the fact that Peleus, and not Jason plays the major part in the planning session that follows.

492–4  The Argonauts sit down (ἑζόμενοι) for a typically Homeric council (βουλήν) of war to find a “wise plan” (πυκινὴν . . . βουλήν). The untypical thing is that Medea (κούρη) joins their deliberations (σφισιν . . . φραζομένοις). Peleus speaks first of all (παροίτατος) in the role of a wise elder.

495  ἤδη νῦν: injects a note of urgency, “right now,” as does κέλομαι: “I urge”, almost “command you”, while it is still night (νύκτωρ ἔτι) to get on board (νῆ᾿ ἐπιβάντας).

496–7  εἰρεσίῃ περάαν: “lit. to cross with rowing.” πλόον ἀντίον: “the opposite course.” ἐπέχουσιν δήιοι: “to that which our enemy control.” Peleus is advising them to do the unexpected and take a different route to that which the enemy might expect, going North rather than South (see Media images). They have destroyed Apsyrtus’s own crew (and ship) but the rest of the Colchians are coming after them. Peleus stresses that they must not lose the initiative. ἐπαθρήσαντας ἕκαστα: referring to the Colchians (τούς): “discovering each thing,” i.e. “each detail, their plight.” ἐπαθρέω is a rare word, though the simple verb ἀθρέω is more common. In spite of the fact that Peleus’ advice is given tersely, the syntax, word order and language are elaborate and high flown. See Media tab for map showing the Escape route of the Argonauts after the murder of Apsyrtus.

498–9  ἔλπομαι οὐχ ἕνα μῦθον: lit. “I expect that not one word, i.e. “I expect that there will no argument . . .” τις: = ὅστις ( LSJ ii), “which will urge (ὀτρυνέει: epic fut. from ὀτρύνω) them (understood from τούς) to pursue us further.” τοὺς πεισέμεν: concludes P.’s complex sentence: “that will persuade them.” The important ideas (ἠῶθεν ~ ἐπαθρήσαντας ἕκαστα ~ οὐχ ἕνα μῦθον) have been moved towards the beginning of the sentence to emphasise them: “in the morning . . . when they take stock . . . nothing will persuade them to chase us.” πεισέμεν: epic fut. infinitive of πείθω. P. then goes on to give the reasons why he does not think that the Colchians will follow: οἷα: (LSJ A2) gives the reason for the previous statement, “In as much as . . .”

500  εὔνιδες: placed first in the line stresses the state that the Colchians find themselves in: “deprived, bereft of their king (ἄνακτος). ἀργαλέῃσι διχοστασίῃς: “by grievous dissension,” almost civil disorder. διχοστασίη goes back to Solon and Theognis. Both nouns are epic dat. plurals. κεδόωνται: “will be scattered,” a present tense used to stand for future, formed by analogy from *κεδάιω (LSJ κεδαίω and also κεδάννυμι).

501­–2  Peleus ends his brief exhortation with another quotation from archaic hexameter poetry: Hesiod Op. 292 ῥηιδίη δὴ ἔπειτα πέλει, χαλεπή περ ἐοῦσα where ὁδός is understood after ῥηΐδίη and for which A. substitutes κέλευθος at the end of the next line. κεν: which goes with εἴη adds potentiality: “ Our journey would be easier (if you follow my suggestions).” μετέπειτα κατερχομένοισι: “when we return afterwards.” κ. agrees with ἄμμι (epic aeolic dat. plural of ἐγώ), “for us.” κεδασθέντων δίχα λαῶν: another rhetorical flourish: the participle picks up κεδόωνται in the previous line and δ. λ. (‘with their forces split”) echoes the reference to “grievous dissension.”

503  ὣς ἔφατ᾿· ᾔνησαν δέ: a formula of transition, (Od. 12.352 ὣς ἔφατ’ Εὐρύλοχος, ἐπὶ δ’ ᾔνεον ἄλλοι ἑταῖροι) which maintains the Homeric ‘feel’ of A.’s narrative ἔπος Αἰακίδαο: “Peleus’ advice.” Peleus was the son of Aeacus. –αο is epic genitive sing.

504–5  The pace of the narrative quickens and a period of continuous (νωλεμές) rowing (ἐπερρώοντ᾿ ἐλάτῃσιν) takes the Argonauts to the island of Elektris, which takes its name from the amber (ἤλεκτρον) washed down by the Eridanos (River Po-see Media).

506  ἀλλάων ὑπάτην: “the highest, last of the other (islands).” A. must be thinking of the various clusters of islands in the Adriatic. ποταμοῦ σχεδὸν Ἠριδανοῖο: “near the river Eridanos,” (see also the map in Media). 

507  ἐπεφράσθησαν: apparently 3rd pl. aor. ind. pass. < ἐπιφράζω but here with an active meaning: “When the Colchians learned of the death of their king.” (LSJ s.v. ἐπιφράζω.)

508–9  δίζεσθαι ἐπέχραον: “they raged to search for.” ἐπιχράω has a wide range of meaning: Cuypers 1997, 289–90 compares the use of χράω at Il. 21.369 and Od. 21. 69. ἔνδοθι πάσης . . . Κρονίης ἁλός: “within the whole of the Sea of Kronos” surrounds Ἀργὼ καὶ Μινύας, “Argo and the Minyans.” As frequently in A. word order reflects meaning. The Sea of Kronos is the Adriatic.

509–10  ἀπέρυκεν / Ἥρη: “Hera held them back.” The pursuit is stopped short at the end of the line, reinforced by the goddess’s name in enjambment at the beginning of the next. σμερδαλέῃσι κατ᾿ αἰθέρος ἀστεροπῇσιν: “by terrible lightnings from the sky.” Sudden storms in the Adriatic have always been a possibility ( Horace, Odes 1.3.9-10, 3.27.17 with West 2002,225 ); see Media images: recent summer (2019) storms in the Adriatic. 26,000 Bolts of Lightning in 2 Hours: Storms Return to Peak Season Adriatic Coast (photo credit: HAKOM.)

511  ὕστατον αὖ (δὴ γάρ τε: “In the end, for they . . . “The opening of this line is owed to an emendation. The oldest medieval witness to the text (Laurentianus gr. 32.09) has a different reading: (see Media images) there are signs of erasure (third line down) but L. seems to have ὕστατον αὐτοὶ δ' αὖτε. The sense is clear: the Colchians finally give up the chase but instances such as this remind us how doubtful the text of the Argonautica is in many places. Κυταιίδος ἤθεα γαίης: “their home in the Kytaian land.” Kytaia was a Colchian city; see further (Hansen and Nielsen 2004, 947) . The adjective or the like is used elsewhere (rarely except in A.) as a poetic synonym for Colchian by Callimachus (fr. 7.25 ἀπ’ Αἰήταο Κυταίου) and Propertius (1.1.24 Cytinaeis ducere carminibus, 2.4.7 nocturna Cytaeis).

512  στύξαν: “they hated,” a strong statement, as often in enjambment. The reason for the hatred is stated quickly: they are afraid of the savage anger (χόλον ἄγριον) of Aietes, the archetypal eastern tyrant (cf. Xerxes, Thoas in Euripides’ Iphigeneia in Tauris and Theoclymenos in the same author’s Helen.)

513  ἔμπεδον: “permanently, for all time.” ἄλλυδις ἄλλοι: “some in one direction, some in another.”ἀφορμηθέντες: “setting off, scattering.” ἔνασθεν: aor. ind. pass. 3rd. pl. (epic) < ναίω, used in an active sense “ they settled.”

514  οἱ μὲν: The Colchians split up into groups, as they disperse (516: οἱ δ᾿ ἄρ . . . 518: οἱ δ). ἐπ᾿ αὐτάων νήσων: “On the very islands.” αὐτάων: The epic lengthened form of the gen. plural is frequent in A.; see Rzach 1878, 63–64. ἔβαν: “they went.” aor. ind. act. 3rd. pl. (doric) < βαίνω; see Rzach 1878, 132. ᾗσιν: dat. plur. referring to the islands, “which:” The relative is used as a shortened form of κείναις ἅς.

 515  ἐπώνυμοι Ἀψύρτοιο: referring to the Colchians that live on this group of islands: “bearing the name of Apsyrtos.”

516  ἐπ᾿ Ἰλλυρικοῖο μελαμβαθέος ποταμοῖο: “on the banks of the dark and deep Illyrian river. These lines must be related to passages in Callimachus’ Aetia where he alsο tells the story of the Argonauts’ escape from Colchis (fr.11).

517  τύμβος ἵν᾿ Ἁρμονίης Κάδμοιό τε: The tomb of Harmonia and Cadmus. πύργον ἔδειμαν: “Built a town / fortified a tower.” Callimachus calls the place Polai in his version of the story. A’s settlement may have been further South, near the river Rhizon.

518  ἀνδράσιν Ἐγχελέεσσιν ἐφέστιοι: “living with the Enchelees.” This Illyrian tribe are well-attested in ancient sources; see further Thalmann 2011, 182 n.38. As Thalmann notes, it would be good to know the origin of the tribe’s name, “Eel-people.” Is it a Greek corruption of an Illyrian word? It might reflect Greek feelings about this strange place and its people. Ἐγχελέεσσιν: This dat. plur. with the ending –έεσσιν (for its use in A. see Rzach 1878, 80) may be part of the Aeolic influence on the epic dialect; see further Tsagalis and Markantonatos 2017, 171.

518–21  οἱ δ᾿ ἐν ὄρεσσιν: The third go to live (ἐνναίουσιν) in the Keraunian mountains (see Media images). Known to be dangerous for sailors (but not for the heroic Argonauts?) in antiquity (Horace Od. 1.3.20 infamis scopulos Acroceraunia) A. explains their name from a specific incident involving Zeus thunderbolts, demonstrating a typical Alexandrian interest in etymology. ἐκ τόθεν ἐξότε: “from that point forward since . . .”. i.e. “ever since.” ἀπέτραπον: “turned.” Zeus prevents the Colchians from crossing (ὁρμηθῆναι) to the opposite island (νῆσον ἐς ἀντιπέραιαν), that is to say, Corcyra. Although the king of the gods is unseen in the poem, his plan for the Argonauts following on the murder of Apsytus is already in operation (see 4.557f.). For verbs of hindering used with the infinitive see Smyth 2744.

522  After their diversion to the island of Elektris, the Argonauts now loop back down the Adriatic. ἐείσατο: “seemed.” aor. ind. mid. 3rd. sg. (epic) < εἴδομαι. The model for this is Od. 4.519 (Agamemnon arriving safely home) ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ καὶ κεῖθεν ἐφαίνετο νόστος ἀπήμων. A. varies from ἐφαινέτο. As in the case of Jason, it is the aftermath of the arrival that has tragic consequences. On the significance of ἀπήμων in the Odyssey (and therefore in A.) see further (Loney, A. 2019, 53).

523  προμολόντες: aor. part. act. masc. nom. pl. < προβλώσκω. “emerging, proceeding on their voyage.”

524 Ὑλλήων: The Hyllaeans: an Illyrian tribe. The Hylleans are Herkaleidai (hence A.’s ensuing narrative), situated on a peninsula called the Hyllis or Hyllike, identified by modern scholars with the Promontory of Diomedes, (see further (Malkin 1998, 247–48), the present Cape Planka on the Croatian south of Sibenik, the tribe was ideally located to work as early influence on the Greek settlement at Kerkyra, which will play a significant role in the later part of book 4; see further (Roller, D.W. 2010, 217). νῆσοι . . . θαμειαί: The Argonauts do indeed have to navigate their way through a large number of islands; see Media Images. ἐπιπρούχοντο: “projected out (into the sea).”

525: πλώουσιν: lit. “for them as they sailed,” dat. plur. part. < πλέω.

526: σφιν: “to them,” masc. dat . pl. < σφεῖς. Either to be scanned long by position or one might read ὡς δὴ καὶ πρίν comparing Arg. 3.943 ἔσσεται, ὡς δὴ καὶ πρὶν Ἀγηνορίδης φάτο Φινεύς. The Illyrians were traditionally warlike (ἀνάρσια) and Jason seems to refer to this in Arg. 4.405 περιναιέται. Perhaps we are to see the story of the tripod that follows as an example of successful Argonautic (Ptolemaic?) diplomacy in the Adriatic.

527  πρὸς δ ̓ αὐτοί: “Moreover (as opposed to being hostile in the past).” ἐμηχανόωντο κέλευθον: “they (the Hylleans) devised a route.” –όω is a typically lengthened epic form. The Argonauts use local knowledge.

528  μισθὸν ἀειρόμενοι: “taking as their reward.” τρίποδα μέγαν: “a great tripod.”

529  δοιος γὰρ τρίποδας: These two tripods have not appeared before. They play an important part in the tradition of Argonautic travel. For their significance see further (Papalexandrou 2005, 39). The original story of Jason’s mission to Delphi is narrated at Herodotus 4.179. It is mentioned previously (Arg. 1.209–10, 301–2, 360–1, 412–14). The second tripod plays an important part in the exchange with the god Triton (1547–50, 1588–91). τηλοῦ πόρε Φοβος γεσθαι: “Phoebos gave (the tripods) to be taken far away.”

530  περόωντι κατχρέος: “(to the son of Aeson) journeying in search of an oracle (or possibly, “out of necessity-the phrase was disputed in antiquity; see further (Vergados 2012, 348)). Πυθὼ: Pytho is the place and Python, the snake whom Apollo killed. For the derivations connecting Python, Pytho, Pythios, and Pythia see Fontenrose 1959, 16). For the possible associations and resonances between Πυθὼ and πευσόμενος (future participle of πεύθομαι / πυνθάνομαι) cf. Soph. OT 70 -1 ἐς τὰ Πυθικὰ / ἔπεμψα Φοίβου δώμαθ ̓, ὡς πύθοιθ ̓ with (Finglass 2018 ad loc.)

531  ἱρήν: contract. for ἱερήν.

532  πέπρωτο: “it had been fated,” pluperf. pass. < *πορω: LSJ. ἱδρυθεεν: “were dedicated”, aor. opt. pass. 3rd. pl. < ἱδρύω is an important word in describing colonisation of a site or city (Hdt. 2.178.1 ἔδωκε χώρους ἐνιδρύσασθαι βωμοὺς καὶ τεμένεα θεοῖσι) with (Malkin 1987, 139).

533  μή ποτε τήν: “never.” This negative indirect statement is after πέπρωτο Smyth 2722. τήν (i.e. χθόνα) δῄοισιν ἀναστήσεσθαι ἰοῦσιν: “be devastated by incoming (ἰοῦσιν) hostile armies.” ἀναστήσεσθαι: fut. inf. mid. (with a passive meaning) < ἀνίστημι LSJ B II 2. There is a strong contrast between ἱδρυνθεῖεν and ἀναστήσεσθαι. The tripod is buried deep in the earth so that the inhabitants of that land will never be overthrown and forced to rise up, one of the primary meanings of ἀνίστημι, and leave it.

534  τούνεκεν εἰσέτι νῦν κείνῃ ὅδε κεύθεται αἴῃ: The burying of such talismanic objects ensures security either of the object or the place. For other island concealments cf. Σ Arg. 4.982–92a (p. 300 Wendel), Callimachus fr. 43.69 Harder, both concerned with the sickle on Drepane-Scheria-Corcyra; see further (Haslam, M.W. 1986, 120).

535  ἀγανὴν Ὑλληίδα: “the pleasant city of Hylle” or “Agane, the Hyllean city”? In typical Hellenistic fashion, A. is playing a word game with what might have been recherché geographical knowledge. The reader is meant to guess the name of the city under discussion. Steph. Byz. s.v. Ὑλλεῖς mentions a city Ὑλλη. On the other hand, Ὑλληίς is an adjective of place of a type frequent in Hellenistic poetry (nn. 329–30, 345–6) and ἀγανήν itself might be read as a variation for ἐρατεινήν.

536  ἄφαντος: “invisible, hidden;” see on 47–9n. on ἀΐδηλος.

537–8  οὐ μὲν ἔτι ζώοντα: having built up the expectation that the Argonauts will meet the founder Hyllus, A. now confounds it. The usual version of this myth is that Hyllos was the son of Heracles and Dianeira, not Melite as here. This version may be connected in some way with the Dorian colonization of Corcyra or with stories of Heracles’ wanderings told by earlier poets. The emphatic position of δήμῳ Φαιήκων may mark the fact that A. is introducing some kind of mythological innovation.

539  ὁ γάρ: i.e. Heracles. Ναυσιθόοιο: Nausithoos, the son of Alcinoos.

540  Μάκριν: Macris’ story is told at Arg. 4.1131–1140.

541  νιψόμενος: “to cleanse himself,” fut. part. denoting purpose. The fullest account of Heracles’ madness and slaughter of his own children is in Euripides’ Heracles. Heracles' purification from the killing of his own children, mentioned at 4.541, clearly connects with the purification of Jason and Medea for the killing of her brother Apsyrtus; but it connects too with Medea's killing of her own children.  ὅγε: again referring to Heracles. κούρην: Melite.

542–3  Αγαίου . . . ποταμοο: The river Aegaeos: Melite’s father. ἐδάμασσεν ἐρασσάμενος: Often used in an erotic context, δαμάζω is used with ἔραμαι at Il. 14.316–7 (the seduction of Zeus by Hera) τέκεν: For the whole episode cf. Hes. fr. 43a 55–9 M–W καὶ τὴν μέν ῥ’ ἐδάμασσε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθ[ων / . . . / ἔνθα̣ τέ̣ κ̣ ’̣ Εὐρύπυλον πολέων ἡγήτορα λαῶ[ν / Κω...α γείνατο παῖδα βίην ὑπέροπλον ἔ̣[χοντα, “And earth-shaking Poseidon overpowered . . . in sea-girt Cos she bore Eurypylus, commander of many people bore a son who possessed defiant force. Genealogical detail of this kind has its origin in Homer; cf. Il. 14.443–5 (Satnius) ὃν ἄρα νύμφη τέκε νηῒς μύμων / ῎Ηνοπι βουκολέοντι παρ’ ὄχθας Σατνιόεντος.

546  οὐδ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ὅ γ ̓: “Nor did he . . .”, referring to Hyllus. ἡβήσας: “having grown up.” αὐτῇ ἐνὶ ἔλδετο νήσῳ: “want to live in that island.” A. seems to be retelling an early story of colonisation. There is a case for adding 539a, a line found in the transmitted text after ἡ δὲ σθεναρὸν τέκεν Ὕλλον· / τυτθὸς ἐών ποτ ̓ ἔναιεν ἀτὰρ λίπε νῆσου ἔπειτα, / οὐδ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ὅ γ ̓ ἡβήσας αὐτῇ ἐνὶ ἔλδετο νήσῳ, ‘she bore mighty Hyllus; as a small child he once lived in the palace of Nausithous, but he left the island thereafter nor having come of age, did he want to live in that island.’

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The numeration 539a is due to Fränkel ((347–9n.)-‘nihil vitiosius’, West, alicubi Teubner Aeschylus), but the line is part of the transmitted text (LASG) but has occupied different positions. In L (see http://mss.bmlonline.it/s.aspx?Id=AWOIfFpUI1A4r7GxMII0&c=Sophocles#/oro/504  Plut. 32.09 at 248v.) it comes between 540 and 541, with β1, α1, γ1 added alongside these lines in the same colour ink as the scholiastic notes, presumably as an attempt to correct a word order that does not make sense. There have been a number of editorial attempts to rearrange the lines. The most ingenious of which was that of Brunck who added two verses, 539 (slightly adapted) and 539a, found in some MSS, as verses 544–545: δήμῳ Φαιήκων. ὁ μὲν οἰκία Ναυσιθόοιο / τυτθὸς ἐών ποτ᾿ ἔναιεν· ἀτὰρ λίπε νῆσου ἔπειτα; see further Brunck’s note (1780,157) together with Mooney (1912, 408) Livrea, Vian and Hunter ad loc., all of whom view 539a as not written by A. but as a prop for a text which lacked lines 540–7, omitted at some stage through the homoioteleuton (Ναυσιθόοιο) of 539 and 547.

The possible addition of 539a derives support from Il. 11.221–5 Ἰφιδάμας Ἀντηνορίδης ἠΰς τε μέγας τε / ὃς τράφη ἐν Θρῄκῃ ἐριβώλακι μητέρι μήλων· / Κισσῆς τόν γ᾽ ἔθρεψε δόμοις ἔνι τυτθὸν ἐόντα / μητροπάτωρ, ὃς τίκτε Θεανὼ καλλιπάρῃον· / αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥ᾽ ἥβης ἐρικυδέος ἵκετο μέτρον, which offers parallels for the asyndeton (μήλων· / Κισσῆς τόν γ᾽ ἔθρεψε δόμοις ἔνι τυτθὸν ἐόντα ~ τέκεν Ὕλλον· / τυτθὸς ἐών), the use of ἡβήσας (546–7n.), and the general scenario in which a hero is nutured in a particular place and then on coming of age, leaves home. Pace Livrea (ad 547) the line is Apollonian in nature. For ποτ᾿ ἔναιεν cf. 4.1131–2 ἄντρῳ ἐν ἠγαθέῳ, τόθι δή ποτε Μάκρις ἔναιεν, / κούρη Ἀρισταίοιο μελίφρονος. Although αὐτάρ (ἀτὰρ) . . . ἔπειτα is sometimes satirised as a line-filling phrase (cf. Pollianus A.P. 11.130.1–2 τοὺς κυκλίους τούτους τοὺς “αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα” λέγοντας  / μισῶ, λωποδύτας ἀλλοτρίων ἐπέων with  HE (1965) ii 105), it occurs frequently in A. (1.265, 598, 668, 1058, 3.159, 4.718, 760). For the repetition νῆσου . . . νήσῳ see 118–21n. with particular reference to 4.237–8. The run of the sentence emphasises the fact that Hyllus did not wish to remain in ‘that island’ under the domination of Nausithous (ὑπ᾿ ὀφρύσι Ναυσιθόοιο). For οὐδέ adding an extra fact to a sentence in strongly adversative fashion cf. 3.1296–8 (Jason faces the bulls) οἱ δέ μιν ἄμφω / μυκηθμῷ κρατεροῖσιν ἐνέπληξαν κεράεσσιν / οὐδ’ ἄρα μιν τυτθόν περ ἀνώχλισαν ἀντιόωντες. If this contrast between the two parts of the sentence is felt to be too harsh, one might adopt Brunck’s suggestion οὐ γάρ, made as part of his own transposition of lines. Both combinations are frequent in A. (οὐ γάρ: 2.320, 987, 996, 1254 οὐ γὰρ' ὅγ’; οὐδ᾿ ἄρα 2.98, 537, 752, 3.948) and might be easily corrupted if the order of the lines were disturbed.

547  κοιρανέοντος ὑπ ̓ ὀφρύσι: “under the haughty gaze of Nausithhous’ rule (κοιρανέοντος). For the metaphorical use of ὑπ ̓ ὀφρύσι see LSJ A2. Therefore, he became an “oekist:” Nausithous’ colonisation of Scheria is mentioned at Od. 6.7–10. This is our earliest specific reference to in Greek literature to the activity of an oekist (οἰκιστήρ or οἰκιστής); see further Malkin (1987) 138–9 discussing the activities involved in the settlement of a Greek colony and the language used to describe the process and (Descoeudres, J.-P. 2008, 290–91) ancient sources concerning colonisation and their use of terminology.

548  ἅλαδε Κρονίην: “to the Sea of Kronos.” δε is the marker of motion towards. See 135 n.

548–9  αὐτόχθονα λαὸν ἀγείρας / Φαιήκων: “having gathered a host of autochthonous Phaeacians.” The is what oekists do: A. seems to be using the authentic language of colonisation (Strabo, Geography, 10.3.2.). οἱ ἄναξ πόρσυνε κέλευθον: “helped him prepare his expedition.” Bearing in the reference earlier to the “haughty gaze of N.,” perhaps there was a clash of wills between the two. A common-enough situation, one would think, in early Greek colonies.

549  τόθι δ ̓ εἵσατο: “There he settled.” For εἵσατο (aor. ind. mid. 3rd. sg.< ἵζω) as an important word in describing the work of an oekist cf. Od. 6.7–8 (see Strabo link above). ἔπεφνον: aor. ind. act. 3rd. pl. (epic).
< θείνω.

550  Μέντορες: An Illyrian tribe further to the North. ἀλεξόμενον: “trying to defend his grazing (ἀγραύλοισιν) cattle. Cattle-rustling is a feature of the epic world. “It was the easiest and quickest way to acquire wealth, which was commonly measures in cattle. But it was liable to provoke fighting” (M. L. West 2007, 451)who notes that the earlier of the two great wars of Greek mythology, the Theban, was fought according to Hesiod (Op. 163) μήλων ἕνεκ ̓ Οἰδιπόδαο and that one of Heracles’ labours was the capture of Geryon’s cattle. The cattle rustling scenario here described is very similar to that of Il. 11.670–84.

Bibliography:

Cuypers, M. 1997. “Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica 2.1–310: a commentary.” diss. Leiden.

Descoeudres, J.-P. 2008. “‘Central Greece on the Eve of the Colonisation Movement.’” In Tsetskhladze (2008) (Ed.) Greek Colonisation. Vol.2 An Account of Greek Colonies and Other Settlements Overseas.

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———. 1998. The Returns of Odysseus: Colonization and Ethnicity. University of California Press.

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Suggested Citation

Peter Hulse. Apollonius: Argonautica Book IV. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2024. ISBN: 978-1-947822-21-4. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/ro/apollonius-argonautica/argonautica-iv-482-549