The Argonautica

Come then, my friends, call Cytherea to stand in defense of us,

and even now put your trust in the counsel that Argus has offered.

So he spoke, and the young men assented, remembering Phineus'

injunction. Alone rose Idas, the son of Aphareus,

violently indignant, he cried in the strength of his towering voice:

Shame! Are women indeed the companions with whom we came hither,

we heroes summon Cypris to stand as our helper here,

not any longer the great strength of Enyalius? Do you gaze now

at doves and hawks and shrink back from the labors before you?

To ruin with you! Let deeds of war be no care of yours now;

let your work be cajoling weak girls with prayers and entreaty.

So in his fury he spoke; many comrades murmured together

very low, though no one answered a word in opposition.

He sat in anger; Jason spoke among the gathered comrades,

rousing his resolve, declaring his own intention plainly:

Argus, since this is pleasing to all, should go from the vessel;

we meanwhile will move out from the river and onto the shoreline

and openly now make fast our hawsers ashore. It is right

that we should hide here no longer, cowering back from their war-cry.

Thus Jason spoke, and at once he sent Argus away to return

at speed through the city again; then the men aboard the vessel,

hauling the anchor-stones in at the orders of Aeson's son,

rowed just past the marsh, then beached her on dry land.

Straightway Aeetes convened an assembly of all the Colchians,