The Argonautica

the one below the furthest point, Fair Mouth. Through this latter

Apsyrtus and the Colchians drove onward still more swiftly.

The others sailed far off around the island's highest point.

Across the meadows, shepherds afield abandoned countless flocks

for fear of the ships, imagined as huge ravening beasts

rising from out the sea with all its monstrous creatures.

For never before had they seen seagoing ships at all,

neither the Scythians mixed with Thracians, nor the Sigynni,

nor Graucenians, nor Laurium's present surrounding tribes,

the Sindi, dwelling across the great deserted plain.

At length they passed Mount Angurum; far in the distance

from Mount Angurum, the rocky spur beside Cauliacus,

round which the Ister splits and casts its racing current

this way and that to sea, and then the Laurian plain,

the Colchians then sailed outward to the Sea of Cronus

and blocked each route, lest the Argonauts slip past.

The heroes came down behind them along the river and crossed

to the two nearby Brygean islands sacred to Artemis.

On one of them there stood the goddess's holy temple;

on the other island they landed, avoiding Apsyrtus' host,

for among many islands the Colchians left those two untouched

in reverence for the daughter of Zeus; but all the others,

thronging with Colchians, guarded the passages out to sea.

Apsyrtus likewise stationed his host on nearby shores