The Argonautica

inside the sacred cave where Macris had lived long before,

honey-wise Aristaeus' daughter. This famed man discovered

the works of bees and the rich oil of the labor-wrought olive.

Macris was first of all to receive the Nysaean son

of Zeus, held close at breast in Abantian Euboea,

and smeared the child's parched lips all round with honey,

when Hermes bore the child from fire; Hera saw,

and in her anger drove Macris away from the whole island.

She journeyed far and settled in Phaeacians' sacred cave,

and granted every dweller rich, immeasurable blessings.

There then they spread a mighty bed; and over it

they laid the shining Golden Fleece, that marriage might become

honored and famed in song; nymphs gathered flowers for them.

They filled their robes' white folds with many-colored flowers,

and carried them; firelike radiance embraced all the nymphs,

such light flashed forth from the Fleece's tassels of gold.

Sweet longing kindled in their eyes, yet awe restrained

each nymph, though longing still to lay her hand upon it.

Some of the nymphs were called the daughters of River Aegaeus;

some inhabited the high summits of the Meliteian mountain;

and grove-nymphs came from plains, their spirits newly roused

by Hera, wife of Zeus, to honor Jason's name.

That cave is called even now the sacred Cave of Medea,

where nymphs united both in solemn bonds of marriage,