The Argonautica

how, conquered by force of arms, he yielded his honor to Cronus,

and she to Rhea; then both fell into Ocean's billows.

Cronus and Rhea then ruled the blessed Titan gods,

while Zeus remained a boy, still childlike in understanding,

dwelling deep inside the Dictaean cave; the earthborn

Cyclopes had not yet strengthened Zeus with the thunderbolt,

with thunder and lightning, for these grant Zeus his glory.

He ceased, holding back both the lyre and his ambrosial voice.

But though he had ended, still eagerly they stretched their heads forward,

all together, sitting silent, their ears held upright

spellbound: so strong the charm his song had left within them.

Not long thereafter, they mixed the libations for Zeus,

as custom ordered, stood and poured libations on the burning

tongues; then through darkness they turned their minds toward sleep.

But radiant Dawn with luminous eyes looked down on

Pelion's towering peaks; then wind rose, and the headlands

stood clear as they were washed by the sea's tossing water,

then Tiphys awoke and at once roused the sleeping companions

to board Argo, and set all the oars in order.

Pagasae's harbor uttered a terrible cry, and Pelian

Argo herself cried, urging her heroes to set forth.

For fixed within her was a godly beam, the one that Athena

had fitted in the mid-stem there, cut from Dodona's oak-tree.

Then one by one they boarded each assigned bench,