The Argonautica

near towering Mount Arganthonius and Cius' broad river-mouth.

The Mysians gave the traveling heroes a kindly welcome,

the land's own dwellers answered every traveler's want

with needed food and sheep, with wine beyond all measure.

There they brought dry wood; others gathered bedding

of meadow leaves in armfuls, reaped beyond measure,

to spread for sleep; still others rapidly twirled fire-sticks,

others mixed wine in kraters and prepared the feast,

having offered due sacrifice at dusk to Ecbasian Apollo.

But Heracles charged every comrade to begin feasting,

then strode to the woods, Zeus' son, seeking timber

to fashion swiftly a new oar fitted to his hands.

He found, after wandering, a fir bearing few branches,

lightly branched, with no huge crown of towering growth,

but straight and slender, like a young shoot of tall poplar;

So great it stood to view in length and massive girth.

Swiftly he set down his arrow-bearing quiver on earth

together with his hunting bow; then stripped away the lion-skin.

He jarred the fir loose from earth with his bronze-weighted club,

then clasped the trunk down low in both encompassing hands,

trusting his strength, he drove broad shoulder hard against it,

feet planted wide; he grappled the deep-rooted tree,

and heaved the trunk, roots, clods, and all, out of earth.

As when a ship's tall mast is suddenly struck without warning