Phrixus

Cretheus, the father of Aeson, and Peleus was of the race of Aeolus, and of the race of Aeolus too was Athamas, the king who ruled in Thebes at the same time that Cretheus ruled in Iolcus.

And the first children of Athamas were Phrixus and Hela.

Ah, Phrixus, and ah, Hela, Alcimede lamented, what griefs you have brought on the race of Aeolus, and what griefs you yourselves suffered.

The evil that Athamas your father did you lives to be a curse to the line of Aeolus.

Athamas was wedded first to Nephile, the mother of Phrixus and Hela, the youth and maiden.

But Athamas married again while the mother of these children was still living, and Ino, the new queen, drove Nephile and her children out of the king's palace.

And now was Nephile most unhappy.

She had to live as a servant, and her children were servants to the servants of the palace.

Surely better had it been for him if he were lying beneath the earth, enveloped in his shroud, still unconscious of bitter toils.

Would that the dark wave, when the maiden Helley perished, had overwhelmed Phrixus too with the ram.

But a dire portent even sent forth a human voice that it might cause to Alcimede sorrows and countless pains hereafter.

Thus the women spake at the departure of the heroes.

Now I, once so admired among Achaean women, shall be left behind like a bondwoman in my empty halls, pining away, ill-fated one, for love of thee, thee, on whose account I had aforetime so much splendor and renown, my only son, for whom I loosed my virgin zone first and last.

For to me beyond others the goddess Eileithyia grudged abundant offspring.

Alas for my folly! Not once, not even in innate dreams did I forebode this, that the flight of Phrixus would bring me woe.

Thus with moaning she wept, and her handmaidens, standing by, lamented.

There was a prince of our blood, Athamas by name, whose wife died and left him with two young children, and in no long time he wedded another.

Now this second bride proved a cruel stepdame, and when sons were born to her, she plotted death for Phrixus, the eldest born of the first wife, that her own children might inherit the kingdom.

She caused all the seeds sown in the land to be secretly poisoned, and when many that ate the corn sickened and died, she brought her husband to believe that the gods had sent a pestilence on the people which must be stayed by some great sacrifice.

Then did she bribe a wicked seer to declare that the wrath of the gods could be turned away by no other victim than the king's firstborn son.

But when the boy Phrixus was laid on the altar stone and the knife upraised to slay him, the gods delivered him out of her hands in wondrous wise, for a ram with curly fleece of gold stood suddenly on the altar.

And while all shrank back amazed, the boy threw himself upon its back and it rose with him into the air.

Over land and sea it flew till it brought him to the country of the Colchians in the unknown regions far northward, and there, by divine bidding, he sacrificed it to Aries, god of the land, and hung its golden fleece on a tree of his sacred grove.

Yes, such is the message his unquiet ghost has sent me in a dream.

There was a prince of our blood, Athamas by name, whose wife died and left him with two young children, and in no long time he wedded another.

Now this second bride proved a cruel step-dame, and when sons were born to her she plotted death for Phrixus, the eldest born of the first wife, that her own children might inherit the kingdom.

She caused all the seed sown in the land to be secretly poisoned, and when many that ate the corn sickened and died she brought her husband to believe that the gods had sent a pestilence on the people which must be stayed by some great sacrifice.

Then did she bribe a wicked seer to declare that the wrath of the gods could be turned away by no other victim than the king's firstborn son.

But when the boy Phrixus was laid on the altar stone, and the knife upraised to slay him, the gods delivered him out of her hands in wondrous wise.

For a ram with curly fleece of gold stood suddenly on the altar, and while all shrank back amazed, the boy threw himself upon its back, and it rose with him into the air.

Over land and sea it flew till it brought him to the country of the Colchians in the unknown regions far northward.

And when I sought counsel of the god at Delphi, answer came from the place of prophecy that I should straightway launch a ship to sail on the hallowed quest.

It is not proper, however, to disoblige Bacchus, Amphitrite.

But she, pray, what possessed her to fall off the ram while her brother Phrixus rides safely?

It happened as might be expected; for he is a young man, and able to hold on against the rapid motion.

But she by reason of her inexperience, upon mounting the strange vehicle and gazing into the yawning depths was stupefied, and at the same time overcome by terror; and becoming giddy from the excessive rapidity of the flight, lost her hold on the ram's horns, to which until then she had clung, and fell into the sea.

This island, however, is not pledged, for it was invisible.

I perceive.

Stand still, island, and rise again from the deep, and no longer be borne along under the waves, but remain firm and motionless, and receive and harbor, O most highly favored one, the two children of my brother, the most beautiful of the gods.

And do you, Tritons, convey the lady across to it, and let a universal calm prevail.

Æson too, ill-fated man Surely better had it been for him if he were lying beneath the earth, enveloped in his shroud, still unconscious of bitter toils.

Would that the dark wave, when the maiden Heli perished, had overwhelmed Phrixus too with the ram.

But a dire portent even sent forth a human voice that it might cause to Alcimede sorrows and countless pains hereafter.

Thus the women spake at the departure of the heroes.

Now I, once so admired among Achaean women, shall be left behind like a bondwoman in my empty halls, pining away, ill-fated one, for love of thee, thee on whose account I had aforetime so much splendor and renown, my only son, for whom I loosed my virgin zone first and last.

For to me beyond others the goddess Eilethia grudged abundant offspring.

Alas for my folly! Not once, not even in nay dreams did I forebode this, that the flight of Phrixus would bring me woe.

Thus with moaning she wept, and her handmaidens, standing by, lamented.

There was a prince of our blood, Athamas by name, whose wife died and left him with two young children, and in no long time he wedded another.

Now the second bride proved a cruel step-dame, and when sons were born to her she plotted death for Phrixus, the eldest born of the first wife, that her own children might inherit the kingdom.

She caused all the seeds sown in the land to be secretly poisoned, and when many that ate the corn sickened and died she brought her husband to believe that the gods had sent a pestilence on the people which must be stayed by some great sacrifice.

Then did she bribe a wicked seer to declare that the wrath of the gods could be turned away by no other victim than the king's firstborn son.

But when the boy Phrixus was laid on the altar stone and the knife upraised to slay him, the gods delivered him out of her hands in wondrous wise.

For a ram with curly fleece of gold stood suddenly on the altar, and while all shrank back amazed, the boy threw himself upon its back and it rose with him into the air.

Over land and sea it flew till it brought him to the country of the Colchians in the unknown regions far northward.

Yes, such is the message his unquiet ghost has sent me in a dream.