Polydeuces

And this last little bit here is related to where we're going to pick up today.

So when the Miriandini are welcoming the Argonauts as victors over their enemy Amicus, whose encounter with the heroes has been described in line one following, their king promises to found a cult of the Tindaridae in order to honor Polydeuces for killing Amicus.

So this is something this relates to what we've talked about also at some length about that Hellenistic interest in ethnography, in different peoples, different tribes, different customs and the like.

And so probably Apollonius is littering his epic with these kinds of things because he knows his audience.

Makes everybody fight him.

Right.

And it's Polydeuces who challenges him and ultimately crushes his skull and kills him.

That's correct.

But if ye pay no heed, and trample my decrees under foot, assuredly to your sorrow will stern necessity come upon you.

Thus he spake in his pride, but fierce anger seized them when they heard it, and the challenge smote Polydeuces most of all.

And quickly he stood forth his comrade's champion, and cried, Hold now, and display not to us thy brutal violence, whoever thou art.

For we will obey thy rules, as thou sayest.

But this way the heroes took the ship through the Acherusian headlands, and came to land over against it as the wind had just ceased.

Not long had they come unmarked by Lycus, the lord of that land and the Mariandyni, they the slayers of Amycus, according to the report which the people heard before; but for that very deed they even made a league with the heroes.

And Polydeuces himself they welcomed as a god, flocking from every side, since for a long time they had been warring against the arrogant Bebrycians.

And so they went up all together into the city, and all that day with friendly feelings made ready a feast within the palace of Lycus, and gladdened their souls with converse.

Strangers, said he, this is the country of the Colcheans, and yonder house is the palace of Aeëtes their king.

Then Jason and the two comrades with him, who were Castor and Polydeuces, were glad because they were at their journey's end, and they went into the palace and found the king sitting in the hall among his chieftains, dark-skinned men of fierce countenance, clad in golden armor of strange fashion.

Aeëtes looked grimly upon the strangers, then he bade them sit down and feast with him, and his slaves set food before them in plenty, and dark sweet drink brewed of herbs and honey.

When they had eaten and drunk, the king asked them whence they came and where they had left the ship that brought them, for he knew that they must have come by sea to his country since by land it was walled about with trackless forests.

The Heavenly Twins, Part 2.

After the marriage of the two princesses, Queen Leda said to her sons, It is time that you went on your travels like other princes in search of brides, and brought me home two new daughters to take the place of Helen and Clytemnestra.

But Castor and Polydeuces had no mind to be wedded, for they loved each other with a great love, and desired nothing else than to pass their whole lives together.

So they said to their mother, Why should we bring stranger women into our house, who like enough would stir up strife between us, and vex your heart also? Nay, mother, we will let such things alone till we are older.

Section four, The Assembling of the Heroes and the Building of the Ship.

First there came the youths Castor and Polydeuces.

They came riding on white horses, two noble-looking brothers.

From Sparta they came, and their mother was Leda, who, after the twin brothers, had another child born to her, Helen, for whose sake the sons of many of Jason's friends were to wage war against the great city of Troy.

She had dedicated herself to Artemis, the guardian of the wild things, and she had vowed that she would remain unwedded.

All the heroes welcomed Atalanta as a comrade, and the maiden did all the things that the young men did.

There came a hero who was less youthful than Castor or Polydeuces.

He was a man good in counsel named Nestor.

To him Clytius and Iphitus joined themselves, the warders of Ecalia.

Sons of Eurytus the ruthless Eurytus to whom the far-shooting god gave his bow but he had no joy of the gift for of his own choice he strove even with the giver after them came the sons of Aeacus not both together nor from the same spot for they settled far from Aegina in exile when in their folly they had slain their brother Phpheus Telamon dwelt in the Attic island but Peleus departed and made his home in Phthia after them from Cecropia came warlike Butes son of brave Tileon and Phalerus of the ashen spear Alcon his father sent him forth yet no other sons had he to care for his old age and livelihood but him his well-beloved and only son he sent forth that amid bold heroes he might shine conspicuous but Theseus who surpassed all the sons of Erichthius an unseen bond kept beneath the land of Taenarus for he had followed that path with Pirithous assuredly both would have lightened for all the fulfilment of their toil Tiphys son of Hegneus left the Siphean people of the Thespians well skilled to foretell the rising wave on the broad sea and well skilled to infer from sun and star the stormy winds and the time for sailing Tritonian Athena herself urged him to join the band of chiefs and he came among them a welcome comrade she herself too fashioned the swift ship and with her Argus son of Arista wrought it by her counsels wherefore it proved the most excellent of all ships that have made trial of the sea with oars after them came Phlegyas from Erythrae where he dwelt in affluence by the favour of his father Dionysus in his home by the springs of Asopus from Argos came Talaus and Areius sons of Bias and mighty Leodocus all of whom Pero daughter of Neleus bare on her account the Aeolid Melampus endured sore affliction in the steading of Iphiclus nor do we learn that Heracles of the mighty heart disregarded the eager summons of Iason's son but when he heard a report of the heroes gathering and had reached Lercaean Argos from Arcadia by the road along which he carried the boar alive that fed in the thickets of Lympia near the vast Erymanthian swamp the boar bound with chains he put down from his huge shoulders at the entrance to the marketplace of Mycenae and himself of his own will set out against the purpose of Eurystheus and with him went Hylas a brave comrade in the flower of youth to bear his arrows and to guard his bow next to him came a scion of the race of divine Danaus Nauplius he was the son of Clytoneus son of Nobilus Nobilus was son of Lernus Lernus we know was the son of Prytus son of Nauplius and once Amymone daughter of Danaus wedded to Poseidon bare Nauplius who surpassed all men in naval skill Idmon came last of all them that dwelt at Argos for though he had learned his own fate by augury he came that the people might not grudge him fair renown he was not in truth the son of Abas but Leto's son himself begat him to be numbered among the illustrious Aeolids and himself taught him the art of prophecy to pay heed to birds and to observe the signs of the burning sacrifice moreover Aetolian Leda sent from Sparta strong Polydeuces and Castor skilled to guide swift-footed steeds these her dearly loved sons she bare at one birth in the house of Tyndareus nor did she forbid their departure for she had thoughts worthy of the bride of Zeus the son of Aphareus Lynceus and proud Idas came from Oeni both exulting in their great strength and Lynceus too excelled in keenest sight if the report is true that that hero could easily direct his sight even beneath the earth and with them Pylean Periclymenus set out to come eldest of all the sons of godlike Neleus who were born at Pylos Poseidon had given him boundless strength and granted him that whatever shape he should crave during the fight that he should take in the stress of battle moreover from Arcadia came Amphidamas and Cepheus who inhabited Tegea and the allotment of Ophietus two sons of Aldus and Enceus followed them as the third whom his father Lycurgus sent the brother older than both but he was left in the city to care for Alectryone now growing old while he gave his son to join his brothers Antaeus went clad in the skin of a Maenalian bear and wielding in his right hand a huge two-edged battle-axe for his armour his grandsire had hidden in the house's innermost recess to see if he might by some means still stay his departure There came also Ogyges, whom fame declared to be the son of Helios.

He reigned over the Eleans, glorying in his wealth, and greatly he desired to behold the Colchian land and Aeetes himself, the ruler of the Colchians.

Asterius and Amphion, sons of Hyperasius, came from Achaean Pylae, which once Peleus, their grandsire, founded on the brows of Aegialus.

Wherefore select your bravest warrior from the host, and set him here on the spot to contend with me in boxing.

But if ye pay no heed, and trample my decrees under foot, assuredly to your sorrow will stern necessity come upon you.

Thus he spake in his pride; but fierce anger seized them when they heard it; and the challenge smote Polydeuces most of all; and quickly he stood forth his comrades' champion, and cried: Hold now, and display not to us thy brutal violence, whoever thou art; for we will obey thy rules, as thou sayest.

Willingly now do I myself undertake to meet thee.

As they drew near, a lad met them driving cows to pasture, and they asked him the name of the land and who dwelt in that house.

"Strangers," said he, "this is the country of the Colchians, and yonder house is the palace of Aeëtes, their king." Then Jason and the two comrades with him, who were Castor and Polydeuces, were glad because they were at their journey's end.

And they went into the palace and found the king sitting in the hall among his chieftains, dark-skinned men of fierce countenance, clad in golden armor of strange fashion.

Aeëtes looked grimly upon the strangers, but he bade them sit down and feast with him, and his slaves set food before them in plenty, and dark sweet drink brewed of herbs and honey.

The Golden Porch by W.M.L. Hutchinson.

The Heavenly Twins, Part Two.

After the marriage of the two princesses, Queen Leda said to her sons, "It is time that you went on your travels like other princes in search of brides and brought me home two new daughters to take the place of Helen and Clytemnestra." But Castor and Polydeuces had no mind to be wedded, for they loved each other with a great love and desired nothing else than to pass their whole lives together.

So they said to their mother, "Why should we bring stranger women into our house who like enough would stir up strife between us and vex your heart also? Nay, Mother, we will let such things alone till we are older.

Strangers, said he, this is the country of the Colcheans, and yonder house is the palace of Aeëtes, their king.

Then Jason and the two comrades with him, who were Castor and Polydeuces, were glad because they were at their journey's end.

And they went into the palace and found the king sitting in the hall among his chieftains, dark-skinned men of fierce countenance, clad in golden armor of strange fashion.

Aeëtes looked grimly upon the strangers, but he bade them sit down and feast with him, and his slaves set food before them in plenty, and dark sweet drink brewed of herbs and honey.

The Golden Porch by W. M. L. Hutchinson.

The Heavenly Twins, part two.

After the marriage of the two princesses, Queen Leda said to her sons, "It is time that you went on your travels like other princes in search of brides and brought me home two new daughters to take the place of Helen and Clytemnestra." But Castor and Polydeuces had no mind to be wedded, for they loved each other with a great love and desired nothing else than to pass their whole lives together.

So they said to their mother, "Why should we bring stranger women into our house, who like enough would stir up strife between us and vex your heart also? Nay, mother, we will let such things alone till we are older.

For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org.

The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles by Parrick Column Section 4 The Assembling of the Heroes and the Building of the Ship First there came the youths Castor and Polydeuces.

They came riding on white horses, two noble-looking brothers.

From Sparta they came, and their mother was Leda, who, after the twin brothers, had another child born to her, Helen, for whose sake the sons of many of Jason's friends were to wage war against the great city of Troy.

She had dedicated herself to Artemis, the guardian of the wild things, and she had vowed that she would remain unwedded.

All the heroes welcomed Atalanta as a comrade, and the maiden did all the things that the young men did.

There came a hero who was less youthful than Castor or Polydeuces.

He was a man good in counsel named Nestor.

[laughs]

Polydeuces, also known as Pollux, uh, brother of Castor and Helen of Sparta, as she currently is, uh, son of Tyndareus, steps up to fight.

Apollonius says he is like a shining star, and Amycos is like the son of Typhon, a monster.

A little bit biased.

Amycos swings really hard, but Polydeuces is quick, and he dodges all the blows, then sneaks in, whacks Amycos on the top of the head, and kills him with one blow.

And then they kill some Bebrycians, and sail off, and land not that far away, actually, at a place where a blind old man named Phineus is being tortured daily by Zeus.

So Phineus can see the future, and what he did in the past was reveal too much of the future.