168


970


980


990


THE ARGONAUTICA, BOOK II


Here once when Melanippe, daughter of Ares,
had gone forth, the hero Heracles caught her by
ambuscade and Hippolyte gave him her glistening
girdle as her sister's ransom, and he sent away his
captive unharmed. In the bay of this headland, at
the outfall of Thermodon, they ran ashore, for the
sea was rough for their voyage. No river is like
this, and none sends forth from itself such mighty
streams over the land. Ifa man should count every
one he would lack but four of a hundred, but the
real sprimg is only one. This flows down to the
plain from lofty mountains, which, men say,
are called the Amazonian mountains. Thence it
spreads inland over a hilly country straight forward ;
wherefrom its streams go winding on, and they roll
on, this way and that ever more, wherever best they
can reach the lower ground, one at a distance and
another near at hand; and many streams are
swallowed up in the sand and are without a name ;
but, mingled with a few, the main stream openly
bursts with its arching crest of foam into the
Inhospitable Pontus. And they would have tarried
there and have closed in battle with the Amazons,
and would have fought not without bloodshed—for
the Amazons were not gentle foes and regarded not
justice, those dwellers on the Doeantian plain ; but
grievous insolence and the works of Ares were all
their care; for by race they were the daughters of
Ares and the nymph Harmonia, who bare to Ares
war-loving maids, wedded to him in the glens of the
Acmonian wood—had not the breezes of Argestes
come again from Zeus; and with the wind they left
the rounded beach, where the Themiscyreian Amazons


169


APOLLONIUS RHODIUS


ov yap pave pees play ap TOALY, GAN aa yatav

KEKpLLevae KaTa gira duarpixa valet da Kov"

vor pu pev atid avtat, THow TOTE KoUpavees Kev

‘InorvTn, viodw 6¢ Auxdotiar aupevémovTo,

vood. & akxovtoBorot Xadyjovar. uated ad\rdw 1000

vuxti T émimAopéevn XadvVBov wapa yaiav ixovto.
