“Why against the counsel of mighty Zeus do ye purpose to lead bold Heracles to the city of Aeetes?  At Argos it is his fate to labour for insolent Eurystheus and to accomplish full twelve toils and dwell with the immortals, if so be that he bring to fulfilment a few more yet; wherefore let there be no vain regret for him.  Likewise it is destined for Polyphemus to found a glorious city at the mouth of Cius among the Mysians and to fill up the measure of his fate in the vast land of the Chalybes.  But a goddess-nymph through love has made Hylas her husband, on whose account those two wandered and were left behind.”

He spake, and with a plunge wrapped him about with the restless wave; and round him the dark water foamed in seething eddies and dashed against the hollow ship as it moved through the sea.  And the heroes rejoiced, and Telamon son of Aeacus came in haste to Jason, and grasping his hand in his own embraced him with these words: 

“Son of Aeson, be not wroth with me, if in my folly I have erred, for grief wrought upon me to utter a word arrogant and intolerable.  But let me give my fault to the winds and let our hearts be joined as before.”

Him the son of Aeson with prudence addressed:  “Good friend, assuredly with an evil word didst thou revile me, saying before them all that I was the wronger of a kindly man.  But not for long will I nurse bitter wrath, though indeed before I was grieved.  For it was not for flocks of sheep, no, nor for possessions that thou wast angered to fury, but for a man, thy comrade.  And I were fain thou wouldst even champion me against another man if a like thing should ever befall me.”

He spake, and they sat down, united as of old.  But of those two, by the counsel of Zeus, one, Polyphemus son of Eilatus, was destined to found and build a city among the Mysians bearing the river’s name, and the other, Heracles, to return and toil at the labours of Eurystheus.  And he threatened to lay waste the Mysian land at once, should they not discover for him the doom of Hylas, whether living or dead.  And for him they gave pledges choosing out the noblest sons of the people and took an oath that they would never cease from their labour of search.  Therefore to this day the people of Cius enquire for Hylas the son of Theiodamas; and take thought for the well-built Trachis.  For there did Heracles settle the youths whom they sent from Cius as pledges.

And all day long and all night the wind bore the ship on, blowing fresh and strong; but when dawn rose there was not even a breath of air.  And they marked a beach jutting forth from a bend of the coast, very broad to behold, and by dint of rowing came to land at sunrise.

BOOK II

SUMMARY OF BOOK II