Fight between Polydeuces and Amycus, King of the Bebrycians; defeat and death of Amycus (1-97).—­Victory of the Argonauts over the Bebrycians; arrival at the abode of Phineus (98-177).—­History of Phineus and the Harpies, who are chased by Zetes and Calais, sons of Boreas (178-300).—­Prediction of Phineus and return of the sons of Boreas (301-447).—­Episode of Paraebius (448-499).—­Origin of the Etesian winds (500-527).—­Argo passes between the Symplegades by the aid of Athena (528-647).—­Arrival at the isle Thynias; apparition of Apollo, to whom they pay honour (648-719).—­Arrival among the Mariandyni, where King Lycus welcomes them (720-814).—­Deaths of Idmon and Tiphys:  Ancaeus chosen pilot (815-910).—­The Argonauts pass Sinope and the Cape of the Amazons, and reach the Chalybes (911-1008).—­Customs of the Tibareni and Mossynoeci (1009-1029).—­Contest with the birds of the isle Aretias, where they meet with the sons of Phrixus, shipwrecked on their way to Hellas (1030-1225).—­Arrival in Colchis (1226-1285).

BOOK II

Here were the oxstalls and farm of Amycus, the haughty king of the Bebrycians, whom once a nymph, Bithynian Melie, united to Poseidon Genethlius, bare—­the most arrogant of men; for even for strangers he laid down an insulting ordinance, that none should depart till they had made trial of him in boxing; and he had slain many of the neighbours.  And at that time too he went down to the ship and in his insolence scorned to ask them the occasion of their voyage, and who they were, but at once spake out among them all: 

“Listen, ye wanderers by sea, to what it befits you to know.  It is the rule that no stranger who comes to the Bebrycians should depart till he has raised his hands in battle against mine.  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.”

Thus he spake outright; but the other with rolling eyes glared on him, like to a lion struck by a javelin when hunters in the mountains are hemming him round, and, though pressed by the throng, he recks no more of them, but keeps his eyes fixed, singling out that man only who struck him first and slew him not.  Hereupon the son of Tyndareus laid aside his mantle, closely-woven, delicately-wrought, which one of the Lemnian maidens had given him as a pledge of hospitality; and the king threw down his dark cloak of double fold