Thus he spake, and the gods in their goodwill gave them a sign.  A trembling dove in her flight from a mighty hawk fell from on high, terrified, into the lap of Aeson’s son, and the hawk fell impaled on the stern-ornament.  And quickly Mopsus with prophetic words spake among them all: 

“For you, friends, this sign has been wrought by the will of heaven; in no other way is it possible to interpret its meaning better, than to seek out the maiden and entreat her with manifold skill.  And I think she will not reject our prayer, if in truth Phineus said that our return should be with the help of the Cyprian goddess.  It was her gentle bird that escaped death; and as my heart within me foresees according to this omen, so may it prove!  But, my friends, let us call on Cytherea to aid us, and now at once obey the counsels of Argus.”

He spake, and the warriors approved, remembering the injunctions of Phineus; but all alone leapt up Aphareian Idas and shouted loudly in terrible wrath:  “Shame on us, have we come here fellow-voyagers with women, calling on Cypris for help and not on the mighty strength of Enyalius?  And do ye look to doves and hawks to save yourselves from contests?  Away with you, take thought not for deeds of war, but by supplication to beguile weakling girls.”

Such were his eager words; and of his comrades many murmured low, but none uttered a word of answer back.  And he sat down in wrath; and at once Jason roused them and uttered his own thought:  “Let Argus set forth from the ship, since this pleases all; but we will now move from the river and openly fasten our hawsers to the shore.  For surely it is not fitting for us to hide any longer cowering from the battle-cry.”

So he spake, and straightway sent Argus to return in haste to the city; and they drew the anchors on board at the command of Aeson’s son, and rowed the ship close to the shore, a little away from the back-water.

But straightway Aeetes held an assembly of the Colchians far aloof from his palace at a spot where they sat in times before, to devise against the Minyae grim treachery and troubles.  And he threatened that when first the oxen should have torn in pieces the man who had taken upon him to perform the heavy task, he would hew down the oak grove above the wooded hill, and burn the ship and her crew, that so they might vent forth in ruin their grievous insolence, for all their haughty schemes.  For never would he have welcomed the Aeolid Phrixus as a guest in his halls, in spite of his sore need, Phrixus, who surpassed all strangers in gentleness and fear of the gods, had not Zeus himself sent Hermes his messenger down from heaven, so that he might meet with a friendly host; much less would pirates coming to his land be let go scatheless for long, men whose care it was to lift their hands and seize the goods of others, and to weave secret webs of guile, and harry the steadings of herdsmen with ill-sounding forays.  And he