Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/269

 RETURN OF THE ARGONAUTS. 237 attempt. Idmon especially encouraged Jason to undertake it. 1 and the goddesses Here and Aphrodite made straight the way for him. 2 Medea, the daughter of JEetes and Eidvia, having seen the youthful hero in his interview with her father, had con- ceived towards him a passion which disposed her to employ every means for his salvation and success. She had received from Hekate preeminent magical powers, and she prepared for Jason the powerful Prometheian unguent, extracted froman herb which had grown where the blood of Prometheus dropped. The body of Jason having been thus pre-medicated, became invulnerable 3 either by fire or by warlike weapons. He undertook the enter- prise, yoked the bulls without suffering injury, and ploughed the field : when he had sown the dragon's teeth, armed men sprung out of the furrows. But he had been forewarned by Medea to cast a vast rock into the midst of them, upon which they began to fight with each other, so that he was easily enabled to subdue them all. 4 The task prescribed had thus been triumphantly performed. Yet JEetes not only refused to hand over the golden fleece, but even took measures for secretly destroying the Argonauts and burning their vessel. He designed to murder them during the night after a festal banquet; but Aphrodite, watchful for the safety of Jason, 5 inspired the Kolchian king at the critical mo- ment with an irresistible inclination for his nuptial bed. While he slept, the wise Idmon counselled the Argonauts to make their escape, and Medea agreed to accompany them. 5 She lulled to Bleep by a magic potion the dragon who guarded the golden fleece, 1 This was the story of the Naupaktian Verses (Schol. Apollon. Rhod. iii. 515-525) : Apollonius and others altered it. Idmon, according to them, died in the voyage before the arrival at Kolchis. 2 Apollon. Rhod. iii. 50-200. Valer. Flacc. vi. 440-480. Hygin. fab. 22. 3 Apollon. Rhod. iii. 835. Apollodor. i. 9, 23. Valer. Flacc. vii. 356 Ovid, Epist. xii. 15. ' ; Isset anhelatos non praemedicatus in ignes Immemor JEsonides, oraque adunca bourn." 4 Apollon. Rhod. iii. 1230-1400. 5 The Naupaktian Verses stated this (see the Fragm. 6, ed. Ddntzer, p. 61), ap. Schol. Apollon. Rhod. iv. 59-86). 8 Such was the story of the Naupaktian Verses (See Fragm. 6. p 61 Daniser ap. Schol. Apollon. Rhod. iv. 59, 86, 87).