On the Argo, everything had been made ready for the ship’s departure for quite some time now. Some were getting irritated on account of Heracles’ and Hylas’ absence and were suggesting that they leave without them. Others pleaded that they should wait because Heracles’ exceptional force was a formidable protection for them. The hours passed. Then the days. Heracles did not come back. One night, Jason once more consulted the talking oak at the ship’s prow.
“What must I do?” he murmured.
And the oak replied: “Other adventures await the mighty Heracles. You must leave him here, for he does not belong among those who will bring back the Golden Fleece.”
To be continued…
EPISODE 80
IN WHICH A BOXING CHAMPION CHALLENGES THE ARGONAUTS
Previously: The Argonauts have just had a cruel experience: they have been obliged to abandon Heracles at their last port of call.
Jason took to the sea again, setting course for the land of the Golden Fleece. But they soon began to run out of water and food once more. The ship was approaching an island and they decided to stop there to replenish their stocks. On the shore where the Argonauts had just arrived, a crowd of people had assembled around one man. This man was Amycus, the king of the island. Jason set foot on land, followed close behind by Echion, and he approached the king in order to present him his greetings. The king was still a young man, of massive stature. He was wearing garments which enhanced his powerful muscles. His attitude was very arrogant and Jason formed an instant dislike of him.
“Good morning, O king,” said Jason, “we are heading towards Colchis and we need water and provisions.”
“It is our custom to invite passing strangers to a boxing match. If they win, they obtain fresh provisions. Otherwise…”
Amycus did not finish his sentence, although a smile appeared on his face. Nothing of this scene escaped Echion. He had understood that a trap was closing up on them. Heracles, the strongest of the Argonauts, was no longer on board and the island appeared to have a fearsome champion. With the smile still on his lips, Amycus said:
“You see that high cliff over there, which plummets straight down into the sea? Look at it well, stranger, for those who refuse to fight our champion are immediately pushed off the top of that cliff!”
Echion could not prevent himself from trembling. He looked in the direction indicated by the king, and the height of the cliff took his breath away. Down below the sea bubbled angrily. Anyone falling in there would inevitably be torn to pieces by the rocks. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought with all his might of his father Hermes. Oh, if only he too had wings on his feet… He reopened his eyes. Unfortunately, he was still surrounded by menacing guards. The nightmare continued.
“In that case,” said Jason, “we will send our champion. Who is yours?”
King Amycus puffed out his chest and answered: “It is I, of course. I am the son of Poseidon, the god of the Seas, and I am stronger than any man.” He threw a pair of gloves on the ground for the fight, and before he went away he shouted: “We meet this evening in that flowering dale just behind this beach.”
Jason went back on board, lost in deep thought. Which of the Argonauts could possibly face this brute with some chance of winning? “Why did I take all these valorous Greeks with me on this adventure?” Jason wondered to himself. But he was not left in doubt for too long. Echion had already told the whole story to the Argonauts. One of them, Polydeuces, came forward:
“I was a boxing champion at the last games at Olympia. I feel ready to fight Amycus. He may be stronger and younger than I am, but even in boxing you also need to use your head.”
The evening came. The meeting place was a breathtakingly beautiful dale, carpeted with flowers. Orpheus, who had come with his lyre, could not prevent himself from singing of the beauty of this landscape, to the great astonishment of the inhabitants, who had never taken any notice of it. But once King Amycus arrived at the appointed place of the match, both beauty and music were driven brutally away. He was quite impressive, with his bull’s neck and his enormous muscles. Polydeuces, slender, almost thin, was half his weight and twice his age; he risked being wiped out within minutes, especially since he had simple leather gloves, while those of Amycus were embellished with studs of bronze. The match clearly seemed unequal.
The fighting began. Amycus charged dead ahead. Polydeuces contented himself with avoiding the attacks. He observed him, sought to guess his points of weakness. The other roared, exhausted his strength in attacking his opponent, but in vain. Amycus became more and more exasperated. It was as if Polydeuces were not fighting at all since he did not return a single blow. Amycus attacked even more furiously. The fearsome studs of his gloves missed their target each time, but only barely. The combat lasted for several hours. Night was about to fall when Polydeuces, who had been observing Amycus for a long time, at last discovered his flaw. Amycus kept his hands too far apart. Polydeuces took advantage of this to thrust his fist right between them and crush his nose. Taken by surprise, Amycus wavered. Polydeuces then launched a series of blows against which Amycus was unable to defend himself. His great mass of muscles was useless against Polydeuces’ precision. He reeled. At that instant, Polydeuces dealt him a huge blow on the temple which left him dead on the ground. There was an eruption of joy from the Argonauts. As the ship sailed away full of provisions, Echion, who was looking at the coastline receding into the distance, murmured in Jason’s ear:
“We have just defeated a son of Poseidon.”
“I know,” replied the leader of the Argonauts softly.
What would be the reaction of the god of the Seas?
To be continued…
EPISODE 81
IN WHICH THE ARGONAUTS FIGHT AGAINST THE HARPIES
Previously: Thanks to Polydeuces, one of the Argonauts who had been an Olympic boxing champion, the fearsome King Amycus has been defeated. The ship has been able to sail away again well stocked with water and food.
The ship had been sailing for a day at the most when the Argonauts heard heart-rending wailings. These came from a small island past which they were sailing. A man was weeping somewhere nearby. The Argonauts were all quite overcome by what they were hearing. Oblivious to all danger, Jason decided to make landfall. They set off into the night to look for the sobbing man. They lit torches and about a dozen of them went ashore. Echion was one of the members of that company, and so was his brother Eurytus. The wailings were so loud that it did not take them long to locate their source. They came from a cave. An offensive smell emanated from it. Despite their repugnance, Jason and his comrades went inside and found the most wretched creature one could possibly imagine. Lying on the bare, rocky ground, an old man of incredible thinness was groaning loudly. He was nothing but skin and bones. Upon hearing the Argonauts enter, he turned towards them with gleaming, feverish eyes, and he gestured to them that he was thirsty and hungry. Moved by pity, the young men hurried to him. They lifted him up gently to his feet, helped him sit by the cave’s entrance and then they took out food from their bags. The old man was stretching out a trembling hand when a horrible thing happened. Two winged monsters appeared and swooped down on the food. “The Harpies! The Harpies!” howled the old man. They were some kind of great vulture with a woman’s head, a crooked beak and sharp talons. These monsters were in the service of Zeus. He sent them from time to time to avenge himself against humans who had disobeyed him. In an instant, the two Harpies had eaten most of the food. They relieved themselves on anything that they had left uneaten, fouled the water too, then they went away again, leaving behind them a dreadful smell. The Argonauts were horrified.
“Who are you and what on earth did you do, for Zeus to punish you in this manner?” asked Jason.
“My name is Phineas,” replied the man in a trembling voice. “My only fault is to possess a gift: I am able to predict the future without ever being wrong. Zeus cannot abide the fact that I can unveil all his mysteries. This is
why he sends me his Harpies. And I am dying of hunger and thirst in the midst of this vile stench…” Exhausted, King Phineas stopped talking. A tear ran down his cheek.
The Argonauts were appalled. Two among them, Zetes and Calaïs, approached Jason and said to him: “We are the sons of Boreas, the god of the Wind. We are so swift that we can chase after the Harpies. Give us leave to try.” Jason did not hesitate for an instant. Phineas’ suffering was too unjust.
The Argonauts took out more food to feed the old man. Instantly, the stinking Harpies reappeared. But Zetes and Calaïs were waiting for them, sure-footed, swords drawn. The Harpies approached; the two youths pursued them. The monsters fled but the two sons of the Wind were as fast as they were. They were about to fall crashing upon them when Hermes appeared in the sky by their sides and averted their swords. “Zeus has sent me to stop you from killing his Harpies,” he told them. “But in recompense for your bravery, I have convinced Zeus to tell them to leave old Phineas in peace.” The Harpies disappeared far into the distance.
The sons of the Wind lowered their weapons and returned to their comrades, accompanied by Hermes. The joy of Echion and Eurytus at seeing their father again was great. Deeply moved, Hermes held them both tight against his heart. He was always amazed by this surge of tenderness, this effervescence inside him each time he held his children in his arms. It was enough for him simply to think of them to be filled with profound happiness. On board the ship the evening was gentle and joyful.
When, early at dawn, Hermes left his sons again, he told them: “I am proud of your courage, my children. But arm yourselves with patience, for the way is still long and full of adventures…”
To be continued…
EPISODE 82
IN WHICH THE ARGONAUTS FIND THEMSELVES BEFORE THE BLUE ROCKS
Previously: Thanks to two Argonauts, who were the sons of the god of the Wind, the monstrous Harpies who were pestering poor King Phineas have been vanquished.
The following day, Jason and his comrades watched old King Phineas as he devoured everything that was brought to him. The old man was already regaining some of his strength.
“I do not know how to thank you for saving my life,” he said to them.
The Argonauts stood around him, proud and content. The one with the readiest tongue among them, Eurytus, dared to ask:
“King Phineas, since you know so well how to foretell the future, couldn’t you reveal to us all that will happen to us?”
But Phineas replied: “Men should not know everything about their destiny. If you knew your story before living it, you would not be free to write it as you wish it to be. The only thing that I may reveal to you concerns your next adventure. You shall soon arrive before the fearsome blue rocks. In order to know whether you will succeed in crossing them before they close upon you, release a dove. If the dove succeeds in getting through, you shall pass. If she fails, make an about-turn and abandon this journey. Know that no one has ever succeeded in crossing them. If you can achieve this, they shall remain fixed for all eternity and a pathway will have been opened for every ship.”
All the Argonauts thanked the old man for his counsel and left him. But Phineas had one last word of advice for Jason, and for him alone: “If you reach Colchis, in order to take away the Golden Fleece you shall have to place your trust in Aphrodite, the goddess of Love.” Jason nodded his head in assent and left.
The atmosphere was very jovial aboard the ship. The oarsmen pushed briskly on their oars, accompanied by the joyful songs of Orpheus. Echion was already composing the narrative of their adventures and it caused great peals of laughter. All of a sudden, a blue-tinted mist descended upon them and enveloped the Argo. Nothing could be seen on the sea and they had to lift up their oars. Jason, standing post at the ship’s bow, stared hard all around trying to make something out. “The blue rocks!” shouted Eurytus, who discovered them first. Silence fell. Nothing could be heard now except the lapping of the waves. Jason took the dove that they had brought with them and released her. The bird flew away. Through the mist, they could make out the rocks separating and coming together in a frightening manner. The ship was following the dove gently. She avoided the rocks, which were trying to close up on her, and pressed valiantly on. The ship tried to follow her. It now advanced through the blue rocks. They came clashing together, separated again, threatening each time to grind them to dust. But the dove progressed, and so did the ship. Soon the trap was going to be left behind them. All of a sudden, a dull slamming sound was heard: two rocks had just clashed together, plucking two feathers from the dove’s tail. And at that very moment a shock was felt abaft: the rocks, as they clashed together, had just pinched off a small section of the Argo’s stern. It was nothing serious, however; the ship could continue its course. This is how it reached the other side of the blue rocks. A gigantic shout of joy was heard. They had succeeded! Looking at the dove flying away to freedom, Jason felt tears of joy well up inside him.
During the days that followed, the Argo went past the Caucasus mountain range. On one of the mountains, a long-haired Giant was chained to a rock. An eagle would swoop down on him and devour his liver. The Argonauts understood that they had just seen Prometheus. The ones most deeply moved were Echion and Eurytus.
“We cannot abandon him!” cried the one.
“He is the one who created us, he is the father of men!” cried the other.
“You are talking nonsense,” scolded Jason, “we cannot go against the will of Zeus, it is he who is master of the world.” And he refused to go to Prometheus’ aid.
The sons of Hermes were furious with Jason for the first time. Hermes, who was never too far away from the Argonauts, felt a great fondness for his sons. He too had great affection for Prometheus. On the following night, while everyone was asleep, Hermes approached his sons and whispered in their ears: “Don’t worry, Heracles will come soon. It is he who shall deliver Prometheus from his chains… You, the Argonauts, must bring back the Golden Fleece. And you haven’t won that gamble yet.”
To be continued…
EPISODE 83
IN WHICH THE GODS INTERFERE IN JASON’S AFFAIRS
Previously: By following the dove, the Argonauts have successfully forced their way through the perilous blue rocks.
The way to the land of the Golden Fleece is now open.
Since the start of Jason’s expedition, Hermes had been following them discreetly so he could offer his protection to his two beloved sons. And so, once the Argo was only a few hours away from Colchis, he decided to give them a little boost. He knew that white-armed Hera had also decided to protect the Argonauts, ever since Jason helped her cross a torrent when she was disguised as an old woman. When he became a dad himself, Hermes had stopped detesting his stepmother Hera, but he still mistrusted her. That morning he decided nonetheless to ask her for her help. And Hera had some good advice to offer. She whispered her plan in his ear.
“Bravo!” he said admiringly. “But Aphrodite will have to be persuaded… Not an easy task!”
“I will take care of it,” replied Hera.
When Aphrodite, the goddess of Love, saw Hera enter her rooms, she was very surprised. Her sister-in-law never came to her apartments. When she understood that the great goddess had a secret plan and that in order to bring this plan to fruition she needed her help, Aphrodite was filled with enormous pride. She agreed to join the conspiracy. She went in turn to the house of her son Cupid. Cupid was an adorable child whose only pastime was his bow and arrows. Each time he sent one of his arrows into the heart of a man or a woman, he or she fell in love for ever.
“Look, darling,” said Aphrodite, holding out to him a pretty golden ball with blue streaks, “this toy belonged to Zeus, your grandfather, when he was a little boy. Look, if you throw the ball in the air, it leaves behind a golden trace, like that of a shooting star.”
Cupid’s eyes grew big with wonder and he let go for once of his bow and arrows to run after the ball. “Mummy, mumm
y, I really want this magic ball for myself, please mummy!” said the child.
Aphrodite smiled inwardly: Hera’s plan was working to perfection. “All right sweetie, but on one condition: could you first go and shoot at someone with one of your love arrows?”
Cupid accepted, and Aphrodite whispered that person’s name in his ear.
In the meantime, the Argonauts had arrived at Colchis. The jovial company of Jason’s men had presented themselves at the doors of the king’s palace. He received them well, and suggested that before he talked to them they should first be given what they needed to wash themselves with and things to eat. Dirty and tired from their voyage, the young men accepted with pleasure. They were led to one of the palace wings, where preparations had been made for their bath. There were maidservants busying themselves with heating up great basins of water, others who were preparing a banquet. The Argonauts were laughing, singing. A merry bustle reigned everywhere, which could be heard in every corner of the palace. Drawn by the commotion, Princess Medea, the king’s daughter, approached. The tubs of water were steaming and vapours filled the room. Medea, hidden behind a pillar, observed the scene. Her gaze suddenly discovered Jason as he was letting the lukewarm water trickle down his tired body. Someone else was also hiding behind a pillar in the room, and that was Cupid. He was only waiting for that gaze before he could act. He took aim and his love arrow landed exactly at the centre of Medea’s heart. The young girl felt a pinch in her heart. She flushed red, turned pale, she could not take her eyes off Jason any more. Medea had just fallen in love. High up on Olympus, Hermes and Hera were rubbing their hands: their plan was working as intended. Hermes looked at his two sons showering themselves with one tub of water after the other, screaming with pleasure, and his heart softened: “They are only children. I hope that no harm will come to them,” he murmured. He knew that Princess Medea was an enchantress; and there is always something disturbing about magic.
The Adventures of Hermes, God of Thieves Page 21