3.1005
The Argonautica 3.1005 · Favor from the gods3.1005Favor from the gods
Lines 1005–1007. He ends his speech with a promise of the gods' favor and a compliment.
· · ·
ὧς1
hôs
So
καὶ2
kaì
tooalso
σοὶ3
soì
for you
ἔσσεται4
éssetai
there will be
χάρις5
cháris
favorgrace, thanks
θεόθεν6
theóthen
from the gods
, εἴ7
eí
if
κε8
ke
—
σαώσῃς9
saṓsēis
you saveyou keep safe
τόσσον10
tósson
so great
στόλον11
stólon
a companyexpedition
ἀριστήων12
aristḗōn
of the bestof chiefs
ἀνδρῶν13
andrôn
of men
. ἦ14
ê
Truly
γὰρ15
gàr
for
, ἐκ16
ek
to judge from
μορφῆς17
morphês
your beautyform
, ἔοικας18
éoikas
you seemyou are like
κεκάσθαι19
kekásthai
to excelto be preeminent
ἀγανῇσιν20
aganêisin
gentlemild
ἐπητείῃσι21
epēteíēisi
kindnesscourtesies
. So for you too there will be favor from the gods, if you save so great a company of the best of men. For truly, to judge from your beauty, you seem to excel in gentle kindness.
So for you too there will be favor from the gods, if you save so great a company of the best of men. For truly, to judge from your beauty, you seem to excel in gentle kindness.
Interpretation
So for you too there will be favor from the gods, if you save so great a company of the best of men. For truly, to judge from your beauty, you seem to excel in gentle kindness."
The speech ends with a promise and a compliment. If she saves them, the gods will favor her as they favored Ariadne. ἐκ μορφῆς, Mooney explains, means "to judge from your looks"; ἐπητείῃσι, "kindnesses," occurs only here, a new form of Homer's ἐπητύς, which LSJ renders "courtesy, kindness" (Odyssey 21.306). κεκάσθαι is the perfect of καίνυμαι, "to excel."
3.1008
The Argonautica 3.1008 · A smile sweet as nectar3.1008A smile sweet as nectar
Lines 1008–1012. Medea answers with a smile before she can find a word.
· · ·
So he spoke, honoring her; and she cast her eyes aside and smiled, sweet as nectar; her heart melted within her, lifted up by his praise, and she looked up into his face. She did not know what word to say to him first, but she longed to say everything at once, all together.