3.1013
The Argonautica 3.1013 · She gives him the drug3.1013She gives him the drug
Lines 1013–1016. The drug passes from her sash to his hands.
· · ·
προπρὸ1
proprò
Freelyon and on, thoroughly
δʼ2
d’
and
ἀφειδήσασα3
apheidḗsasa
sparing nothingunsparing
, ἔξελε4
éxele
she took out
φάρμακον5
phármakon
the drug
θυώδεος6
thyṓdeos
fragrant
μίτρης7
mítrēs
of her sashgirdle
, αὐτὰρ8
autàr
and
ὅγʼ9
hóg’
he
αἶψα10
aîpsa
at oncequickly
ὑπέδεκτο11
hypédekto
received ittook up
γεγηθώς12
gegēthṓs
gladlyrejoicing
χεροῖν13
cheroîn
in both handswith two hands
. καί14
kaí
And
νύ15
ný
—now
κέ16
ké
—
καὶ17
kaì
even
ἀρύσασα18
arýsasa
drawing outhaving drawn
πᾶσαν19
pâsan
her wholeall
ψυχὴν20
psychḕn
soullife
ἀπὸ21
apò
from
στηθέων22
stēthéōn
her breast
ἐγγυάλιξεν23
engyálixen
put in his handsput into the hand
οἱ24
hoi
to him
, ἀγαιομένη25
agaioménē
admiring him
χατέοντι26
chatéonti
in his needneeding
. Freely, sparing nothing, she took the drug out of her fragrant sash, and he at once received it gladly in both hands. And she would even have drawn her whole soul from her breast and put it in his hands, admiring him in his need.
Freely, sparing nothing, she took the drug out of her fragrant sash, and he at once received it gladly in both hands. And she would even have drawn her whole soul from her breast and put it in his hands, admiring him in his need.
Interpretation
Freely, sparing nothing, she took the drug out of her fragrant sash, and he at once received it gladly in both hands. And she would even have drawn her whole soul out of her breast and put it in his hands, admiring him in his need.
The drug comes out of the sash where she hid it before setting out (867). προπρό, a doubled preposition that only Apollonius uses, makes the gesture eager. The ancient commentator calls the doubling a lover's touch, "for it shows the more that the gift was made with eagerness and readiness." LSJ quotes this line for ἀγαιομένη in its good sense, "admiring."
She would have given her soul as well. For "drawing out the soul," Mooney points to Empedocles, who speaks of drawing off a life with bronze (fragment 138).
3.1017
The Argonautica 3.1017 · Like dew on roses3.1017Like dew on roses
Lines 1017–1021. Love works on her through his looks, and she melts like dew.
· · ·
Such a sweet flame from the golden head of Aeson's son did Love flash forth; it caught the shining of her eyes, and her heart within was warmed as she melted, as the dew melts on roses when the morning light warms it.