3.1042
The Argonautica 3.1042 · At dawn, the salve3.1042At dawn, the salve
Lines 1042–1045. How he is to use the drug at dawn on the day of the ordeal.
· · ·
ἦρι1
êri
At dawnearly
δὲ2
dè
and
μυδήνας3
mydḗnas
soakhaving soaked
τόδε4
tóde
this
φάρμακον5
phármakon
drug
, γυμνωθεὶς6
gymnōtheìs
strippedhaving been stripped
, φαίδρυνε7
phaídryne
anointmake bright
τεὸν8
teòn
yourthy
δέμας9
démas
body
ἠύτʼ10
ēút’
as withlike as
ἀλοιφῇ11
aloiphêi
oilunguent
. ἐν12
en
Thereinin it
δέ13
dé
and
οἱ14
hoi
itfor it
ἔσσετʼ15
ésset’
there will be
ἀπειρεσίη16
apeiresíē
boundless
ἀλκὴ17
alkḕ
strengthprowess
μέγα18
méga
great
τε19
te
and
σθένος20
sthénos
mightstrength
; κε21
ke
—
φαίης22
phaíēs
you would say
ἰσαζέμεν23
isazémen
you were a matchto be equal
οὐδέ24
oudé
notnor
ἀνδράσιν25
andrásin
for men
ἀλλὰ26
allà
but
θεοῖσιν27
theoîsin
for the gods
ἀθανάτοισιν28
athanátoisin
the immortaldeathless
. At dawn soak this drug, and, stripped, anoint your body with it as with oil. There will be in it boundless strength and great might; you would say you were a match not for men but for the immortal gods.
At dawn soak this drug, and, stripped, anoint your body with it as with oil. There will be in it boundless strength and great might; you would say you were a match not for men but for the immortal gods.
Interpretation
At dawn, soak this drug, strip, and anoint your body with it as with oil. There will be boundless strength in it, and great might; you would say you were a match not for men but for the immortal gods.
The drug is a salve: soaked, then rubbed on the bare body like oil. μυδήνας, "soaking," is a verb Mooney finds elsewhere only in Lycophron; LSJ adds the line later in this book where Jason does it (3.1247). ἰσαζέμεν, "to be a match for," is used without an object, as in Plato's Laws (773a) and later prose.
The promise is a god's strength. The next lines set its limit.
3.1046
The Argonautica 3.1046 · Proof against bronze and fire3.1046Proof against bronze and fire
Lines 1046–1051. His weapons are to be treated too, and the charm lasts one day.
· · ·
And besides, let your shield, spear and all, and your sword be sprinkled. Then the points of the earthborn men could not cut you, nor the resistless, rushing flame of the deadly bulls. You will not stay so for long, only for that one day; even so, never draw back from the contest. And I will give you another help besides.