3.1052
The Argonautica 3.1052 · The earthborn rising3.1052The earthborn rising
Lines 1052–1056. What to do when the Sown Men come up out of the furrows.
· · ·
αὐτίκʼ1
autík’
As soon asat once
ἐπὴν2
epḕn
when
ζεύξῃς3
zeúxēis
you yokeyou have yoked
κρατεροὺς4
krateroùs
the mightystrong
βόας5
bóas
oxenbulls
ὦκα6
ôka
quicklyswiftly
δὲ7
dè
and
ἀρόσσῃς8
aróssēis
ploughyou plough
διὰ9
dià
through
πᾶσαν10
pâsan
the wholeall
στυφελὴν11
styphelḕn
hardrough
νειὸν12
neiòn
fieldfallow land
χερσὶ13
chersì
with your hands
καὶ14
kaì
and
ἠνορέῃ15
ēnoréēi
strengthmanhood
, οἱ16
hoi
the
δʼ17
d’
and
Γίγαντες18
Gígantes
Giants
ἤδη19
ḗdē
already
ἀνασταχύωσι20
anastachýōsi
spring up like grainshoot up as ears
κατὰ21
katà
alongdown along
ὦλκας22
ôlkas
the furrows
ὄφιος23
óphios
the serpent'sof the snake
ὀδόντων24
odóntōn
teeth
σπειρομένων25
speiroménōn
sownbeing sown
ἐπὶ26
epì
onupon
δνοφερὴν27
dnopherḕn
darkmurky
βῶλον28
bôlon
soilclod
, αἴ29
aí
if
κεν30
ken
—
δοκεύσῃς31
dokeúsēis
you seeyou watch
πολέας32
poléas
many
ὀρινομένους33
orinoménous
risingstirred up
νειοῖο34
neioîo
from the fieldfallow land
As soon as you yoke the mighty oxen and quickly plough through the whole hard field with your hands and strength, and the Giants are already springing up along the furrows from the serpent's teeth sown on the dark soil, if you see many rising from the field…
As soon as you yoke the mighty oxen and quickly plough through the whole hard field with your hands and strength, and the Giants are already springing up along the furrows from the serpent's teeth sown on the dark soil, if you see many rising from the field…
Interpretation
As soon as you have yoked the mighty oxen and quickly ploughed through the whole hard field with your hands and strength, and the Giants are already springing up along the furrows from the serpent's teeth sown on the dark soil, if you see many of them rising from the field…
Medea runs through the ordeal: yoke the bulls, plough the hard field, sow the serpent's teeth. The armed men who spring from them she calls Γίγαντες, Giants; Mooney's name for them is the Sparti, the Sown Men. ἀνασταχύωσι pictures them coming up like ears of grain, and ὦλκας, "furrows," is the Homeric word (Iliad 13.707).
3.1057
The Argonautica 3.1057 · The stone, and the fleece3.1057The stone, and the fleece
Lines 1057–1062. The last trick with the stone, and what will follow when he wins.
· · ·
secretly throw a heavy stone; and over it they, like fierce dogs over food, would kill one another. And you yourself, hurry to charge into the fight. And as far as this goes, you will carry the fleece to Greece from Aea, far away. Go, all the same, wherever you please, or wherever it pleases you to go once you have set out.