3.808
The Argonautica 3.808 · Fear of Hades3.808Fear of Hades
Lines 808–812. She starts to open the casket of drugs, and then she stops.
· · ·
ἤδη1
ḗdē
Already
καὶ2
kaì
—even
ἀνελύετο3
anelýeto
she was undoingloosed
δεσμοὺς4
desmoùs
the strapsbonds
φωριαμοῖο5
phōriamoîo
of the casket
, μεμαυῖα6
memauîa
eagerlonging
ἐξελέειν7
exeléein
to take them outto pick out
, δυσάμμορος8
dysámmoros
poor girlill-fated
. ἀλλά9
allá
But
ἄφνω10
áphnō
suddenly
ὀλοὸν11
oloòn
a deadlydestructive
δεῖμʼ12
deîm’
dreadfear
στυγεροῖο13
stygeroîo
of hateful
Ἀίδαο14
Aídao
Hades
ἦλθʼ15
êlth’
came
κατὰ16
katà
into
οἱ17
hoi
her
φρένας18
phrénas
heartmind
. δʼ19
d’
And
ἔσχετο20
éscheto
she was heldwas held fast
ἀμφασίῃ21
amphasíēi
speechlessin speechlessness
δηρὸν22
dēròn
a long
χρόνον23
chrónon
time
, δὲ24
dè
and
ἀμφὶ25
amphì
around her
πᾶσαι26
pâsai
all
θυμηδεῖς27
thymēdeîs
delightfulpleasing
μεληδόνες28
melēdónes
the carespursuits
βιότοιο29
biótoio
of life
ἰνδάλλοντο30
indállonto
flashedappeared
. Already she was undoing the straps of the casket, eager to take them out, poor girl. But suddenly a deadly dread of hateful Hades came into her heart. She was held speechless for a long time, and around her all the sweet cares of life flashed before her.
Already she was undoing the straps of the casket, eager to take them out, poor girl. But suddenly a deadly dread of hateful Hades came into her heart. She was held speechless for a long time, and around her all the sweet cares of life flashed before her.
Interpretation
She was already untying the straps of the casket, eager to take them out, poor girl. But suddenly a deadly dread of hateful Hades came into her heart. For a long time she could not speak, and all the sweet cares of life came flashing before her.
She is already untying the straps when the fear of death stops her. Hades is "hateful," and the long, speechless moment that follows is the turning point of her night.
What brings her back is life itself, its "pursuits" and "interests," as Mooney renders μεληδόνες, which "flashed across her soul."
3.813
The Argonautica 3.813 · The sun is sweeter3.813The sun is sweeter
Lines 813–816. She remembers the pleasures of life and the friends of her own age.
· · ·
She remembered the pleasures that are among the living, she remembered her merry friends, as a girl does; and the sun became sweeter for her to look at than before, if she truly weighed each thing in her mind.