3.838
The Argonautica 3.838 · Twelve handmaids3.838Twelve handmaids
Lines 838–843. She calls her handmaids and orders the mules yoked to the wagon.
· · ·
δʼ1
d’
And
κέκλετο2
kékleto
she toldcalled on
ἀμφιπόλοις3
amphipólois
her handmaids
, αἵ4
haí
who
δυοκαίδεκα5
dyokaídeka
twelve
πᾶσαι6
pâsai
all
, ηὐλίζοντο7
ēulízonto
sleptlodged
οἱ8
hoi
—for her
ἐν9
en
in
προδόμῳ10
prodómōi
the anteroomporch
θυώδεος11
thyṓdeos
of her fragrant
θαλάμοιο12
thalámoio
chamber
, ἥλικες13
hḗlikes
girls her own ageage-mates
, οὔπω14
oúpō
not yet
πορσύνουσαι15
porsýnousai
sharingpreparing
λέκτρα16
léktra
beds
σὺν17
sỳn
with
ἀνδράσι18
andrási
husbandsmen
, ὑποζεύξασθαι19
hypozeúxasthai
to yoketo harness
ἐσσυμένως20
essyménōs
quicklyeagerly
οὐρῆας21
ourêas
the mules
ἀπήνῃ22
apḗnēi
to the wagoncarriage
οἵ23
hoí
which
κέ24
ké
—
ἄγοιεν25
ágoien
would carrylead
μιν26
min
her
εἰς27
eis
to
περικαλλέα28
perikalléa
the beautifulvery beautiful
νηὸν29
nēòn
temple
Ἑκάτης30
Hekátēs
of Hecate
. ἔνθʼ31
énth’
Then
αὖτʼ32
aût’
—
ἀμφίπολοι33
amphípoloi
the handmaids
μὲν34
mèn
—
ἐφοπλίζεσκον35
ephoplízeskon
got readywere equipping
ἀπήνην36
apḗnēn
the wagoncarriage
. And she told her handmaids, who, all twelve of them, slept in the anteroom of her fragrant chamber, girls her own age, not yet sharing beds with husbands, to yoke the mules quickly to the wagon to carry her to the beautiful temple of Hecate. Then the handmaids got the wagon ready.
And she told her handmaids, who, all twelve of them, slept in the anteroom of her fragrant chamber, girls her own age, not yet sharing beds with husbands, to yoke the mules quickly to the wagon to carry her to the beautiful temple of Hecate. Then the handmaids got the wagon ready.
Interpretation
She called her handmaids, the twelve girls her own age who slept in the anteroom of her fragrant room, none of them yet married, and told them to yoke the mules to the wagon quickly, to take her to Hecate's beautiful temple. The handmaids got the wagon ready.
Twelve handmaids, girls her own age and not yet married, sleep in the anteroom of her fragrant room. She sends them to yoke the mules to the wagon that will take her to Hecate's temple, where she has arranged to meet Jason.
The detail matters to the plot: Medea will go to the meeting surrounded by girls, as a priestess on her goddess's business, so that no one in the palace suspects.
3.844
The Argonautica 3.844 · The Promethean drug3.844The Promethean drug
Lines 844–850. The drug that makes a man proof against bronze and fire.
· · ·
And meanwhile she took out from the hollow casket a drug which, they say, is called Promethean. If a man, after winning over the only-begotten Maiden with offerings at night, should anoint his body with it, truly he would be neither wounded by blows of bronze, nor would he yield to blazing fire; but for that day he would be better even in prowess, and in might alike.