3.858
The Argonautica 3.858 · Seven baths, seven calls to Brimo3.858Seven baths, seven calls to Brimo
Lines 858–863. How she gathered the juice of the plant at night, calling on Brimo.
· · ·
τῆς1
tês
Its
juice
,οἵην2
hoíēn
like
τʼ3
t’
—
κελαινὴν4
kelainḕn
the darkblack
ἰκμάδα5
ikmáda
sapmoisture
φηγοῦ6
phēgoû
of an oak
ἐν7
en
in
ὄρεσσι8
óressi
the mountains
, ἀμήσατο9
amḗsato
she had gatheredreaped, collected
ἐν10
en
in
Κασπίῃ11
Kaspíēi
a Caspian
κόχλῳ12
kóchlōi
shellsnail shell
φαρμάσσεσθαι13
pharmássesthai
to make her drugto treat with drugs
, λοεσσαμένη14
loessaménē
after bathinghaving bathed
ἑπτὰ15
heptà
seven times
μὲν16
mèn
—
ἀενάοισι17
aenáoisi
in ever-flowingeverflowing
ὑδάτεσσιν18
hydátessin
streamswaters
, δὲ19
dè
and
ἑπτάκι20
heptáki
seven times
ἀγκαλέσασα21
ankalésasa
calling onhaving invoked
Βριμὼ22
Brimṑ
Brimo
, κουροτρόφον23
kourotróphon
nurse of the youngchild-rearing
, Βριμὼ24
Brimṑ
Brimo
νυκτιπόλον25
nyktipólon
who walks by nightnight-wandering
, χθονίην26
chthoníēn
of the underworldof the earth
, ἄνασσαν27
ánassan
queen
ἐνέροισιν28
enéroisin
of the deadthose below
, ἐνὶ29
enì
in
λυγαίῃ30
lygaíēi
the murkygloomy
νυκτί31
nyktí
night
, σὺν32
sỳn
in
ὀρφναίοις33
orphnaíois
darkdusky
φαρέεσσιν34
pharéessin
robescloaks
. Its juice, like the dark sap of an oak in the mountains, she had gathered in a Caspian shell to make her drug, after bathing seven times in ever-flowing streams, and seven times calling on Brimo, nurse of the young, Brimo who walks by night, of the underworld, queen of the dead, in the murky night, in dark robes.
Its juice, like the dark sap of an oak in the mountains, she had gathered in a Caspian shell to make her drug, after bathing seven times in ever-flowing streams, and seven times calling on Brimo, nurse of the young, Brimo who walks by night, of the underworld, queen of the dead, in the murky night, in dark robes.
Interpretation
Its juice, dark like the sap of a mountain oak, she had gathered in a Caspian shell to make her drug, after bathing seven times in running water and calling seven times on Brimo, nurse of the young, Brimo who walks by night, goddess of the underworld, queen of the dead, in the murky night, wearing dark robes.
To gather the juice she bathed seven times in running water and called seven times on Brimo, another name of Hecate (Mooney cites Lycophron 1176, "Perses' maiden, Brimo the three-formed"): nurse of the young, as Hesiod calls Hecate (Theogony 450), night-walker, queen of the dead.
Seven baths, seven calls, dark clothes and a shell from the Caspian: the rite is described with a ritualist's exactness, and φαρμάσσεσθαι, "to make a drug," is the verb at its center.
3.864
The Argonautica 3.864 · The earth bellows3.864The earth bellows
Lines 864–866. When she cut the root, Prometheus felt it far away on the Caucasus.
· · ·
And the dark earth beneath shook with a bellow as the Titan's root was cut; and the son of Iapetus himself groaned, his heart utterly distraught with pain.