True is the word thou spakest of my garb; But speak I unto thee as citizen, Or Hermes" wandbearer, or chieftain king?
THE KING OF ARGOS
For that, take heart and answer without fear.
I am Pelasgus, ruler of this land, Child of Palaichthon, whom the earth brought forth; And, rightly named from me, the race who reap This country"s harvests are Pelasgian called.
And o"er the wide and westward-stretching land, Through which the lucent wave of Strymon flows I rule; Perrhaebia"s land my boundary is Northward, and Pindus" further slopes, that watch Paeonia, and Dodona"s mountain ridge.
West, east, the limit of the washing seas Restrains my rule-the inters.p.a.ce is mine.
But this whereon we stand is Apian land, Styled so of old from the great healer"s name; For Apis, coming from Naupactus" sh.o.r.e Beyond the strait, child of Apollo"s self And like him seer and healer, cleansed this land From man-devouring monsters, whom the earth, Stained with pollution of old bloodshedding, Brought forth in malice, beasts of ravening jaws, A grisly throng of serpents manifold.
And healings of their hurt, by knife and charm, Apis devised, unblamed of Argive men, And in their prayers found honour, for reward.
-Lo, thou hast heard the tokens that I give: Speak now thy race, and tell a forthright tale; In sooth, this people loves not many words.
CHORUS
Short is my word and clear. Of Argive race We come, from her, the ox-horned maiden who Erst bare the sacred child. My word shall give Whate"er can "stablish this my soothfast tale.
THE KING OF ARGOS
O stranger maids, I may not trust this word, That ye have share in this our Argive race.
No likeness of our country do ye bear, But semblance as of Libyan womankind.
Even such a stock by Nilus" banks might grow; Yea and the Cyprian stamp, in female forms, Shows to the life, what males impressed the same.
And, furthermore, of roving Indian maids Whose camping-grounds by Aethiopia lie, And camels burdened even as mules, and bearing Riders, as horses bear, mine ears have heard; And tales of flesh-devouring mateless maids Called Amazons: to these, if bows ye bare, I most had deemed you like. Speak further yet, That of your Argive birth the truth I learn.
CHORUS
Here in this Argive land-so runs the tale- Io was priestess once of Hera"s fane.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Yea, truth it is, and far this word prevails: Is"t said that Zeus with mortal mingled love?
CHORUS
Ay, and that Hera that embrace surmised.
THE KING OF ARGOS
How issued then this strife of those on high?
CHORUS
By Hera"s will, a heifer she became.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Held Zeus aloof then from the horned beast?
CHORUS
"Tis said, he loved, in semblance of a bull.
THE KING OF ARGOS
And his stern consort, did she aught thereon?
CHORUS
One myriad-eyed she set, the heifer"s guard.
THE KING OF ARGOS
How namest thou this herdsman many-eyed?
CHORUS
Argus, the child of Earth, whom Hermes slew.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Still did the G.o.ddess vex the beast ill-starred?
CHORUS
She wrought a gadfly with a goading sting.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Thus drave she Io hence, to roam afar?
CHORUS
Yea-this thy word coheres exact with mine.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Then to Canopus and to Memphis came she?
CHORUS
And by Zeus" hand was touched, and bare a child.
THE KING OF ARGOS
Who vaunts him the Zeus-mated creature"s son?
CHORUS
Epaphus, named rightly from the saving touch.
THE KING OF ARGOS
And whom in turn did Epaphus beget?[4]
[Footnote: 4: Here one verse at least has been lost. The conjecture of Bothe seems to be verified, as far as substance is concerned, by the next line, and has consequently been adopted.]
CHORUS