(ll.1564-1570) "If haply, hero, thou knowest aught of Apis (12) and the sea of Minos, tell us truly, who ask it of you.For not of our will have we come hither, but by the stress of heavy storms have we touched the borders of this land, and have borne our ship aloft on our shoulders to the waters of this lake over the mainland, grievously burdened; and we know not where a passage shows itself for our course to the land of Pelops."(ll.1571-1585) So he spake; and Triton stretched out his hand and showed afar the sea and the lake's deep mouth, and then addressed them: "That is the outlet to the sea, where the deep water lies unmoved and dark; on each side roll white breakers with shining crests; and the way betweenfor your passage out is narrow.And that sea stretches away in mist to the divine land of Pelops beyond Crete; but hold to the right, when ye have entered the swell of the sea from the lake, and steer your course hugging the land, as long as it trends to the north; but when the coast bends, falling away in the other direction, then your course is safely laid for you if ye go straight forward from the projecting cape.But go in joy, and as for labour let there be no grieving that limbs in youthful vigour should still toil."(ll.1586-1596) He spake with kindly counsel; and they at once went aboard, intent to come forth from the lake by the use of oars.And eagerly they sped on; meanwhile Triton took up the mighty tripod, and they saw him enter the lake; but thereafter did no one mark how he vanished so near them along with the tripod.But their hearts were cheered, for that one of the blessed had met them in friendly guise.And they bade Aeson's son offer to him the choicest of the sheep and when he had slain it chant the hymn of praise.And straightway he chose in haste and raising the victim slew it over the stern, and prayed with these words:
(ll.1597-1600) "Thou god, who hast manifested thyself on the borders of this land, whether the daughters born of the sea call thee Triton, the great sea-marvel, or Phoreys, or Nereus, be gracious, and grant the return home dear to our hearts."(ll.1601-1637) He spake, and cut the victim's throat over the water and cast it from the stern.And the god rose up from the depths in form such as he really was.And as when a man trains a swift steed for the broad race-course, and runs along, grasping the bushy mane, while the steed follows obeying his master, and rears his neck aloft in his pride, and the gleaming bit rings loud as he champs it in his jaws from side to side; so the god, seizing hollow Argo's keel, guided her onward to the sea.And his body, from the crown of his head, round his back and waist as far as the belly, was wondrously like that of the blessed ones in form; but below his sides the tail of a sea monster lengthened far, forking to this side and that; and he smote the surface of the waves with the spines, which below parted into curving fins, like the horns of the new moon.And he guided Argo on until he sped her into the sea on her course; and quickly heplunged into the vast abyss; and the heroes shouted when they gazed with their eyes on that dread portent.There is the harbour of Argo and there are the signs of her stay, and altars to Poseidon and Triton; for during that day they tarried.But at dawn with sails outspread they sped on before the breath of the west wind, keeping the desert land on their right.And on the next morn they saw the headland and the recess of the sea, bending inward beyond the jutting headland.And straightway the west wind ceased, and there came the breeze of the clear south wind; and their hearts rejoiced at the sound it made.But when the sun sank and the star returned that bids the shepherd fold, which brings rest to wearied ploughmen, at that time the wind died down in the dark night; so they furled the sails and lowered the tall mast and vigorously plied their polished oars all night and through the day, and again when the next night came on.And rugged Carpathus far away welcomed them; and thence they were to cross to Crete, which rises in the sea above other islands.
(ll.1638-1653) And Talos, the man of bronze, as he broke off rocks from the hard cliff, stayed them from fastening hawsers to the shore, when they came to the roadstead of Dicte's haven.He was of the stock of bronze, of the men sprung from ash-trees, the last left among the sons of the gods; and the son of Cronos gave him to Europa to be the warder of Crete and to stride round the island thrice a day with his feet of bronze.Now in all the rest of his body and limbs was he fashioned of bronze and invulnerable; but beneath the sinew by his ankle was a blood-red vein; and this, with its issues of life and death, was covered by a thin skin.So the heroes, though outworn with toil, quickly backed their ship from the land in sore dismay.And now far from Crete would they have been borne in wretched plight, distressed both by thirst and pain, had not Medea addressed them as they turned away:
