him the ruler of the Cretans, answering, addressed in turn: "Stranger, since thou art not indeed by any means like[1] unto mortals, neither in body, nor in stature, but to the immortal gods,[2] hail! and hail greatly! and may the gods give thee prosperity. And do thou tell me this truly, that I may well know; what people, what land, what mortals gave thee birth? For with our minds another way have we sailed o'er the mighty wave, into Pylos, from Crete, where we boast our race to be. But now we have come hither with the ship, not wishing [to do so], longing for our return, by another way, another path. But some one of the immortals has led us hither against our will."
But them far-darting Apollo answering addressed: "Strangers, who before dwelt around rich-foliaged Cnossus, but [who] shall now never return back each to your pleasant city and handsome dwellings, and to your dear wives, but ye shall here keep my rich temple, honoured[3] amongst many men. But I am the son of Jove, and I boast to be Apollo; and I have led you hither o'er the mighty wave of the sea, having no evil design, but here ye shall keep my rich temple, much honoured among all men, and ye shall ken the counsels of men, by whose will ye shall ever be honoured throughout all your days. But come, as I say, with all haste obey. First let down the sails, having loosed the [cables of] bull hides, and then haul the swift[4] ship upon the mainland, and take the stowage and tackle out of the equal ship, and make an altar upon the shore of the sea, kindling a fire, and sacrificing upon it white wheat, and afterwards pray, standing around the altar. As I indeed first, in the shadowy sea, leaped upon the swift ship, likened unto a dolphin, so pray ye to me under the title of Delphin,
- ↑ I am scarcely satisfied with the accumulation in ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν γάρ τι, and Hermann's apology, "dictum negligenter, ut in sermone communi," I don't understand.
- ↑ Matthiæ thinks that some such verse as the following has been lost:
Ἵληθ'· εἰ δέ τις ἐσσὶ καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων,
which seems not improbable.
- ↑ I read τετιμένοι with Hermann, who says that this epithet is always applied to men, not things, referring to Il. xx, 426; xxiv. 533; Od. viii. 472; xiii. 28.
- ↑ But Matthiæ reads ἔπειτα μέλαιναν, ἐπ' ἠγείρου, to avoid the hiatus.
