offspring[1] of fair Halosydna, sleep together, emerging from the hoary sea, breathing forth a bitter smell of the deep sea. There I will lead thee, together with the appearance of morn, and lay thee in order; but do thou choose well three companions, who are the best at your well-benched ships; but I will tell thee all the terrible tricks[2] of the old man. First he will reckon and go over the sea-calves; and when he has numbered all on his five fingers, and has seen them, he will lie down in the middle, as a shepherd among a flock of sheep. And when thou shalt have first seen him laid to sleep, then let strength and force be thy care to keep him there, although desirous and striving to escape. But he will make the attempt, becoming all things, whatsoever reptiles are upon the earth, and water, and fire that blazes from the gods;[3] but do thou keep him firmly, and press him still more. But when he himself shall ask thee with words, being such as thou sawest him when asleep, then, O hero, desist from force, and loose the old man: but ask him, who of the gods hurts thee, and about thy return, how thou mayest go over the fishy sea.'
"Thus having spoken, she dived under the billowy sea: but I went to the ships, where they stood on the sands; but my heart was deeply troubled[4] much as I went. But when I came to the ship and to the sea, we made ready a supper, and ambrosial night came on; then we lay down to rest on the shore of the sea. But when the mother of dawn, rosy-fingered morning, appeared, then I went to the shore of the wide-wayed sea, much supplicating the gods; and I took three companions, in whom I most trusted for every attempt. But in the mean time she, having dived beneath the wide bosom of the sea, brought from the deep four skins of sea-calves; and all were fresh-skinned, and she planned a stratagem against her sire;
- ↑ Νέποδες = "without feet," or "that make their way by swimming." But Eustathius says, Νέποδες γὰρ θαλάσσης, αἱ φῶκαι ὅ ἐστι τέκνα. Νέπους γὰρ, κατὰ τινα γλῶσσαν, ὁ ἀπόγονος. See Loewe.
- ↑ Probably ὀλοφώϊα is derived from ὀλοὸ and φαίνω, because these tricks, though not terrible, seemed so. Loewe.
- ↑ Cf. Buttm. Lexil. p. 357. 4.
- ↑ Πορφύρειν, τὸ βαθέως διαλογίζεσθαι, ὡς ἀπὸ θαλάσσης, ἐφ' ἧς καὶ τὸ πορφύρειν καὶ τὸ ἰοδνεφὲς καὶ τὸ μέλαν καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγεται. τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ καλχαίνειν, ἀπὸ τῆς κάλχης, ὃ πορφύραν δηλοῖ. See Donaldson on Soph. Antig. 20.
