ctar as he
clasped the beauteous breast of the maiden-daughter of Minos, whom once
Theseus forsook in the island of Dia, when she had followed him from
Cnossus. And when she had worked upon the heralds to induce her brother
to come, as soon as she reached the temple of the goddess, according to
the agreement, and the darkness of night surrounded them that so she
might devise with him a cunning plan for her to take the mighty fleece
of gold and return to the home of Aeetes, for, she said, the sons of
Phrixus had given her by force to the strangers to carry off; with such
beguiling words she scattered to the air and the breezes her witching
charms, which even from afar would have drawn down the savage beast from
the steep mountain-height.

Ruthless Love, great bane, great curse to mankind, from thee come deadly
strifes and lamentations and groans, and countless pains as well have
their stormy birth from thee. Arise, thou god, and arm thyself against
the sons of our foes in such guise as when thou didst fill Medea's heart
with accursed madness. How then by evil doom did she slay Apsyrtus when
he came to meet her? For that must our song tell next.

When the heroes had left the maiden on the island of Artemis, according
to the covenant, both sides ran their ships to land separately. And
Jason went to the ambush to lie in wait for Apsyrtus and then for his
comrades. But he, beguiled by these dire promises, swiftly crossed the
swell of the sea in his ship, and in dark night set foot on the sacred
island; and faring all alone to meet her he made trial in speech of his
sister, as a tender child tries a wintry torrent which not even strong
men can pass through, to see if she would devise some guile against the
strangers. And so they two agreed together on everything; and
straightway Aeson's son leapt forth from the thick ambush, lifting his
bare sword in his hand, and quickly the maiden turned her eyes aside and
covered them with her veil that she might not see the blood of her
brother when he was smitten. And Jason marked him and struck him down,
as a butcher strikes down a mighty strong-horned bull, hard by the
temple which the Brygi on the mainland opposite had once built for
Artemis. In its vestibule he fell on his knees; and at last the hero
breathing out his life caught up in both hands the dark blood as it
welled from the wound; and he dyed with red his sister's silvery veil
and robe as she shrank away. And with swift sid