LP0043 The Daughters of Ares

Legendary Passages #0043 - The Daughters of Ares - Amazons and the Island of Ares, from Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica.     The next six episodes are the culmination of all the previous ones, including Heracles, Theseus, and the Argonauts, but focusing mainly on the Amazons, the fearsome daughters of Ares.     This passage recounts several adventures of the Argonauts not long after they had abandoned Heracles but before they arrived at Colchus.     After they sail pass the Calichorus River and the Aulion Cave, sacred to Dionysus, they came upon the grave of Sthenelus, son of Actor. He died helping Heracles fight the Amazons, and his spirit appeared to the Argonauts, who honored the fallen hero.     Soon they picked up the three sons of Deimachus, and sailed near the land of Amazons. The passage describes the river Thermodon, the Doeantian plain, and the three tribes of Amazons.     Next they pass the iron mines of Chalybes, and then the Tibareni, where husbands share the pangs of labor with their wives. After that they pass by the shameless land of Mossynoeci.     Then they come to the Island of Ares, where the Stymphalian Birds had migrated after driven off by Heracles. One of the birds fired arrow-like feathers, wounding an Argonaut before another shot it down. They all put on their helmets and shields and made loud noises as they sailed past.     Next time we return to Heracles, and focus on his 9th and 10th labors: The Amazons and Geryon. The Daughters of Ares, a Legendary Passage, from Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica, Translated by R. C. Seaton. Book 2 [911] - [1068]     So on the twelfth day they went aboard at dawn, for a strong breeze of westerly wind was blowing. And quickly with the oars they passed out through the river Acheron and, trusting to the wind, shook out their sails, and with canvas spread far and wide they were cleaving their passage through the waves in fair weather. And soon they passed the outfall of the river Callichorus, where, as the tale goes, the Nysean son of Zeus, when he had left the tribes of the Indians and came to dwell at Thebes, held revels and arrayed dances in front of a cave, wherein he passed unsmiling sacred nights, from which time the neighbours call the river by the name of Callichorus and the cave Aulion.     Next they beheld the barrow of Sthenelus, Actor's son, who on his way back from the valorous war against the Amazons -- for he had been the comrade of Heracles -- was struck by an arrow and died there upon the sea-beach. And for a time they went no further, for Persephone herself sent forth the spirit of Actor's son which craved with many tears to behold men like himself, even for a moment. And mounting on the edge of the barrow he gazed upon the ship, such as he was when he went to war; and round his head a fair helm with four peaks gleamed with its blood-red crest. And again he entered the vast gloom; and they looked and marvelled; and Mopsus, son of Ampycus, with word of prophecy urged them to land and propitiate him with libations.     Quickly they drew in sail and threw out hawsers, and on the strand paid honour to the tomb of Sthenelus, and poured out drink offerings to him and sacrificed sheep as victims. And besides the drink offerings they built an altar to Apollo, saviour of ships, and burnt thigh bones; and Orpheus dedicated his lyre; whence the place has the name of Lyra.     And straightway they went aboard as the wind blew strong; and they drew the sail down, and made it taut to both sheets; then Argo was borne over the sea swiftly, even as a hawk soaring high through the air commits to the breeze its outspread wings and is borne on swiftly, nor swerves in its flight, poising in the clear sky with quiet pinions. And lo, they passed by the stream of Parthenius as it flows into the sea, a most gentle r