Book 3
Summary
Summary
Invocation of Erato (1-5)
Hera and Athene take counsel to aid Jason (6-35)
They visit Aphrodite to get the help of Eros (36-110)
Aphrodite persuades Eros (111-166)
Jason reveals his plans to his comrades (167-209)
Jason, with the sons of Phrixus, comes to the palace of Aeetes (210-274)
Medea is smitten by the shafts of Eros (275-298)
Aeetes hears impatiently the words of Argus and Jason, and declares the ordeal for winning the fleece, to which Jason consents (299-438)
Medea's heart is heavy with foreboding (439-470)
Council of the heroes: they resolve to send Argus to Chalciope to win Medea's aid (471-575)
Gathering of the Colchians: Aeetes plots evil against the Argonauts (576-608)
Medea, in her anguish, yields to the entreaties of Chalciope (609-743)
Conflict of emotions in Medea's heart: at last she resolves to bring her magic drugs to Jason (744-824)
Medea goes to the temple of Hecate to meet Jason (825-911)
Meeting of Jason and Medea: Medea gives him the drugs, and Jason vows never to forsake her (912-1145)
Jason rejoins his comrades, and Medea returns to her home (1146-1162)
Telamon and Aethalides receive from Aeetes the dragon's teeth (1163-1190)
Jason sacrifices to Hecate by night (1191-1224)
Aeetes in his panoply goes forth to view the ordeal (1225-1245)
Jason prepares himself for the struggle (1246-1277)
He yokes the fire-breathing bulls, and vanquishes the earth-born warriors who spring from the dragon's teeth (1278-1407).
Commentary on line 1
*)eratw/: this invocation of Erato, the Muse of love and the poetry of love, is imitated by Virgil, Aen. 7. 37, Nunc age, qui reges, Erato, quae tempora rerum, etc., but, as Conington points out, the address to Erato there is much less appropriate.
para/ q' i(/staso: Ap. did not follow Zenod. and Aristarch. who read παρίσταο in Il. 10. 291.
e)/nispe: the same form occurs in 4. 1565; ἐνίσπες in 1. 487, 832. Both are found in Hom., Od. 3. 101, νημερτὲς ἐνίσπες, 4. 642, νημερτὲς ἔνισπε (v. Curt. G.V. 1 195).
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