Jason and the Argonauts by Apollonius of Rhodes

Apollo on Parnassus
    felled the beast Delphina with an arrow,
    920 and he did this while still a naked toddler,
    still delighting in his curly hair
    (Be gracious, lord, I beg you. Eternally
    your tresses are unshorn, eternally.
    It’s sacred law that only Leto, daughter
    925 of Coeus, strokes them with her loving hands),
    and the Corycian nymphs, the seed of Pleistus,
    over and over urged the toddler on
    by shouting
Hie
(“Shoot”), from which derives
    the lovely ritual cry to summon Phoebus.
    930 (713) After the heroes celebrated him
    with choral song, they poured out pure libations,
    laid their hands upon the festal meat,
    and swore an oath always to aid each other
    with singleness of purpose. Still today
    935 the shrine of kindly Harmony remains there,
    the very one the heroes instituted
    in honor of a venerable goddess.
    Then, when the third dawn broke, they left the steep-cliffed
    island with a strong west wind behind them.
    940 That day they passed on the opposing coast
    the mouth of the Sangarius, the buxom
    Mariandynian fields, the Lycus River’s
    ecstatic spate, and Lake Anthemoesis,
    and all the halyards and the tackle strained
    945 (725) before the gale as they went sailing onward.
    The wind, though, started flagging in the night
    and they were much relieved to reach at dawn
    a bay inside the Acherousian headland,
    a steep cape facing the Bithynian Sea.
    950 The surf rolls in uproariously around
    the polished boulders rooted to its base,
    and plane trees flourish all across the crest
    from which a hollow dale slopes gently inland.
    Within that dalea cave that leads to Hades
    955 lurks behind rocks and shrubs, and from its depths
    a chilling vapor rises every morning
    and gathers in a glistening frost that thaws
    beneath the midday sun. Never does silence
    descend upon this gloomy cape because
    960 (741) the restless sea stirs up a constant murmur
    and subterranean breezes rouse the trees.
    A river has its mouth here—Acheron,
    which, following the valley from the crest,
    cuts through the middle of the cape and empties
    965 into the Eastern Sea. Megarians
    out of Nisaea later dubbed this cape
    â€œThe Sailors’ Savior” since it saved their ship
    from a horrendous storm when they were sailing
    to colonize the Mariandynian land.
    970 Because the wind had recently died down
    the Minyans were keen to row the
Argo
    inside this breakwater and moor it there.
    The Mariandynians and their leader Lycus
    were not long unaware the soldiers anchored
    975 (754) upon their shores were those who killed Amycus,
    or so they had been told, and for that reason
    they struck a truce, saluted Polyedeuces,
    and welcomed him as if he were a god.
    They had, you see, for quite some time been waging
    980 war on the insolent Bebrycians.
    When the heroes came to town, they feasted
    a whole day at the court of Lycus, forged
    the bonds of friendship, and relieved their hearts
    with conversation.Jason named the names
    985 and pedigrees of each of his companions,
    explained what mission Pelias had set them,
    how the Lemnian women welcomed them,
    and all that happened with the Doliones
    and Cyzicus their king. He also told him
    990 (766) how, when they came to Mysia and the Cius,
    they happened to abandon Heracles,
    what prophecies the sea god Glaucus gave them,
    and how they beat Amycus and his people.
    Next he recounted Phineus’ woes
    995 and prophecies and how they had survived
    the Clashing Rocks and, only lately, spotted
    the son of Leto rising from an island.
    King Lycus took heartfelt delight in hearing
    all these adventures just as they had happened,
    1000 but sorrow gripped him when he heard the news
    of the abandonment of Heracles,
    and he commiserated with the heroes:
    â€œFriends, you have lost a great man’s help by losing
    Heracles the hero in the midst of
    1005 (775) your lengthy voyage to Aeëtes’ palace.
    Heracles was my friend, in fact. I met him
    here in my father Dascylus’