essed gods. Wherefore if he will not grant us the
fleece of gold for friendship's sake, the tribes of the Colchians will
not avail him, I ween."

Thus they addressed each other in turn, until again, satisfied with
their feast, they turned to rest. And when they rose at dawn a gentle
breeze was blowing; and they raised the sails, which strained to the
rush of the wind, and quickly they left behind the island of Ares.

And at nightfall they came to the island of Philyra, where Cronos, son
of Uranus, what time in Olympus he reigned over the Titans, and Zeus was
yet being nurtured in a Cretan cave by the Curetes of Ida, lay beside
Philyra, when he had deceived Rhea; and the goddess found them in the
midst of their dalliance; and Cronos leapt up from the couch with a rush
in the form of a steed with flowing mane, but Ocean's daughter, Philyra,
in shame left the spot and those haunts, and came to the long Pelasgian
ridges, where by her union with the transfigured deity she brought forth
huge Cheiron, half like a horse, half like a god.

Thence they sailed on, past the Macrones and the far-stretching land of
the Becheiri and the overweening Sapeires, and after them the Byzeres;
for ever forward they clave their way, quickly borne by the gentle
breeze. And lo, as they sped on, a deep gulf of the sea was opened, and
lo, the steep crags of the Caucasian mountains rose up, where, with his
limbs bound upon the hard rocks by galling fetters of bronze, Prometheus
fed with his liver an eagle that ever rushed back to its prey. High
above the ship at even they saw it flying with a loud whirr, near the
clouds; and yet it shook all the sails with the fanning of those huge
wings. For it had not the form of a bird of the air but kept poising its
long wing-feathers like polished oars. And not long after they heard the
bitter cry of Prometheus as his liver was being torn away; and the air
rang with his screams until they marked the ravening eagle rushing back
from the mountain on the self-same track. And at night, by the skill of
Argus, they reached broad-flowing Phasis, and the utmost bourne of the
sea.

And straightway they let down the sails and the yard-arm and stowed them
inside the hollow mast-crutch, and at once they lowered the mast itself
till it lay along; and quickly with oars they entered the mighty stream
of the river; and round the prow the water surged as it gave them way.
And on their left hand they had lofty Caucasus and t