ly
no allusion to [Greek: hupozomata] (ropes for undergirding) which-were
carried loose and only used in stormy weather.]

Now when they had carefully paid heed to everything, first they
distributed the benches by lot, two men occupying one seat; but the
middle bench they chose for Heracles and Ancaeus apart from the other
heroes, Ancaeus who dwelt in Tegea. For them alone they left the middle
bench just as it was and not by lot; and with one consent they entrusted
Tiphys with guarding the helm of the well-stemmed ship.

Next, piling up shingle near the sea, they raised there an altar on the
shore to Apollo, under the name of Actius[1] and Embasius, and quickly
spread above it logs of dried olive-wood. Meantime the herdsmen of
Aeson's son had driven before them from the herd two steers. These the
younger comrades dragged near the altars, and the others brought lustral
water and barley meal, and Jason prayed, calling on Apollo the god of
his fathers:

[Footnote 1: i.e. God of the shore.]

"Hear, O King, that dwellest in Pagasae and the city Aesonis, the city
called by my father's name, thou who didst promise me, when I sought thy
oracle at Pytho, to show the fulfilment and goal of my journey, for thou
thyself hast been the cause of my venture; now do thou thyself guide the
ship with my comrades safe and sound, thither and back again to Hellas.
Then in thy honour hereafter we will lay again on thy altar the bright
offerings of bulls--all of us who return; and other gifts in countless
numbers I will bring to Pytho and Ortygia. And now, come, Far-darter,
accept this sacrifice at our hands, which first of all we have offered
thee for this ship on our embarcation; and grant, O King, that with a
prosperous weird I may loose the hawsers, relying on thy counsel, and
may the breeze blow softly with which we shall sail over the sea in fair
weather."

He spake, and with his prayer cast the barley meal. And they two girded
themselves to slay the steers, proud Ancaeus and Heracles. The latter
with his club smote one steer mid-head on the brow, and falling in a
heap on the spot, it sank to the ground; and Ancaeus struck the broad
neck of the other with his axe of bronze, and shore through the mighty
sinews; and it fell prone on both its horns. Their comrades quickly
severed the victims' throats, and flayed the hides: they sundered the
joints and carved the flesh, then cut out the sacred thigh bones, and
covering them all togethe