y beneath the
keel, and at the stern it raised Argo herself and drew her far away from
the rocks; and high in air was she borne. But Euphemus strode among
all his comrades and cried to them to bend to their oars with all their
might; and they with a shout smote the water. And as far as the ship
yielded to the rowers, twice as far did she leap back, and the oar, were
bent like curved bows as the heroes used their strength.

(ll. 593-610) Then a vaulted billow rushed upon them, and the ship like
a cylinder ran on the furious wave plunging through the hollow sea. And
the eddying current held her between the clashing rocks; and on each
side they shook and thundered; and the ship's timbers were held fast.
Then Athena with her left hand thrust back one mighty rock and with
her right pushed the ship through; and she, like a winged arrow, sped
through the air. Nevertheless the rocks, ceaselessly clashing, shore off
as she passed the extreme end of the stern-ornament. But Athena soared
up to Olympus, when they had escaped unscathed. And the rocks in one
spot at that moment were rooted fast for ever to each other, which thing
had been destined by the blessed gods, when a man in his ship should
have passed between them alive. And the heroes breathed again after
their chilling fear, beholding at the same time the sky and the expanse
of sea spreading far and wide. For they deemed that they were saved from
Hades; and Tiphys first of all began to speak:

(ll. 611-618) "It is my hope that we have safely escaped this peril--we,
and the ship; and none other is the cause so much as Athena, who
breathed into Argo divine strength when Argus knitted her together with
bolts; and she may not be caught. Son of Aeson, no longer fear thou so
much the hest of thy king, since a god hath granted us escape between
the rocks; for Phineus, Agenor's son, said that our toils hereafter
would be lightly accomplished."

(ll. 619-637) He spake, and at once he sped the ship onward through the
midst of the sea past the Bithynian coast. But Jason with gentle words
addressed him in reply: "Tiphys, why dost thou comfort thus my grieving
heart? I have erred and am distraught in wretched and helpless ruin. For
I ought, when Pelias gave the command, to have straightway refused this
quest to his face, yea, though I were doomed to die pitilessly, torn
limb from limb, but now I am wrapped in excessive fear and cares
unbearable, dreading to sail through the chilling p