§4.52.1τὴν δὲ Μήδειαν νυκτὸς ἐπιγενομένης καὶ τοῦ Πελίου πρὸς ὕπνον τραπέντος λέγειν ὡς ἀναγκαῖον ἐν λέβητι καθεψῆσαι τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Πελίου.
When night came and Pelias had fallen asleep, Medea said that it was necessary to boil the body of Pelias in a cauldron.
προσάντως δὲ τῶν παρθένων δεξαμένων τὸν λόγον, ἑτέραν αὐτὴν ἐπινοῆσαι πίστιν τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτῆς λεγομένων· τρεφομένου γὰρ κριοῦ πολυετοῦς κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν, ἐπαγγείλασθαι ταῖς κόραις τοῦτον πρότερον καθεψήσειν §4.52.2καὶ ποιήσειν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἄρνα.
But since the maidens received her words with aversion, she devised another proof of what she was saying; for since an old ram was being kept in the house, she promised the girls that she would boil this first and make it a lamb again from the beginning.
συγκαταθεμένων δʼ αὐτῶν, μυθολογοῦσι τὴν Μήδειαν κατὰ μέλη διελοῦσαν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ κριοῦ καθεψῆσαι, καὶ διά τινων φαρμάκων παρακρουσαμένην ἐξελεῖν ἐκ τοῦ λέβητος ἀρνὸς εἴδωλον.
When they agreed, they say that Medea, having cut up the body of the ram limb by limb, boiled it, and having deceived them by means of certain drugs, took out of the cauldron the likeness of a lamb.
ἐνταῦθα τῶν παρθένων καταπλαγεισῶν, καὶ πίστεις τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἡγησαμένων ἐνδεχομένας ἔχειν, ὑπουργῆσαι τοῖς προστάγμασι.
Thereupon the maidens, being astounded and believing that they had plausible proofs of her promise, obeyed her commands.
καὶ τὰς μὲν ἄλλας ἁπάσας τὸν πατέρα τυπτούσας ἀποκτεῖναι, μόνην δʼ Ἄλκηστιν διʼ εὐσεβείας ὑπερβολὴν ἀποσχέσθαι τοῦ γεννήσαντος.
And while all the other daughters struck and killed their father, Alcestis alone, because of her exceeding piety, kept her hands off her parent.
§4.52.3μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὴν Μήδειάν φασι τοῦ μὲν τὸ σῶμα κατακόπτειν ἢ καθέψειν ἀποστῆναι, προσποιησαμένην δὲ δεῖν πρότερον εὐχὰς ποιήσασθαι τῇ σελήνῃ, τὰς μὲν παρθένους ἀναβιβάσαι μετὰ λαμπάδων ἐπὶ τὸ μετεωρότατον τέγος τῶν βασιλείων, αὐτὴν δὲ τῇ Κολχίδι διαλέκτῳ κατευχήν τινα μακρὰν διερχομένην ἐγχρονίζειν, ἀναστροφὴν διδοῦσαν τοῖς μέλλουσι ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπίθεσιν.
After this, they say that Medea abstained from cutting up or boiling his body, but pretending that it was necessary first to offer prayers to the moon, she made the maidens go up with torches to the highest roof of the palace, while she herself, reciting a certain long prayer in the Colchian language, prolonged the time, thus giving opportunity to those who were about to make the attack.
§4.52.4διὸ καὶ τοὺς Ἀργοναύτας ἀπὸ τῆς σκοπῆς καταμαθόντας τὸ πῦρ, καὶ νομίσαντας συντετελέσθαι τὴν ἀναίρεσιν τοῦ βασιλέως, ὁρμῆσαι δρόμῳ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, παρεισελθόντας δʼ ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους ἐσπασμένοις τοῖς ξίφεσιν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια καταντῆσαι καὶ τοὺς ἐναντιουμένους τῶν φυλάκων ἀνελεῖν.
Wherefore the Argonauts, having observed the fire from their lookout and thinking that the murder of the king had been accomplished, rushed at a run toward the city, and having entered inside the wall, went to the palace with drawn swords and slew those of the guards who opposed them.
τὰς δὲ τοῦ Πελίου θυγατέρας ἄρτι καταβεβηκυίας ἀπὸ τοῦ τέγους πρὸς τὴν καθέψησιν, καὶ παραδόξως ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἰδούσας τόν τε Ἰάσονα καὶ τοὺς ἀριστεῖς, περιαλγεῖς ἐπὶ τῇ συμφορᾷ γενέσθαι· οὔτε γὰρ ἀμύνασθαι τὴν Μήδειαν εἶχον ἐξουσίαν οὔτε τὸ πραχθὲν αὐταῖς μύσος διʼ ἀπάτην διορθώσασθαι.
But the daughters of Pelias, having just come down from the roof for the boiling and unexpectedly seeing Jason and the chieftains in the palace, were overwhelmed with grief at the disaster; for they had no power to take vengeance on Medea, nor could they remedy the pollution committed by them through deception.
§4.52.5διόπερ ταύτας μὲν ὁρμῆσαι λέγεται στερίσκειν αὑτὰς τοῦ ζῆν, τὸν δʼ Ἰάσονα κατελεήσαντα τὰ πάθη παρακατασχεῖν αὐτάς, καὶ θαρρεῖν παρακαλέσαντα δεικνύειν ὡς ἐκ κακίας μὲν οὐδὲν ἥμαρτον, ἀκουσίως δὲ διʼ ἀπάτην ἠτύχησαν.
For this reason, these women, it is said, rushed to deprive themselves of life, but Jason, pitying their sufferings, restrained them, and encouraging them to take heart, showed them that they had committed no sin out of malice, but had unwillingly met with misfortune through deception.