thralls, men and women, were gathered together, and his mother, smitten
with grief for Jason. And a bitter pang seized every woman's heart; and
with them groaned the father in baleful old age, lying on his bed,
closely wrapped round. But the hero straightway soothed their pain,
encouraging them, and bade the thralls take up his weapons for war; and
they in silence with downcast looks took them up. And even as the mother
had thrown her arms about her son, so she clung, weeping without stint,
as a maiden all alone weeps, falling fondly on the neck of her hoary
nurse, a maid who has now no others to care for her, but she drags on a
weary life under a stepmother, who maltreats her continually with ever
fresh insults, and as she weeps, her heart within her is bound fast with
misery, nor can she sob forth all the groans that struggle for
utterance; so without stint wept Alcimede straining her son in her arms,
and in her yearning grief spake as follows:

"Would that on that day when, wretched woman that I am, I heard King
Pelias proclaim his evil behest, I had straightway given up my life and
forgotten my cares, so that thou thyself, my son, with thine own hands,
mightest have buried me; for that was the only wish left me still to be
fulfilled by thee, all the other rewards for thy nurture have I long
enjoyed. Now I, once so admired among Achaean women, shall be left
behind like a bondwoman in my empty halls, pining away, ill-fated one,
for love of thee, thee on whose account I had aforetime so much splendour
and renown, my only son for whom I loosed my virgin zone first and last.
For to me beyond others the goddess Eileithyia grudged abundant
offspring. Alas for my folly! Not once, not even in my dreams did I
forebode this, that the flight of Phrixus would bring me woe."

Thus with moaning she wept, and her handmaidens, standing by, lamented;
but Jason spake gently to her with comforting words: