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 together closely with fat burnt them upon cloven wood.
And Aeson's son poured out pure libations, and Idmon rejoiced beholding
the flame as it gleamed on every side from the sacrifice, and the smoke
of it mounting up with good omen in dark spiral columns; and quickly he
spake outright the will of Leto's son:

"For you it is the will of heaven and destiny that ye shall return here
with the fleece; but meanwhile both going and returning, countless
trials await you. But it is my lot, by the hateful decree of a god, to
die somewhere afar off on the mainland of Asia. Thus, though I learnt my
fate from evil omens even before now, I have left my fatherland to