with these words:

"Surely ye are our kinsmen on my father's side, and ye pray that with
kindly hearts we succour your evil plight. For Cretheus and Athamas were
brothers. I am the grandson of Cretheus, and with these comrades here I
am journeying from that same Hellas to the city of Aeetes. But of these
things we will converse hereafter. And do ye first put clothing upon
you. By heaven's devising, I ween, have ye come to my hands in your sore
need."

He spake, and out of the ship gave them raiment to put on. Then all
together they went to the temple of Ares to offer sacrifice of sheep;
and in haste they stood round the altar, which was outside the roofless
temple, an altar built of pebbles; within a black stone stood fixed, a
sacred thing, to which of yore the Amazons all used to pray. Nor was it
lawful for them, when they came from the opposite coast, to burn on this
altar offerings of sheep and oxen, but they used to slay horses which
they kept in great herds. Now when they had sacrificed and eaten the
feast prepared, then Aeson's son spake among them and thus began:

"Zeus' self, I ween, beholds everything; nor do we men escape his eye,
we that be god-fearing and just, for as he rescued your father from the
hands of a murderous step-dame and gave him measureless wealth besides;
even so hath he saved you harmless from the baleful storm. And on board
this ship ye may sail hither and thither, where ye will, whether to Aea
or to the wealthy city of divine Orchomenus. For our ship Athena built
and with axe of bronze cut her timbers near the crest of Pelion, and
with the goddess wrought Argus. But yours the fierce surge hath
shattered, before ye came nigh to the rocks which all day long clash
together in the straits of the sea. But come, be yourselves our helpers,