that he shamed the streams of sacred Telphusa. Then Phoebus Apollo
considered in his heart what men he should bring in to be his ministers,
and to serve him in rocky Pytho. While he was pondering on this, he
beheld a swift ship on the wine-dark sea, and aboard her many men and
good, Cretans from Minoan Cnossus, such as do sacrifice to the God, and
speak the doom of Phoebus Apollo of the Golden Sword, what word soever he
utters of sooth from the daphne in the dells of Parnassus. For barter
and wealth they were sailing in the black ship to sandy Pylos, and the
Pylian men. Anon Phoebus Apollo set forth to meet them, leaping into the
sea upon the swift ship in the guise of a dolphin, and there he lay, a
portent great and terrible.

[Of the crew, whosoever sought in heart to comprehend what he was . . .
On all sides he kept swaying to and fro, and shaking the timbers of the
galley.] But all they sat silent and in fear aboard the ship, nor loosed
the sheets, nor the sail of the black-prowed galley; nay, even as they
had first set the sails so they voyaged onward, the strong south-wind
speeding on the vessel from behind. First they rounded Malea, and passed
the Laconian land and came to Helos, a citadel by the sea, and Taenarus,
the land of Helios, that is the joy of mortals, where ever feed the deep-
fleeced flocks of Prince Helios, and there hath he his glad demesne.
There the crew thought to stay the galley, and land and consider of the
marvel, and see whether that strange thing will abide on the deck of the
hollow ship or leap again into the swell of the fishes' home. But the
well-wrought ship did not obey the rudder, but kept ever on her way
beyond rich Peloponnesus, Prince Apollo lightly guiding it by the gale.
So accomplishing her course she came to Arene, and pleasant Arguphea, and
Thryon, the ford of Alpheius, and well-builded Aepu, and sandy Pylos, and
the Pylian men, and ran by Crounoi, and Chalcis, and Dyme, and holy Elis,
where the Epeians bear sway. Then rejoicing in the breeze of Zeus, she