Fabula 18. Lycus — “the Lycus episode”: the Argonauts’ stay with Lycus, king in the Propontis, where Idmon and Tiphys both die. Latin from the standard text, with a new English translation below each paragraph. View:
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Lycus rex insulae Propontidis Argonautas recepit hospitio in honorem, eo quod Amycum interfecerant, quod eum saepe †inficiaretur. Argonautae dum apud Lycum morantur et stratum exissent, Idmon Apollinis filius ab apro percussus interiit, in cuius dum diutius sepultura morantur, Tiphys Phorbantis filius moritur. tunc Argonautae Ancaeo Neptuni filio nauem Argo gubernandam dederunt.
Lycus, king of an island in the Propontis, received the Argonauts with hospitality out of honor because they had killed Amycus, since Amycus had frequently [wronged/harassed] him. While the Argonauts were staying with Lycus and had gone out for bedding, Idmon, son of Apollo, was struck by a boar and died; while they lingered long over his burial, Tiphys, son of Phorbas, died as well. Then the Argonauts gave the steering of the ship Argo to Ancaeus, son of Neptune.
Notes
- †inficiaretur is marked corrupt in the text; the verb inficior (“to deny, disown”) does not make clear sense here. It likely conceals a verb meaning “wronged,” “harassed,” or “offended” (e.g. iniuriaretur or offenderet), so the translation supplies that sense in brackets and the Latin keeps the dagger.
- stratum exissent: literally “had gone out for bedding, straw” — straw to sleep on.
- Apollinis and Tiphys are supplied in the text (as in Packhum).
- The deaths of Idmon and Tiphys at Lycus’s court are already told in Fabula 14, paras 25–26; the duplication is Hyginus’s, kept in both places.
Next fabula: Phineus (Fabula 19). Corrections are welcome via the contact form; please say which paragraph you mean.