Minos

And yet (since joy indeed can’t be complete,

and happiness is always marred by griefs)

King Aegeus, glad to have his dear son back,

still had his cares. For Minos now prepared

to war on Athens. He had many men

and many ships, but he was most equipped

with anger: he was bent on just revenge,

retaliation for his son, Androgeos,

who had been killed by the Athenians.

But first he sailed in search of allies, combing

the seas with his invincible, swift fleet.

He gathered to his cause Astypalaea

and Anaphe, the first by force, the last

by promises; low-lying Myconos

and, too, Cimolos, with its chalky fields;

the fertile Syros and the flat Seriphos;

and Paros’ marble cliffs (the isle that Arne

had sacrilegiously betrayed; and she

became the bird—with black feet and black wings—

that, to this day, delights in golden things).

But Gyaros, Oliaros, and Tenos,

and Andros, Didymae, and Peparethos,

the island rich with gleaming olives—all

refused to help the Cretan fleet. And Minos

sailed left: he headed for Oenopia,

the realm of Aeacus. Oenopia

had been its ancient name; but Aeacus

called it Aegina, honoring his mother.

 

Latin [449–74]

 

A crowd rushed out to see a man so famous.

The king’s three sons received him: Telamon,

the eldest; and his younger brother, Peleus;

and Phocus, the third-born. And Aeacus,

solemn and slow beneath the weight of years,

came, too: he asked what had brought Minos here.

Compelled to think of his own grief as father,

Minos, the ruler of a hundred towns,

sighed deeply as he answered: “For the sake

of my dead son, I’m set on waging war.

I ask you to support my righteous cause:

there is a tomb I’m anxious to console.”

But Aeacus, Aesopus’ grandson, said:

“You ask in vain: my city can’t do this.

In truth there is no land with stronger ties

to the Athenians than our Aegina:

we are their close allies.” Turning aside

to leave dejectedly, Minos replied:

“And you will pay most dearly for that treaty.”

He thought that, at this point, the better course

was threatening war, not waging it: his men

had best save their full force—to shatter Athens.