After a short happy voyage, the Argonauts arrived at the flowering island of Lemnos. The young queen Hypsipyle ruled there. There was not a single man on Lemnos. The Lemnian women killed all their husbands for their treason. Only one king Foant, the father of Hypsipyle, escaped death. His daughter saved him.
When the Argonauts landed on the shore of Lemnos and sent a messenger to the city, the Lemnians gathered for a council in the city square, and young Hypsipyle advised them not to let the Argonauts into the city. She was afraid that the heroes would find out about the atrocity that the Lemnians had committed. But old Polukso began to object to the queen.
She insisted that the Argonauts must be allowed into the city.
“Who will protect you,” said Polukso, “if enemies attack Lemnos?” Who will take care of you when you grow old if you remain alone? No, let strangers into the city, let them stay here.
The Lemnian women listened to old Polukso. They immediately sent one of the Lemnian women with a messenger who had come from the Argo to ask the heroes to enter the city.
Jason put on a luxurious purple robe, woven for him by Pallas Athena herself, and went into the city. Hypsipyle received him with honor and invited him to live in her palace. The rest of the Argonauts also came to the city. Only a few people with Hercules remained on the Argo.
Fun and joy reigned on the island. Everywhere sacrifices to the gods were burned on bonfires, festivities gave way to festivities, feasts to feasts. It seemed that the heroes had forgotten about the great feat that awaited them. They feasted carefree on rich Lemnos. Finally, Hercules secretly called the Argonauts to the seashore where the Argo stood. The greatest of the heroes angrily reproached them for the fact that for the sake of pleasure, for the sake of a cheerful and carefree life, they forgot about their exploits. The heroes stood ashamed, listening to well-deserved reproaches. They decided to leave Lemnos immediately. The Argo was immediately equipped for the journey. The heroes were already ready to board the ship and take the oars when the Lemnian women came ashore in a crowd. They begged the heroes not to leave them, to stay with them. But the heroes were adamant. The Lemnians said goodbye to them with tears. The heroes boarded the Argo and leaned on the oars together; The waves foamed under the blow of the oars of the mighty oarsmen, and like a bird, the Argo flew into the open sea.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru