THE HISTORY OF THE TROJAN WAR
Dares Phrygius
c. 5th-6th c. CE
trans. Jason Colavito (2011)
DARES PHRYGIUS, according to Homer (Iliad, v. 9) a Trojan priest of Hephaestus. He was supposed to have been the author of an account of the destruction of Troy, and to have lived before Homer (Aelian, Var. Hist. xi. 2). A work in Latin, purporting to be a translation of this, and entitled Daretis Phrygii de excidio Trojae historic, was much read in the middle ages, and was then ascribed to Cornelius Nepos, who is made to dedicate it to Sallust; but the language is extremely corrupt, and the work belongs to a period much later than the time of Nepos (probably the 5th century A.D.). It is doubtful whether the work as we have it is an abridgment of a larger Latin work or an adaptation of a Greek original. Together with the similar work of Dictys Cretensis (with which it is generally printed) the De excidio forms the chief source for the numerous middle age accounts of the Trojan legend. (1911 Encyclopedia Britannica)
The following text is my own translation of the opening sections of Dares' History of the Trojan War, those which deal with Jason's journey. This heavily abbreviated discussion of the Argonauts' adventure would, by chance, be nearly all that remained available to Western readers during the Middle Ages.
[1] King Pelias had a brother, Aeson. Aeson’s son was Jason, of outstanding courage: and they who were within the kingdom, all of them he had as friends, and he was loved powerfully by them. King Pelias, when he saw that Jason had been accepted by all, feared that he would do him injury, or expel him from the kingdom. He told Jason that something worthy of his power lay in Colchis, the Golden Fleece of a ram; if he would snatch it away from there, Pelias promised to give over all power to him. When Jason heard this, since he was the bravest of souls, and wanted to know all things, and thought he would be more famous than anyone if he were to fetch the Golden Fleece, he told King Pelias he wanted to go if resources and associates were not lacking. King Pelias ordered the master-builder Argus summoned, and he ordered him to build the most beautiful boat he could, to Jason’s every desire. The rumor galloped throughout all Greece that a ship was being built and that Jason was going to Colchis to ask for the Golden Fleece. Friends and strangers came to Jason and promised they would go. Jason gave his thanks to them: and he asked them to prepare for when the time would come. When the time had come, Jason sent letters to those who had promised to go, and they immediately convened at the ship, whose name was Argo. King Pelias ordered that which was needed placed in the ship, and he urged Jason and those who were going with him to go with great courage to accomplish that which they were attempting. This event would bring glory to Greece and themselves. To describe those who set out with Jason is not our purpose: But he who wishes to know about them, let him read the Argonautica.
[2] Jason, when he had come to Phrygia, brought up the ship to the port of the Simoeis River. Then, they all disembarked from the ship for dry land. It was announced to Laomedon, King of the Trojans, that a ship had unexpectedly entered the port of the Simoeis River and young men had come in it from Greece. When Laomedon heard this he was disturbed, and he thought it a danger to the public if Greeks should be in the habit of landing on his shores in their ships. And so he sent word to the port for the Greeks to depart from his territory; and if they did not obey his word, then he would expel them from his territory by force. Jason and those who had come with him were deeply upset by the cruelty with which Laomedon was treating them; he had received no injury from them: and at the same time they were afraid to attempt to continue on against the order lest they be crushed by the multitude of barbarians. As they were not ready to do battle, they boarded the ship, retreated from the land, set out for Colchis, obtained the Fleece, and returned home.
[3] Hercules was deeply upset at the insulting manner in which Laomedon had treated him and those who had set out for Colchis with Jason, and he came to Sparta, to Castor and Pollux. He urged them to prosecute their injuries with him, lest Laomedon continue prohibiting others from his port and land with impunity. He said many others would follow if they devoted themselves to the cause. Castor and Pollux promised to do everything Hercules wanted. [...]
[Hereafter, Dares continues with an account of Hercules’ raid on Troy, and then the history of the Trojan War proper, all of which fall far beyond our scope. Interested readers can find a translation of the complete work of Dares by R. M. Frazer, Jr. at the Theoi Project.]
Translation copyright © 2011 Jason Colavito. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Jason Colavito.
The following text is my own translation of the opening sections of Dares' History of the Trojan War, those which deal with Jason's journey. This heavily abbreviated discussion of the Argonauts' adventure would, by chance, be nearly all that remained available to Western readers during the Middle Ages.
[1] King Pelias had a brother, Aeson. Aeson’s son was Jason, of outstanding courage: and they who were within the kingdom, all of them he had as friends, and he was loved powerfully by them. King Pelias, when he saw that Jason had been accepted by all, feared that he would do him injury, or expel him from the kingdom. He told Jason that something worthy of his power lay in Colchis, the Golden Fleece of a ram; if he would snatch it away from there, Pelias promised to give over all power to him. When Jason heard this, since he was the bravest of souls, and wanted to know all things, and thought he would be more famous than anyone if he were to fetch the Golden Fleece, he told King Pelias he wanted to go if resources and associates were not lacking. King Pelias ordered the master-builder Argus summoned, and he ordered him to build the most beautiful boat he could, to Jason’s every desire. The rumor galloped throughout all Greece that a ship was being built and that Jason was going to Colchis to ask for the Golden Fleece. Friends and strangers came to Jason and promised they would go. Jason gave his thanks to them: and he asked them to prepare for when the time would come. When the time had come, Jason sent letters to those who had promised to go, and they immediately convened at the ship, whose name was Argo. King Pelias ordered that which was needed placed in the ship, and he urged Jason and those who were going with him to go with great courage to accomplish that which they were attempting. This event would bring glory to Greece and themselves. To describe those who set out with Jason is not our purpose: But he who wishes to know about them, let him read the Argonautica.
[2] Jason, when he had come to Phrygia, brought up the ship to the port of the Simoeis River. Then, they all disembarked from the ship for dry land. It was announced to Laomedon, King of the Trojans, that a ship had unexpectedly entered the port of the Simoeis River and young men had come in it from Greece. When Laomedon heard this he was disturbed, and he thought it a danger to the public if Greeks should be in the habit of landing on his shores in their ships. And so he sent word to the port for the Greeks to depart from his territory; and if they did not obey his word, then he would expel them from his territory by force. Jason and those who had come with him were deeply upset by the cruelty with which Laomedon was treating them; he had received no injury from them: and at the same time they were afraid to attempt to continue on against the order lest they be crushed by the multitude of barbarians. As they were not ready to do battle, they boarded the ship, retreated from the land, set out for Colchis, obtained the Fleece, and returned home.
[3] Hercules was deeply upset at the insulting manner in which Laomedon had treated him and those who had set out for Colchis with Jason, and he came to Sparta, to Castor and Pollux. He urged them to prosecute their injuries with him, lest Laomedon continue prohibiting others from his port and land with impunity. He said many others would follow if they devoted themselves to the cause. Castor and Pollux promised to do everything Hercules wanted. [...]
[Hereafter, Dares continues with an account of Hercules’ raid on Troy, and then the history of the Trojan War proper, all of which fall far beyond our scope. Interested readers can find a translation of the complete work of Dares by R. M. Frazer, Jr. at the Theoi Project.]
Translation copyright © 2011 Jason Colavito. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Jason Colavito.