O daughter of Pelias, farewell where thou dwellest in sunless dwelling within the mansions of Pluto. And let Pluto know, the God with ebon locks, and the old man, the ferryman of the dead, who sits intent upon his oar and his rudder, that he is conducting by far the most excellent of women in his two-oared boat over the lake of Acheron. Oft shall the servants of the Muses sing of thee, celebrating thee both on the seven-stringed lute on the mountains, and in hymns unaccompanied by the lyre: in Sparta, when returns the annual circle in the season of the Carnean month,[25] when the moon is up the whole night long; and in splendid[26] and happy Athens. Such a song hast thou left by thy death to the minstrels of melodies. Would that it rested with me, and that I could waft thee to the light from the mansions of Pluto, and from Cocytus' streams, by the oar of that infernal river. For thou, O unexampled, O dear among women, thou didst dare to receive thy husband from the realms below in exchange for thine own life. Light may the earth from above fall upon thee, lady! and if thy husband chooses any other alliance, surely he will be much detested by me and by thy children. When his mother was not willing for him to hide her body in the ground, nor his aged father, but these two wretches, having hoary locks, dared not to rescue him they brought forth, yet thou in the vigor of youth didst depart, having died for thy husband. May it be mine to meet with another[27] such a dear wife; for rare in life is such a portion, for surely she would live with me forever without once causing pain. HERCULES, CHORUS. HER. Strangers, inhabitants of the land of Pheres, can I find Admetus within the palace? CHOR. The son of Pheres is within the palace, O Hercules. But tell me, what purpose sends thee to the land of the Thessalians, so that thou comest to this city of Pheres? HER. I am performing a certain labor for the Tirynthian Eurystheus. CHOR. And whither goest thou? on what wandering expedition art bound? HER. After the four chariot-steeds of Diomed the Thracian. CHOR. How wilt thou be able? Art thou ignorant of this host? HER. I am ignorant; I have not yet been to the land of the Bistonians. CHOR. Thou canst not be lord of these steeds without battle. HER. But neither is it possible for me to renounce the labors _set me_. CHOR. Thou wilt come then having slain, or being slain wilt remain there. HER. Not the first contest this that I shall run. CHOR. But what advance will you have made, when you have overcome their master? HER. I will drive away the horses to king Eurystheus. CHOR. 'Tis no easy matter to put the bit in their jaws. HER. _'Tis,_ except they breathe fire from their nostrils. CHOR. But they tear men piecemeal with their devouring jaws. HER. The provender of mountain beasts, not horses, you are speaking of. CHOR. Their stalls thou mayst behold with blood bestained. HER. Son of what sire does their owner boast to be?