9 Apollo and Telphousa 246-280

[There, you walked towards Telphousa

–sometimes called Delphousa in echo of what would come.]

Looming above her,

you spoke down to her in this way:

“Telephousa:

here,

In this virgin land

I intend my temple —

elegant, beautiful

an oracle site for all humans–

to be built.

For eternity, multitudes will —

to honour me —

here bring cattle by the hundreds in a perfect hecatomb.

Humans from all places —

those

in the rich Peloponnese 250

in Europa (Thrace and Northern Aegean)

throughout the water-circled Aegean islands —

will come to seek my oracle.

For them: guidance which cannot be altered

I will establish sacred law

by proclaiming oracles from my rich temple.”

After saying this,

the purifying-light,

Apollo

marked out the boundaries of the precinct that would be —

wide, very long, and without break–.

As she watched him 255

Telphousa

filled with bile

as she choked on a angry heart.

Finally, she managed to speak.

Addressing him with false deference:

“Purifying-light,

king

Lord-whose-deeds-are-far-known:

I have a thought about the future you speak of.

[I do not doubt that this will all come to be

exactly as you say…]

Here:

you intend your temple —

elegant, beautiful

an oracle site for all humans–

to be built.

For eternity, multitudes will —

to honour you—

here bring cattle by the hundreds in a perfect hecatomb^[1] 260

That much is certain…

As to the rest though, allow me to express my fear

as to how this future will speak to your heart

Here:

the future will only bring you constant irritation

[When the multitudes come to get water from my spring

rather than to visit your temple.]

You will be constantly bothered hearing–

the clatter of horses

as they move swiftly to drink from my holy springs

and

mules braying

You will only be further insulted, each time you see my visitors…

so many tourists standing around who

prefer to gawk with mouths open; marveling

at all the traffic; at all the clattering movement —

long lines of

well-made chariots and

swift horses — 266

headed to my spring 265

rather

than to visit and behold

your great temple

your stores of wealth within.

So, please, with all deference, let me suggest a possible alternative —

if it is even permissible for me to presume so much,

for you are so much stronger and better than me

everyone agrees that your majesty and power is unmatched–

Build instead in Crissa,

on the slope of mount Parnassus.

There:

no garish chariots

constantly about their business

no noisy clatter

from horses’  swift gallops  270

nothing there at all

to  disturb your well-built altar.

There:

One noise alone:

the shouts of the ritual-cry-Iay-Ia

for your ears

 One visitation alone:

Gifts brought from afar

from humans of all lands

for you.

Consider too,

[though, at first, it would bring some joy in your heart to build here]:

There:

the initial joy in your heart would only continue to increase

every time you and you alone

see your number of holy offerings increasing

from the many, many places which neighbour Crissa.”

With this argument she changed his mind:  275

the lord whose-deeds-are-far-known

[as are stories of his vengeance.]

She did so selfishly:

jealous and intending that all the glory should remain

hers alone — after all, she only had this single place —

not

his with-power-stretching-far,

[as he would have many other lands besides.]

Apollo whose-arrows-travel-far, you continued your far-reaching quest:

You passed over– for now–

the city of the Phlegians

— arrogant criminals, who did not respect the rule of Zeus —

In this age they still lived near lake Cephisus,

their ugly wickedness concealed by the beauty of the glen.

But the time for their punishment was nearly at hand.              280