64.1Post haec Argonautae ad Thrāciam cursum tenuērunt, et postquam ad oppidum Salmydēssum nāvem appulērunt, in terram ēgressī sunt.After this the Argonauts held their course for Thrace, and after they had brought the ship in at the town of Salmydessus, they went ashore. 64.2Ibi cum ab incolīs quaesīssent quis regnum eius regiōnis obtinēret, certiōrēs factī sunt Phīneum quendam tum rēgem esse.There, when they had asked the inhabitants who held the kingship of that region, they were told that a certain Phineus was king at that time.Note. certiōrēs factī sunt: 'they were informed', literally 'made more certain'. 64.3Cognōvērunt etiam hunc caecum esse et dīrō quōdam suppliciō adficī, quod ōlim sē crūdēlissimum in fīliōs suōs praebuisset.They also learned that he was blind and suffered a terrible punishment, because he had once been very cruel towards his own sons.Note. quod … praebuisset: the subjunctive gives the reason as people reported it. 64.4Cuius supplicī hoc erat genus.This was the kind of punishment. 64.5Missa erant ā Iove mōnstra quaedam speciē horribilī, quae capita virginum, corpora volucrum habēbant.Certain monsters of horrible appearance had been sent by Jupiter, which had the heads of maidens and the bodies of birds.Note. speciē horribilī: an ablative of description, 'of horrible appearance'. 64.6Hae volucrēs, quae Harpȳiae appellābantur, Phīneō summam molestiam adferēbant; quotiēns enim ille accubuerat, veniēbant et cibum appositum statim auferēbant.These birds, which were called Harpies, caused Phineus the greatest trouble; for whenever he had sat down to eat, they came and at once carried off the food that had been served.
64.7Quō factum est ut haud multum abesset quīn Phīneus famē morerētur.The result was that Phineus came very close to dying of hunger.Note. haud multum abesset quīn … morerētur: 'it was not far from his dying', that is, 'he very nearly died'.