'My son,' she answered, 'most ill-fated of all mankind, it is not Proserpine that is beguiling you, but all people are like this when they are dead. The sinews no longer hold the flesh and bones together; these perish in the fierceness of consuming fire as soon as life has left the body, and the soul flits away as though it were a dream. Now, however, go back to the light of day as soon as you can, and note all these things that you may tell them to your wife hereafter.'

Thus did we converse, and anon Proserpine sent up the ghosts of the wives and daughters of all the most famous men. They gathered in crowds about the blood, and I considered how I might question them severally. In the end I deemed that it would be best to draw the keen blade that hung by my sturdy thigh, and keep them from all drinking the blood at once. So they came up one after the other, and each one as I questioned her told me her race and lineage.

The first I saw was Tyro. She was daughter of Salmoneus and wife of Cretheus the son of Aeolus. She fell in love with the river Enipeus who is much the most beautiful river in the whole world. Once when she was taking a walk by his side as usual, Neptune, disguised as her lover, lay with her at the mouth of the river, and a huge blue wave arched itself like a mountain over them to hide both woman and god, whereon he loosed her virgin girdle and laid her in a deep slumber. When the god had accomplished the deed of love, he took her hand in his own and said, 'Tyro, rejoice in all good will; the embraces of the gods are not fruitless, and you will have fine twins about this time twelve months. Take great care of them. I am Neptune, so now go home, but hold your tongue and do not tell any one.'

ὤ μοι͵ τέκνον ἐμόν͵ περὶ πάντων κάμμορε φωτῶν͵ οὔ τί σε Περσεφόνεια Διὸς θυγάτηρ ἀπαφίσκει͵ ἀλλ΄ αὕτη δίκη ἐστὶ βροτῶν͵ ὅτε τίς κε θάνῃσιν. οὐ γὰρ ἔτι σάρκας τε καὶ ὀστέα ἶνες ἔχουσιν͵ ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν τε πυρὸς κρατερὸν μένος αἰθομένοιο δαμνᾷ͵ ἐπεί κε πρῶτα λίπῃ λεύκ΄ ὀστέα θυμός͵ ψυχὴ δ΄ ἠΰτ΄ ὄνειρος ἀποπταμένη πεπότηται. ἀλλὰ φόωσδε τάχιστα λιλαίεο· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἴσθ΄͵ ἵνα καὶ μετόπισθε τεῇ εἴπῃσθα γυναικί.

νῶϊ μὲν ὣς ἐπέεσσιν ἀμειβόμεθ΄͵ αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἤλυθον͵ ὤτρυνεν γὰρ ἀγαυὴ Περσεφόνεια͵ ὅσσαι ἀριστήων ἄλοχοι ἔσαν ἠδὲ θύγατρες. αἱ δ΄ ἀμφ΄ αἷμα κελαινὸν ἀολλέες ἠγερέθοντο͵ αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ βούλευον͵ ὅπως ἐρέοιμι ἑκάστην. ἥδε δέ μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή· σπασσάμενος τανύηκες ἄορ παχέος παρὰ μηροῦ οὐκ εἴων πίνειν ἅμα πάσας αἷμα κελαινόν. αἱ δὲ προμνηστῖναι ἐπήϊσαν͵ ἠδὲ ἑκάστη ὃν γόνον ἐξαγόρευεν· ἐγὼ δ΄ ἐρέεινον ἁπάσας. 

Ἔνθ΄ ἦ τοι πρώτην Τυρὼ ἴδον εὐπατέρειαν͵ ἣ φάτο Σαλμωνῆος ἀμύμονος ἔκγονος εἶναι͵ φῆ δὲ Κρηθῆος γυνὴ ἔμμεναι Αἰολίδαο· ἣ ποταμοῦ ἠράσσατ΄ Ἐνιπῆος θείοιο͵ ὃς πολὺ κάλλιστος ποταμῶν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἵησι͵ καί ῥ΄ ἐπ΄ Ἐνιπῆος πωλέσκετο καλὰ ῥέεθρα. τῷ δ΄ ἄρα εἰσάμενος γαιήοχος ἐννοσίγαιος ἐν προχοῇς ποταμοῦ παρελέξατο δινήεντος· πορφύρεον δ΄ ἄρα κῦμα περιστάθη οὔρεϊ ἶσον͵ κυρτωθέν͵ κρύψεν δὲ θεὸν θνητήν τε γυναῖκα. [λῦσε δὲ παρθενίην ζώνην͵ κατὰ δ΄ ὕπνον ἔχευεν.] αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥ΄ ἐτέλεσσε θεὸς φιλοτήσια ἔργα͵ ἔν τ΄ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρὶ ἔπος τ΄ ἔφατ΄ ἔκ τ΄ ὀνόμαζε· χαῖρε͵ γύναι͵ φιλότητι· περιπλομένου δ΄ ἐνιαυτοῦ τέξεαι ἀγλαὰ τέκνα͵ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀποφώλιοι εὐναὶ ἀθανάτων· σὺ δὲ τοὺς κομέειν ἀτιταλλέμεναί τε. νῦν δ΄ ἔρχευ πρὸς δῶμα καὶ ἴσχεο μηδ΄ ὀνομήνῃς· αὐτὰρ ἐγώ τοί εἰμι Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων.