Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database

¹³⁷ ἣ θέμις ἀνθρώποις κατὰ ἤθεα. τοὺς μὲν ἔπειτα ¹³⁸ Ζεὺς Κρονίδης ἔκρυψε χολούμενος, οὕνεκα τιμὰς, ¹³⁹ οὐκ ἔδιδον μακάρεσσι θεοῖς, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν. ¹⁴³ Ζεὺς δὲ πατὴρ τρίτον ἄλλο γένος μερόπων ἀνθρώπων, ¹⁴⁴ χάλκειον ποίησʼ, οὐκ ἀργυρέῳ οὐδὲν ὁμοῖον, ¹⁴⁵ ἐκ μελιᾶν, δεινόν τε καὶ ὄβριμον· οἷσιν Ἄρηος, ¹⁵⁷ αὖτις ἔτʼ ἄλλο τέταρτον ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ, ¹⁵⁸ Ζεὺς Κρονίδης ποίησε, δικαιότερον καὶ ἄρειον, ¹⁵⁹ ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων θεῖον γένος, οἳ καλέονται, ¹⁶⁸ Ζεὺς Κρονίδης κατένασσε πατὴρ ἐς πείρατα γαίης. ¹⁶⁹ τηλοῦ ἀπʼ ἀθανάτων· τοῖσιν Κρόνος ἐμβασιλεύει. ¹⁷⁰ καὶ τοὶ μὲν ναίουσιν ἀκηδέα θυμὸν ἔχοντες, ¹⁷⁴ μηκέτʼ ἔπειτʼ ὤφελλον ἐγὼ πέμπτοισι μετεῖναι, ¹⁷⁵ ἀνδράσιν, ἀλλʼ ἢ πρόσθε θανεῖν ἢ ἔπειτα γενέσθαι. ¹⁸⁰ Ζεὺς δʼ ὀλέσει καὶ τοῦτο γένος μερόπων ἀνθρώπων,

¹³⁷ A large bairn, in his mother’s custody, ¹³⁸ Just playing inside for a hundred years. ¹³⁹ But when they all reached their maturity,
¹⁴³ To sacrifice (a law kept everywhere). ¹⁴⁴ Then Zeus, since they would not give gods their due, ¹⁴⁵ In rage hid them, as did the earth – all men,
¹⁵⁷ Chill Hades’ mouldy house, without a name. ¹⁵⁸ Yes, black death took them off, although they’d been, ¹⁵⁹ Impetuous, and they the sun’s bright flame,
¹⁶⁸ The flocks of Oedipus, found death. The sea, ¹⁶⁹ Took others as they crossed to Troy fight, ¹⁷⁰ For fair-tressed Helen. They were screened as well,
¹⁷⁴ And affluent, by the deep-swirling sea. ¹⁷⁵ Sweet grain, blooming three times a year, was sent,
¹⁸⁰ That bound him. Though the lowest race, its gain,

NA>

^5.830 nec manet ulla sui similis res: omnia migrant, omnis enim per se divum natura necessest, immortali aevo summa cum pace fruatur, semota ab nostris rebus seiunctaque longe; nam privata dolore omni, privata periclis, ipsa suis pollens opibus, nihil indiga nostri, nec bene promeritis capitur nec tangitur ira. postremo pereunt imbres, ubi eos pater aether, in gremium matris terrai praecipitavit; at nitidae surgunt fruges ramique virescunt, arboribus, crescunt ipsae fetuque gravantur. hinc alitur porro nostrum genus atque ferarum, hinc laetas urbes pueris florere videmus, frondiferasque novis avibus canere undique silvas, hinc fessae pecudes pinguis per pabula laeta, corpora deponunt et candens lacteus umor, uberibus manat distentis, hinc nova proles, artubus infirmis teneras lasciva per herbas, ludit lacte mero mentes perculsa novellas. omnis enim per se divom natura necessest, inmortali aevo summa cum pace fruatur, nec bene promeritis capitur neque tangitur ira. sustulit, inde loci mortalia saecla creavit, multa modis multis varia ratione coorta. nam neque de caelo cecidisse animalia possunt, nec terrestria de salsis exisse lacunis. linquitur ut merito maternum nomen adepta, terra sit, e terra quoniam sunt cuncta creata. multaque nunc etiam existunt animalia terris, imbribus et calido solis concreta vapore; quo minus est mirum, si tum sunt plura coorta, et maiora, nova tellure atque aethere adulta. principio genus alituum variaeque volucres, ova relinquebant exclusae tempore verno, folliculos ut nunc teretis aestate cicadae, lincunt sponte sua victum vitamque petentes. tum tibi terra dedit primum mortalia saecla. multus enim calor atque umor superabat in arvis. hoc ubi quaeque loci regio opportuna dabatur, crescebant uteri terram radicibus apti; quos ubi tempore maturo pate fecerat aetas, infantum, fugiens umorem aurasque petessens, convertebat ibi natura foramina terrae, et sucum venis cogebat fundere apertis, consimilem lactis, sicut nunc femina quaeque, cum peperit, dulci repletur lacte, quod omnis, impetus in mammas convertitur ille alimenti. terra cibum pueris, vestem vapor, herba cubile, praebebat multa et molli lanugine abundans. at novitas mundi nec frigora dura ciebat, nec nimios aestus nec magnis viribus auras. omnia enim pariter crescunt et robora sumunt. sed quia finem aliquam pariendi debet habere, destitit, ut mulier spatio defessa vetusto. mutat enim mundi naturam totius aetas, ex alioque alius status excipere omnia debet, omnia commutat natura et vertere cogit. namque aliud putrescit et aevo debile languet, porro aliud suc crescit et e contemptibus exit. sic igitur mundi naturam totius aetas, mutat, et ex alio terram status excipit alter, quod potuit nequeat, possit quod non tulit ante.

" ^5.830 ORIGINS AND SAVAGE PERIOD OF MANKIND But mortal man Was then far hardier in the old champaign, As well he should be, since a hardier earth Had him begotten; builded too was he of bigger and more solid bones within, And knit with stalwart sinews through the flesh, Nor easily seized by either heat or cold, Or alien food or any ail or irk. And whilst so many lustrums of the sun Rolled on across the sky, men led a life After the roving habit of wild beasts. Not then were sturdy guiders of curved ploughs, And none knew then to work the fields with iron, Or plant young shoots in holes of delved loam, Or lop with hooked knives from off high trees The boughs of yester-year. What sun and rains To them had given, what earth of own accord Created then, was boon enough to glad Their simple hearts. Mid acorn-laden oaks Would they refresh their bodies for the nonce; And the wild berries of the arbute-tree, Which now thou seest to ripen purple-red In winter time, the old telluric soil Would bear then more abundant and more big. And many coarse foods, too, in long ago The blooming freshness of the rank young world Produced, enough for those poor wretches there. And rivers and springs would summon them of old To slake the thirst, as now from the great hills The waters down-rush calls aloud and far The thirsty generations of the wild. So, too, they sought the grottos of the Nymphs- The woodland haunts discovered as they ranged- From forth of which they knew that gliding rills With gush and splash abounding laved the rocks, The dripping rocks, and trickled from above Over the verdant moss; and here and there Welled up and burst across the open flats. As yet they knew not to enkindle fire Against the cold, nor hairy pelts to use And clothe their bodies with the spoils of beasts; But huddled in groves, and mountain-caves, and woods, And mongst the thickets hid their squalid backs, When driven to flee the lashings of the winds And the big rains. Nor could they then regard The general good, nor did they know to use In common any customs, any laws: Whatever of booty fortune unto each Had proffered, each alone would bear away, By instinct trained for self to thrive and live. And Venus in the forests then would link The lovers bodies; for the woman yielded Either from mutual flame, or from the mans Impetuous fury and insatiate lust, Or from a bribe- as acorn-nuts, choice pears, Or the wild berries of the arbute-tree. And trusting wondrous strength of hands and legs, Theyd chase the forest-wanderers, the beasts; And many theyd conquer, but some few they fled, A-skulk into their hiding-places... . . . With the flung stones and with the ponderous heft of gnarled branch. And by the time of night Oertaken, they would throw, like bristly boars, Their wildmans limbs naked upon the earth, Rolling themselves in leaves and fronded boughs. Nor would they call with lamentations loud Around the fields for daylight and the sun, Quaking and wandring in shadows of the night; But, silent and buried in a sleep, theyd wait Until the sun with rosy flambeau brought The glory to the sky. From childhood wont Ever to see the dark and day begot In times alternate, never might they be Wildered by wild misgiving, lest a night Eternal should possess the lands, with light of sun withdrawn forever. But their care Was rather that the clans of savage beasts Would often make their sleep-time horrible For those poor wretches; and, from home y-driven, Theyd flee their rocky shelters at approach of boar, the spumy-lipped, or lion strong, And in the midnight yield with terror up To those fierce guests their beds of out-spread leaves.",

^1.5 Ante mare et terras et quod tegit omnia caelum, ^1.6 unus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe, ^1.7 quem dixere chaos: rudis indigestaque moles, ^1.76 Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae, ^1.77 deerat adhuc et quod dominari in cetera posset. ^1.78 Natus homo est, sive hunc divino semine fecit, ^1.79 ille opifex rerum, mundi melioris origo, ^1.80 sive recens tellus seductaque nuper ab alto, ^1.81 aethere cognati retinebat semina caeli; ^1.82 quam satus Iapeto mixtam pluvialibus undis, ... Non illo melior quisquam nec amantior aequi, et desolatas agere alta silentia terras, nunc animus, miseranda, foret? quo sola timorem, te sequerer, coniunx, et me quoque pontus haberet. Ut templi tetigere gradus, procumbit uterque, arte sit, et mersis fer opem, mitissima, rebus.”, Interea repetunt caecis obscura latebris, et de femineo reparata est femina iactu. nascendi spatium, quaedam inperfecta suisque, Ergo ubi diluvio tellus lutulenta recenti

^1.5 in smooth and measured strains, from olden day, ^1.6 when earth began to this completed time! ^1.7 Before the ocean and the earth appeared—,
^1.76 and brought the lightning on destructive wind, ^1.77 that also waft the cold. Nor did the great, ^1.78 Artificer permit these mighty wind, ^1.79 to blow unbounded in the pathless skies, ^1.80 but each discordant brother fixed in space, ^1.81 although His power can scarce restrain their rage, ^1.82 to rend the universe. At His command, ... ^1.428 in ruin covered, swept with wasting waves, ^1.429 and when he saw one man of myriads left, ^1.430 one helpless woman left of myriads lone, ^1.431 both innocent and worshiping the Gods, ^1.432 he scattered all the clouds; he blew away, ^1.433 the great storms by the cold northwind. ^1.435 the earth appeared to heaven and the skie, ^1.436 appeared to earth. The fury of the main, ^1.437 abated, for the Ocean ruler laid,

²³ But the connection of the consequence affects me in no moderate degree; for it happens that that which comes near to him who is standing still longs for tranquillity, as being something which resembles itself. Now that which stands still without any deviation is God, and that which is moved is the creature, so that he who comes near to God desires stability; but he who departs from him, as by so doing he is approaching a creature easily overturned, is borne towards that which resembles it. VIII.

^1.60 Continuo has leges aeternaque foedera certis, ^1.61 inposuit natura locis, quo tempore primum, ^1.62 Deucalion vacuum lapides iactavit in orbem, ^1.63 unde homines nati, durum genus. Ergo age, terrae

^1.60 And teach the furrow-burnished share to shine. " ^1.61 That land the craving farmers prayer fulfils,", ^1.62 Which twice the sunshine, twice the frost has felt; " ^1.63 Ay, thats the land whose boundless harvest-crop"

^1.18.7 ἔστι δὲ ἀρχαῖα ἐν τῷ περιβόλῳ Ζεὺς χαλκοῦς καὶ ναὸς Κρόνου καὶ Ῥέας καὶ τέμενος Γῆς τὴν ἐπίκλησιν Ὀλυμπίας. ἐνταῦθα ὅσον ἐς πῆχυν τὸ ἔδαφος διέστηκε, καὶ λέγουσι μετὰ τὴν ἐπομβρίαν τὴν ἐπὶ Δευκαλίωνος συμβᾶσαν ὑπορρυῆναι ταύτῃ τὸ ὕδωρ, ἐσβάλλουσί τε ἐς αὐτὸ ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος ἄλφιτα πυρῶν μέλιτι μίξαντες.

^1.18.7 Within the precincts are antiquities: a bronze Zeus, a temple of Cronus and Rhea and an enclosure of Earth surnamed Olympian. Here the floor opens to the width of a cubit, and they say that along this bed flowed off the water after the deluge that occurred in the time of Deucalion, and into it they cast every year wheat meal mixed with honey.