Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database

6474

Hesiod, Theogony, 886-955

Ζεὺς δὲ θεῶν βασιλεὺς πρώτην ἄλοχον θέτο Μῆτιν

Gave him in marriage to his progeny

πλεῖστα τε ἰδυῖαν ἰδὲ θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Cymopolea. When Zeus, in the war

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ ἄρʼ ἔμελλε θεὰν γλαυκῶπιν Ἀθήνην

Drove the Titans out of Heaven, huge Earth bore

τέξεσθαι, τότʼ ἔπειτα δόλῳ φρένας ἐξαπατήσας

Her youngest child Typhoeus with the aid

αἱμυλίοισι λόγοισιν ἑὴν ἐσκάτθετο νηδὺν

Of golden Aphrodite, who had bade

Γαίης φραδμοσύνῃσι καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος.

Her lie with Tartarus. In everything

τὼς γάρ οἱ φρασάτην, ἵνα μὴ βασιληίδα τιμὴν

He did the lad was strong, untiring

ἄλλος ἔχοι Διὸς ἀντὶ θεῶν αἰειγενετάων.

When running, and upon his shoulders spread

ἐκ γὰρ τῆς εἵμαρτο περίφρονα τέκνα γενέσθαι·

A hundred-headed dragon, full of dread

πρώτην μὲν κούρην γλαυκώπιδα Τριτογένειαν

Its dark tongues flickering, and from below

ἶσον ἔχουσαν πατρὶ μένος καὶ ἐπίφρονα βουλήν.

His eyes a flashing flame was seen to glow;

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ ἄρα παῖδα θεῶν βασιλῆα καὶ ἀνδρῶν

And from each head shot fire as he glared

ἤμελλεν τέξεσθαι, ὑπέρβιον ἦτορ ἔχοντα·

And from each head unspeakable voices blared:

ἀλλʼ ἄρα μιν Ζεὺς πρόσθεν ἑὴν ἐσκάτθετο νηδύν

Sometimes a god could understand the sound

ὡς δή οἱ φράσσαιτο θεὰ ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε.

They made, but sometimes, echoing around

δεύτερον ἠγάγετο λιπαρὴν Θέμιν, ἣ τέκεν Ὥρας

A bull, unruly, proud and furious

Εὐνουμίην τε Δίκην τε καὶ Εἰρήνην τεθαλυῖαν

Would sound, sometimes a lion, mercile

αἳ ἔργʼ ὠρεύουσι καταθνητοῖσι βροτοῖσι

At heart, sometimes – most wonderful to hear –

Μοίρας θʼ, ᾗ πλείστην τιμὴν πόρε μητίετα Ζεύς

The sound of whelps was heard, sometimes the ear

Κλωθώ τε Λάχεσίν τε καὶ Ἄτροπον, αἵτε διδοῦσι

Would catch a hissing sound, which then would change

θνητοῖς ἀνθρώποισιν ἔχειν ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε.

To echoing along the mountain range.

τρεῖς δέ οἱ Εὐρυνομη Χάριτας τέκε καλλιπαρῄους

Something beyond all help would have that day

Ὠκεανοῦ κούρη, πολυήρατον εἶδος ἔχουσα

Occurred and over men and gods hold sway

Ἀγλαΐην τε καὶ Εὐφροσύνην Θαλίην τʼ ἐρατεινήν·

Had Zeus not quickly seen it: mightily

τῶν καὶ ἀπὸ βλεφάρων ἔρος εἴβετο δερκομενάων

And hard he thundered so that terribly

λυσιμελής· καλὸν δέ θʼ ὑπʼ ὀφρύσι δερκιόωνται.

The earth resounded, as did Tartarus

αὐτὰρ ὁ Δήμητρος πολυφόρβης ἐς λέχος ἦλθεν

Wide Heaven and the streams of Oceanus

ἣ τέκε Περσεφόνην λευκώλενον, ἣν Ἀιδωνεὺς

And at his feet the mighty Heaven reeled

ἥρπασε ἧς παρὰ μητρός· ἔδωκε δὲ μητίετα Ζεύς.

As he arose. The earth groaned, thunder pealed

μνημοσύνης δʼ ἐξαῦτις ἐράσσατο καλλικόμοιο

And lightning flashed, and to the dark-blue sea

ἐξ ἧς οἱ Μοῦσαι χρυσάμπυκες ἐξεγένοντο

From them and from the fiery prodigy

ἐννέα, τῇσιν ἅδον θαλίαι καὶ τέρψις ἀοιδῆς.

The scorching winds and blazing thunderbolt

Λητὼ δʼ Ἀπόλλωνα καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν

Came heat, the whole earth seething in revolt

ἱμερόεντα γόνον περὶ πάντων Οὐρανιώνων

With both the sky and sea, while round the strand

γείνατʼ ἄρʼ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς φιλότητι μιγεῖσα.

Long waves rage at the onslaught of the band

λοισθοτάτην δʼ Ἥρην θαλερὴν ποιήσατʼ ἄκοιτιν·

Of gods. An endless shaking, too, arose

ἣ δʼ Ἥβην καὶ Ἄρηα καὶ Εἰλείθυιαν ἔτικτε

And Hades, who has sovereignty over those

μιχθεῖσʼ ἐν φιλότητι θεῶν βασιλῆι καὶ ἀνδρῶν.

Who are deceased, shook, and the Titan horde

αὐτὸς δʼ ἐκ κεφαλῆς γλαυκώπιδα Τριτογένειαν

Beneath that Hell, residing with the lord

δεινὴν ἐγρεκύδοιμον ἀγέστρατον Ἀτρυτώνην

Cronus, shook too at the disharmony

πότνιαν, ᾗ κέλαδοί τε ἅδον πόλεμοί τε μάχαι τε

And dreadful clamour. When his weaponry

Ἥρη δʼ Ἥφαιστον κλυτὸν οὐ φιλότητι μιγεῖσα

Thunder and lightning, Zeus had seized, his might

γείνατο, καὶ ζαμένησε καὶ ἤρισε ᾧ παρακοίτῃ

Well-shored, from high Olympus he took flight

ἐκ πάντων τέχνῃσι κεκασμένον Οὐρανιώνων.