ΗΣΙΟΔΟΣ, ΘΕΟΓΟΝΙΑ ΣΤΙΧΟΙ 617 – 1022

Ὀβριάρεῳ δ’ ὡς πρῶτα πατὴρ ὠδύσσατο θυμῷ
Κόττῳ τ’ ἠδὲ Γύγῃ, δῆσε κρατερῷ ἐνὶ δεσμῷ,
ἠνορέην ὑπέροπλον ἀγώμενος ἠδὲ καὶ εἶδος
620 καὶ μέγεθος· κατένασσε δ’ ὑπὸ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης.
ἔνθ’ οἵ γ’ ἄλγε’ ἔχοντες ὑπὸ χθονὶ ναιετάοντες
εἵατ’ ἐπ’ ἐσχατιῇ μεγάλης ἐν πείρασι γαίης
δηθὰ μάλ’ ἀχνύμενοι, κραδίῃ μέγα πένθος ἔχοντες.
ἀλλά σφεας Κρονίδης τε καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι
οὓς τέκεν ἠύκομος Ῥείη Κρόνου ἐν φιλότητι
Γαίης φραδμοσύνῃσιν ἀνήγαγον ἐς φάος αὖτις·
αὐτὴ γάρ σφιν ἅπαντα διηνεκέως κατέλεξε,
σὺν κείνοις νίκην τε καὶ ἀγλαὸν εὖχος ἀρέσθαι.
δηρὸν γὰρ μάρναντο πόνον θυμαλγέ’ ἔχοντες
630 ἀντίον ἀλλήλοισι διὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας
Τιτῆνές τε θεοὶ καὶ ὅσοι Κρόνου ἐξεγένοντο,
οἱ μὲν ἀφ’ ὑψηλῆς Ὄθρυος Τιτῆνες ἀγαυοί,
οἱ δ’ ἄρ’ ἀπ’ Οὐλύμποιο θεοὶ δωτῆρες ἐάων
οὓς τέκεν ἠύκομος Ῥείη Κρόνῳ εὐνηθεῖσα.
οἵ ῥα τότ’ ἀλλήλοισι μάχην θυμαλγέ’ ἔχοντες
συνεχέως ἐμάχοντο δέκα πλείους ἐνιαυτούς·
οὐδέ τις ἦν ἔριδος χαλεπῆς λύσις οὐδὲ τελευτὴ
οὐδετέροις, ἶσον δὲ τέλος τέτατο πτολέμοιο.
ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ κείνοισι παρέσχεθεν ἄρμενα πάντα,
640 νέκταρ τ’ ἀμβροσίην τε, τά περ θεοὶ αὐτοὶ ἔδουσι,
πάντων τ’ ἐν στήθεσσιν ἀέξετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ,
[ὡς νέκταρ τ’ ἐπάσαντο καὶ ἀμβροσίην ἐρατεινήν,]
δὴ τότε τοῖς μετέειπε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε·

But when first their father was vexed in his heart
with Obriareus and Cottus and Gyes,
he bound them in cruel bonds, because he was jealous
of their exceeding manhood and comeliness and great size;
and he made them live beneath the wide-pathed earth,
where they were afflicted, being set to dwell under the ground,
at the end of the earth, at its great borders,
in bitter anguish for a long time and with great grief at heart.
But the son of Cronos and the other deathless gods
whom rich-haired Rhea bare from union with Cronos,
brought them up again to the light at Earth's advising.
For she herself recounted all things to the gods fully,
how that with these they would gain victory
and a glorious cause to vaunt themselves.
For the Titan gods and as many as sprang from Cronos
had long been fighting together in stubborn war
with heart-grieving toil, the lordly Titans from high Othyrs,
and the gods, givers of good, whom rich-haired Rhea bare
in union with Cronos, from Olympus.
So they, with bitter wrath, were fighting continually
with one another at that time for ten full years,
and the hard strife had no close or end for either side,
and the issue of the war hung evenly balanced.
But when he had provided those three with all things fitting,
nectar and ambrosia which the gods themselves eat,
and when their proud spirit revived within them all
after they had fed on nectar and delicious ambrosia,
then it was that the father of men and gods spoke amongst them:

“Κέκλυτέ μευ Γαίης τε καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀγλαὰ τέκνα,
ὄφρ’ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.
ἤδη γὰρ μάλα δηρὸν ἐναντίοι ἀλλήλοισι
νίκης καὶ κάρτους πέρι μαρνάμεθ’ ἤματα πάντα,
Τιτῆνές τε θεοὶ καὶ ὅσοι Κρόνου ἐκγενόμεσθα.
ὑμεῖς δὲ μεγάλην τε βίην καὶ χεῖρας ἀάπτους
650 φαίνετε Τιτήνεσσιν ἐναντίον ἐν δαῒ λυγρῇ,
μνησάμενοι φιλότητος ἐνηέος, ὅσσα παθόντες
ἐς φάος ἂψ ἀφίκεσθε δυσηλεγέος ὑπὸ δεσμοῦ
ἡμετέρας διὰ βουλὰς ὑπὸ ζόφου ἠερόεντος.”

ὣς φάτο· τὸν δ’ αἶψ’ αὖτις ἀμείβετο Κόττος ἀμύμων·

“Δαιμόνι’, οὐκ ἀδάητα πιφαύσκεαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ
ἴδμεν ὅ τοι περὶ μὲν πραπίδες, περὶ δ’ ἐστὶ νόημα,
ἀλκτὴρ δ’ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀρῆς γένεο κρυεροῖο,
σῇσι δ’ ἐπιφροσύνῃσιν ὑπὸ ζόφου ἠερόεντος
ἄψορρον ἐξαῦτις ἀμειλίκτων ὑπὸ δεσμῶν
660 ἠλύθομεν, Κρόνου υἱὲ ἄναξ, ἀνάελπτα παθόντες.
τῷ καὶ νῦν ἀτενεῖ τε νόῳ καὶ πρόφρονι θυμῷ
ῥυσόμεθα κράτος ὑμὸν ἐν αἰνῇ δηιοτῆτι,
μαρνάμενοι Τιτῆσιν ἀνὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας.”

“Hear me, bright children of Earth and Heaven,
that I may say what my heart within me bids.
A long while now have we,
who are sprung from Cronos and the Titan gods,
fought with each other every day to get victory and to prevail.
But do you show your great might and unconquerable strength,
and face the Titans in bitter strife;
for remember our friendly kindness, and from what sufferings
you are come back to the light from your cruel bondage
under misty gloom through our counsels”,

So he said. And blameless Cottus answered him again:

“Divine one, you speak that which we know well;
nay, even of ourselves we know that your wisdom
and understanding is exceeding, and that you became
a defender of the deathless ones from chill doom.
And through your devising we are come back again
from the murky gloom and from our merciless bonds,
enjoying what we looked not for, O lord, son of Cronos.
And so now with fixed purpose and deliberate counsel
we will aid your power in dreadful strife
and will fight against the Titans in hard battle.”

ὣς φάτ’· ἐπῄνησαν δὲ θεοὶ δωτῆρες ἐάων
μῦθον ἀκούσαντες· πολέμου δ’ ἐλιλαίετο θυμὸς
μᾶλλον ἔτ’ ἢ τὸ πάροιθε· μάχην δ’ ἀμέγαρτον ἔγειραν
πάντες, θήλειαί τε καὶ ἄρσενες, ἤματι κείνῳ,
Τιτῆνές τε θεοὶ καὶ ὅσοι Κρόνου ἐξεγένοντο,
οὕς τε Ζεὺς ἐρέβεσφιν ὑπὸ χθονὸς ἧκε φόωσδε,
670 δεινοί τε κρατεροί τε, βίην ὑπέροπλον ἔχοντες.
τῶν ἑκατὸν μὲν χεῖρες ἀπ’ ὤμων ἀίσσοντο
πᾶσιν ὁμῶς, κεφαλαὶ δὲ ἑκάστῳ πεντήκοντα
ἐξ ὤμων ἐπέφυκον ἐπὶ στιβαροῖσι μέλεσσιν.
οἳ τότε Τιτήνεσσι κατέσταθεν ἐν δαῒ λυγρῇ
πέτρας ἠλιβάτους στιβαρῇς ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες·
Τιτῆνες δ’ ἑτέρωθεν ἐκαρτύναντο φάλαγγας
προφρονέως· χειρῶν τε βίης θ’ ἅμα ἔργον ἔφαινον
ἀμφότεροι, δεινὸν δὲ περίαχε πόντος ἀπείρων,
γῆ δὲ μέγ’ ἐσμαράγησεν, ἐπέστενε δ’ οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς
680 σειόμενος, πεδόθεν δὲ τινάσσετο μακρὸς Ὄλυμπος 
ῥιπῇ ὕπ’ ἀθανάτων, ἔνοσις δ’ ἵκανε βαρεῖα
τάρταρον ἠερόεντα ποδῶν, αἰπεῖά τ’ ἰωὴ
ἀσπέτου ἰωχμοῖο βολάων τε κρατεράων.
ὣς ἄρ’ ἐπ’ ἀλλήλοις ἵεσαν βέλεα στονόεντα·
φωνὴ δ’ ἀμφοτέρων ἵκετ’ οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα
κεκλομένων· οἱ δὲ ξύνισαν μεγάλῳ ἀλαλητῷ.

So he said: and the gods, givers of good things,
applauded when they heard his word,
and their spirit longed for war even more than before,
and they all, both male and female, stirred up hated battle that day,
the Titan gods, and all that were born of Cronos together
with those dread, mighty ones of overwhelming strength
whom Zeus brought up to the light from Erebus beneath the earth.
An hundred arms sprang from the shoulders of all alike,
and each had fifty heads growing upon
his shoulders upon stout limbs.
These, then, stood against the Titans in grim strife,
holding huge rocks in their strong hands.
And on the other part the Titans eagerly strengthened their ranks,
and both sides at one time showed
the work of their hands and their might.
The boundless sea rang terribly around,
and the earth crashed loudly; wide Heaven was shaken
and groaned, and high Olympus reeled
from its foundation under the charge of the undying gods,
and a heavy quaking reached dim Tartarus and the deep sound
of their feet in the fearful onset and of their hard missiles.
So, then, they launched their grievous shafts upon one another,
and the cry of both armies as they shouted reached
to starry heaven; and they met together with a great battle-cry.

Οὐδ’ ἄρ’ ἔτι Ζεὺς ἴσχεν ἑὸν μένος, ἀλλά νυ τοῦ γε
εἶθαρ μὲν μένεος πλῆντο φρένες, ἐκ δέ τε πᾶσαν
φαῖνε βίην· ἄμυδις δ’ ἄρ’ ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ ἠδ’ ἀπ’ Ὀλύμπου
690 ἀστράπτων ἔστειχε συνωχαδόν, οἱ δὲ κεραυνοὶ
ἴκταρ ἅμα βροντῇ τε καὶ ἀστεροπῇ ποτέοντο
χειρὸς ἄπο στιβαρῆς, ἱερὴν φλόγα εἰλυφόωντες,
ταρφέες· ἀμφὶ δὲ γαῖα φερέσβιος ἐσμαράγιζε
καιομένη, λάκε δ’ ἀμφὶ περὶ μεγάλ’ ἄσπετος ὕλη·
ἔζεε δὲ χθὼν πᾶσα καὶ Ὠκεανοῖο ῥέεθρα
πόντός τ’ ἀτρύγετος· τοὺς δ’ ἄμφεπε θερμὸς ἀυτμὴ
Τιτῆνας χθονίους, φλὸξ δ’ αἰθέρα δῖαν ἵκανεν
ἄσπετος, ὄσσε δ’ ἄμερδε καὶ ἰφθίμων περ ἐόντων
αὐγὴ μαρμαίρουσα κεραυνοῦ τε στεροπῆς τε.
700 καῦμα δὲ θεσπέσιον κάτεχεν χάος· εἴσατο δ’ ἄντα
ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδεῖν ἠδ’ οὔασιν ὄσσαν ἀκοῦσαι
αὔτως, ὡς ὅτε γαῖα καὶ οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθε
πίλνατο· τοῖος γάρ κε μέγας ὑπὸ δοῦπος ὀρώρει,
τῆς μὲν ἐρειπομένης, τοῦ δ’ ὑψόθεν ἐξεριπόντος·
τόσσος δοῦπος ἔγεντο θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνιόντων.
σὺν δ’ ἄνεμοι ἔνοσίν τε κονίην τ’ ἐσφαράγιζον
βροντήν τε στεροπήν τε καὶ αἰθαλόεντα κεραυνόν,
κῆλα Διὸς μεγάλοιο, φέρον δ’ ἰαχήν τ’ ἐνοπήν τε
ἐς μέσον ἀμφοτέρων· ὄτοβος δ’ ἄπλητος ὀρώρει
710 σμερδαλέης ἔριδος, κάρτος δ’ ἀνεφαίνετο ἔργων.
ἐκλίνθη δὲ μάχη· πρὶν δ’ ἀλλήλοις ἐπέχοντες
ἐμμενέως ἐμάχοντο διὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας.

Then Zeus no longer held back his might; but straight
his heart was filled with fury and he showed forth
all his strength. From Heaven and from Olympus
he came forthwith, hurling his lightning; the bold flew thick
and fast from his strong hand together with thunder and lightning,
whirling an awesome flame. The life-giving earth crashed around
in burning, and the vast wood crackled loud with fire all about.
All the land seethed, and Ocean's streams and the unfruitful sea.
The hot vapour lapped round the earthborn Titans;
flame unspeakable rose to the bright upper air;
the flashing glare of the thunder-stone and lightning
blinded their eyes for all that there were strong.
Astounding heat seized Chaos: and to see with eyes
and to hear the sound with ears it seemed even as if
Earth and wide Heaven above came together;
for such a mighty crash would have arisen
if Earth were being hurled to ruin, and Heaven
from on high were hurling her down; so great a crash
was there while the gods were meeting together in strife.
Also the winds brought rumbling earthquake and duststorm,
thunder and lightning and the lurid thunderbolt, which are
the shafts of great Zeus, and carried the clangour and the warcry
into the midst of the two hosts. An horrible uproar
of terrible strife arose; mighty deeds were shown
and the battle inclined. But until then, they kept
at one another and fought continually in cruel war.

Οἱ δ’ ἄρ’ ἐνὶ πρώτοισι μάχην δριμεῖαν ἔγειραν,
Κόττος τε Βριάρεώς τε Γύγης τ’ ἄατος πολέμοιο·
οἵ ῥα τριηκοσίας πέτρας στιβαρέων ἀπὸ χειρῶν
πέμπον ἐπασσυτέρας, κατὰ δ’ ἐσκίασαν βελέεσσι
Τιτῆνας· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ὑπὸ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης
πέμψαν καὶ δεσμοῖσιν ἐν ἀργαλέοισιν ἔδησαν,
νικήσαντες χερσὶν ὑπερθύμους περ ἐόντας,
720 τόσσον ἔνερθ’ ὑπὸ γῆς ὅσον οὐρανός ἐστ’ ἀπὸ γαίης·
τόσσον γάρ τ’ ἀπὸ γῆς ἐς τάρταρον ἠερόεντα.
ἐννέα γὰρ νύκτας τε καὶ ἤματα χάλκεος ἄκμων
οὐρανόθεν κατιών, δεκάτῃ κ’ ἐς γαῖαν ἵκοιτο·
[ἶσον δ’ αὖτ’ ἀπὸ γῆς ἐς τάρταρον ἠερόεντα·] [723α]
ἐννέα δ’ αὖ νύκτας τε καὶ ἤματα χάλκεος ἄκμων
ἐκ γαίης κατιών, δεκάτῃ κ’ ἐς τάρταρον ἵκοι.
τὸν πέρι χάλκεον ἕρκος ἐλήλαται· ἀμφὶ δέ μιν νὺξ
τριστοιχὶ κέχυται περὶ δειρήν· αὐτὰρ ὕπερθε
γῆς ῥίζαι πεφύασι καὶ ἀτρυγέτοιο θαλάσσης.
ἔνθα θεοὶ Τιτῆνες ὑπὸ ζόφῳ ἠερόεντι
730 κεκρύφαται βουλῇσι Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο,
χώρῳ ἐν εὐρώεντι, πελώρης ἔσχατα γαίης.
τοῖς οὐκ ἐξιτόν ἐστι, θύρας δ’ ἐπέθηκε Ποσειδέων
χαλκείας, τεῖχος δ’ ἐπελήλαται ἀμφοτέρωθεν.
[ἔνθα Γύγης Κόττος τε καὶ Ὀβριάρεως μεγάθυμος
ναίουσιν, φύλακες πιστοὶ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.

And amongst the foremost Cottus and Briareos
and Gyes insatiate for war raised fierce fighting;
three hundred rocks, one upon another, they launched
from their strong hands and overshadowed the Titans
with their missiles, and buried them beneath
the wide-pathed earth, and bound them in bitter chains
when they had conquered them by their strength for all
their great spirit; and as far as heaven is from earth,
so far beneath the earth is Tartarus.
For a brazen anvil falling down from heaven nine nights
and days would reach the earth upon the tenth;
and again, a brazen anvil falling from earth nine nights and days
would reach Tartarus upon the tenth.
Round it runs a fence of bronze, and night
spreads in triple line all about it like a neck-circlet,
while above grow the roots of the earth and unfruitful sea.
There by the counsel of Zeus who drives the clouds
the Titan gods are hidden under misty gloom, in a dank place
where are the ends of the huge earth.
And they may not go out; for Poseidon fixed gates
of bronze upon it, and a wall runs all round it on every side.
There Gyes and Cottus and great-souled Obriareus live,
trusty warders of Zeus who holds the aegis.

Ἔνθα δὲ γῆς δνοφερῆς καὶ ταρτάρου ἠερόεντος
πόντου τ’ ἀτρυγέτοιο καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος
ἑξείης πάντων πηγαὶ καὶ πείρατ’ ἔασιν,
ἀργαλέ’ εὐρώεντα, τά τε στυγέουσι θεοί περ·
740 χάσμα μέγ’, οὐδέ κε πάντα τελεσφόρον εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν
οὖδας ἵκοιτ’, εἰ πρῶτα πυλέων ἔντοσθε γένοιτο,
ἀλλά κεν ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα φέροι πρὸ θύελλα θυέλλης
ἀργαλέη· δεινὸν δὲ καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι
τοῦτο τέρας· καὶ Νυκτὸς ἐρεβεννῆς οἰκία δεινὰ
ἕστηκεν νεφέλῃς κεκαλυμμένα κυανέῃσι.]
τῶν πρόσθ’ Ἰαπετοῖο πάις ἔχει οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν
ἑστηὼς κεφαλῇ τε καὶ ἀκαμάτῃσι χέρεσσιν
ἀστεμφέως, ὅθι Νύξ τε καὶ Ἡμέρη ἆσσον ἰοῦσαι
ἀλλήλας προσέειπον ἀμειβόμεναι μέγαν οὐδὸν
750 χάλκεον· ἡ μὲν ἔσω καταβήσεται, ἡ δὲ θύραζε
ἔρχεται, οὐδέ ποτ’ ἀμφοτέρας δόμος ἐντὸς ἐέργει,
ἀλλ’ αἰεὶ ἑτέρη γε δόμων ἔκτοσθεν ἐοῦσα
γαῖαν ἐπιστρέφεται, ἡ δ’ αὖ δόμου ἐντὸς ἐοῦσα
μίμνει τὴν αὐτῆς ὥρην ὁδοῦ, ἔστ’ ἂν ἵκηται·
ἡ μὲν ἐπιχθονίοισι φάος πολυδερκὲς ἔχουσα,
ἡ δ’ Ὕπνον μετὰ χερσί, κασίγνητον Θανάτοιο,
Νὺξ ὀλοή, νεφέλῃ κεκαλυμμένη ἠεροειδεῖ.
ἔνθα δὲ Νυκτὸς παῖδες ἐρεμνῆς οἰκί’ ἔχουσιν,
Ὕπνος καὶ Θάνατος, δεινοὶ θεοί· οὐδέ ποτ’ αὐτοὺς
760 Ἠέλιος φαέθων ἐπιδέρκεται ἀκτίνεσσιν
οὐρανὸν εἰσανιὼν οὐδ’ οὐρανόθεν καταβαίνων.
τῶν ἕτερος μὲν γῆν τε καὶ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης
ἥσυχος ἀνστρέφεται καὶ μείλιχος ἀνθρώποισι,
τοῦ δὲ σιδηρέη μὲν κραδίη, χάλκεον δέ οἱ ἦτορ
νηλεὲς ἐν στήθεσσιν· ἔχει δ’ ὃν πρῶτα λάβῃσιν
ἀνθρώπων· ἐχθρὸς δὲ καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν.

And there, all in their order, are the sources and ends
of gloomy earth and misty Tartarus
and the unfruitful sea and starry heaven,
loathsome and dank, which even the gods abhor.
It is a great gulf, and if once a man were within the gates,
he would not reach the floor until a whole year had reached its end,
but cruel blast upon blast would carry him this way and that.
And this marvel is awful even to the deathless gods.
There stands the awful home of murky Night
wrapped in dark clouds.
In front of it the son of Iapetus stands immovably upholding
the wide heaven upon his head and unwearying hands,
where Night and Day draw near and greet one another
as they pass the great threshold of bronze;
and while the one is about to go down into the house,
the other comes out at the door.
And the house never holds them both within; but always
one is without the house passing over the earth,
while the other stays at home and waits
until the time for her journeying come;
and the one holds all-seeing light for them on earth,
but the other holds in her arms Sleep the brother of Death,
even evil Night, wrapped in a vaporous cloud.
And there the children of dark Night have their dwellings,
Sleep and Death, awful gods. The glowing Sun
never looks upon them with his beams, neither as he
goes up into heaven, nor as he comes down from heaven.
And the former of them roams peacefully over the earth
and the sea's broad back and is kindly to men;
but the other has a heart of iron, and his spirit within him is pitiless
as bronze: whomsoever of men he has once seized he holds fast;
and he is hateful even to the deathless gods.

Ἔνθα θεοῦ χθονίου πρόσθεν δόμοι ἠχήεντες
[ἰφθίμου τ’ Ἀίδεω καὶ ἐπαινῆς Περσεφονείης]
ἑστᾶσιν, δεινὸς δὲ κύων προπάροιθε φυλάσσει,
770 νηλειής, τέχνην δὲ κακὴν ἔχει· ἐς μὲν ἰόντας
σαίνει ὁμῶς οὐρῇ τε καὶ οὔασιν ἀμφοτέροισιν,
ἐξελθεῖν δ’ οὐκ αὖτις ἐᾷ πάλιν, ἀλλὰ δοκεύων
ἐσθίει, ὅν κε λάβῃσι πυλέων ἔκτοσθεν ἰόντα.
[ἰφθίμου τ’ Ἀίδεω καὶ ἐπαινῆς Περσεφονείης.]
ἔνθα δὲ ναιετάει στυγερὴ θεὸς ἀθανάτοισι,
δεινὴ Στύξ, θυγάτηρ ἀψορρόου Ὠκεανοῖο
πρεσβυτάτη· νόσφιν δὲ θεῶν κλυτὰ δώματα ναίει
μακρῇσιν πέτρῃσι κατηρεφέ’· ἀμφὶ δὲ πάντῃ
κίοσιν ἀργυρέοισι πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἐστήρικται.
780 παῦρα δὲ Θαύμαντος θυγάτηρ πόδας ὠκέα Ἶρις
ἀγγελίη πωλεῖται ἐπ’ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης.
ὁππότ’ ἔρις καὶ νεῖκος ἐν ἀθανάτοισιν ὄρηται,
καί ῥ’ ὅστις ψεύδηται Ὀλύμπια δώματ’ ἐχόντων,
Ζεὺς δέ τε Ἶριν ἔπεμψε θεῶν μέγαν ὅρκον ἐνεῖκαι
τηλόθεν ἐν χρυσέῃ προχόῳ πολυώνυμον ὕδωρ,
ψυχρόν, ὅ τ’ ἐκ πέτρης καταλείβεται ἠλιβάτοιο
ὑψηλῆς· πολλὸν δὲ ὑπὸ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης
ἐξ ἱεροῦ ποταμοῖο ῥέει διὰ νύκτα μέλαιναν·
Ὠκεανοῖο κέρας, δεκάτη δ’ ἐπὶ μοῖρα δέδασται·
790 ἐννέα μὲν περὶ γῆν τε καὶ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης
δίνῃς ἀργυρέῃς εἱλιγμένος εἰς ἅλα πίπτει,
ἡ δὲ μί’ ἐκ πέτρης προρέει, μέγα πῆμα θεοῖσιν.

There, in front, stand the echoing halls of the god
of the lower-world, strong Hades, and of awful Persephone.
A fearful hound guards the house in front,
pitiless, and he has a cruel trick.
On those who go in he fawns with his tail and both is ears,
but suffers them not to go out back again, but keeps watch
and devours whomsoever he catches going out
of the gates of strong Hades and awful Persephone.
And there dwells the goddess feared by the deathless gods,
terrible Styx, eldest daughter of back-flowing Ocean.
She lives apart from the gods in her glorious house
vaulted over with great rocks and propped up
to heaven all round with silver pillars.
Rarely does the daughter of Thaumas, swift-footed Iris,
come to her with a message over the sea's wide back.
But when strife and quarrel arise among the deathless gods,
and when any of them who live in the house of Olympus lies,
then Zeus sends Iris to bring in a golden jug the great oath
of the gods from far away, the famous cold water
which trickles down from a high and beetling rock.
Far under the wide-pathed earth a branch of Oceanus
flows through the dark night out of the holy stream,
and a tenth part of his water is allotted to her.
With nine silver-swirling streams he winds about the earth
and the sea's wide back, and then falls into the main;
but the tenth flows out from a rock, a sore trouble to the gods.

Ὅς κεν τὴν ἐπίορκον ἀπολλείψας ἐπομόσσῃ
ἀθανάτων οἳ ἔχουσι κάρη νιφόεντος Ὀλύμπου,
κεῖται νήυτμος τετελεσμένον εἰς ἐνιαυτόν·
οὐδέ ποτ’ ἀμβροσίης καὶ νέκταρος ἔρχεται ἆσσον
βρώσιος, ἀλλά τε κεῖται ἀνάπνευστος καὶ ἄναυδος
στρωτοῖς ἐν λεχέεσσι, κακὸν δ’ ἐπὶ κῶμα καλύπτει.
αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν νοῦσον τελέσει μέγαν εἰς ἐνιαυτόν,
800 ἄλλος δ’ ἐξ ἄλλου δέχεται χαλεπώτερος ἆθλος·
εἰνάετες δὲ θεῶν ἀπαμείρεται αἰὲν ἐόντων,
οὐδέ ποτ’ ἐς βουλὴν ἐπιμίσγεται οὐδ’ ἐπὶ δαῖτας
ἐννέα πάντ’ ἔτεα· δεκάτῳ δ’ ἐπιμίσγεται αὖτις
εἰρέας ἀθανάτων οἳ Ὀλύμπια δώματ’ ἔχουσι.
τοῖον ἄρ’ ὅρκον ἔθεντο θεοὶ Στυγὸς ἄφθιτον ὕδωρ,
ὠγύγιον· τὸ δ’ ἵησι καταστυφέλου διὰ χώρου.
ἔνθα δὲ γῆς δνοφερῆς καὶ ταρτάρου ἠερόεντος
πόντου τ’ ἀτρυγέτοιο καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος
ἑξείης πάντων πηγαὶ καὶ πείρατ’ ἔασιν,
810 ἀργαλέ’ εὐρώεντα, τά τε στυγέουσι θεοί περ.
ἔνθα δὲ μαρμάρεαί τε πύλαι καὶ χάλκεος οὐδός,
ἀστεμφὲς ῥίζῃσι διηνεκέεσσιν ἀρηρώς,
αὐτοφυής· πρόσθεν δὲ θεῶν ἔκτοσθεν ἁπάντων
Τιτῆνες ναίουσι, πέρην χάεος ζοφεροῖο.
αὐτὰρ ἐρισμαράγοιο Διὸς κλειτοὶ ἐπίκουροι
δώματα ναιετάουσιν ἐπ’ Ὠκεανοῖο θεμέθλοις,
Κόττος τ’ ἠδὲ Γύγης· Βριάρεών γε μὲν ἠὺν ἐόντα
γαμβρὸν ἑὸν ποίησε βαρύκτυπος Ἐννοσίγαιος,
δῶκε δὲ Κυμοπόλειαν ὀπυίειν, θυγατέρα ἥν.

For whoever of the deathless gods that hold the peaks
of snowy Olympus pours a libation of her water is forsworn,
lies breathless until a full year is completed,
and never comes near to taste ambrosia and nectar,
but lies spiritless and voiceless on a strewn bed;
and a heavy trance overshadows him.
But when he has spent a long year in his sickness,
another penance and an harder follows after the first.
For nine years he is cut off from the eternal gods
and never joins their councils of their feasts,
nine full years. But in the tenth year he comes again to join
the assemblies of the deathless gods who live in the house of Olympus.
Such an oath, then, did the gods appoint the eternal
and primaeval water of Styx to be; and it spouts through a rugged place.
And there, all in their order, are the sources and ends
of the dark earth and misty Tartarus
and the unfruitful sea and starry heaven,
loathsome and dank, which even the gods abhor.
And there are shining gates and an immoveable
threshold of bronze having unending roots
and it is grown of itself. And beyond, away from all the gods,
live the Titans, beyond gloomy Chaos.
But the glorious allies of loud-crashing Zeus
have their dwelling upon Ocean's foundations,
even Cottus and Gyes; but Briareos, being goodly,
the deep-roaring Earth-Shaker made his son-in-law,
giving him Cymopolea his daughter to wed.

820 Αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ Τιτῆνας ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ ἐξέλασε Ζεύς,
ὁπλότατον τέκε παῖδα Τυφωέα Γαῖα πελώρη
Ταρτάρου ἐν φιλότητι διὰ χρυσῆν Ἀφροδίτην·
οὗ χεῖρες μὲν ἔασιν ἐπ’ ἰσχύι ἔργματ’ ἔχουσαι,
καὶ πόδες ἀκάματοι κρατεροῦ θεοῦ· ἐκ δέ οἱ ὤμων
ἦν ἑκατὸν κεφαλαὶ ὄφιος δεινοῖο δράκοντος,
γλώσσῃσι δνοφερῇσι λελιχμότες· ἐν δέ οἱ ὄσσε
θεσπεσίῃς κεφαλῇσιν ὑπ’ ὀφρύσι πῦρ ἀμάρυσσεν·
[πασέων δ’ ἐκ κεφαλέων πῦρ καίετο δερκομένοιο·]
φωναὶ δ’ ἐν πάσῃσιν ἔσαν δεινῇς κεφαλῇσι,
830 παντοίην ὄπ’ ἰεῖσαι ἀθέσφατον· ἄλλοτε μὲν γὰρ
φθέγγονθ’ ὥς τε θεοῖσι συνιέμεν, ἄλλοτε δ’ αὖτε
ταύρου ἐριβρύχεω μένος ἀσχέτου ὄσσαν ἀγαύρου,
ἄλλοτε δ’ αὖτε λέοντος ἀναιδέα θυμὸν ἔχοντος,
ἄλλοτε δ’ αὖ σκυλάκεσσιν ἐοικότα, θαύματ’ ἀκοῦσαι,
ἄλλοτε δ’ αὖ ῥοίζεσχ’, ὑπὸ δ’ ἤχεεν οὔρεα μακρά.
καί νύ κεν ἔπλετο ἔργον ἀμήχανον ἤματι κείνῳ,
καί κεν ὅ γε θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἄναξεν,
εἰ μὴ ἄρ’ ὀξὺ νόησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε·
σκληρὸν δ’ ἐβρόντησε καὶ ὄβριμον, ἀμφὶ δὲ γαῖα
840 σμερδαλέον κονάβησε καὶ οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθε
πόντός τ’ Ὠκεανοῦ τε ῥοαὶ καὶ τάρταρα γαίης.
ποσσὶ δ’ ὕπ’ ἀθανάτοισι μέγας πελεμίζετ’ Ὄλυμπος
ὀρνυμένοιο ἄνακτος· ἐπεστονάχιζε δὲ γαῖα.

But when Zeus had driven the Titans from heaven,
huge Earth bare her youngest child Typhoeus
of the love of Tartarus, by the aid of golden Aphrodite.
Strength was with his hands in all that he did
and the feet of the strong god were untiring. From his shoulders
grew an hundred heads of a snake, a fearful dragon,
with dark, flickering tongues, and from under the brows
of his eyes in his marvellous heads flashed fire,
and fire burned from his heads as he glared.
And there were voices in all his dreadful heads
which uttered every kind of sound unspeakable; for at one time
they made sounds such that the gods understood, but at another,
the noise of a bull bellowing aloud in proud ungovernable fury;
and at another, the sound of a lion, relentless of heart; and at anothers,
sounds like whelps, wonderful to hear; and again, at another,
he would hiss, so that the high mountains re-echoed.
And truly a thing past help would have happened on that day,
and he would have come to reign over mortals and immortals,
had not the father of men and gods been quick to perceive it.
But he thundered hard and mightily; and the earth around
resounded terribly and the wide heaven above, and the sea
and Ocean's streams and the nether parts of the earth.
Great Olympus reeled beneath the divine feet
of the king as he arose and earth groaned thereat.

Καῦμα δ’ ὑπ’ ἀμφοτέρων κάτεχεν ἰοειδέα πόντον
βροντῆς τε στεροπῆς τε πυρός τ’ ἀπὸ τοῖο πελώρου
πρηστήρων ἀνέμων τε κεραυνοῦ τε φλεγέθοντος·
ἔζεε δὲ χθὼν πᾶσα καὶ οὐρανὸς ἠδὲ θάλασσα·
θυῖε δ’ ἄρ’ ἀμφ’ ἀκτὰς περί τ’ ἀμφί τε κύματα μακρὰ
ῥιπῇ ὕπ’ ἀθανάτων, ἔνοσις δ’ ἄσβεστος ὀρώρει·
850 τρέε δ’ Ἀίδης ἐνέροισι καταφθιμένοισιν ἀνάσσων
Τιτῆνές θ’ ὑποταρτάριοι Κρόνον ἀμφὶς ἐόντες
ἀσβέστου κελάδοιο καὶ αἰνῆς δηιοτῆτος.
Ζεὺς δ’ ἐπεὶ οὖν κόρθυνεν ἑὸν μένος, εἵλετο δ’ ὅπλα,
βροντήν τε στεροπήν τε καὶ αἰθαλόεντα κεραυνόν,
πλῆξεν ἀπ’ Οὐλύμποιο ἐπάλμενος· ἀμφὶ δὲ πάσας
ἔπρεσε θεσπεσίας κεφαλὰς δεινοῖο πελώρου.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δή μιν δάμασε πληγῇσιν ἱμάσσας,
ἤριπε γυιωθείς, στονάχιζε δὲ γαῖα πελώρη·
φλὸξ δὲ κεραυνωθέντος ἀπέσσυτο τοῖο ἄνακτος
860 οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃσιν ἀιδνῆς παιπαλοέσσης
πληγέντος, πολλὴ δὲ πελώρη καίετο γαῖα
αὐτμῇ θεσπεσίῃ, καὶ ἐτήκετο κασσίτερος ὣς
τέχνῃ ὑπ’ αἰζηῶν ἐν ἐυτρήτοις χοάνοισι
θαλφθείς, ἠὲ σίδηρος, ὅ περ κρατερώτατός ἐστιν,
οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃσι δαμαζόμενος πυρὶ κηλέῳ
τήκεται ἐν χθονὶ δίῃ ὑφ’ Ἡφαίστου παλάμῃσιν·
ὣς ἄρα τήκετο γαῖα σέλαι πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο.
ῥῖψε δέ μιν θυμῷ ἀκαχὼν ἐς τάρταρον εὐρύν.

And through the two of them heat took hold on the dark-blue sea,
through the thunder and lightning, and through the fire
from the monster, and the scorching winds and blazing thunderbolt.
The whole earth seethed, and sky and sea;
and the long waves raged along the beaches round and about,
at the rush of the deathless gods; and there arose an endless shaking.
Hades trembled where he rules over the dead below,
and the Titans under Tartarus who live with Cronos,
because of the unending clamour and the fearful strife.
So when Zeus had raised up his might and seized his arms,
thunder and lightning and lurid thunderbolt,
he leaped form Olympus and struck him, and burned
all the marvellous heads of the monster about him.
But when Zeus had conquered him and lashed him with strokes,
Typhoeus was hurled down, a maimed wreck, so that the huge earth groaned.
And flame shot forth from the thunder-stricken lord in the dim
rugged glens of the mount, when he was smitten.
A great part of huge earth was scorched
by the terrible vapour and melted as tin melts
when heated by men's art in channelled crucibles;
or as iron, which is hardest of all things, is softened
by glowing fire in mountain glens and melts
in the divine earth through the strength of Hephaestus.
Even so, then, the earth melted in the glow of the blazing fire.
And in the bitterness of his anger Zeus cast him into wide Tartarus.

Ἐκ δὲ Τυφωέος ἔστ’ ἀνέμων μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων,
870 νόσφι Νότου Βορέω τε καὶ ἀργεστέω Ζεφύροιο·
οἵ γε μὲν ἐκ θεόφιν γενεήν, θνητοῖς μέγ’ ὄνειαρ.
αἱ δ’ ἄλλαι μὰψ αὖραι ἐπιπνείουσι θάλασσαν·
αἳ δή τοι πίπτουσαι ἐς ἠεροειδέα πόντον,
πῆμα μέγα θνητοῖσι, κακῇ θυίουσιν ἀέλλῃ·
ἄλλοτε δ’ ἄλλαι ἄεισι διασκιδνᾶσί τε νῆας
ναύτας τε φθείρουσι· κακοῦ δ’ οὐ γίνεται ἀλκὴ
ἀνδράσιν, οἳ κείνῃσι συνάντωνται κατὰ πόντον.
αἱ δ’ αὖ καὶ κατὰ γαῖαν ἀπείριτον ἀνθεμόεσσαν
ἔργ’ ἐρατὰ φθείρουσι χαμαιγενέων ἀνθρώπων,
880 πιμπλεῖσαι κόνιός τε καὶ ἀργαλέου κολοσυρτοῦ.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥα πόνον μάκαρες θεοὶ ἐξετέλεσσαν,
Τιτήνεσσι δὲ τιμάων κρίναντο βίηφι,
δή ῥα τότ’ ὤτρυνον βασιλευέμεν ἠδὲ ἀνάσσειν
Γαίης φραδμοσύνῃσιν Ὀλύμπιον εὐρύοπα Ζῆν
ἀθανάτων· ὁ δὲ τοῖσιν ἐὺ διεδάσσατο τιμάς.

And from Typhoeus come boisterous winds which blow damply,
except Notus and Boreas and clear Zephyr.
These are a god-sent kind, and a great blessing to men;
but the others blow fitfully upon the seas.
Some rush upon the misty sea and work great havoc
among men with their evil, raging blasts;
for varying with the season they blow, scattering ships
and destroying sailors. And men who meet these
upon the sea have no help against the mischief.
Others again over the boundless, flowering earth
spoil the fair fields of men who dwell below,
filling them with dust and cruel uproar.
But when the blessed gods had finished their toil,
and settled by force their struggle for honours with the Titans,
they pressed far-seeing Olympian Zeus to reign
and to rule over them, by Earth's prompting.
So he divided their dignities amongst them.

Ζεὺς δὲ θεῶν βασιλεὺς πρώτην ἄλοχον θέτο Μῆτιν,
πλεῖστα θεῶν εἰδυῖαν ἰδὲ θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων.
ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ ἄρ’ ἔμελλε θεὰν γλαυκῶπιν Ἀθήνην
τέξεσθαι, τότ’ ἔπειτα δόλῳ φρένας ἐξαπατήσας
890 αἱμυλίοισι λόγοισιν ἑὴν ἐσκάτθετο νηδύν,
Γαίης φραδμοσύνῃσι καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος·
τὼς γάρ οἱ φρασάτην, ἵνα μὴ βασιληίδα τιμὴν
ἄλλος ἔχοι Διὸς ἀντὶ θεῶν αἰειγενετάων.
ἐκ γὰρ τῆς εἵμαρτο περίφρονα τέκνα γενέσθαι·
πρώτην μὲν κούρην γλαυκώπιδα Τριτογένειαν,
ἶσον ἔχουσαν πατρὶ μένος καὶ ἐπίφρονα βουλήν,
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ’ ἄρα παῖδα θεῶν βασιλῆα καὶ ἀνδρῶν
ἤμελλεν τέξεσθαι, ὑπέρβιον ἦτορ ἔχοντα·
ἀλλ’ ἄρα μιν Ζεὺς πρόσθεν ἑὴν ἐσκάτθετο νηδύν,
900 ὥς οἱ συμφράσσαιτο θεὰ ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε.
δεύτερον ἠγάγετο λιπαρὴν Θέμιν, ἣ τέκεν Ὥρας,
Εὐνομίην τε Δίκην τε καὶ Εἰρήνην τεθαλυῖαν,
αἵ τ’ ἔργ’ ὡρεύουσι κατὰ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσι,
Μοίρας θ’, ᾗς πλείστην τιμὴν πόρε μητίετα Ζεύς,
Κλωθώ τε Λάχεσίν τε καὶ Ἄτροπον, αἵ τε διδοῦσι
θνητοῖς ἀνθρώποισιν ἔχειν ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε.

Now Zeus, king of the gods, made Metis his wife first,
and she was wisest among gods and mortal men.
But when she was about to bring forth the goddess
bright-eyed Athene, Zeus craftily deceived her
with cunning words and put her in his own belly,
as Earth and starry Heaven advised.
For they advised him so, to the end that no other should
hold royal sway over the eternal gods in place of Zeus;
for very wise children were destined to be born of her,
first the maiden bright-eyed Tritogeneia,
equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding;
but afterwards she was to bear a son of overbearing spirit,
king of gods and men. But Zeus put her into his own belly first,
that the goddess might devise for him both good and evil.
Next he married bright Themis who bare the Horae (Hours),
and Eunomia (Order), Dike (Justice), and blooming Eirene (Peace),
who mind the works of mortal men, and the Moerae (Fates)
to whom wise Zeus gave the greatest honour,
Clotho, and Lachesis, and Atropos
who give mortal men evil and good to have.

Τρεῖς δέ οἱ Εὐρυνόμη Χάριτας τέκε καλλιπαρήους,
Ὠκεανοῦ κούρη πολυήρατον εἶδος ἔχουσα,
Ἀγλαΐην τε καὶ Εὐφροσύνην Θαλίην τ’ ἐρατεινήν·
910 τῶν καὶ ἀπὸ βλεφάρων ἔρος εἴβετο δερκομενάων
λυσιμελής· καλὸν δέ θ’ ὑπ’ ὀφρύσι δερκιόωνται.
αὐτὰρ ὁ Δήμητρος πολυφόρβης ἐς λέχος ἦλθεν·
ἣ τέκε Περσεφόνην λευκώλενον, ἣν Ἀιδωνεὺς
ἥρπασεν ἧς παρὰ μητρός, ἔδωκε δὲ μητίετα Ζεύς.
Μνημοσύνης δ’ ἐξαῦτις ἐράσσατο καλλικόμοιο,
ἐξ ἧς οἱ Μοῦσαι χρυσάμπυκες ἐξεγένοντο
ἐννέα, τῇσιν ἅδον θαλίαι καὶ τέρψις ἀοιδῆς.
Λητὼ δ’ Ἀπόλλωνα καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν
ἱμερόεντα γόνον περὶ πάντων Οὐρανιώνων
920 γείνατ’ ἄρ’ αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς φιλότητι μιγεῖσα.
λοισθοτάτην δ’ Ἥρην θαλερὴν ποιήσατ’ ἄκοιτιν·
ἡ δ’ Ἥβην καὶ Ἄρηα καὶ Εἰλείθυιαν ἔτικτε
μιχθεῖσ’ ἐν φιλότητι θεῶν βασιλῆι καὶ ἀνδρῶν.
αὐτὸς δ’ ἐκ κεφαλῆς γλαυκώπιδα γείνατ’ Ἀθήνην,
δεινὴν ἐγρεκύδοιμον ἀγέστρατον ἀτρυτώνην,
πότνιαν, ᾗ κέλαδοί τε ἅδον πόλεμοί τε μάχαι τε·

And Eurynome, the daughter of Ocean, beautiful in form,
bare him three fair-cheeked Charites (Graces),
Aglaea, and Euphrosyne, and lovely Thaleia, from
whose eyes as they glanced flowed love that unnerves
the limbs; and beautiful is their glance beneath their brows.
Also he came to the bed of all-nourishing Demeter,
and she bare white-armed Persephone whom Aidoneus
carried off from her mother; but wise Zeus gave her to him.
And again, he loved Mnemosyne with the beautiful hair;
and of her the nine gold-crowned Muses were born
who delight in feasts and the pleasures of song.
And Leto was joined in love with Zeus who holds the aegis,
and bare Apollo and Artemis delighting in arrows,
children lovely above all the sons of Heaven.
Lastly, he made Hera his blooming wife;
and she was joined in love with the king of gods and men,
and brought forth Hebe and Ares and Eileithyia.
Zeus himself gave birth from his own head to bright-eyed Tritogeneia,
the awful, the strife-stirring, the host-leader, the unwearying,
the queen, who delights in tumults and wars and battles.

Ἥρη δ’ Ἥφαιστον κλυτὸν οὐ φιλότητι μιγεῖσα
γείνατο, καὶ ζαμένησε καὶ ἤρισεν ᾧ παρακοίτῃ,
929 ἐκ πάντων τέχνῃσι κεκασμένον Οὐρανιώνων.
Ἥρη δὲ ζαμένησε καὶ ἤρισε ᾧ παρακοίτῃ. [929α]
ἐκ ταύτης δ᾽ ἔριδος ἣ μὲν τέκε φαίδιμον υἱὸν [929β]
Ἥφαιστον, φιλότητος ἄτερ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο, [929γ]
ἐκ πάντων παλάμῃσι κεκασμένον Οὐρανιώνων· [929δ]
αὐτὰρ ὅ γ᾽ Ὠκεανοῦ καὶ Τηθύος ἠυκόμοιο [929ε]
κούρῃ νόσφ᾽ Ἥρης παρελέξατο καλλιπαρήῳ, [929ς]
…
ἐξαπαφὼν Μῆτιν καίπερ πολυδήνε᾽ ἐοῦσαν. [929ζ]
συμμάρψας δ᾽ ὅ γε χερσὶν ἑὴν ἐγκάτθετο νηδὺν [929η]
δείσας, μὴ τέξῃ κρατερώτερον ἄλλο κεραυνοῦ. [929θ]
τοὔνεκά μιν Κρονίδης ὑψίζυγος αἰθέρι ναίων [929ι]
κάππιεν ἐξαπίνης· ἣ δ᾽ αὐτίκα Παλλάδ᾽ Ἀθήνην [929κ]
κύσατο· τὴν μὲν ἔτικτε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε [929λ]
πὰρ κορυφὴν Τρίτωνος ἐπ᾽ ὄχθῃσιν ποταμοῖο. [929μ]
Μῆτις δ᾽ αὖτε Ζηνὸς ὑπὸ σπλάγχνοις λελαθυῖα [929ν]
ἧστο, Ἀθηναίης μήτηρ, τέκταινα δικαίων [929ξ]
πλεῖστα θεῶν τε ἰδυῖα καταθνητῶν τ᾽ ἀνθρώπων, [929ο]
ἔνθα θεὰ παρέδεκτο ὅθεν παλάμαις περὶ πάντων [929π]
ἀθανάτων ἐκέκασθ᾽ οἳ Ὀλύμπια δώματ᾽ ἔχουσιν, [929ρ]
[αἰγίδα ποιήσασα φοβέστρατον ἔντος Ἀθήνης·] [929σ]
σὺν τῇ ἐγείνατό μιν πολεμήια τεύχε᾽ ἔχουσαν [929τ]

Hera bare famous Hephaestus, without union with Zeus
for she was very angry and quarrelled with her mate,
who is skilled in crafts more than all the sons of Heaven.
But Hera was very angry and quarrelled with her mate.
And because of this strife she bare without union with Zeus
who holds the aegis a glorious son, Hephaestus,
who excelled all the sons of Heaven in crafts.
But Zeus lay with the fair-cheeked daughter
of Ocean and Tethys apart from Hera
…
deceiving Metis (Thought) although she was full wise.
But he seized her with his hands and put her in his belly,
for fear that she might bring forth something stronger than his thunderbolt;
therefore did Zeus, who sits on high and dwells in the aether,
swallow her down suddenly. But she straightway conceived Pallas Athene;
and the father of men and gods gave her birth
by way of his head on the banks of the river Triton.
And Metis remained hidden beneath the inward parts of Zeus,
Athena's mother, worker of righteousness,
who was wiser than gods and mortal men.
There the goddess (Athena) received that whereby she excelled
in strength all the deathless ones who dwell in Olympus,
she who made the host-scaring weapon of Athena.
And with it (Zeus) gave her birth, arrayed in arms of war.

930 ἐκ δ’ Ἀμφιτρίτης καὶ ἐρικτύπου Ἐννοσιγαίου
Τρίτων εὐρυβίης γένετο μέγας, ὅς τε θαλάσσης
πυθμέν’ ἔχων παρὰ μητρὶ φίλῃ καὶ πατρὶ ἄνακτι
ναίει χρύσεα δῶ, δεινὸς θεός. αὐτὰρ Ἄρηι
ῥινοτόρῳ Κυθέρεια Φόβον καὶ Δεῖμον ἔτικτε,
δεινούς, οἵ τ’ ἀνδρῶν πυκινὰς κλονέουσι φάλαγγας
ἐν πολέμῳ κρυόεντι σὺν Ἄρηι πτολιπόρθῳ,
Ἁρμονίην θ’, ἣν Κάδμος ὑπέρθυμος θέτ’ ἄκοιτιν.
Ζηνὶ δ’ ἄρ’ Ἀτλαντὶς Μαίη τέκε κύδιμον Ἑρμῆν,
κήρυκ’ ἀθανάτων, ἱερὸν λέχος εἰσαναβᾶσα.
940 Καδμηὶς δ’ ἄρα οἱ Σεμέλη τέκε φαίδιμον υἱὸν
μιχθεῖσ’ ἐν φιλότητι, Διώνυσον πολυγηθέα,
ἀθάνατον θνητή· νῦν δ’ ἀμφότεροι θεοί εἰσιν.
Ἀλκμήνη δ’ ἄρ’ ἔτικτε βίην Ἡρακληείην
μιχθεῖσ’ ἐν φιλότητι Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο.

And of Amphitrite and the loud-roaring Earth-Shaker
was born great, wide-ruling Triton, and he owns the depths
of the sea, living with his dear mother and the lord his father
in their golden house, an awful god. Also Cytherea
bare to Ares the shield-piercer Panic and Fear,
terrible gods who drive in disorder the close ranks of men
in numbing war, with the help of Ares, sacker of towns;
and Harmonia whom high-spirited Cadmus made his wife.
And Maia, the daughter of Atlas, bare to Zeus glorious Hermes,
the herald of the deathless gods, for she went up into his holy bed.
And Semele, daughter of Cadmus was joined with him in love
and bare him a splendid son, joyous Dionysus; 
a mortal woman an immortal son. And now they both are gods.
And Alcmena was joined in love with Zeus
who drives the clouds and bare mighty Heracles.

Ἀγλαΐην δ’ Ἥφαιστος ἀγακλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις
ὁπλοτάτην Χαρίτων θαλερὴν ποιήσατ’ ἄκοιτιν.
χρυσοκόμης δὲ Διώνυσος ξανθὴν Ἀριάδνην,
κούρην Μίνωος, θαλερὴν ποιήσατ’ ἄκοιτιν·
τὴν δέ οἱ ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀγήρων θῆκε Κρονίων.
950 Ἥβην δ’ Ἀλκμήνης καλλισφύρου ἄλκιμος υἱός,
ἲς Ἡρακλῆος, τελέσας στονόεντας ἀέθλους,
παῖδα Διὸς μεγάλοιο καὶ Ἥρης χρυσοπεδίλου,
αἰδοίην θέτ’ ἄκοιτιν ἐν Οὐλύμπῳ νιφόεντι·
ὄλβιος, ὃς μέγα ἔργον ἐν ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνύσσας
ναίει ἀπήμαντος καὶ ἀγήραος ἤματα πάντα.
Ἠελίῳ δ’ ἀκάμαντι τέκε κλυτὸς Ὠκεανίνη
Περσηὶς Κίρκην τε καὶ Αἰήτην βασιλῆα.
Αἰήτης δ’ υἱὸς φαεσιμβρότου Ἠελίοιο
κούρην Ὠκεανοῖο τελήεντος ποταμοῖο
960 γῆμε θεῶν βουλῇσιν, Ἰδυῖαν καλλιπάρηον·
ἣ δή οἱ Μήδειαν ἐύσφυρον ἐν φιλότητι
γείναθ’ ὑποδμηθεῖσα διὰ χρυσῆν Ἀφροδίτην.
ὑμεῖς μὲν νῦν χαίρετ’, Ὀλύμπια δώματ’ ἔχοντες,
νῆσοί τ’ ἤπειροί τε καὶ ἁλμυρὸς ἔνδοθι πόντος·
νῦν δὲ θεάων φῦλον ἀείσατε, ἡδυέπειαι
Μοῦσαι Ὀλυμπιάδες, κοῦραι Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο,
ὅσσαι δὴ θνητοῖσι παρ’ ἀνδράσιν εὐνηθεῖσαι
ἀθάναται γείναντο θεοῖς ἐπιείκελα τέκνα.

And Hephaestus, the famous Lame One, made Aglaea,
youngest of the Graces, his buxom wife.
And golden-haired Dionysus made fair-haired Ariadne,
the daughter of Minos, his buxom wife;
and the son of Cronos made her deathless and unageing for him.
And mighty Heracles, the valiant son of neat-ankled Alcmena,
when he had finished his grievous toils,
made Hebe the child of great Zeus and gold-shod Hera
his shy wife in snowy Olympus. Happy he!
For he has finished his great works and lives amongst
the deathless gods, untroubled and unaging all his days.
And Perseis, the daughter of Ocean, bare
to unwearying Helios Circe and Aeetes the king.
And Aeetes, the son of Helios who shows light to men,
took to wife fair-cheeked Idyia, daughter of Ocean
the perfect stream, by the will of the gods; and she was
subject to him in love through golden Aphrodite
and bare him neat-ankled Medea.
And now farewell, you dwellers on Olympus
and you islands and continents and thou briny sea within.
Now sing the company of goddesses, sweet-voiced
Muses of Olympus, daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis,
—even those immortal ones who lay with mortal men
and bare children like unto gods.

Δημήτηρ μὲν Πλοῦτον ἐγείνατο δῖα θεάων,
970 Ἰασίῳ ἥρωι μιγεῖσ’ ἐρατῇ φιλότητι
νειῷ ἔνι τριπόλῳ, Κρήτης ἐν πίονι δήμῳ,
ἐσθλόν, ὃς εἶσ’ ἐπὶ γῆν τε καὶ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης
πᾶσαν· τῷ δὲ τυχόντι καὶ οὗ κ’ ἐς χεῖρας ἵκηται,
τὸν δὴ ἀφνειὸν ἔθηκε, πολὺν δέ οἱ ὤπασεν ὄλβον.
Κάδμῳ δ’ Ἁρμονίη, θυγάτηρ χρυσῆς Ἀφροδίτης,
Ἰνὼ καὶ Σεμέλην καὶ Ἀγαυὴν καλλιπάρηον
Αὐτονόην θ’, ἣν γῆμεν Ἀρισταῖος βαθυχαίτης,
γείνατο καὶ Πολύδωρον ἐυστεφάνῳ ἐνὶ Θήβῃ.
κούρη δ’ Ὠκεανοῦ Χρυσάορι καρτεροθύμῳ
980 μιχθεῖσ’ ἐν φιλότητι πολυχρύσου Ἀφροδίτης
Καλλιρόη τέκε παῖδα βροτῶν κάρτιστον ἁπάντων,
Γηρυονέα, τὸν κτεῖνε βίη Ἡρακληείη
βοῶν ἕνεκ’ εἰλιπόδων ἀμφιρρύτῳ εἰν Ἐρυθείῃ.

Demeter, bright goddess, was joined in sweet love
with the hero Iasion in a thrice-ploughed fallow
in the rich land of Crete, and bare Plutus,
a kindly god who goes everywhere over land and the sea's wide back,
and him who finds him and into whose hands he comes
he makes rich, bestowing great wealth upon him.
And Harmonia, the daughter of golden Aphrodite, bare to Cadmus
Ino and Semele and fair-cheeked Agave
and Autonoe whom long haired Aristaeus wedded,
and Polydorus also in rich-crowned Thebe.
And the daughter of Ocean, Callirrhoe was joined
in the love of rich Aphrodite with stout hearted Chrysaor
and bare a son who was the strongest of all men,
Geryones, whom mighty Heracles killed
in sea-girt Erythea for the sake of his shambling oxen.

Τιθωνῷ δ’ Ἠὼς τέκε Μέμνονα χαλκοκορυστήν,
Αἰθιόπων βασιλῆα, καὶ Ἠμαθίωνα ἄνακτα.
αὐτάρ τοι Κεφάλῳ φιτύσατο φαίδιμον υἱόν,
ἴφθιμον Φαέθοντα, θεοῖς ἐπιείκελον ἄνδρα·
τόν ῥα νέον τέρεν ἄνθος ἔχοντ’ ἐρικυδέος ἥβης
παῖδ’ ἀταλὰ φρονέοντα φιλομμειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη
990 ὦρτ’ ἀνερειψαμένη, καί μιν ζαθέοις ἐνὶ νηοῖς
νηοπόλον μύχιον ποιήσατο, δαίμονα δῖον.
κούρην δ’ Αἰήταο διοτρεφέος βασιλῆος
Αἰσονίδης βουλῇσι θεῶν αἰειγενετάων
ἦγε παρ’ Αἰήτεω, τελέσας στονόεντας ἀέθλους,
τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπέτελλε μέγας βασιλεὺς ὑπερήνωρ,
ὑβριστὴς Πελίης καὶ ἀτάσθαλος ὀβριμοεργός·
τοὺς τελέσας ἐς Ἰωλκὸν ἀφίκετο πολλὰ μογήσας
ὠκείης ἐπὶ νηὸς ἄγων ἑλικώπιδα κούρην
Αἰσονίδης, καί μιν θαλερὴν ποιήσατ’ ἄκοιτιν.
1000 καί ῥ’ ἥ γε δμηθεῖσ’ ὑπ’ Ἰήσονι ποιμένι λαῶν
Μήδειον τέκε παῖδα, τὸν οὔρεσιν ἔτρεφε Χείρων
Φιλλυρίδης· μεγάλου δὲ Διὸς νόος ἐξετελεῖτο.

And Eos bare to Tithonus brazen-crested Memnon,
king of the Ethiopians, and the Lord Emathion.
And to Cephalus she bare a splendid son,
strong Phaethon, a man like the gods, whom,
when he was a young boy in the tender flower
of glorious youth with childish thoughts,
laughter-loving Aphrodite seized and caught up
and made a keeper of her shrine by night, a divine spirit.
And [Jason] the son of Aeson by the will of the gods
led away from Aeetes, [Medea] the daughter of Aeetes
the heaven-nurtured king, when he had finished
the many grievous labours which the great king,
over bearing Pelias, that outrageous and presumptuous
doer of violence, put upon him. But when
the son of Aeson had finished them, he came to Iolcus
after long toil bringing the coy-eyed girl with him
on his swift ship, and made her his buxom wife.
And she was subject to Iason, shepherd of the people,
and bare a son Medeus whom Cheiron the son of Philyra
brought up in the mountains. And the will of great Zeus was fulfilled.

Αὐτὰρ Νηρῆος κοῦραι ἁλίοιο γέροντος,
ἤτοι μὲν Φῶκον Ψαμάθη τέκε δῖα θεάων
Αἰακοῦ ἐν φιλότητι διὰ χρυσῆν Ἀφροδίτην·
Πηλεῖ δὲ δμηθεῖσα θεὰ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα
γείνατ’ Ἀχιλλῆα ῥηξήνορα θυμολέοντα.
Αἰνείαν δ’ ἄρ’ ἔτικτεν ἐυστέφανος Κυθέρεια,
Ἀγχίσῃ ἥρωι μιγεῖσ’ ἐρατῇ φιλότητι
1010 Ἴδης ἐν κορυφῇσι πολυπτύχου ἠνεμοέσσης.
Κίρκη δ’ Ἠελίου θυγάτηρ ῾Υπεριονίδαο
γείνατ’ Ὀδυσσῆος ταλασίφρονος ἐν φιλότητι
Ἄγριον ἠδὲ Λατῖνον ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε·
[Τηλέγονον δὲ ἔτικτε διὰ χρυσῆν Ἀφροδίτην·]
οἳ δή τοι μάλα τῆλε μυχῷ νήσων ἱεράων
πᾶσιν Τυρσηνοῖσιν ἀγακλειτοῖσιν ἄνασσον.
Ναυσίθοον δ’ Ὀδυσῆι Καλυψὼ δῖα θεάων
γείνατο Ναυσίνοόν τε μιγεῖσ’ ἐρατῇ φιλότητι.
αὗται μὲν θνητοῖσι παρ’ ἀνδράσιν εὐνηθεῖσαι
1020 ἀθάναται γείναντο θεοῖς ἐπιείκελα τέκνα.
[νῦν δὲ γυναικῶν φῦλον ἀείσατε, ἡδυέπειαι
Μοῦσαι Ὀλυμπιάδες, κοῦραι Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.]

But of the daughters of Nereus, the Old man of the Sea,
Psamathe the fair goddess, was loved by Aeacus
through golden Aphrodite and bare Phocus.
And the silver-shod goddess Thetis was subject to Peleus
and brought forth lion-hearted Achilles, the destroyer of men.
And Cytherea with the beautiful crown was joined
in sweet love with the hero Anchises and bare Aeneas
on the peaks of Ida with its many wooded glens.
And Circe the daughter of Helius, Hyperion's son,
loved steadfast Odysseus and bare Agrius
and Latinus who was faultless and strong;
also she brought forth Telegonus by the will of golden Aphrodite.
And they ruled over the famous Tyrenians,
very far off in a recess of the holy islands.
And the bright goddess Calypso was joined to Odysseus
in sweet love, and bare him Nausithous and Nausinous.
These are the immortal goddesses who lay with mortal men
and bare them children like unto gods.
But now, sweet-voiced Muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus
who holds the aegis, sing of the company of women.