lines 507-616 Now Iapetus took to wife the neat-ankled maid Clymene,
daughter of Ocean, and went up with her into one bed. And she bore him
a stout-hearted son, Atlas: [510] also she bore very glorious Menoetius
and clever Prometheus, full of various wiles, and
scatter-brained Epimetheus who from the first was a mischief to men who
eat bread; for it was he who first took of Zeus the woman, the maiden whom
he had formed. But Menoetius was outrageous, and farseeing Zeus [515] struck
him with a lurid thunderbolt and
sent him down to Erebus because of his mad presumption and exceeding pride.
And Atlas through hard constraint upholds the wide heaven with unwearying
head and arms, standing at the borders of the earth before the clear-voiced
Hesperides; [520] for this lot
wise Zeus assigned to him. And ready-witted Prometheus he bound with inextricable
bonds, cruel chains, and drove a shaft through his middle, and set on him
a long-winged eagle, which used to eat his immortal liver; but by night
the liver grew [525] as much again
everyway as the long-winged bird devoured in the whole day. That bird Heracles,
the valiant son of shapely-ankled Alcmene, slew; and delivered the son
of Iapetus from the cruel plague, and released him from his affliction--not
without the will of Olympian Zeus
who reigns on high, [530] that the glory of Heracles the Theban-born might
be yet greater than it was before over the plenteous earth. This, then,
he regarded, and honored his famous son; though he was angry, he ceased
from the wrath which he had before because
Prometheus matched himself in wit with the almighty son of Cronos. [535]
For when the gods and mortal men had a dispute at Mecone, even then Prometheus
was forward to cut up a great ox and set portions before them, trying to
deceive the mind of Zeus. Before
the rest he set flesh and inner parts thick with fat upon the hide, covering
them with an ox paunch; [540] but for Zeus he put the white bones dressed
up with cunning art and covered with shining fat. Then the father of men
and of gods said to him:
“Son of Iapetus, most glorious of all lords, good sir, how unfairly you
have divided the portions!”
[545] So said Zeus whose wisdom is everlasting, rebuking him. But wily
Prometheus answered him, smiling softly and not forgetting his cunning
trick:
“Zeus, most glorious and greatest of the eternal gods, take which ever
of these portions your heart within you bids.” [550] So he said, thinking
trickery. But Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, saw and failed not to
perceive the trick, and in his heart he thought
mischief against mortal men which also was to be fulfilled. With both hands
he took up the white fat and was angry at heart, and wrath came to his
spirit [555] when he saw the white ox-bones craftily tricked out: and because
of this the tribes of men upon earth burn
white bones to the deathless gods upon fragrant altars. But Zeus who drives
the clouds was greatly vexed and said to him:
“Son of Iapetus, clever above all! [560] So, sir, you have not yet forgotten your cunning arts!”
So spake Zeus in anger, whose wisdom is everlasting; and from that time
he was always mindful of the trick, and would not give the power of unwearying
fire to the Melian1 race of mortal men who live on the earth. [565] But
the noble son of Iapetus outwitted him
and stole the far-seen gleam of unwearying fire in a hollow fennel stalk.
And Zeus who thunders on high was stung in spirit, and his dear heart was
angered when he saw amongst men the far-seen ray of fire. [570] Forthwith
he made an evil thing for men as the
price of fire; for the very famous Limping God formed of earth the likeness
of a shy maiden as the son of Cronos willed. And the goddess bright-eyed
Athena girded and clothed her with silvery raiment, and down from her head
[575] she spread with her hands an
embroidered veil, a wonder to see; and she, Pallas Athena, put about her
head lovely garlands, flowers of new-grown herbs. Also she put upon her
head a crown of gold which the very famous Limping God made himself [580]
and worked with his own hands as a
favor to Zeus his father. On it was much curious work, wonderful to see;
for of the many creatures which the land and sea rear up, he put most upon
it, wonderful things, like living beings with voices: and great beauty
shone out from it.
1 A Scholiast explains: “Either because they (men ) sprang from the Melian
nymphs (cp. 1. 187 ); or because, when they were born (? ), they cast themselves
under the ash-trees (meliai ), that is, the trees.” The reference may
be to the origin of men from ash-trees:
cp. Works and Days, 145 and note.
[585] But when he had made the beautiful evil to be the price for the blessing,
he brought her out, delighting in the finery which the bright-eyed daughter
of a mighty father had given her, to the place where the other gods and
men were. And wonder took hold of the
deathless gods and mortal men when they saw that which was sheer guile,
not to be withstood by men.
[590] For from her is the race of women and female kind: of her is the
deadly race and tribe of women who live amongst mortal men to their great
trouble, no helpmeets in hateful poverty, but only in wealth. And as in
thatched hives bees [595] feed the drones whose
nature is to do mischief--by day and throughout the day until the sun goes
down the bees are busy and lay the white combs, while the drones stay at
home in the covered hives and reap the toil of others into their own bellies--
[600] even so Zeus who thunders on
high made women to be an evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil.
And he gave them a second evil to be the price for the good they had: whoever
avoids marriage and the sorrows that women cause, and will not wed, reaches
deadly old age [605] without anyone
to tend his years, and though he at least has no lack of livelihood while
he lives, yet, when he is dead, his kinsfolk divide his possessions amongst
them. And as for the man who chooses the lot of marriage and takes a good
wife suited to his mind, evil continually
contends with good; [610] for whoever happens to have mischievous children,
lives always with unceasing grief in his spirit and heart within him; and
this evil cannot be healed.
So it is not possible to deceive or go beyond the will of Zeus: for not
even the son of Iapetus, kindly Prometheus, [615] escaped his heavy anger,
but of necessity strong bands confined him, although he knew many a wile.
Hesiod Theogony
lines 617-766 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 [620] 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 [625] whom rich-haired Rhea bore 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 with these they
might gain victory and a glorious cause to vaunt themselves. [630] 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 Othrys, but the gods, givers of good, whom
rich-haired Rhea bore in union with Cronos, from Olympus. [635] 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, [640] 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:
“Hear me, bright children of Earth and Heaven, [645] 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 show your great might
and unconquerable strength, and [650] 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: “ [655] Divine one,
you speak that which we know well: no, 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 have come back again from the murky gloom
and from our merciless bonds, [660] 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.”
So he said: and the gods, givers of good things, applauded when [665] 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 [670] whom
Zeus brought up to the light from Erebus beneath the earth. A hundred arms
sprang from the shoulders of all alike, and each had fifty heads growing
from his shoulders upon stout limbs.
These, then, stood against the Titans in grim strife, [675] 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
[680] 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, [685] and the cry of both armies as they shouted
reached to starry heaven; and they met together with a great battle-cry.
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
[690] he came immediately, hurling his lightning: the bolts 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. [695] All the land seethed, and Ocean's streams and the unfruitful
sea. The hot vapor lapped round the
earthborn Titans: flame unspeakable rose to the bright upper air: the flashing
glare of the thunderstone and lightning blinded their eyes for all that
they were strong. [700] 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; [705] 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 clangor and the warcry into the midst of the two hosts. A horrible
uproar [710] 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.
And amongst the foremost Cottus and Briareos and Gyes insatiate for war
[715] raised fierce fighting: three hundred rocks, one upon another, they
launched from their strong hands and overshadowed the Titans with their
missiles, and hurled 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, [720] as far beneath
the earth as heaven is above earth; for so far is it from earth to 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 [725] 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 [730]
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 [735] live, trusty
warders of Zeus who holds the aegis.
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. [740] 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 [745] wrapped in dark clouds.
In front of it the son of Iapetus1 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 [750] 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 comes; [755] 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. [760] 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 [765] is pitiless as bronze:
whomever of men he has once seized he holds fast: and he is hateful even
to the deathless gods.
1 Sc.Atlas, the Shu of Egyptian mythology: cp. note on line 177.