§25.70θεσπέσιον δʼ ὑλάοντες ἐπέδραμον ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος §25.71Ἀμφιτρυωνιάδῃ Ἡρακλέι· τὸν δὲ γέροντα §25.72ἀχρεῖον κλάζοντε περίσσαινον ἑτέρωθεν.
And the dogs, barking wondrously, ran at him from every side, at Heracles the son of Amphitryon; but upon the old man they fawned from the other side, whining pointlessly.
§25.73τοὺς μὲν ὅγε λάεσσιν ἀπὸ χθόνος ὅσσον ἀείρων §25.74φευγέμεν ἂψ ὀπίσω δειδίσσετο, τρηχὺ δὲ φωνῇ §25.75ἠπείλει μάλα πᾶσιν, ἐρητύσασκε δʼ ὑλαγμοῦ, §25.76χαίρων ἐν φρεσὶν ᾗσιν, ὁθούνεκεν αὖλιν ἔρυντο §25.77αὐτοῦ γʼ οὐ παρεόντος· ἔπος δʼ ὅγε τοῖον ἔειπεν· §25.78Ὢ πόποι, οἷον τοῦτο θεοὶ ποίησαν ἄνακτες §25.79θηρίον ἀνθρώποισι μετέμμεναι, ὡς ἐπιμηθές.
He, merely by raising stones from the ground, threatened them to flee back, and with a harsh voice he threatened them all, and made them cease from barking, rejoicing in his heart because they guarded the fold when he himself was not present; and he spoke this word: 'Ah, what a beast the ruling gods have made this to be to dwell with men, how mindful!
§25.80εἴ οἱ καὶ φρένες ὧδε νοήμονες ἔνδοθεν ἦσαν, §25.81ᾔδει δʼ, ᾧ τε χρὴ χαλεπαινέμεν ᾧ τε καὶ οὐκί, §25.82οὐκ ἄν οἱ θηρῶν τις ἐδήρισεν περὶ τιμῆς· §25.83νῦν δὲ λίην ζάκοτόν τε καὶ ἀρρηνὲς γένετʼ αὔτως. §25.84Ἦ ῥα, καὶ ἐσσυμένως ποτὶ ταὐλίον ἷξον ἰόντες.
If it also had within it a mind so understanding, and knew both with whom to be angry and with whom not, no other beast would have contended with it for honor; but as it is, it is too furious and savage in its ways.' He spoke, and in haste they came to the fold.
§25.85Ἠέλιος μὲν ἔπειτα ποτὶ ζόφον ἔτραπεν ἵππους §25.86δείελον ἦμαρ ἄγων· τὰ δʼ ἐπήλυθε πίονα μῆλα §25.87ἐκ βοτάνης ἀνιόντα μετʼ αὐλία τε σηκούς τε.
Then Helios turned his horses toward the dark west, bringing the evening day; and the fat sheep came, returning from pasture toward the folds and pens.
§25.88αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα βόες μάλα μυρίαι ἄλλαι ἐπʼ ἄλλαις §25.89ἐρχόμεναι φαίνονθʼ ὡσεὶ νέφη ὑδατόεντα, §25.90ἅσσά τʼ ἐν οὐρανῷ εἶσιν ἐλαυνόμενα προτέρωσε §25.91ἠὲ νότοιο βίῃ ἠὲ Θρῃκὸς βορέαο· §25.92τῶν μέν τʼ οὔτις ἀριθμὸς ἐν ἠέρι γίνετʼ ἰόντων, §25.93οὐδʼ ἄνυσις· τόσα γάρ τε μετὰ προτέροισι κυλίνδει §25.94ἲς ἀνέμου, τὰ δέ τʼ ἄλλα κορύσσεται αὖτις ἐπʼ ἄλλοις· §25.95τόσσʼ αἰεὶ μετόπισθε βοῶν ἐπὶ βουκόλιʼ ᾔει.
Then after them, countless cattle in one long line after another appeared coming like watery clouds, such as go driven forward in the sky either by the force of the South Wind or Thracian Boreas; of them there is no number in the air as they go, nor any end; for the strength of the wind rolls so many after the first, and others again are crested, one upon another; so many herds of cattle ever came on behind.
§25.96πᾶν δʼ ἄρʼ ἐνεπλήσθη πεδίον, πᾶσαι δὲ κέλευθοι §25.97ληίδος ἐρχομένης (στείνοντο δὲ πίονες ἀγροί), §25.98μυκηθμῷ· σηκοὶ δὲ βοῶν ῥεῖα πλήσθησαν §25.99εἰλιπόδων, ὄιες δὲ κατʼ αὐλὰς ηὐλίζοντο.
And all the plain was filled, and all the paths, as the herd came on (and the rich fields were crowded), with lowing; and the folds of the shambling cattle were easily filled, while the sheep settled down for the night in their yards.
§25.100ἔνθα μὲν οὔτις ἕκηλος ἀπειρεσίων περ ἐόντων §25.101εἱστήκει παρὰ βουσὶν ἀνὴρ κεχρημένος ἔργου· §25.102ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἀμφὶ πόδεσσιν ἐυτμήτοισιν ἱμᾶσι §25.103κωλοπέδας ἀράρισκε περισταδὸν ἐγγὺς ἀμέλγειν· §25.104ἄλλος δʼ αὖ φίλα τέκνα φίλαις ὑπὸ μητράσιν ἵει §25.105πινέμεναι λιαροῖο μεμαότα πάγχυ γάλακτος, §25.106ἄλλος ἀμόλγιον εἶχʼ, ἄλλος τρέφε πίονα τυρόν, §25.107ἄλλος ἐσῆγεν ἔσω ταύρους δίχα θηλειάων.
There no man stood idle beside the cattle, though they were countless, in need of employment; but one indeed was fitting leg-shackles around their feet with well-cut thongs, standing near to milk them; and another again was letting the dear young ones under their dear mothers to drink the warm milk, they being utterly eager; another held the milk-pail, another pressed the rich cheese, and another was leading the bulls inside, apart from the females.
§25.108Αὐγείης δʼ ἐπὶ πάντας ἰὼν θηεῖτο βοαύλους §25.109ἥντινά οἱ κτεάνων κομιδὴν ἐτίθεντο νομῆες, §25.110σὺν δʼ υἱός τε βίη τε βαρύφρονος Ἡρακλῆος §25.111ὡμάρτευν βασιλῆι διερχομένῳ μέγαν ὄλβον.
And Augeas went over them all and inspected the cattle-sheds, to see what care his herdsmen took of his possessions; and his son and the mighty strength of deep-minded Heracles accompanied the king as he went through his great wealth.
§25.112ἔνθα καὶ ἄρρηκτόν περ ἔχων ἐν στήθεσι θυμὸν §25.113Ἀμφιτρυωνιάδης καὶ ἀρηρότα νωλεμὲς αἰεὶ §25.114ἐκπάγλως θαύμαζε θεῶν τόγε μυρίον ἕδνον §25.115εἰσορόων. οὐ γάρ κεν ἔφασκέ τις οὐδὲ ἐώλπει §25.116ἀνδρὸς ληίδʼ ἑνὸς τόσσην ἔμεν οὐδὲ δέκʼ ἄλλων, §25.117οἵτε πολύρρηνες πάντων ἔσαν ἐκ βασιλήων.
There, although he had an unbroken spirit in his breast, and a heart ever firmly set and unyielding, the son of Amphitryon wondered exceedingly as he looked upon this countless gift of the gods; for no one would have said or expected that the livestock of one man could be so great, nor even of ten others, who were the richest in sheep among all the kings.
§25.118Ἠέλιος δʼ ᾧ παιδὶ τόγʼ ἔξοχον ὤπασε δῶρον, §25.119ἀφνειὸν μήλοις περὶ πάντων ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν, §25.120καί ῥά οἱ αὐτὸς ὄφελλε διαμπερέως βοτὰ πάντα §25.121ἐς τέλος· οὐ μὲν γάρ τις ἐπήλυθε νοῦσος ἐκείνου §25.122βουκολίοις, αἵτʼ ἔργα καταφθείρουσι νομήων, §25.123αἰεὶ δὲ πλέονες κερααὶ βόες, αἰὲν ἀμείνους §25.124ἐξ ἔτεος γίνοντο μάλʼ εἰς ἔτος· ἦ γὰρ ἅπασαι §25.125ζωοτόκοι τʼ ἦσαν περιώσια θηλυτόκοι τε.
Indeed, Helios had granted this exceptional gift to his son, to be wealthy in flocks beyond all other men, and he himself increased all his beasts continuously to the end; for no sickness ever came upon those herds, such as destroy the labors of herdsmen, but ever more numerous, ever better, the horned cattle became year after year; for indeed they were all both viviparous and exceedingly female-bearing.
§25.126ταῖς δὲ τριηκόσιοι ταῦροι συνάμʼ ἐστιχόωντο §25.127κνήμαργοί θʼ ἕλικές τε, διηκόσιοί γε μὲν ἄλλοι §25.128φοίνικες· πάντες δʼ ἐπιβήτορες οἵγʼ ἔσαν ἤδη.
And with them marched three hundred bulls, white-shanked and curve-horned, and another two hundred red ones; and all of these were already mounting-bulls.
§25.129ἄλλοι δʼ αὖ μετὰ τοῖσι δυώδεκα βουκολέοντο §25.130ἱεροὶ Ἠελίοιο· χρόην δʼ ἔσαν ἠύτε κύκνοι §25.131ἀργησταί, πᾶσιν δὲ μετέπρεπον εἰλιπόδεσσιν
And yet others, twelve in number, were pastured among them, sacred to Helios; in color they were like swans, shining white, and they stood out among all the shambling cattle.
They also grazed apart from the herd on the rich grass in the pasture; and so wondrously did they pride themselves.
§25.134καί ῥʼ ὁπότʼ ἐκ λασίοιο θοοὶ προγενοίατο θῆρες §25.135ἐς πεδίον δρυμοῖο βοῶν ἕνεκʼ ἀγροτεράων, §25.136πρῶτοι τοίγε μάχηνδε κατὰ χροὸς ᾔεσαν ὀσμήν, §25.137δεινὸν δʼ ἐβρυχῶντο φόνον λεύσσοντε προσώπῳ.
And whenever swift beasts should come forth from the thick wood into the plain for the sake of the grazing cattle, they were the first to go to battle, sensing the scent, and bellowed terribly, looking slaughter in the face.