§11.213ἦ τί μοι εἴδωλον τόδʼ ἀγαυὴ Περσεφόνεια §11.214ὤτρυνʼ, ὄφρʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ὀδυρόμενος στεναχίζω; §11.215ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο πότνια μήτηρ· §11.216ὤ μοι, τέκνον ἐμόν, περὶ πάντων κάμμορε φωτῶν, §11.217οὔ τί σε Περσεφόνεια Διὸς θυγάτηρ ἀπαφίσκει, §11.218ἀλλʼ αὕτη δίκη ἐστὶ βροτῶν, ὅτε τίς κε θάνῃσιν· §11.219οὐ γὰρ ἔτι σάρκας τε καὶ ὀστέα ἶνες ἔχουσιν, §11.220ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν τε πυρὸς κρατερὸν μένος αἰθομένοιο §11.221δαμνᾷ, ἐπεί κε πρῶτα λίπῃ λεύκʼ ὀστέα θυμός, §11.222ψυχὴ δʼ ἠύτʼ ὄνειρος ἀποπταμένη πεπότηται.
"Or why has noble Persephone sent me this phantom, so that I may lament and groan even more?" So I spoke, and straightway my noble mother answered: "Ah me, my child, ill-fated beyond all men, in no wise does Persephone, daughter of Zeus, deceive you, but this is the way of mortals, when anyone dies; for the sinews no longer hold the flesh and the bones together, but these the strong might of blazing fire destroys, as soon as the life first leaves the white bones, and the soul like a dream flits away and hovers.
§11.223ἀλλὰ φόωσδε τάχιστα λιλαίεο· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα §11.224ἴσθʼ, ἵνα καὶ μετόπισθε τεῇ εἴπῃσθα γυναικί. §11.225νῶι μὲν ὣς ἐπέεσσιν ἀμειβόμεθʼ, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες §11.226ἤλυθον, ὤτρυνεν γὰρ ἀγαυὴ Περσεφόνεια,
But strive for the light with all speed; and know all these things, so that hereafter you may tell them to your wife." Thus we two made exchange of words, but the women came, for noble Persephone urged them on, all those who were wives and daughters of chieftains.
§11.227ὅσσαι ἀριστήων ἄλοχοι ἔσαν ἠδὲ θύγατρες. §11.228αἱ δʼ ἀμφʼ αἷμα κελαινὸν ἀολλέες ἠγερέθοντο, §11.229αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ βούλευον ὅπως ἐρέοιμι ἑκάστην.
And they gathered in throngs around the dark blood, but I took counsel how I might question each one.
§11.230ἥδε δέ μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή· §11.231σπασσάμενος τανύηκες ἄορ παχέος παρὰ μηροῦ §11.232οὐκ εἴων πίνειν ἅμα πάσας αἷμα κελαινόν.
And this seemed to my mind the best counsel: drawing my long-edged sword from beside my stout thigh, I did not suffer them all to drink the dark blood at once.
So they came up one after another, and each one declared her lineage; and I questioned them all.
§11.235ἔνθʼ ἦ τοι πρώτην Τυρὼ ἴδον εὐπατέρειαν, §11.236ἣ φάτο Σαλμωνῆος ἀμύμονος ἔκγονος εἶναι, §11.237φῆ δὲ Κρηθῆος γυνὴ ἔμμεναι Αἰολίδαο· §11.238ἣ ποταμοῦ ἠράσσατʼ Ἐνιπῆος θείοιο, §11.239ὃς πολὺ κάλλιστος ποταμῶν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἵησι, §11.240καί ῥʼ ἐπʼ Ἐνιπῆος πωλέσκετο καλὰ ῥέεθρα.
There truly first I saw Tyro of noble parentage, who said she was the offspring of noble Salmoneus, and declared herself the wife of Cretheus, son of Aeolus; she had fallen in love with the divine river Enipeus, which flows far the fairest of rivers over the earth, and she was wont to haunt the fair streams of Enipeus.
§11.241τῷ δʼ ἄρα εἰσάμενος γαιήοχος ἐννοσίγαιος §11.242ἐν προχοῇς ποταμοῦ παρελέξατο δινήεντος· §11.243πορφύρεον δʼ ἄρα κῦμα περιστάθη, οὔρεϊ ἶσον, §11.244κυρτωθέν, κρύψεν δὲ θεὸν θνητήν τε γυναῖκα.
In his likeness then the Earth-embracer, Earth-shaker, lay with her at the mouth of the eddying river; and a dark purple wave stood around them, arched like a mountain, and hid the god and the mortal woman.
§11.245λῦσε δὲ παρθενίην ζώνην, κατὰ δʼ ὕπνον ἔχευεν.
And he loosed her maiden girdle, and shed sleep upon her.
§11.246αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἐτέλεσσε θεὸς φιλοτήσια ἔργα, §11.247ἔν τʼ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρί, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε· §11.248χαῖρε, γύναι, φιλότητι· περιπλομένου δʼ ἐνιαυτοῦ §11.249τέξεις ἀγλαὰ τέκνα, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀποφώλιοι εὐναὶ §11.250ἀθανάτων· σὺ δὲ τοὺς κομέειν ἀτιταλλέμεναί τε.
But when the god had ended his works of love, he clasped her by the hand, and spoke, and addressed her: "Be glad, woman, in our love; and as the year rolls round you shall bear glorious children, for not fruitless are the beds of the immortals; do you tend and cherish them.
§11.251νῦν δʼ ἔρχευ πρὸς δῶμα, καὶ ἴσχεο μηδʼ ὀνομήνῃς· §11.252αὐτὰρ ἐγώ τοί εἰμι Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων. §11.253ὣς εἰπὼν ὑπὸ πόντον ἐδύσετο κυμαίνοντα.
But now go to your house, and hold your peace and name me not; yet I tell you, I am Poseidon, the shaker of the earth." So saying, he plunged beneath the surging sea.
§11.254ἡ δʼ ὑποκυσαμένη Πελίην τέκε καὶ Νηλῆα, §11.255τὼ κρατερὼ θεράποντε Διὸς μεγάλοιο γενέσθην §11.256ἀμφοτέρω· Πελίης μὲν ἐν εὐρυχόρῳ Ἰαωλκῷ §11.257ναῖε πολύρρηνος, ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐν Πύλῳ ἠμαθόεντι.
And she conceived and bore Pelias and Neleus, who both became strong servants of great Zeus; Pelias indeed dwelt in spacious Iolcus, rich in flocks, and the other dwelt in sandy Pylos.
§11.258τοὺς δʼ ἑτέρους Κρηθῆι τέκεν βασίλεια γυναικῶν, §11.259Αἴσονά τʼ ἠδὲ Φέρητʼ Ἀμυθάονά θʼ ἱππιοχάρμην.
And the queen of women bore other children to Cretheus, Aeson and Pheres and Amythaon, who fought from chariots.
§11.260τὴν δὲ μετʼ Ἀντιόπην ἴδον, Ἀσωποῖο θύγατρα, §11.261ἣ δὴ καὶ Διὸς εὔχετʼ ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσιν ἰαῦσαι, §11.262καί ῥʼ ἔτεκεν δύο παῖδʼ, Ἀμφίονά τε Ζῆθόν τε, §11.263οἳ πρῶτοι Θήβης ἕδος ἔκτισαν ἑπταπύλοιο, §11.264πύργωσάν τʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν ἀπύργωτόν γʼ ἐδύναντο §11.265ναιέμεν εὐρύχορον Θήβην, κρατερώ περ ἐόντε.
And next after her I saw Antiope, daughter of Asopus, who boasted that she had slept even in the arms of Zeus, and she bore two sons, Amphion and Zethus, who first founded the seat of seven-gated Thebes, and built walls around it, since they could not, strong though they were, dwell in spacious Thebes without walls.
§11.266τὴν δὲ μετʼ Ἀλκμήνην ἴδον, Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἄκοιτιν, §11.267ἥ ῥʼ Ἡρακλῆα θρασυμέμνονα θυμολέοντα §11.268γείνατʼ ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσι Διὸς μεγάλοιο μιγεῖσα· §11.269καὶ Μεγάρην, Κρείοντος ὑπερθύμοιο θύγατρα, §11.270τὴν ἔχεν Ἀμφιτρύωνος υἱὸς μένος αἰὲν ἀτειρής.
And next after her I saw Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon, who bore Heracles, bold in heart, lion-spirited, having mingled in the arms of great Zeus; and Megara, daughter of high-spirited Creon, whom the son of Amphitryon, whose might was ever unwearied, wedded.
§11.271μητέρα τʼ Οἰδιπόδαο ἴδον, καλὴν Ἐπικάστην, §11.272ἣ μέγα ἔργον ἔρεξεν ἀιδρείῃσι νόοιο §11.273γημαμένη ᾧ υἷι· ὁ δʼ ὃν πατέρʼ ἐξεναρίξας §11.274γῆμεν· ἄφαρ δʼ ἀνάπυστα θεοὶ θέσαν ἀνθρώποισιν.
And I saw the mother of Oedipus, fair Epicaste, who did a monstrous deed in the ignorance of her mind, marrying her own son; and he, when he had slain his own father, married her; but straightway the gods made these things known among men.
§11.275ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἐν Θήβῃ πολυηράτῳ ἄλγεα πάσχων §11.276Καδμείων ἤνασσε θεῶν ὀλοὰς διὰ βουλάς· §11.277ἡ δʼ ἔβη εἰς Ἀίδαο πυλάρταο κρατεροῖο, §11.278ἁψαμένη βρόχον αἰπὺν ἀφʼ ὑψηλοῖο μελάθρου, §11.279ᾧ ἄχεϊ σχομένη· τῷ δʼ ἄλγεα κάλλιπʼ ὀπίσσω §11.280πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα τε μητρὸς Ἐρινύες ἐκτελέουσιν.
Yet he in lovely Thebes, suffering woes, ruled over the Cadmeians through the destructive counsels of the gods; but she went down to the house of Hades, the strong gate-keeper, having fastened a steep noose from the high roof, held by her own grief; and she left behind for him woes very many, even all that the Furies of a mother accomplish.
§11.281καὶ Χλῶριν εἶδον περικαλλέα, τήν ποτε Νηλεὺς §11.282γῆμεν ἑὸν διὰ κάλλος, ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα, §11.283ὁπλοτάτην κούρην Ἀμφίονος Ἰασίδαο, §11.284ὅς ποτʼ ἐν Ὀρχομενῷ Μινυείῳ ἶφι ἄνασσεν· §11.285ἡ δὲ Πύλου βασίλευε, τέκεν δέ οἱ ἀγλαὰ τέκνα,
And I saw very beautiful Chloris, whom once Neleus married because of her beauty, when he had given countless bridal gifts, the youngest daughter of Amphion, son of Iasus, who once ruled with might in Minyeian Orchomenus; and she was queen of Pylos, and bore him glorious children,