Humanitext Reader

Hesiod · Theogony §369-439

Lineage of the Titans and Privileges of Hecate

Passage 6 of 14 · Greek

Summary

From the Titan lineages, various natural forces such as the sun, moon, winds, and stars are born, along with Styx's children, Victory and Force. Additionally, Hecate is highly honored by Zeus, receiving immense privileges to assist humans on earth, sea, and heaven.

§369τῶν ὄνομʼ ἀργαλέον πάντων βροτὸν ἀνέρʼ ἐνισπεῖν, §370οἳ δὲ ἕκαστοι ἴσασιν, ὅσοι περιναιετάωσιν.
It is hard for a mortal man to tell the name of all of them, but those individuals know them, who dwell around them.
§371θεία δʼ Ἠέλιόν τε μέγαν λαμπράν τε Σελήνην §372Ἠῶ θʼ, ἣ πάντεσσιν ἐπιχθονίοισι φαείνει §373ἀθανάτοις τε θεοῖσι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι, §374γείναθʼ ὑποδμηθεῖσʼ Ὑπερίονος ἐν φιλότητι.
And Theia bore great Helios and bright Selene, and Eos, who shines upon all earthly men and upon the immortal gods, who hold the wide heaven, subdued in love to Hyperion.
§375Κρίῳ δʼ Εὐρυβίν τέκεν ἐν φιλότητι μιγεῖσα §376Ἀστραῖόν τε μέγαν Πάλλαντά τε δῖα θεάων §377Πέρσην θʼ, ὃς καὶ πᾶσι μετέπρεπεν ἰδμοσύνῃσιν.
And Eurybia, mingling in love with Crius, bore great Astraeus, and Pallas, divine among goddesses, and Perses, who was preeminent among all in wisdom.
§378Ἀστραίῳ δʼ Ἠὼς ἀνέμους τέκε καρτεροθύμους, §379ἀργέστην Ζέφυρον Βορέην τʼ αἰψηροκέλευθον §380καὶ Νότον, ἐν φιλότητι θεὰ θεῷ εὐνηθεῖσα.
And to Astraeus, Eos bore the strong-hearted winds, clearing Zephyr, and Boreas of the swift path, and Notus, a goddess sleeping with a god in love.
§381τοὺς δὲ μέτʼ ἀστέρα τίκτεν Ἑωσφόρον Ἠριγένεια §382ἄστρα τε λαμπετόωντα, τά τʼ οὐρανὸς ἐστεφάνωται.
And after them the early-born goddess bore the star Eosphorus, and the shining stars, with which the heaven is crowned.
§383Στὺξ δʼ ἔτεκʼ Ὠκεανοῦ θυγάτηρ Πάλλαντι μιγεῖσα §384Ζῆλον καὶ Νίκην καλλίσφυρον ἐν μεγάροισιν· §385καὶ Κράτος ἠδὲ Βίην ἀριδείκετα γείνατο τέκνα, §386τῶν οὐκ ἔστʼ ἀπάνευθε Διὸς δόμος, οὐδέ τις ἕδρη, §387οὐδʼ ὁδός, ὅππη μὴ κείνοις θεὸς ἡγεμονεύῃ, §388ἀλλʼ αἰεὶ πὰρ Ζηνὶ βαρυκτύπῳ ἑδριόωνται.
And Styx, daughter of Oceanus, mingling with Pallas, bore Zelos and beautiful-ankled Nike in the halls, and she bore Kratos and Bia, wondrous children, of whom there is no house apart from Zeus, nor any seat, nor any path, except where the god leads with them accompanying him, but they always sit beside deep-thundering Zeus.
§389ὣς γὰρ ἐβούλευσεν Στὺξ ἄφθιτος Ὠκεανίνη §390ἤματι τῷ, ὅτε πάντας Ὀλύμπιος ἀστεροπητὴς §391ἀθανάτους ἐκάλεσσε θεοὺς ἐς μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον, §392εἶπε δʼ, ὃς ἂν μετὰ εἷο θεῶν Τιτῆσι μάχοιτο, §393μή τινʼ ἀπορραίσειν γεράων, τιμὴν δὲ ἕκαστον §394ἑξέμεν, ἣν τὸ πάρος γε μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν §395τὸν δʼ ἔφαθʼ, ὅστις ἄτιμος ὑπὸ Κρόνου ἠδʼ ἀγέραστος, §396τιμῆς καὶ γεράων ἐπιβησέμεν, ἧ θέμις ἐστίν.
For so did immortal Styx, daughter of Oceanus, plan on that day when the Olympian Lord of Lightning called all the immortal gods to high Olympus, and said that whoever of the gods should fight with him against the Titans, he would deprive none of his privileges, and each should keep the honor which he had before among the immortal gods; and he said that whoever was unhonored by Cronos and without privileges, he would establish them in honor and privileges, as is right.
§397ἦλθε δʼ ἄρα πρώτη Στὺξ ἄφθιτος Οὔλυμπόνδε §398σὺν σφοῖσιν παίδεσσι φίλου διὰ μήδεα πατρός.
And immortal Styx came first to Olympus with her children, through the counsels of her dear father.
§399τὴν δὲ Ζεὺς τίμησε, περισσὰ δὲ δῶρα δέδωκεν.
And Zeus honored her, and gave her exceeding gifts.
§400αὐτὴν μὲν γὰρ ἔθηκε θεῶν μέγαν ἔμμεναι ὅρκον, §401παῖδας δʼ ἤματα πάντα ἑοῦ μεταναιέτας εἶναι.
For her he appointed to be the great oath of the gods, and her children to be dwellers with him for all days.
§402ὣς δʼ αὔτως πάντεσσι διαμπερές, ὥς περ ὑπέστη, §403ἐξετέλεσσʼ· αὐτὸς δὲ μέγα κρατεῖ ἠδὲ ἀνάσσει.
And in like manner to all, even as he promised, he fulfilled it completely; and he himself rules and reigns mightily.
§404φοίβη δʼ αὖ Κοίου πολυήρατον ἦλθεν ἐς εὐνήν· §405κυσαμένη δὴ ἔπειτα θεὰ θεοῦ ἐν φιλότητι §406Λητὼ κυανόπεπλον ἐγείνατο, μείλιχον αἰεί, §407ἤπιον ἀνθρώποισι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν, §408μείλιχον ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἀγανώτατον ἐντὸς Ὀλύμπου.
And Phoebe entered the lovely bed of Coeus; and conceiving then, the goddess in love with the god, bore dark-robed Leto, ever gentle, kindly to men and to immortal gods, gentle from the beginning, most mild within Olympus.
§409γείνατο δʼ Ἀστερίην ἐυώνυμον, ἥν ποτε Πέρσης §410ἠγάγετʼ ἐς μέγα δῶμα φίλην κεκλῆσθαι ἄκοιτιν.
And she bore Asteria of good name, whom once Perses brought to his great house to be called his dear wife.
§411ἢ δʼ ὑποκυσαμένη Ἑκάτην τέκε, τὴν περὶ πάντων §412Ζεὺς Κρονίδης τίμησε· πόρεν δέ οἱ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα,
And she conceiving bore Hecate, whom above all Zeus the son of Cronos honored; and he gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and of the barren sea.
§413μοῖραν ἔχειν γαίης τε καὶ ἀτρυγέτοιο θαλάσσης. §414ἣ δὲ καὶ ἀστερόεντος ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ ἔμμορε τιμῆς §415ἀθανάτοις τε θεοῖσι τετιμένη ἐστὶ μάλιστα.
And she received a share of honor also from the starry heaven, and she is honored exceedingly by the immortal gods.
§416καὶ γὰρ νῦν, ὅτε πού τις ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων §417ἔρδων ἱερὰ καλὰ κατὰ νόμον ἱλάσκηται, §418κικλῄσκει Ἑκάτην.
For even now, when any of the men upon earth makes fine sacrifices and prays for favor according to custom, he calls upon Hecate.
πολλή τέ οἱ ἕσπετο τιμὴ §419ῥεῖα μάλʼ, ᾧ πρόφρων γε θεὰ ὑποδέξεται εὐχάς, §420καί τέ οἱ ὄλβον ὀπάζει, ἐπεὶ δύναμίς γε πάρεστιν.
And great honor follows him very easily, whose prayers the goddess receives with a willing heart, and she grants him wealth, since she has the power.
§421ὅσσοι γὰρ Γαίης τε καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἐξεγένοντο §422καὶ τιμὴν ἔλαχον, τούτων ἔχει αἶσαν ἁπάντων.
For of all those who were born of Gaia and Ouranos and received honor, she holds a share of all these.
§423οὐδέ τί μιν Κρονίδης ἐβιήσατο οὐδέ τʼ ἀπηύρα, §424ὅσσʼ ἔλαχεν Τιτῆσι μετὰ προτέροισι θεοῖσιν, §425ἀλλʼ ἔχει, ὡς τὸ πρῶτον ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἔπλετο δασμός, §427καὶ γέρας ἐν γαίῃ τε καὶ οὐρανῷ ἠδὲ θαλάσσῃ· §426οὐδʼ, ὅτι μουνογενής, ἧσσον θεὰ ἔμμορε τιμῆς, §428ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον, ἐπεὶ Ζεὺς τίεται αὐτήν.
And the son of Cronos did not do her violence nor take away from her whatever she received among the former Titan gods, but she keeps it, just as the division was at the very beginning, and her privilege on earth and in heaven and in the sea; nor, because she is an only child, does the goddess receive less honor, but even much more, since Zeus holds her in honor.
§429ᾧ δʼ ἐθέλει, μεγάλως παραγίγνεται ἠδʼ ὀνίνησιν· §434ἔν τε δίκῃ βασιλεῦσι παρʼ αἰδοίοισι καθίζει, §430ἔν τʼ ἀγορῇ λαοῖσι μεταπρέπει, ὅν κʼ ἐθέλῃσιν· §431ἠδʼ ὁπότʼ ἐς πόλεμον φθεισήνορα θωρήσσωνται §432ἀνέρες, ἔνθα θεὰ παραγίγνεται, οἷς κʼ ἐθέλῃσι §433νίκην προφρονέως ὀπάσαι καὶ κῦδος ὀρέξαι.
Whomever she will, she stands by mightily and helps; and in judgment she sits beside revered kings, and in the assembly she is preeminent among the people, whomever she will; and when men arm themselves for battle that destroys men, there the goddess stands by, to whomever she will to grant victory readily and to stretch forth glory.
§435ἐσθλὴ δʼ αὖθʼ ὁπότʼ ἄνδρες ἀεθλεύωσιν ἀγῶνι, §436ἔνθα θεὰ καὶ τοῖς παραγίγνεται ἠδʼ ὀνίνησιν· §437νικήσας δὲ βίῃ καὶ κάρτεϊ καλὸν ἄεθλον §438ῥεῖα φέρει χαίρων τε, τοκεῦσι δὲ κῦδος ὀπάζει.
And again she is good when men contend in games, there the goddess also stands by them and helps; and he who has conquered by force and strength wins a fine prize easily and rejoicing, and grants glory to his parents.
§439ἐσθλὴ δʼ ἱππήεσσι παρεστάμεν, οἷς κʼ ἐθέλῃσιν.
And she is good to stand by horsemen, to whomever she will.

Notes

  1. §369τῶν ὄνομʼ ἀργαλέον πάντων βροτὸν ἀνέρʼ ἐνισπεῖν — The subject of the infinitive `ἐνισπεῖν` ('to tell') is the accusative `βροτὸν ἀνέρʼ` (`ἀνέρα`), while `τῶν πάντων` is a genitive modifying `ὄνομʼ` (`ὄνομα`). The adjective `ἀργαλέον` functions as an impersonal predicate with an omitted `ἐστί`.
  2. §387ὅππη μὴ κείνοις θεὸς ἡγεμονεύῃ — The phrase `ὅππη μὴ` expresses an exception ('except where / unless'). `κείνοις` is a dative of accompaniment or reference with the verb `ἡγεμονεύῃ` ('to lead'), meaning 'except where the god (Zeus) leads with them accompanying him'.
  3. §393μή τινʼ ἀπορραίσειν γεράων — An infinitive construction in indirect speech. The verb `ἀπορραίσειν` ('to deprive') takes the genitive of separation `γεράων` ('of privileges'). The subject of the infinitive (Zeus) is omitted because it is co-referential with the subject of the main verb of saying, and `τινʼ` (`τινά`) is its direct object.
  4. §396τιμῆς καὶ γεράων ἐπιβησέμεν — The form `ἐπιβησέμεν` is the future infinitive of the causative verb `ἐπιβαίνω` ('to make someone enter or attain'), taking the genitive of the goal (`τιμῆς καὶ γεράων`, 'honor and privileges') with an omitted accusative object ('them').
  5. §419ᾧ πρόφρων γε θεὰ ὑποδέξεται εὐχάς — The relative pronoun `ᾧ` is a dative of advantage with `ὀπάζει` (line 420) or a possessive dative modifying `εὐχάς` ('of whom'). The verb `ὑποδέξεται` is a short-vowel subjunctive, conveying a conditional/expectant force ('if indeed the goddess receives...').

Cite this passage

Hesiod, Theogony §369-439. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0020.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:369-439

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