§70αὐτίκα δʼ ἐκ γαίης πλάσσεν κλυτὸς Ἀμφιγυήεις §71παρθένῳ αἰδοίῃ ἴκελον Κρονίδεω διὰ βουλάς· §72ζῶσε δὲ καὶ κόσμησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη· §73ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ Χάριτές τε θεαὶ καὶ πότνια Πειθὼ §74ὅρμους χρυσείους ἔθεσαν χροΐ· ἀμφὶ δὲ τήν γε §75Ὧραι καλλίκομοι στέφον ἄνθεσιν εἰαρινοῖσιν· §77ἐν δʼ ἄρα οἱ στήθεσσι διάκτορος Ἀργεϊφόντης §78ψεύδεά θʼ αἱμυλίους τε λόγους καὶ ἐπίκλοπον ἦθος §80θῆκε θεῶν κῆρυξ, ὀνόμηνε δὲ τήνδε γυναῖκα §81Πανδώρην, ὅτι πάντες Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες §82δῶρον ἐδώρησαν, πῆμʼ ἀνδράσιν ἀλφηστῇσιν.
And immediately the renowned Limping God fashioned from earth a likeness of a modest maiden, through the counsels of the son of Kronos; and the goddess, bright-eyed Athena, girded and adorned her; and around her the goddess Graces and queenly Persuasion placed golden necklaces upon her skin; and around her lovely-haired Seasons crowned her with spring flowers; and in her breast the guide, the slayer of Argus, lies and wheedling words and a deceitful character placed, the herald of the gods, and he named this woman Pandora, because all who hold Olympian dwellings gave her as a gift, a sorrow for bread-eating men.
§83αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δόλον αἰπὺν ἀμήχανον ἐξετέλεσσεν, §84εἰς Ἐπιμηθέα πέμπε πατὴρ κλυτὸν Ἀργεϊφόντην §85δῶρον ἄγοντα, θεῶν ταχὺν ἄγγελον· οὐδʼ Ἐπιμηθεὺς §86ἐφράσαθʼ, ὥς οἱ ἔειπε Προμηθεὺς μή ποτε δῶρον §87δέξασθαι πὰρ Ζηνὸς Ὀλυμπίου, ἀλλʼ ἀποπέμπειν §88ἐξοπίσω, μή πού τι κακὸν θνητοῖσι γένηται.
But when he had finished the sheer, helpless deceit, the father sent the renowned slayer of Argus to Epimetheus, bringing the gift, the swift messenger of the gods; nor did Epimetheus reflect on how Prometheus had told him never to accept a gift from Olympian Zeus, but to send it back behind, lest some evil happen to mortals.
§89αὐτὰρ ὃ δεξάμενος, ὅτε δὴ κακὸν εἶχʼ, ἐνόησεν.
But he, having accepted it, only when he had the evil did he understand.
§90Πρὶν μὲν γὰρ ζώεσκον ἐπὶ χθονὶ φῦλʼ ἀνθρώπων §91νόσφιν ἄτερ τε κακῶν καὶ ἄτερ χαλεποῖο πόνοιο §92νούσων τʼ ἀργαλέων, αἵ τʼ ἀνδράσι Κῆρας ἔδωκαν.
For before this the tribes of men used to live upon the earth apart and free from evils and free from harsh labor and from painful diseases, which give fates of death to men.
But the woman, taking off the great lid of the jar with her hands, scattered them; and she devised sorrowful cares for men.
§96μούνη δʼ αὐτόθι Ἐλπὶς ἐν ἀρρήκτοισι δόμοισιν §97ἔνδον ἔμιμνε πίθου ὑπὸ χείλεσιν, οὐδὲ θύραζε §98ἐξέπτη· πρόσθεν γὰρ ἐπέλλαβε πῶμα πίθοιο §100ἄλλα δὲ μυρία λυγρὰ κατʼ ἀνθρώπους ἀλάληται· §101πλείη μὲν γὰρ γαῖα κακῶν, πλείη δὲ θάλασσα· §102νοῦσοι δʼ ἀνθρώποισιν ἐφʼ ἡμέρῃ, αἳ δʼ ἐπὶ νυκτὶ §103αὐτόματοι φοιτῶσι κακὰ θνητοῖσι φέρουσαι §104σιγῇ, ἐπεὶ φωνὴν ἐξείλετο μητίετα Ζεύς.
Only Hope remained there in the unbreakable home, remaining inside beneath the rim of the jar, and did not fly out of doors; for before that she clapped the lid of the jar on, but countless other sorrowful things wander among men; for the earth is full of evils, and full is the sea; and diseases come upon men by day, and others by night wander of their own accord, bringing evils to mortals silently, since Zeus of wise counsel took away their voice.
§105οὕτως οὔτι πη ἔστι Διὸς νόον ἐξαλέασθαι.
Thus there is no way at all to escape the mind of Zeus.
§106εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις, ἕτερόν τοι ἐγὼ λόγον ἐκκορυφώσω §107εὖ καὶ ἐπισταμένως· σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν.
But if you wish, I will outline another story for you, well and skillfully; and do you lay it up in your mind: how from the same origin gods and mortal men came to be.
§108ὡς ὁμόθεν γεγάασι θεοὶ θνητοί τʼ ἄνθρωποι. §109χρύσεον μὲν πρώτιστα γένος μερόπων ἀνθρώπων §110ἀθάνατοι ποίησαν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες.
First of all, a golden race of speech-gifted men did the immortals who hold Olympian dwellings make.
§111οἳ μὲν ἐπὶ Κρόνου ἦσαν, ὅτʼ οὐρανῷ ἐμβασίλευεν· §112ὥστε θεοὶ δʼ ἔζωον ἀκηδέα θυμὸν ἔχοντες §113νόσφιν ἄτερ τε πόνων καὶ ὀιζύος· οὐδέ τι δειλὸν §114γῆρας ἐπῆν, αἰεὶ δὲ πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ὁμοῖοι §115τέρποντʼ ἐν θαλίῃσι κακῶν ἔκτοσθεν ἁπάντων· §116θνῇσκον δʼ ὥσθʼ ὕπνῳ δεδμημένοι· ἐσθλὰ δὲ πάντα §117τοῖσιν ἔην· καρπὸν δʼ ἔφερε ζείδωρος ἄρουρα §118αὐτομάτη πολλόν τε καὶ ἄφθονον· οἳ δʼ ἐθελημοὶ §119ἥσυχοι ἔργʼ ἐνέμοντο σὺν ἐσθλοῖσιν πολέεσσιν. §120ἀφνειοὶ μήλοισι, φίλοι μακάρεσσι θεοῖσιν.
They lived in the time of Kronos, when he was king in heaven; and like gods they used to live, having a heart free from care, apart and free from labors and sorrow; nor was there any wretched old age upon them, but always same in feet and hands they delighted in feasts, out of reach of all evils; and they died as if overcome by sleep; and all good things were theirs; and the grain-giving earth bore fruit of its own accord, both much and plenteous; and they, willing, lived in peace, managing their lands with many good things, rich in flocks and beloved by the blessed gods.
§121αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τοῦτο γένος κατὰ γαῖʼ ἐκάλυψε,— §122τοὶ μὲν δαίμονες ἁγνοὶ ἐπιχθόνιοι καλέονται §123ἐσθλοί, ἀλεξίκακοι, φύλακες θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων, §126πλουτοδόται· καὶ τοῦτο γέρας βασιλήιον ἔσχον—, §127δεύτερον αὖτε γένος πολὺ χειρότερον μετόπισθεν §128ἀργύρεον ποίησαν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντες, §129χρυσέῳ οὔτε φυὴν ἐναλίγκιον οὔτε νόημα.
But when earth had covered this race,— they are called holy daemons upon the earth, goodly, warders-off of evil, guardians of mortal men, givers of wealth; and this kingly honor they held—, then next a second race, much worse, of silver did those who hold Olympian dwellings make, like the golden neither in body nor in mind.
But for a hundred years a boy was brought up beside his dear mother, playing, a great infant, in his own home.
§132ἀλλʼ ὅτʼ ἄρʼ ἡβήσαι τε καὶ ἥβης μέτρον ἵκοιτο, §133παυρίδιον ζώεσκον ἐπὶ χρόνον, ἄλγεʼ ἔχοντες §134ἀφραδίῃς· ὕβριν γὰρ ἀτάσθαλον οὐκ ἐδύναντο §135ἀλλήλων ἀπέχειν, οὐδʼ ἀθανάτους θεραπεύειν §136ἤθελον οὐδʼ ἔρδειν μακάρων ἱεροῖς ἐπὶ βωμοῖς, §137ἣ θέμις ἀνθρώποις κατὰ ἤθεα.
But when he grew up and reached the measure of prime, they used to live for only a little time, having sorrows through their foolishness; for they were not able to keep reckless insolence from one another, nor did they wish to worship the immortals nor to sacrifice on the holy altars of the blessed ones, which is right for men according to their customs.
τοὺς μὲν ἔπειτα §138Ζεὺς Κρονίδης ἔκρυψε χολούμενος, οὕνεκα τιμὰς §139οὐκ ἔδιδον μακάρεσσι θεοῖς, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν.
Then indeed Zeus the son of Kronos hid them away, being angry because they did not give honor to the blessed gods, who hold Olympus.
§140αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦτο γένος κατὰ γαῖʼ ἐκάλυψε,—
But when earth had covered this race too,—