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Hesiod · Shield of Heracles §176-246

The Lapiths' Battle and Perseus Pursued by the Gorgons

Passage 3 of 6 · Greek

Summary

The shield depicts the battle between the Lapiths and Centaurs, gods such as Ares and Athena, a peaceful harbor scene, and the intense pursuit of Perseus by the Gorgons.

§176τοὶ δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐγειρέσθην κοτέοντε μάχεσθαι, §177ἀμφότεροι, χλοῦναί τε σύες χαροποί τε λέοντες.
These, both the wild boars and the fierce-eyed lions, were even more aroused, raging to fight, both sides.
§178ἐν δʼ ἦν ὑσμίνη Λαπιθάων αἰχμητάων §179Καινέα τʼ ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα Δρύαντά τε Πειρίθοόν τε §180Ὁπλέα τʼ Ἐξάδιόν τε Φάληρόν τε Πρόλοχόν τε §181Μόψον τʼ Ἀμπυκίδην, Τιταρήσιον, ὄζον Ἄρηος, §182Θησέα τʼ Αἰγεΐδην, ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισιν·
And on it was the battle of the Lapith spear-warriors, around lord Caeneus, Dryas, Peirithous, Hopleus, Exadius, Phalerus, Prolochus, Mopsus son of Ampycus, of Titaressa, a branch of Ares, and Theseus son of Aegeus, like the immortals.
§183ἀργύρεοι, χρύσεια περὶ χροῒ τεύχεʼ ἔχοντες.
They were made of silver, having golden armor around their bodies.
§184Κένταυροι δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἐναντίοι ἠγερέθοντο §185ἀμφὶ μέγαν Πετραῖον ἰδʼ Ἄσβολον οἰωνιστὴν §186Ἄρκτον τʼ Οὔρειόν τε μελαγχαίτην τε Μίμαντα §187καὶ δύο Πευκεΐδας, Περιμήδεά τε Δρύαλόν τε,
And the Centaurs on the other side were gathered opposite them, around great Petraeus, Asbolus the augur, Arctus, Urius, black-haired Mimas, and the two sons of Peuceus, Perimedes and Dryalus.
§188ἀργύρεοι, χρυσέας ἐλάτας ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες.
They were made of silver, holding golden pine-trees in their hands.
§189καί τε συναΐγδην ὡς εἰ ζωοί περ ἐόντες §190ἔγχεσιν ἠδʼ ἐλάτῃς αὐτοσχεδὸν ὠριγνῶντο.
And they rushed together, just as if they were alive, reaching for each other at close quarters with spears and pine-branches.
§191ἐν δʼ Ἄρεος βλοσυροῖο ποδώκεες ἕστασαν ἵπποι §192χρύσεοι, ἐν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐναρσφόρος οὔλιος Ἄρης §193αἰχμὴν ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔχων, πρυλέεσσι κελεύων, §194αἵματι φοινικόεις, ὡς εἰ ζωοὺς ἐναρίζων §195δίφρου ἐπεμβεβαώς·
And on it stood the swift-footed horses of fierce Ares, made of gold; and on it was he himself, the spoil-bearing, destructive Ares, holding a spear in his hands, urging on the foot-soldiers, stained red with blood, as if slaying living men, standing on his chariot.
παρὰ δὲ Δεῖμός τε Φόβος τε §196ἕστασαν ἱέμενοι πόλεμον καταδύμεναι ἀνδρῶν.
Beside him stood Terror and Panic, eager to enter the battle of men.
§197ἐν δὲ Διὸς θυγάτηρ ἀγελείη Τριτογένεια, §198τῇ ἰκέλη ὡς εἴ τε μάχην ἐθέλουσα κορύσσειν, §199ἔγχος ἔχουσʼ ἐν χερσὶν ἰδὲ χρυσέην τρυφάλειαν §200αἰγίδα τʼ ἀμφʼ ὤμοις· ἐπὶ δʼ ᾤχετο φύλοπιν αἰνήν.
And on it was the daughter of Zeus, the driver of spoil, Tritogeneia, looking as if she wished to marshal the battle, holding a spear in her hands and a golden helmet, and the aegis around her shoulders; and she was going toward the terrible strife.
§201ἐν δʼ ἦν ἀθανάτων ἱερὸς χορός· ἐν δʼ ἄρα μέσσῳ §202ἱμερόεν κιθάριζε Διὸς καὶ Λητοῦς υἱὸς §203χρυσείῃ φόρμιγγι·
And on it was the sacred dance of the immortals; and in the midst of them, the son of Zeus and Leto played delightfully on his golden lyre.
§205θεαὶ δʼ ἐξῆρχον ἀοιδῆς §206Μοῦσαι Πιερίδες, λιγὺ μελπομένῃς ἐικυῖαι.
And the goddesses, the Pierian Muses, led the song, looking like they were singing clearly.
§207ἐν δὲ λιμὴν ἐύορμος ἀμαιμακέτοιο θαλάσσης §208κυκλοτερὴς ἐτέτυκτο πανέφθου κασσιτέροιο §209κλυζομένῳ ἴκελος·
And on it was fashioned a well-sheltered harbor of the raging sea, circular, made of fully refined tin, looking as if it were being washed by waves.
§211δοιὼ δʼ ἀναφυσιόωντες §212ἀργύρεοι δελφῖνες ἐθοινῶντʼ ἔλλοπας ἰχθῦς.
And two silver dolphins, blowing water, were feasting on mute fish.
§213τῶν δʼ ὕπο χάλκειοι τρέον ἰχθύες· αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ ἀκταῖς §214ἧστο ἀνὴρ ἁλιεὺς δεδοκημένος· εἶχε δὲ χερσὶν §215ἰχθύσιν ἀμφίβληστρον ἀπορρίψοντι ἐοικώς.
Beneath them bronze fish fled in terror; and on the shore sat a fisherman on watch, holding in his hands a casting-net, looking as if about to throw it over the fish.
§216ἐν δʼ ἦν ἠυκόμου Δανάης τέκος, ἱππότα Περσεύς, §217οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ἐπιψαύων σάκεος ποσὶν οὔθʼ ἑκὰς αὐτοῦ, §218θαῦμα μέγα φράσσασθʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐδαμῇ ἐστήρικτο.
And on it was the son of fair-haired Danae, the horseman Perseus, neither touching the shield with his feet nor far from it— a great wonder to perceive, since he was supported nowhere.
§219τὼς γάρ μιν παλάμαις τεῦξεν κλυτὸς Ἀμφιγυήεις §220χρύσεον·
For thus the glorious Lame One had fashioned him of gold with his hands.
ἀμφὶ δὲ ποσσὶν ἔχεν πτερόεντα πέδιλα.
Around his feet he had winged sandals.
§221ὤμοισιν δέ μιν ἀμφὶ μελάνδετον ἆορ ἔκειτο §222χαλκέου ἐκ τελαμῶνος· ὃ δʼ ὥς τε νόημʼ ἐποτᾶτο·
Around his shoulders was slung a black-bound sword from a bronze belt; and he flew like a thought.
§223πᾶν δὲ μετάφρενον εἶχε κάρη δεινοῖο πελώρου, §224Γοργοῦς· ἀμφὶ δέ μιν κίβισις θέε, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι, §225ἀργυρέη· θύσανοι δὲ κατῃωρεῦντο φαεινοὶ §226χρύσειοι·
His whole back was covered by the head of the terrible monster, the Gorgon; and around it ran a wallet, a wonder to behold, made of silver; and bright golden tassels hung down.
δεινὴ δὲ περὶ κροτάφοισιν ἄνακτος §227κεῖτʼ Ἄιδος κυνέη νυκτὸς ζόφον αἰνὸν ἔχουσα.
And around the temples of the lord lay the terrible helmet of Hades, having the awful gloom of night.
§228αὐτὸς δὲ σπεύδοντι καὶ ἐρρίγοντι ἐοικὼς §229Περσεὺς Δαναΐδης ἐτιταίνετο.
And he himself, Perseus, son of Danae, was straining, like one hastening and shuddering.
ταὶ δὲ μετʼ αὐτὸν §230Γοργόνες ἄπλητοί τε καὶ οὐ φαταὶ ἐρρώοντο §231ἱέμεναι μαπέειν.
And after him the Gorgons, unapproachable and unspeakable, rushed, eager to seize him.
ἐπὶ δὲ χλωροῦ ἀδάμαντος §232βαινουσέων ἰάχεσκε σάκος μεγάλῳ ὀρυμαγδῷ §233ὀξέα καὶ λιγέως·
As they trod upon the pale adamant, the shield rang with a great din, sharply and shrilly.
ἐπὶ δὲ ζώνῃσι δράκοντε §234δοιὼ ἀπῃωρεῦντʼ ἐπικυρτώοντε κάρηνα.
On their belts two serpents hung down, curving their heads forward.
§235λίχμαζον δʼ ἄρα τώ γε· μένει δʼ ἐχάρασσον ὀδόντας §236ἄγρια δερκομένω.
And they flickered their tongues, and in their fury ground their teeth, glaring wildly.
ἐπὶ δὲ δεινοῖσι καρήνοις §237Γοργείοις ἐδονεῖτο μέγας Φόβος.
And upon the terrible heads of the Gorgons, great Panic hovered.
οἳ δʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτέων §238ἄνδρες ἐμαρνάσθην πολεμήια τεύχεʼ ἔχοντες, §239τοὶ μὲν ὑπὲρ σφετέρης πόλιος σφετέρων τε τοκήων §240λοιγὸν ἀμύνοντες, τοὶ δὲ πραθέειν μεμαῶτες.
And above them, men were fighting, clad in warlike armor, some warding off destruction from their own city and their parents, others eager to sack it.
§241πολλοὶ μὲν κέατο, πλέονες δʼ ἔτι δῆριν ἔχοντες §242μάρνανθʼ·
Many lay dead, but still more, holding onto the conflict, were fighting.
αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἐυδμήτων ἐπὶ πύργων §243χαλκέων ὀξὺ βόων, κατὰ δʼ ἐδρύπτοντο παρειάς, §244ζωῇσιν ἴκελαι, ἔργα κλυτοῦ Ἡφαίστοιο.
And the women on the well-built bronze towers were shrieking shrilly and tearing their cheeks, looking like living women, the works of glorious Hephaestus.
§245ἄνδρες δʼ, οἳ πρεσβῆες ἔσαν γῆράς τε μέμαρπεν, §246ἀθρόοι ἔκτοσθεν πυλέων ἔσαν, ἂν δὲ θεοῖσι
And the men who were elders, whom old age had seized, were gathered in crowds outside the gates, and to the gods...

Notes

  1. §189ὡς εἰ ζωοί περ ἐόντες — The combination of the particles ὡς and εἰ with the participle ἐόντες (present participle epic masculine nominative plural of εἰμί) forms a conditional comparison meaning "just as if they were alive."
  2. §217οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ἐπιψαύων σάκεος ποσὶν οὔθʼ ἑκὰς αὐτοῦ, — The double negation οὔτε... οὔτε... describes the floating state of Perseus as a relief on the shield: "neither touching the shield with his feet nor far from it." The genitive σάκεος (shield) is governed by the verb/participle ἐπιψαύων (touching).
  3. §231βαινουσέων — This is the Epic/Ionic present participle genitive plural feminine (equivalent to Attic βαινουσῶν), referring to the Gorgons. It functions as a genitive absolute (or genitive of circumstance) showing the time or manner of the action: "as they trod (upon the pale adamant)."
  4. §244ἔργα — A neuter plural noun in apposition to the preceding sentence or clause (describing the lifelike crying women), functioning as a summarizing appositive phrase: "(they were) the works of glorious Hephaestus."

Cite this passage

Hesiod, Shield of Heracles §176-246. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0020.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:176-246

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