Humanitext Reader

Moschus · Fragments §7.1-7.6

Eros as a Plowman Threatening Zeus

Passage 4 of 4 · Greek

Summary

Eros, disguised as a farmer, yokes bulls to sow seeds, and humorously threatens Zeus to make the fields fertile, lest he yoke Zeus himself in his mythical bull form.

§7.1Λαμπάδα θεὶς καὶ τόξα βοηλάτιν εἵλετο ῥάβδον §7.2οὖλος Ἔρως, πήρην δ’ εἶχε κατωμαδίην, §7.3καὶ ζεύξας ταλαεργὸν ὑπὸ ζυγὸν αὐχένα ταύρων §7.4ἔσπειρεν Δηοῦς αὔλακα πυροφόρον.
Having laid aside his torch and bow, a cattle-driving staff did take up mischievous Love, and he had a bag over his shoulder; and having bound the neck of the bulls under the hard-working yoke, he sowed the wheat-bearing furrow of Deo.
§7.5εἶπε δ’ ἄνω βλέψας αὐτῷ Διί· πλῆσον ἀρούρας, §7.6μή σε τὸν Εὐρώπης βοῦν ὑπ’ ἄροτρα βάλω .
And looking up, he said to Zeus himself: "Fill the fields, lest I put you, the bull of Europa, under the plough."

Notes

  1. §7.1θεὶς — Aorist active participle of τίθημι, meaning "putting aside" or "laying down." It describes Eros setting aside his traditional attributes—the torch (Λαμπάδα) and bow (τόξα)—to prepare for agricultural work.
  2. §7.6μή σε τὸν Εὐρώπης βοῦν ὑπ’ ἄροτρα βάλω — An independent clause with μή + aorist subjunctive βάλω, expressing a strong warning or threat directed from the speaker (Eros) to the interlocutor (Zeus). τὸν Εὐρώπης βοῦν (the bull of Europa) is in apposition to the object pronoun σε, humorously referencing the myth where Zeus transformed into a bull to abduct Europa, threatening to yoke him as a draft animal if he does not comply.

Cite this passage

Moschus, Fragments §7.1-7.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0035.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:7.1-7.6

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