§10.616ἐνταῦθα δὴ ἄνδρες, ἔφη, ἄγριοι, διάπυροι ἰδεῖν, παρεστῶτες καὶ καταμανθάνοντες τὸ φθέγμα, τοὺς μὲν διαλαβόντες ἦγον, τὸν δὲ Ἀρδιαῖον καὶ ἄλλους συμποδίσαντες χεῖράς τε καὶ πόδας καὶ κεφαλήν, καταβαλόντες καὶ ἐκδείραντες, εἷλκον παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐκτὸς ἐπʼ ἀσπαλάθων κνάμπτοντες, καὶ τοῖς ἀεὶ παριοῦσι σημαίνοντες ὧν ἕνεκά τε καὶ ὅτι εἰς τὸν Τάρταρον ἐμπεσούμενοι ἄγοιντο.
"There, he said, savage men, fiery to look upon, standing by and understanding the sound, took some of them and led them away, but Ardiaeus and others they bound 616a¦ hand and foot and head, threw them down and flayed them, and dragged them along the road outside, tearing them upon aspalathos, and indicating to those who passed by from time to time for what reasons and because they were to be cast into Tartarus they were being led away.
ἔνθα δὴ φόβων, ἔφη, πολλῶν καὶ παντοδαπῶν σφίσι γεγονότων, τοῦτον ὑπερβάλλειν, μὴ γένοιτο ἑκάστῳ τὸ φθέγμα ὅτε ἀναβαίνοι, καὶ ἁσμενέστατα ἕκαστον σιγήσαντος ἀναβῆναι.
There, he said, of the many and manifold fears that had occurred to them, this one surpassed them all: lest the sound should come to each of them when he ascended; and each ascended with the greatest joy when it remained silent.
καὶ τὰς μὲν δὴ δίκας τε καὶ τιμωρίας τοιαύτας τινὰς εἶναι, καὶ αὖ τὰς εὐεργεσίας ταύταις ἀντιστρόφους.
And indeed the judgments and punishments were of some such kind, and on the other hand, the benefactions were corresponding to these.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῖς ἐν τῷ λειμῶνι ἑκάστοις ἑπτὰ ἡμέραι γένοιντο, ἀναστάντας ἐντεῦθεν δεῖν τῇ ὀγδόῃ πορεύεσθαι, καὶ ἀφικνεῖσθαι τεταρταίους ὅθεν καθορᾶν ἄνωθεν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς τεταμένον φῶς εὐθύ, οἷον κίονα, μάλιστα τῇ ἴριδι προσφερῆ, λαμπρότερον δὲ καὶ καθαρώτερον·
But when seven days had passed for each of those in the meadow, they had to rise up from there on the eighth day and journey, and on the fourth day to arrive at a place whence they could see from above, stretched through the whole heaven and earth, a straight light, like a pillar, most resembling the rainbow, but brighter and purer.
εἰς ὃ ἀφικέσθαι προελθόντες ἡμερησίαν ὁδόν, καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτόθι κατὰ μέσον τὸ φῶς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὰ ἄκρα αὐτοῦ τῶν δεσμῶν τεταμένα—εἶναι γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ φῶς σύνδεσμον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οἷον τὰ ὑποζώματα τῶν τριήρων, οὕτω πᾶσαν συνέχον τὴν περιφοράν—ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἄκρων τεταμένον ἀνάγκης ἄτρακτον, διʼ οὗ πάσας ἐπιστρέφεσθαι τὰς περιφοράς·
Having gone forward a day's journey, they arrived at this, and saw there at the middle of the light its extremities stretched from the heaven—for this light is the bond of the heaven, like the undergirders of triremes, thus holding together the whole circumference—and from the extremities stretched the spindle of Necessity, through which all the revolutions are turned.
οὗ τὴν μὲν ἠλακάτην τε καὶ τὸ ἄγκιστρον εἶναι ἐξ ἀδάμαντος, τὸν δὲ σφόνδυλον μεικτὸν ἔκ τε τούτου καὶ ἄλλων γενῶν.
Its shaft and hook are of adamant, and the whorl is mixed of this and of other kinds.
τὴν δὲ τοῦ σφονδύλου φύσιν εἶναι τοιάνδε· τὸ μὲν σχῆμα οἵαπερ ἡ τοῦ ἐνθάδε, νοῆσαι δὲ δεῖ ἐξ ὧν ἔλεγεν τοιόνδε αὐτὸν εἶναι, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ ἐν ἑνὶ μεγάλῳ σφονδύλῳ κοίλῳ καὶ ἐξεγλυμμένῳ διαμπερὲς ἄλλος τοιοῦτος ἐλάττων ἐγκέοιτο ἁρμόττων, καθάπερ οἱ κάδοι οἱ εἰς ἀλλήλους ἁρμόττοντες, καὶ οὕτω δὴ τρίτον ἄλλον καὶ τέταρτον καὶ ἄλλους τέτταρας.
And the nature of the whorl is of this sort: its shape is like that of the one here, but one must understand from what he said that it is of this kind, as if in one large, hollow whorl scooped out right through, another smaller one of the same kind were fitted, like those vessels that fit into one another, and so indeed a third and a fourth and four others.
ὀκτὼ γὰρ εἶναι τοὺς σύμπαντας σφονδύλους, ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἐγκειμένους, κύκλους ἄνωθεν τὰ χείλη φαίνοντας, νῶτον συνεχὲς ἑνὸς σφονδύλου ἀπεργαζομένους περὶ τὴν ἠλακάτην· ἐκείνην δὲ διὰ μέσου τοῦ ὀγδόου διαμπερὲς ἐληλάσθαι.
For there are eight whorls in all, fitted into one another, showing their rims as circles from above, producing a continuous back of a single whorl around the shaft; and the shaft is driven right through the middle of the eighth.
τὸν μὲν οὖν πρῶτόν τε καὶ ἐξωτάτω σφόνδυλον πλατύτατον τὸν τοῦ χείλους κύκλον ἔχειν, τὸν δὲ τοῦ ἕκτου δεύτερον, τρίτον δὲ τὸν τοῦ τετάρτου, τέταρτον δὲ τὸν τοῦ ὀγδόου, πέμπτον δὲ τὸν τοῦ ἑβδόμου, ἕκτον δὲ τὸν τοῦ πέμπτου, ἕβδομον δὲ τὸν τοῦ τρίτου, ὄγδοον δὲ τὸν τοῦ δευτέρου. §10.617καὶ τὸν μὲν τοῦ μεγίστου ποικίλον, τὸν δὲ τοῦ ἑβδόμου λαμπρότατον, τὸν δὲ τοῦ ὀγδόου τὸ χρῶμα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑβδόμου ἔχειν προσλάμποντος, τὸν δὲ τοῦ δευτέρου καὶ πέμπτου παραπλήσια ἀλλήλοις, ξανθότερα ἐκείνων, τρίτον δὲ λευκότατον χρῶμα ἔχειν, τέταρτον δὲ ὑπέρυθρον, δεύτερον δὲ λευκότητι τὸν ἕκτον.
Now the first and outermost whorl has the circle of its rim broadest, that of the sixth is second, that of the fourth is third, that of the eighth is fourth, that of the seventh is fifth, that of the fifth is sixth, that of the third is seventh, and that of the second is eighth." "And the circle of the greatest is variegated, that of the seventh is brightest, and that 617a¦ of the eighth has its color from the seventh shining upon it, those of the second and fifth are near to one another, yellower than those, the third has the whitest color, the fourth is reddish, and the sixth is second in whiteness.
κυκλεῖσθαι δὲ δὴ στρεφόμενον τὸν ἄτρακτον ὅλον μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν φοράν, ἐν δὲ τῷ ὅλῳ περιφερομένῳ τοὺς μὲν ἐντὸς ἑπτὰ κύκλους τὴν ἐναντίαν τῷ ὅλῳ ἠρέμα περιφέρεσθαι, αὐτῶν δὲ τούτων τάχιστα μὲν ἰέναι τὸν ὄγδοον, δευτέρους δὲ καὶ ἅμα ἀλλήλοις τόν τε ἕβδομον καὶ ἕκτον καὶ πέμπτον·
And the whole spindle turns in its revolution with the same motion, but in the whole turning, the seven inner circles revolve gently in the opposite direction to the whole.
τρίτον δὲ φορᾷ ἰέναι, ὡς σφίσι φαίνεσθαι, ἐπανακυκλούμενον τὸν τέταρτον, τέταρτον δὲ τὸν τρίτον καὶ πέμπτον τὸν δεύτερον.
Of these themselves, the eighth goes swiftest, and second and together with one another go the seventh, sixth, and fifth; the fourth goes in the third rate of motion, as it appeared to them, returning upon itself, the third goes fourth, and the second fifth.
στρέφεσθαι δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς τῆς ἀνάγκης γόνασιν.
And the spindle itself turns on the knees of Necessity.
ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν κύκλων αὐτοῦ ἄνωθεν ἐφʼ ἑκάστου βεβηκέναι Σειρῆνα συμπεριφερομένην, φωνὴν μίαν ἱεῖσαν, ἕνα τόνον· ἐκ πασῶν δὲ ὀκτὼ οὐσῶν μίαν ἁρμονίαν συμφωνεῖν.
And upon its circles, on the upper side of each, stands a Siren carried round with it, uttering a single voice, a single tone; and from all eight of them a single harmony sounds in concord.
ἄλλας δὲ καθημένας πέριξ διʼ ἴσου τρεῖς, ἐν θρόνῳ ἑκάστην, θυγατέρας τῆς ἀνάγκης, Μοίρας, λευχειμονούσας, στέμματα ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν ἐχούσας, Λάχεσίν τε καὶ Κλωθὼ καὶ Ἄτροπον, ὑμνεῖν πρὸς τὴν τῶν Σειρήνων ἁρμονίαν, Λάχεσιν μὲν τὰ γεγονότα, Κλωθὼ δὲ τὰ ὄντα, Ἄτροπον δὲ τὰ μέλλοντα.
And others sit around at equal intervals, three of them, each on a throne, daughters of Necessity, the Fates, clothed in white, having wreaths on their heads, Lachesis and Clotho and Atropos, singing to the harmony of the Sirens, Lachesis of the things that have been, Clotho of the things that are, and Atropos of the things that are to be.
καὶ τὴν μὲν Κλωθὼ τῇ δεξιᾷ χειρὶ ἐφαπτομένην συνεπιστρέφειν τοῦ ἀτράκτου τὴν ἔξω περιφοράν, διαλείπουσαν χρόνον, τὴν δὲ Ἄτροπον τῇ ἀριστερᾷ τὰς ἐντὸς αὖ ὡσαύτως· τὴν δὲ Λάχεσιν ἐν μέρει ἑκατέρας ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ χειρὶ ἐφάπτεσθαι.
And Clotho, touching it with her right hand, helps to turn the outer revolution of the spindle, at intervals of time, and Atropos with her left hand likewise turns the inner ones; and Lachesis in turn touches each with either hand.
σφᾶς οὖν, ἐπειδὴ ἀφικέσθαι, εὐθὺς δεῖν ἰέναι πρὸς τὴν Λάχεσιν.
When they arrived, then, they had to go straight to Lachesis.
προφήτην οὖν τινα σφᾶς πρῶτον μὲν ἐν τάξει διαστῆσαι, ἔπειτα λαβόντα ἐκ τῶν τῆς Λαχέσεως γονάτων κλήρους τε καὶ βίων παραδείγματα, ἀναβάντα ἐπί τι βῆμα ὑψηλὸν εἰπεῖν—
ἀνάγκης θυγατρὸς κόρης Λαχέσεως λόγος.
A certain spokesperson, then, first marshaled them in order, and then, taking from the knees of Lachesis lots and patterns of lives, and having ascended a high platform, said: 'The word of Lachesis, the maiden daughter of Necessity.
Ψυχαὶ ἐφήμεροι, ἀρχὴ ἄλλης περιόδου θνητοῦ γένους θανατηφόρου.
Short-lived souls, this is the beginning of another cycle of mortal race that brings death.
οὐχ ὑμᾶς δαίμων λήξεται, ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς δαίμονα αἱρήσεσθε.
A daemon will not choose you by lot, but you shall choose a daemon.
πρῶτος δʼ ὁ λαχὼν πρῶτος αἱρείσθω βίον ᾧ συνέσται ἐξ ἀνάγκης.
Let him who draws the first lot first choose a life with which he shall be bound by necessity.
ἀρετὴ δὲ ἀδέσποτον, ἣν τιμῶν καὶ ἀτιμάζων πλέον καὶ ἔλαττον αὐτῆς ἕκαστος ἕξει.
Virtue is without a master, of which each, as he honors or dishonors it, shall have more or less.
αἰτία ἑλομένου· θεὸς ἀναίτιος. ταῦτα εἰπόντα ῥῖψαι ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς κλήρους, τὸν δὲ παρʼ αὑτὸν πεσόντα ἕκαστον ἀναιρεῖσθαι πλὴν οὗ, ἓ δὲ οὐκ ἐᾶν· τῷ δὲ ἀνελομένῳ δῆλον εἶναι ὁπόστος εἰλήχει.
The blame is of the chooser; god is blameless.' Having said this, he threw the lots to all of them, and each picked up the one that fell beside him, except Er, whom he did not permit; and to each who picked it up, it was clear what number he had drawn."