§1.1ΑΡΗΣ
Ἤκουσας, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, οἷα ἠπείλησεν ἡμῖν ὁ Ζεύς, ὡς ὑπεροπτικὰ καὶ ὡς ἀπίθανα;
ARES Have you heard, Hermes, how Zeus threatened us, how insolent and how incredible it was?
Ἢν ἐθελήσω, φησίν, ἐγὼ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ σειρὰν καθήσω, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀποκρεμασθέντες κατασπᾶν βιάσεσθέ με, ἀλλὰ μάτην πονήσετε· οὐ γὰρ δὴ καθελκύσετε·
"If I so wish," he says, "I shall let down a chain from heaven, and you, hanging from it, will strive to pull me down, but you will labor in vain; for you will certainly not drag me down.
εἰ δὲ ἐγὼ θελήσαιμι ἀνελκύσαι, οὐ μόνον ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν γῆν ἅμα καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν συνανασπάσας μετεωριῶ· καὶ τἆλλα ὅσα καὶ σὺ ἀκήκοας.
But if I should wish to pull you up, I shall draw up not only you, but also the earth and the sea together, and suspend you in mid-air." And all the rest of the things that you too heard.
ἐγὼ δὲ ὅτι μὲν καθ' ἕνα πάντων ἀμείνων καὶ ἰσχυρότερός ἐστιν οὐκ ἂν ἀρνηθείην, ὁμοῦ δὲ τῶν τοσούτων ὑπερφέρειν, ὡς μὴ καταβαρήσειν αὐτόν, ἢν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν προσλάβωμεν, οὐκ ἂν πεισθείην.
But I, while I would not deny that he is individually better and stronger than all, would never be convinced that he so far surpasses so many of us together that we cannot weigh him down, even if we take the earth and the sea to help us.
§1.2ΕΡΜΗΣ
Εὐφήμει. ὦ Ἄρες· οὐ γὰρ ἀσφαλὲς λέγειν τὰ τοιαῦτα, μὴ καί τι κακὸν ἀπολαύσωμεν τῆς φλυαρίας.
HERMES Speak words of good omen, Ares; for it is not safe to say such things, lest we reap some mischief from this babble.
ΑΠΗΣ
Οἴει γάρ με πρὸς πάντας ἂν ταῦτα εἰπεῖν, οὐχὶ δὲ πρὸς μόνον σέ, ὃν ἐχεμυθήσειν ἠπιστάμην;
ARES Do you think I would say this to everyone, and not to you alone, whom I knew to be keeping secrets?
ὃ γοῦν μάλιστα γελοῖον ἔδοξέ μοι ἀκούοντι μεταξὺ τῆς ἀπειλῆς, οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην σιωπῆσαι πρὸς σέ·
At any rate, what seemed to me most ridiculous as I was listening in the midst of his threat, I could not keep silent to you.
μέμνημαι γὰρ οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ, ὁπότε ὁ Ποσειδῶν καὶ ἡ Ἥρα καὶ ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ ἐπαναστάντες ἐπεβούλευον ξυνδῆσαι λαβόντες αὐτόν, ὡς παντοῖος ἦν δεδιώς, καὶ ταῦτα τρεῖς ὄντας, καὶ εἰ μή γε ἡ Θέτις κατελεήσασα ἐκάλεσεν αὐτῷ σύμμαχον Βριάρεων ἑκατόγχειρα ὄντα, κἂν ἐδέδετο αὐτῷ κεραυνῷ καὶ βροντῇ.
For I remember not long ago, when Poseidon and Hera and Athena rose up and plotted to seize and bind him, how he was in all kinds of terror, and that though they were only three; and if Thetis had not pitied him and called to his aid Briareus, who was hundred-handed, he would have been bound, thunderbolt, lightning, and all.
ταῦτα λογιζομένῳ ἐπῄει μοι γελᾶν ἐπὶ τῇ καλλιρρημοσύνῃ αὐτοῦ.
As I calculated these things, it occurred to me to laugh at his fine talk.
ΕΡΜΗΣ
Σιώπα, φημί· οὐ γὰρ ἀσφαλὲς οὔτε σοὶ λέγειν οὔτ' ἐμοὶ ἀκούειν τὰ τοιαῦτα.
HERMES Be silent, I say; for it is not safe either for you to say or for me to hear such things.