§189τὸ δίκαιον ἔχων Ζεύς: ἀλλ᾽ ἔμπας [ὀίω]
Prometheus: keeping justice by his own side.
§190μαλακογνώμων §191ἔσται ποθ᾽, ὅταν ταύτῃ ῥαισθῇ: §192τὴν δ᾽ ἀτέραμνον στορέσας ὀργὴν §193εἰς ἀρθμὸν ἐμοὶ καὶ φιλότητα §194σπεύδων σπεύδοντί ποθ᾽ ἥξει.
But nevertheless [I think] soft-minded he will be some day, when he is shattered in this way; and having calmed his stubborn anger, into treaty and friendship with me, eager as I am eager, he will one day come.
§195πάντ᾽ ἐκκάλυψον καὶ γέγων᾽ ἡμῖν λόγον, §196ποίῳ λαβών σε Ζεὺς ἐπ᾽ αἰτιάματι, §197οὕτως ἀτίμως καὶ πικρῶς αἰκίζεται: §198δίδαξον ἡμᾶς, εἴ τι μὴ βλάπτει λόγῳ.
Chorus: Reveal all and tell us the story, on what charge Zeus took you, to torture you so dishonorably and bitterly: teach us, if it does not harm you to speak.
Prometheus: Painful indeed for me even to speak of these things, and a pain to keep silent, and everywhere they are ill-fated.
§201ἐπεὶ τάχιστ᾽ ἤρξαντο δαίμονες χόλου §202στάσις τ᾽ ἐν ἀλλήλοισιν ὠροθύνετο, §203οἱ μὲν θέλοντες ἐκβαλεῖν ἕδρας Κρόνον, §204ὡς Ζεὺς ἀνάσσοι δῆθεν, οἱ δὲ τοὔμπαλιν §205σπεύδοντες, ὡς Ζεὺς μήποτ᾽ ἄρξειεν θεῶν, §206ἐνταῦθ᾽ ἐγὼ τὰ λῷστα βουλεύων πιθεῖν §207Τιτᾶνας, Οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ Χθονὸς τέκνα, §208οὐκ ἠδυνήθην: αἱμύλας δὲ μηχανὰς §209ἀτιμάσαντες καρτεροῖς φρονήμασιν §210ᾤοντ᾽ ἀμοχθὶ πρὸς βίαν τε δεσπόσειν: §211ἐμοὶ δὲ μήτηρ οὐχ ἅπαξ μόνον Θέμις, §212καὶ Γαῖα, πολλῶν ὀνομάτων μορφὴ μία, §213τὸ μέλλον ᾗ κραίνοιτο προυτεθεσπίκει, §214ὡς οὐ κατ᾽ ἰσχὺν οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ καρτερὸν §215χρείη, δόλῳ δὲ τοὺς ὑπερσχόντας κρατεῖν.
When first the divinities began their anger and strife was stirred up among one another, some wishing to cast out Kronos from his seat so that Zeus indeed might rule, others on the contrary striving so that Zeus might never rule the gods, then I, advising what was best, to persuade the Titans, children of Heaven and Earth, was unable; but they, having despised wily devices in their hard minds, thought that without trouble they would rule by force; but to me my mother, not once only, Themis and Gaia, one form of many names, had foretold how the future should be accomplished, that not by strength nor by might should the victors rule, but by guile.
When I explained such things in words, they did not deign to look at it at all.
§218κράτιστα δή μοι τῶν παρεστώτων τότε §219ἐφαίνετ᾽ εἶναι προσλαβόντα μητέρα §220ἑκόνθ᾽ ἑκόντι Ζηνὶ συμπαραστατεῖν.
It seemed then best of the choices present to me to take my mother and willingly stand beside Zeus who was willing.
§221ἐμαῖς δὲ βουλαῖς Ταρτάρου μελαμβαθὴς §222κευθμὼν καλύπτει τὸν παλαιγενῆ Κρόνον §223αὐτοῖσι συμμάχοισι.
By my counsels the black-depth abyss of Tartarus covers ancient Kronos with his allies.
Having received such help from me, the tyrant of the gods repaid me with these evil penalties.
For there is somehow this disease in tyranny, not to trust one's friends.
But as for what you ask, on what charge he tortures me, this indeed I will make clear.
§230ὅπως τάχιστα τὸν πατρῷον ἐς θρόνον §231καθέζετ᾽, εὐθὺς δαίμοσιν νέμει γέρα §232ἄλλοισιν ἄλλα, καὶ διεστοιχίζετο §233ἀρχήν, βροτῶν δὲ τῶν ταλαιπώρων λόγον §234οὐκ ἔσχεν οὐδέν᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἀιστώσας γένος §235τὸ πᾶν ἔχρῃζεν ἄλλο φιτῦσαι νέον.
As soon as he sat upon his father's throne, straightway he distributed to the gods their privileges, to some one, to others another, and was ordering his empire, but of wretched mortals he had no regard at all, but having blotted out the race entirely, he wished to plant another new one.
§236καὶ τοισίδ᾽ οὐδεὶς ἀντέβαινε πλὴν ἐμοῦ.
And to this no one opposed except me.
But I dared; I delivered mortals from being dashed to pieces and going to Hades.
§239τῷ τοι τοιαῖσδε πημοναῖσι κάμπτομαι, §240πάσχειν μὲν ἀλγειναῖσιν, οἰκτραῖσιν δ᾽ ἰδεῖν: §241θνητοὺς δ᾽ ἐν οἴκτῳ προθέμενος, τούτου τυχεῖν §242οὐκ ἠξιώθην αὐτός, ἀλλὰ νηλεῶς §243ὧδ᾽ ἐρρύθμισμαι, Ζηνὶ δυσκλεὴς θέα.
Therefore indeed by such sufferings I am bent, painful to suffer, and pitiable to see; and having placed mortals in pity, to obtain this myself I was not deemed worthy, but ruthlessly thus I have been ordered, a sight of ill-fame for Zeus.
§244σιδηρόφρων τε κἀκ πέτρας εἰργασμένος §245ὅστις, Προμηθεῦ, σοῖσιν οὐ συνασχαλᾷ §246μόχθοις: ἐγὼ γὰρ οὔτ᾽ ἂν εἰσιδεῖν τάδε §247ἔχρῃζον εἰσιδοῦσά τ᾽ ἠλγύνθην κέαρ.
Chorus: Iron-hearted and made of rock is he, Prometheus, who does not feel distress at your labors; for I would not even have wished to see these things, and having seen them, I was pained in my heart.
§248καὶ μὴν φίλοις <γ᾽> ἐλεινὸς εἰσορᾶν ἐγώ.
Prometheus: And indeed to friends I am pitiable to behold.
§249μή πού τι προύβης τῶνδε καὶ περαιτέρω;
Chorus: Did you perhaps go even further than this?
§250θνητοὺς ἔπαυσα μὴ προδέρκεσθαι μόρον.
Prometheus: I caused mortals to cease from foreseeing their doom.
§251τὸ ποῖον εὑρὼν τῆσδε φάρμακον νόσου;
Chorus: By finding what remedy for this disease?
§252τυφλὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐλπίδας κατῴκισα.
Prometheus: I housed blind hopes within them.
§253μέγ᾽ ὠφέλημα τοῦτ᾽ ἐδωρήσω βροτοῖς.
Chorus: A great benefit indeed did you gift to mortals.
§254πρὸς τοῖσδε μέντοι πῦρ ἐγώ σφιν ὤπασα.
Prometheus: Besides these, moreover, I gave them fire.
§255καὶ νῦν φλογωπὸν πῦρ ἔχουσ᾽ ἐφήμεροι;
Chorus: And do creatures of a day now have flaming fire?
§256ἀφ᾽ οὗ γε πολλὰς ἐκμαθήσονται τέχνας.
Prometheus: From which indeed they will learn many arts.
Chorus: On such charges indeed does Zeus torture you and in no way relaxes from evils.
§259οὐδ᾽ ἔστιν ἄθλου τέρμα σοι προκείμενον;
And is there no limit of your struggle set before you?
§260οὐκ ἄλλο γ᾽ οὐδέν, πλὴν ὅταν κείνῳ δοκῇ.
Prometheus: None other indeed, except when it seems good to him.
§261δόξει δὲ πῶς;
Chorus: And how will it seem good?
τίς ἐλπίς;
What hope?
οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅτι §262ἥμαρτες;
Do you not see that you erred?
ὡς δ᾽ ἥμαρτες οὔτ᾽ ἐμοὶ λέγειν §263καθ᾽ ἡδονὴν σοί τ᾽ ἄλγος.
But how you erred, is neither for me to say with pleasure, and is a pain to you.
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν §264μεθῶμεν, ἄθλου δ᾽ ἔκλυσιν ζήτει τινά.
But let us leave these things, and seek some release from your struggle.
§265ἐλαφρὸν ὅστις πημάτων ἔξω πόδα §266ἔχει παραινεῖν νουθετεῖν τε τὸν κακῶς §267πράσσοντ᾽: ἐγὼ δὲ ταῦθ᾽ ἅπαντ᾽ ἠπιστάμην.
Prometheus: It is easy for one who has his foot outside of troubles to advise and admonish him who fares ill; but I knew all these things.
Willingly, willingly I erred, I will not deny it; aiding mortals, I myself found troubles.