§51Ἰδαίοις ἐν ὄρεσσι, τά τε κλείουσι Πάνακρα. §52οὖλα δὲ Κούρητές σε περὶ πρύλιν ὠρχήσαντο §53τεύχεα πεπηήγοντες, ἵνα Κρόνος οὔασιν ἠχὴν §54ἀσπίδος εἰσαΐοι καὶ μή σεο κουρίζοντος. §55καλὰ μὲν ἠέξευ, καλὰ δʼ ἔτραφες, οὐράνιε Ζεῦ, §56ὀξὺ δʼ ἀνήβησας, ταχινοὶ δέ τοι ἦλθον ἴουλοι. §57ἀλλʼ ἔτι παιδνὸς ἐὼν ἐφράσσαο πάντα τέλεια· §58τῶ τοι καὶ γνωτοὶ προτερηγενέες περ ἐόντες §59οὐρανὸν οὐκ ἐμέγηραν ἔχειν ἐπιδαίσιον οἶκον. §60δηναιοὶ δʼ οὐ πάμπαν ἀληθέες ἦσαν ἀοιδοί. §61φάντο πάλον Κρονίδῃσι διάτριχα δώματα νεῖμαι· §62τίς δέ κʼ ἐπʼ Οὐλύμπῳ τε καὶ Ἄιδι κλῆρον ἐρύσσαι, §63ὃς μάλα μὴ νενίηλος;
on the Idaean mountains, which they call Panacra. And around you the Kouretes danced a vigorous war-dance, striking their armor, so that Cronus might hear in his ears the sound of the shield, and not your infant crying. Fairly did you grow, and fairly were you nurtured, O heavenly Zeus, and quickly you reached youth, and swift came the down upon your cheeks. But while still a child, you planned all things perfect; wherefore your brothers, though they were earlier born, did not grudge you having heaven as your allotted home. But the ancient poets were not altogether truthful; they said that a lot divided the three-fold dwellings among the sons of Cronus. But who would draw a lot for Olympus and Hades, unless he were utterly foolish?
ἐπʼ ἰσαίῃ γὰρ ἔοικε §64πήλασθαι· τὰ δὲ τόσσον ὅσον διὰ πλεῖστον ἔχουσι. §65ψευδοίμην ἀίοντος ἅ κεν πεπίθοιεν ἀκουήν. §66οὔ σε θεῶν ἐσσῆνα πάλοι θέσαν, ἔργα δὲ χειρῶν, §67σή τε βίη τό τε κάρτος, ὃ καὶ πέλας εἵσαο δίφρου. §68θήκαο δʼ οἰωνῶν μέγʼ ὑπείροχον ἀγγελιώτην §69σῶν τεράων· ἅ τʼ ἐμοῖσι φίλοις ἐνδέξια φαίνοις. §70εἵλεο δʼ αἰζηῶν ὅ τι φέρτατον· οὐ σύ γε νηῶν §71ἐμπεράμους, οὐκ ἄνδρα σακέσπαλον, οὐ μὲν ἀοιδόν· §72ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν μακάρεσσιν ὀλίζοσιν αὖθι παρῆκας §73ἄλλα μέλειν ἑτέροισι, σὺ δʼ ἐξέλεο πτολιάρχους §74αὐτούς, ὧν ὑπὸ χεῖρα γεωμόρος, ὧν ἴδρις αἰχμῆς, §75ὧν ἐρέτης, ὧν πάντα· τί δʼ οὐ κρατέοντος ὑπʼ ἰοχύν; §76αὐτίκα χαλκῆας μὲν ὑδείομεν Ἡφαίστοιο, §77τευχηστὰς δʼ Ἄρηος, ἐπακτῆρας δὲ Χιτώνης §78Ἀρτέμιδος, Φοίβου δὲ λύρης εὖ εἰδότας οἴμους· §79ἐκ δὲ Διὸς βασιλῆες, ἐπεὶ Διὸς οὐδὲν ἀνάκτων §80θειότερον· τῶ καί σφε τεὴν ἐκρίναο λάξιν.
For it is fitting to cast lots over equal shares; but these dwell as far apart as possible. May I tell lies that would persuade the hearer's ear! No lot made you the king of the gods, but the deeds of your hands, and your strength and might, which you also seated near your throne. And you made the most pre-eminent of birds the messenger of your signs; may you show them favorable on the right to my friends. And you chose the best of men; not indeed the skilled in ships, nor the shield-wielding warrior, nor indeed the poet, but those you left to other lesser gods, for others to care for; but you chose the rulers of cities themselves, under whose hand is the husbandman, the skilled in the spear, the oarsman, and all things; what is not under the power of the ruler? Straightway we sing of smiths as belonging to Hephaestus, warriors to Ares, hunters to Artemis of the Tunic, and those well skilled in the paths of the lyre to Phoebus; but from Zeus come kings, since nothing is more divine than the rulers from Zeus; therefore you chose them as your own portion. And you gave them cities to guard, and you yourself sat on the high places of cities, watching over those who with crooked judgments rule the people, and those who do the contrary; and you cast abundant wealth upon them, and sufficient prosperity; to all indeed, but not in equal measure.
§81δῶκας δὲ πτολίεθρα φυλασσέμεν, ἵζεο δʼ αὐτὸς §82ἄκρῃσʼ ἐν πολίεσσιν, ἐπόψιος οἵ τε δίκῃσι §83λαὸν ὑπὸ σκολιῇσʼ οἵ τʼ ἔμπαλιν ἰθύνουσιν· §84ἐν δὲ ῥυηφενίην ἔβαλές σφισιν, ἐν δʼ ἅλις ὄλβον· §85πᾶσι μέν, οὐ μάλα δʼ ἶσον. ἔοικε δὲ τεκμήρασθαι §86ἡμετέρῳ μεδέοντι· περιπρὸ γὰρ εὐρὺ βέβηκεν. §87ἑσπέριος κεῖνός γε τελεῖ τά κεν ἦρι νοήσῃ· §88ἑσπέριος τὰ μέγιστα, τὰ μείονα δʼ, εὖτε νοήσῃ. §89οἱ δὲ τὰ μὲν πλειῶνι, τὰ δʼ οὐχ ἑνί, τῶν δʼ ἀπὸ πάμπαν §90αὐτὸς ἄνην ἐκόλουσας, ἐνέκλασσας δὲ μενοινήν. §91χαῖρε μέγα, Κρονίδη πανυπέρτατε, δῶτορ ἐάων, §92δῶτορ ἀπημονίης.
And one may judge this by our ruler; for he has stepped far beyond others. At evening he accomplishes what he conceives in the morning; at evening the greatest things, and the lesser as soon as he conceives them. But others accomplish some things in a year, others not even in one, and of others altogether you yourself have cut short the fulfillment, and shattered their desire. Hail greatly, most high son of Cronus, giver of good things, giver of safety from harm.
τεὰ δʼ ἔργματα τίς κεν ἀείδοι; §93οὐ γένετʼ, οὐκ ἔσται, τίς κεν Διὸς ἔργματʼ ἀείσαι. §94χαῖρε πάτερ, χαῖρʼ αὖθι· δίδου δʼ ἀρετήν τʼ ἄφενός τε. §95οὔτʼ ἀρετῆς ἄτερ ὄλβος ἐπίσταται ἄνδρας ἀέξειν §96οὔτʼ ἀρετὴ ἀφένοιο· δίδου δʼ ἀρετήν τε καὶ ὄλβον.
Your deeds who could sing? There has not been, there shall not be, one who could sing the deeds of Zeus. Hail, Father, hail again; and grant us virtue and wealth. For wealth without virtue knows not how to make men great, nor virtue without wealth; grant us then both virtue and wealth.