Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica Part 9

(ll. 933-937) Also Cytherea bare to Ares the shield-piercer Panic and Fear, terrible G.o.ds who drive in disorder the close ranks of men in numbing war, with the help of Ares, sacker of towns: and Harmonia whom high-spirited Cadmus made his wife.

(ll. 938-939) And Maia, the daughter of Atlas, bare to Zeus glorious Hermes, the herald of the deathless G.o.ds, for she went up into his holy bed.

(ll. 940-942) And Semele, daughter of Cadmus was joined with him in love and bare him a splendid son, joyous Dionysus,--a mortal woman an immortal son. And now they both are G.o.ds.

(ll. 943-944) And Alcmena was joined in love with Zeus who drives the clouds and bare mighty Heracles.

(ll. 945-946) And Hephaestus, the famous Lame One, made Aglaea, youngest of the Graces, his buxom wife.

(ll. 947-949) And golden-haired Dionysus made brown-haired Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, his buxom wife: and the son of Cronos made her deathless and unageing for him.

(ll. 950-955) And mighty Heracles, the valiant son of neat-ankled Alcmena, when he had finished his grievous toils, made Hebe the child of great Zeus and gold-shod Hera his shy wife in snowy Olympus. Happy he!

For he has finished his great works and lives amongst the undying G.o.ds, untroubled and unageing all his days.

(ll. 956-962) And Perseis, the daughter of Ocean, bare to unwearying Helios Circe and Aeetes the king. And Aeetes, the son of Helios who shows light to men, took to wife fair-cheeked Idyia, daughter of Ocean the perfect stream, by the will of the G.o.ds: and she was subject to him in love through golden Aphrodite and bare him neat-ankled Medea.

(ll. 963-968) And now farewell, you dwellers on Olympus and you islands and continents and thou briny sea within. Now sing the company of G.o.ddesses, sweet-voiced Muses of Olympus, daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis,--even those deathless one who lay with mortal men and bare children like unto G.o.ds.

(ll. 969-974) Demeter, bright G.o.ddess, was joined in sweet love with the hero Iasion in a thrice-ploughed fallow in the rich land of Crete, and bare Plutus, a kindly G.o.d who goes everywhere over land and the sea's wide back, and him who finds him and into whose hands he comes he makes rich, bestowing great wealth upon him.

(ll. 975-978) And Harmonia, the daughter of golden Aphrodite, bare to Cadmus Ino and Semele and fair-cheeked Agave and Autonoe whom long haired Aristaeus wedded, and Polydorus also in rich-crowned Thebe.

(ll. 979-983) And the daughter of Ocean, Callirrhoe was joined in the love of rich Aphrodite with stout hearted Chrysaor and bare a son who was the strongest of all men, Geryones, whom mighty Heracles killed in sea-girt Erythea for the sake of his shambling oxen.

(ll. 984-991) And Eos bare to t.i.thonus brazen-crested Memnon, king of the Ethiopians, and the Lord Emathion. And to Cephalus she bare a splendid son, strong Phaethon, a man like the G.o.ds, whom, when he was a young boy in the tender flower of glorious youth with childish thoughts, laughter-loving Aphrodite seized and caught up and made a keeper of her shrine by night, a divine spirit.

(ll. 993-1002) And the son of Aeson by the will of the G.o.ds led away from Aeetes the daughter of Aeetes the heaven-nurtured king, when he had finished the many grievous labours which the great king, over bearing Pelias, that outrageous and presumptuous doer of violence, put upon him.

But when the son of Aeson had finished them, he came to Iolcus after long toil bringing the coy-eyed girl with him on his swift ship, and made her his buxom wife. And she was subject to Iason, shepherd of the people, and bare a son Medeus whom Cheiron the son of Philyra brought up in the mountains. And the will of great Zeus was fulfilled.

(ll. 1003-1007) But of the daughters of Nereus, the Old man of the Sea, Psamathe the fair G.o.ddess, was loved by Aeacus through golden Aphrodite and bare Phocus. And the silver-shod G.o.ddess Thetis was subject to Peleus and brought forth lion-hearted Achilles, the destroyer of men.

(ll. 1008-1010) And Cytherea with the beautiful crown was joined in sweet love with the hero Anchises and bare Aeneas on the peaks of Ida with its many wooded glens.

(ll. 1011-1016) And Circe the daughter of Helius, Hyperion's son, loved steadfast Odysseus and bare Agrius and Latinus who was faultless and strong: also she brought forth Telegonus by the will of golden Aphrodite. And they ruled over the famous Tyrenians, very far off in a recess of the holy islands.

(ll. 1017-1018) And the bright G.o.ddess Calypso was joined to Odysseus in sweet love, and bare him Nausithous and Nausinous.

(ll. 1019-1020) These are the immortal G.o.ddesses who lay with mortal men and bare them children like unto G.o.ds.

(ll. 1021-1022) But now, sweet-voiced Muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus who holds the aegis, sing of the company of women.

THE CATALOGUES OF WOMEN AND EOIAE (fragments) [1701]

Fragment #1--Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius, Arg. iii. 1086: That Deucalion was the son of Prometheus and p.r.o.noea, Hesiod states in the first "Catalogue", as also that h.e.l.len was the son of Deucalion and Pyrrha.

Fragment #2--Ioannes Lydus [1702], de Mens. i. 13: They came to call those who followed local manners Latins, but those who followed h.e.l.lenic customs Greeks, after the brothers Latinus and Graecus; as Hesiod says: 'And in the palace Pandora the daughter of n.o.ble Deucalion was joined in love with father Zeus, leader of all the G.o.ds, and bare Graecus, staunch in battle.'

Fragment #3--Constantinus Porphyrogenitus [1703], de Them. 2 p. 48B: The district Macedonia took its name from Macedon the son of Zeus and Thyia, Deucalion's daughter, as Hesiod says: 'And she conceived and bare to Zeus who delights in the thunderbolt two sons, Magnes and Macedon, rejoicing in horses, who dwell round about Pieria and Olympus....

((LACUNA)) ....And Magnes again (begot) Dictys and G.o.dlike Polydectes.'

Fragment #4--Plutarch, Mor. p. 747; Schol. on Pindar Pyth. iv. 263: 'And from h.e.l.len the war-loving king sprang Dorus and Xuthus and Aeolus delighting in horses. And the sons of Aeolus, kings dealing justice, were Cretheus, and Athamas, and clever Sisyphus, and wicked Salmoneus and overbold Perieres.'

Fragment #5--Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius, Arg. iv. 266: Those who were descended from Deucalion used to rule over Thessaly as Hecataeus and Hesiod say.

Fragment #6--Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius, Arg. i. 482: Aloiadae.

Hesiod said that they were sons of Aloeus,--called so after him,--and of Iphimedea, but in reality sons of Poseidon and Iphimedea, and that Alus a city of Aetolia was founded by their father.

Fragment #7--Berlin Papyri, No. 7497; Oxyrhynchus Papyri, 421 [1704]: (ll. 1-24) '....Eurynome the daughter of Nisus, Pandion's son, to whom Pallas Athene taught all her art, both wit and wisdom too; for she was as wise as the G.o.ds. A marvellous scent rose from her silvern raiment as she moved, and beauty was wafted from her eyes. Her, then, Glaucus sought to win by Athena's advising, and he drove oxen [1705] for her.

But he knew not at all the intent of Zeus who holds the aegis. So Glaucus came seeking her to wife with gifts; but cloud-driving Zeus, king of the deathless G.o.ds, bent his head in oath that the.... son of Sisyphus should never have children born of one father [1706]. So she lay in the arms of Poseidon and bare in the house of Glaucus blameless Bellerophon, surpa.s.sing all men in.... over the boundless sea. And when he began to roam, his father gave him Pegasus who would bear him most swiftly on his wings, and flew unwearying everywhere over the earth, for like the gales he would course along. With him Bellerophon caught and slew the fire-breathing Chimera. And he wedded the dear child of the great-hearted Iobates, the worshipful king.... lord (of).... and she bare....'

Fragment #8--Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodes, Arg. iv. 57: Hesiod says that Endymion was the son of Aethlius the son of Zeus and Calyee, and received the gift from Zeus: '(To be) keeper of death for his own self when he was ready to die.'

Fragment #9--Scholiast Ven. on Homer, Il. xi. 750: The two sons of Actor and Molione... Hesiod has given their descent by calling them after Actor and Molione; but their father was Poseidon.

Porphyrius [1707], Quaest. Hom. ad Iliad. pert., 265: But Aristarchus is informed that they were twins, not.... such as were the Dioscuri, but, on Hesiod's testimony, double in form and with two bodies and joined to one another.

Fragment #10--Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius, Arg. i. 156: But Hesiod says that he changed himself in one of his wonted shapes and perched on the yoke-boss of Heracles' horses, meaning to fight with the hero; but that Heracles, secretly instructed by Athena, wounded him mortally with an arrow. And he says as follows: '...and lordly Periclymenus. Happy he!

For earth-shaking Poseidon gave him all manner of gifts. At one time he would appear among birds, an eagle; and again at another he would be an ant, a marvel to see; and then a shining swarm of bees; and again at another time a dread relentless snake. And he possessed all manner of gifts which cannot be told, and these then ensnared him through the devising of Athene.'

Fragment #11--Stepha.n.u.s of Byzantium [1708], s.v.: '(Heracles) slew the n.o.ble sons of steadfast Neleus, eleven of them; but the twelfth, the hors.e.m.e.n Gerenian Nestor chanced to be staying with the horse-taming Gerenians. ((LACUNA)) Nestor alone escaped in flowery Gerenon.'

Fragment #12--Eustathius [1709], Hom. 1796.39: 'So well-girded Polycaste, the youngest daughter of Nestor, Neleus' son, was joined in love with Telemachus through golden Aphrodite and bare Persepolis.'

Fragment #13--Scholiast on Homer, Od. xii. 69: Tyro the daughter of Salmoneus, having two sons by Poseidon, Neleus and Pelias, married Cretheus, and had by him three sons, Aeson, Pheres and Amythaon. And of Aeson and Polymede, according to Hesiod, Iason was born: 'Aeson, who begot a son Iason, shepherd of the people, whom Chiron brought up in woody Pelion.'

Fragment #14--Petrie Papyri (ed. Mahaffy), Pl. III. 3: '....of the glorious lord ....fair Atalanta, swift of foot, the daughter of Schoeneus, who had the beaming eyes of the Graces, though she was ripe for wedlock rejected the company of her equals and sought to avoid marriage with men who eat bread.'

Scholiast on Homer, Iliad xxiii. 683: Hesiod is therefore later in date than Homer since he represents Hippomenes as stripped when contending with Atalanta [1710].

Papiri greci e latini, ii. No. 130 (2nd-3rd century) [1711]: (ll. 1-7) 'Then straightway there rose up against him the trim-ankled maiden (Atalanta), peerless in beauty: a great throng stood round about her as she gazed fiercely, and wonder held all men as they looked upon her. As she moved, the breath of the west wind stirred the shining garment about her tender bosom; but Hippomenes stood where he was: and much people was gathered together. All these kept silence; but Schoeneus cried and said:

(ll. 8-20) '"Hear me all, both young and old, while I speak as my spirit within my breast bids me. Hippomenes seeks my coy-eyed daughter to wife; but let him now hear my wholesome speech. He shall not win her without contest; yet, if he be victorious and escape death, and if the deathless G.o.ds who dwell on Olympus grant him to win renown, verily he shall return to his dear native land, and I will give him my dear child and strong, swift-footed horses besides which he shall lead home to be cherished possessions; and may he rejoice in heart possessing these, and ever remember with gladness the painful contest. May the father of men and of G.o.ds (grant that splendid children may be born to him)' [1712]