stalk, after he had escaped the notice of Jove delighting in, the thunderbolt. M Him then cloud-compelling Jove addressed in wrath : son of Iapetus, knowing beyond all in counsels, thou exultest in having stolen fire, and deceived my wisdom, a severe woe1 to thyself and to men that shall come after. To them now will I give evil instead of fire, wherewith all may delight themselves at heart, hugging their own evil." So spake he: and out-laughed2 the sire of men and gods: but he bade Vulcan the illustrious with all speed mix earth with water,3 and endue it with man's voice and strength, and to liken in countenance to immortal goddesses the fair, lovely beauty of a maiden: then he bade Minerva teach her work, to weave the highly wrought web; and golden Aphrodite to shed around her head grace, and painful desire,5 and cares that-waste-the limbs but to endue her with a shameless mind and tricksy manners he charged the conductor, Argicide Mercury. 4 So he bade: but they obeyed Jove, the sovereign son of Cronus and forthwith out of the earth the famous crippledgod fashioned one like unto a modest maiden, through the counsels of Jove, the son of Cronus: and the goddess, gleaming-eyed Minerva, girdled and arrayed her: and around her Homer uses nearly the same words about Paris, II. iii. 50; vi. 283. 2 EK T' ¿YÉλασGε. Clericus quotes Virg. Æn. x. 742, Ad quem subridens tacitâ Mezentius irâ. Robinson compares Milton, P. L., Mighty Father, thou thy face Justly hast in derision, and secure, Laugh'st at their vain designs and tumults vain." So in Psal. ii. 4, "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision." de, an Epic dative of voup, used also by Theognis, 955, dwp d'avaμíoyeraι vde, from which (see Liddell and Scott) Callimachus, Fragm. 466, formed a nom. "dos. xáρiv áμpixέal. Compare Virg. Æn. i. 190, 191, Lumenque juventæ Purpureum et lætos oculis afflarat honores. • πólov åрyaλéov. Cf. Catull. lxvi. 18, Non est Dea nescia nostrî, Quæ dulcem curis miscet amaritiem.γνιοκόρους (from κείρειν, in the sense of wasting): Compare Virg. Georg. iii. 458, Atque artus depascitur arida febris. • κύνεόν τε νόον. Cf. Homer's epithet, κυνώπης.—ἐπίκλοπον ἦθος. Cf. Apollon. Rhod. iii. 781, uñris TiKλOTOS.-Van Lennep notes the propriety of these gifts from Mercury, himself called λeippov in the Hymn to Merc. 413. skin the goddess Graces and august Persuasion hung golden chains, whilst fair-tressed Hours' crowned her about with flowers of spring: and Pallas Minerva adapted every ornament to her person. But in her breast, I wot, conductor Mercury wrought falsehoods, and wily speeches, and tricksy manners, by the counsels of deep-thundering Jove: and the herald of the gods placed within her, I ween, a winning voice:2 and this woman he called Pandora, because all, inhabiting Olympian mansions, bestowed on her a gift, a mischief to inventive men. But when he had perfected the dire inextricable snare, father Jove proceeded to send to Epimetheus the famous slayer-of-Argus, swift messenger of the gods, carrying her as a gift: nor did Epimetheus consider how Prometheus 3 had told him never to accept a gift from Olympian Jove, but to send it back, lest haply any ill should arise to mortals. But he, after receiving it, felt the evil, when now he possessed it. Now aforetime indeed the races of men were wont to live on the earth apart and free from ills, and without harsh labour, and painful diseases, which have brought death on mortals. [For in wretchedness men presently grow old.] But5 1 Fair-tressed Hours.] Compare notes at Theog. 901, &c. In the Hymn to Venus, Homer introduces the Hours as her tiringwomen. Vid. Hymn the Second to Aphrodite, 5-16. 2 pwvv. In ver. 61, Vulcan is said to have endowed her with audy, that is to say, with "mortal speech." pwvý seems here to mean persuasive utterance. Vid. Goettling, and Van Lennep, who observes that Sophocles, Antig. 354, uses péyμa in the same sense of "eloquium.' 3 Prometheus had given him this warning in consequence of Jove's words recorded at ver. 57, &c. Hesiod, in Theog. 513, gives the same account of Epimetheus receiving Pandora. Cf. Theog. 586, as to the time and place. In the fifteen next verses it is shown how the ills with which sea (101) and land abound, and especially how diseases (92) render harder man's lot, particularly as regards seeking that subsistence, which the gods had made difficult at the best (cf. 42). And the outpouring of these evils on men formerly free from them (90, &c.) was caused by Pandora lifting the lid from the vessel wherein they were contained (94, &c.). 5 Comparing this passage with Hom. Il. xxiv. 527, &c., Van Lennep infers, that though the two differ, the fable of Pandora's box was known commonly before the age of Homer and Hesiod. the woman having with her hands removed the great lid from the vessel, dispersed them: then contrived she baneful cares for men. 1 And Hope alone there in unbroken abode kept remaining within, beneath the verge of the vessel, nor did it flit forth abroad: for before that, she had placed-on the lid of the vessel, by the counsels of ægis-bearing, cloud-compeller Jove. But myriad other ills have roamed forth among men. For full indeed is earth of woes,2 and full the sea: and in the day as well as at night diseases unbidden haunt mankind, silently bearing ills3 to men, for counsellor Jove hath taken from them their voice. Thus not in any way is it possible to escape the will of Jove. 4 But if you will, another tale will I briefly-tell you well and skilfully, and do you ponder it in your mind, that from the same origin3 are sprung gods and mortal men. First-of Proclus relates a tradition that Prometheus had deposited with Epimetheus a vessel full of ills closely covered, which he had received from the Satyrs. This was opened, contrary to Prometheus's warning, by Pandora, therein evidencing her nature. Hope, as the only solace man has for the ills of life, remains behind. It is often fallacious, (hence Esch. P. V. 298, ruplàs Aidas,) but still a boon to men. Cf. Theognis, 1131, 1132, Ελπὶς ἐν ἀνθρώποισι μόνη θεὸς ἐσθλὴ ἔνεστι, 2 Horace imitates this, Od. I. iii. 29, Post ignem æthereâ domo Subductum macies et nova febrium Servius quotes Hesiod, 100, 101, in his note on the words of Virgil, 3 poiTwo. Proclus refutes the objection of elder critics against this personification of diseases, showing that Homer has introduced Epic and Aiuos as in bodily forms. So one of our own poets has, Lo! there sits Danger, with his feet upon the hearth."-At 105, cf. Theog. 614. 4 Goettling thinks that from this verse to 201 is the complete work of some other, added to this poem by the rhapsodists. But, as Van Lennep urges, they not inaptly come in to point the admonition of Hesiod to his brother to labour for an honest livelihood, and to avoid injustice. Volbehr, in his Prolegomena, holds them to belong to Hesiod, p. 40, 41. Goettling, contrary to other editors, joins this line with the foregoing, not with the following. -òuóbev. Cf. Soph. El. 153, ois ὁμόθεν εἶ. Eurip. Iph. Aul. 503. See also Pindar, Nem. vi. 1, čv ἀνδρῶν, ἔν θεῶν γένος, ἐκ μιᾶς δε πνέομον ματρὸς ἀμφοτέροι, viz. the all the immortals holding the mansions of Olympus made a golden race of speaking men. [They indeed were under Cronus, what time he ruled in heaven.] And as gods they were wont to live, with a life void-of-care, apart from, and without labours and trouble: nor was wretched old age at all impending, but, ever the same in hands and feet, did they delight themselves in festivals out of the reach of all ills: and they died, as if o'ercome by sleep;2 all blessings were theirs; of-its-own-will the fruitful field would bear them fruit,3 much and ample and they gladly used to reap the labours of their hands in quietness along with many good things, being rich in flocks, and dear to the blessed gods. But after that Earth had covered this generation by the hests of mighty Jove, they indeed are dæmons,5 kindly, haunting-earth, guardians of mortal men, who, I ween, watch both the decisions of justice, 4 : earth. Hence the conceit of giving to ages of men the names of the various metals which are contained in her womb. Goettling. For allusion to these ages by other poets, see Aratus, (Phænom. 100-134,) who mentions three-golden, silver, and brazen; Ovid, Met. i. 89-150, who adds the iron; and Juvenal, xiii. 27—30, who calls his own age, as Hesiod does his, worst of all. Nunc ætas agitur pejoraque sæcula ferri Temporibus, quorum sceleri non invenit ipsa None of these mentions Hesiod's fourth age, the heroes or demigods. 1 For Saturn's blissful reign, see Virg. Georg. i. 125, Ante Jovem nulli subigebant arva coloni. Tibull. I. iii. 35-48, Quam bene Saturno vivebant rege, &c. Virg. Ecl. iv. 6, Redeunt Saturnia regna. A beautiful picture of Euthanasia. have the image of one in death, Some of our own poets "who sinks to rest, Like a tired child upon his nurse's breast.” 3 Compare Ovid, Met. i. 101-105, &c. 4 unλoioi, Grævius and others interpret "fruits," from Ovid, Met. i. 104, q. v.; but Goettling and Van Lennep agree in rendering it "flocks," comparing Tibull. I. iii. 45, Ultroque ferebant Obvia securis ubera lactis oves. 5 This notion of Genii, of Eastern origin, was unknown to Homer. Socrates is made to quote these lines in Plato's Cratylus, and to explain "golden to signify good, and “iron” bad, § 398, E. (Ast.). Cf. Macrobius, Comm. in Somn. Scip. i. 9, who translates these lines, Indigetes divi fato summi Jovis hi sunt Quondam homines, modo cum superis humana tuentes, and harsh deeds, going-to-and-fro everywhere over the earth, having wrapt themselves in mist, givers of riches as they are: and this is a kingly function which they have. Afterwards again the dwellers in Olympian mansions 2 formed a second race of silver, far inferior; like unto the golden neither in shape nor mind: but for a hundred years3 indeed a boy was reared and grew up beside his wise mother,4 in her house, being quite childish: but when one happened to come to age and reached the stature of manhood,5 for but a brief space used they to live, suffering griefs through their imprudences: for they could not keep off rash insult one from the other, nor were they willing to worship the gods, nor to sacrifice at the holy altars of the blessed, as it is right men should in their abodes. Them indeed afterwards, Jove, son of Cronus, buried in his wrath, because they gave not due honours to the blessed gods, who occupy Olympus. Now when earth had ingulfed this race also, they, beneath the ground, are called blessed mortals, second in rank; but still honours attends these also. And yet a third race of speech-gifted men formed father Jove of brass, not at all like unto the silver, formidable and 1 Cf. Ηεροφοῖτος Εριννὺς, Hom. Il. ix. 571.—πλουτοδόται. Goettling compares the Lares and Penates of the Etruscans. The rest of the verse seems to signify, that to do justice and dispense wealth, which was an attribute of these Genii, was a kingly function. ? The dwellers in Olympian mansions.] i. e. the gods mentioned in ver. 110, not Jove, who is named in ver. 137, where he is said to have buried the silver race for not according due honours to the Mákapec Oéo, himself and the Cronidæ. Cf. Theog. 881. V. Lennep. 3 This seems to mean that in mind and body men were infantile and under mother's care till their hundredth year. 4 ἐτρέφετ ̓ ἀτάλλων. The latter word seems to be here used in a neuter sense, as in Il. xiii. 27; Soph. Aj. 559. The kindred ariTalλv is used actively at Theog. 480. 5 ἠβήσειε. The optative used of a matter frequently repeated, as often. Cf. Matt. Gr. Gr. § 521. "facere. • ἔρδειν, So Virg. Ecl. iii. 77, Cum faciam vitulâ. So also Georg. i. 339, Lætis operatus in herbis. In the next line, cf. with ἤθεα, Il. vi. 511, μετὰ τ ̓ ἤθεα καὶ νόμον ἵππων; and Op. et D. 167. EKOVE, "buried," i. e. in the earth; because the Genii were ὑποχθόνιοι. 8 Their τιμὴ or rank is that of μάκαρες. They are among the μάκρες of mortal birth, as distinguished from the ά0ávaro of ver. 136, who are also called μάκαρες. G |