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1 Concerning the good pleasure of the father and the sending of the son.

Hear me, you myriad tribes of men dwelling around, both those who live toward the dawn and the sun and those who are behind toward the murky darkness, so that you may know well both God and man, whose glory will be as far as the dawn is spread. Hear me, suitors of the glorious kingdom, so that I may speak what my spirit bids me in my breast. Saffron-robed Dawn was spread over all the earth, lamenting piteously, shedding warm tears; for there was no sweet-spirited or gentle-minded man, but they sacrificed oxen, sheep, and fat goats, and all prayed to the black-clouded son of Cronus and to those beneath Tartarus, who are called Titans, cruel ones, knowing well neither judgments nor laws, covered in mist and cloud; nor ever did he let them stand, but some harsh demon arose to pray to demons, and to promise hecatombs. But he himself saved them and devised a great help, he who rules all mortals and immortals, raising up his manly son, a ruler of peoples, his only one, late-born, over many possessions, who knew things that are, things that will be, and things that were before, who sat near him; and most of all he loved him, embracing him as if he were his own son. To him he spoke and addressed winged words: "Will you now obey me in what I say, dear child? For no one will conceive another thought better than this; and your own spirit in your dear breast knows gentle counsels; for you think the things that I also think. Therefore, I will speak my word to you with good will, and I will not hide it. You see that mortals again upon the boundless earth, insulting us, devise reckless deeds, sacrificing oxen, sheep, and fat goats, and they know nothing of death and black fate. But even so I wish and hope all my days to rescue the race and offspring of all men, so that the race may not perish seedless and unseen. But go now to the people of the Achaeans, and not elsewhere, descending from heaven, from the barren ether. And with your gentle words restrain each man, with your gentleness and winning speeches, so that you may win for me great honor and glory, which will be among men to come. Let it be a care to you yourself, and pay heed to my words. But they, as you go, will straightway devise evils behind you, eager to kill you and to take away your glorious boast. But you, winning them over with subtle words, honoring all, do not be great-hearted in your spirit, lest they all perish by the anger of God. For for a long time you yourself will appear, testing each one, that you may know who are righteous and who are lawless, and who are hospitable, and whose mind is god-fearing. And you would be more revered and more dear to men, if you should die, and you will fulfill the fate of your life. And whoever is blameless himself and knows blameless things, may he quickly turn his mind to your heart and mine, and may all things be to him, whatever he desires in his mind. But whoever refuses and firmly denies both of us, very like to one another, to him hereafter there will always be toil and cares, and an evil consuming hunger will drive him upon the divine earth, or I will seize him and cast him into murky Tartarus, being angry at this deceit. These things will not be unfulfilled."

2 Concerning the obedience of the son. And standing beside him the glorious son addressed him: "O father, you who among gods and

men do rule, I know, I understand; you bid these things to one who understands, as a father to his child, and I will never forget them. For I too am a god, and my race is from where yours is. But be at ease and declare whatever you wish; for no word that you speak will be rejected. If it is my fate to die and to meet my destiny, I will accomplish all things and I will obey, as you yourself bid in your heart, and may all the Achaeans know, that my

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1 Περὶ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς εὐδοκίας καὶ ἀποστολῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ.

Κέκλυτε, μυρία φῦλα περικτιόνων ἀνθρώπων, ἠμὲν ὅσοι ναίουσι πρὸς ἠῶ τ' ἠέλιόν τε ἠδ' ὅσσοι μετόπισθε ποτὶ ζόφον ἠερόεντα, ὄφρ' εὖ γινώσκοιτ' ἠμὲν θεὸν ἠδὲ καὶ ἄνδρα, τοῦ δή τοι κλέος ἔσται, ὅσον τ' ἐπικίδναται ἠώς. κέκλυτέ μευ, μνηστῆρες ἀγακλειτῆς βασιλείης, ὄφρ' εἴπω, τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει. Ἠὼς μὲν κροκόπεπλος ἐκίδνατο πᾶσαν ἐπ' αἶαν, οἴκτρ' ὀλοφυρομένη, θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα· οὐ γάρ τις γλυκύθυμος ἀνὴρ ἦν οὐδ' ἀγανόφρων, βοῦς δ' ἱερεύεσκον, ὄιας καὶ πίονας αἶγας, πάντες δ' εὐχετόωντο κελαινεφέι Κρονίωνι τοῖς θ' ὑποταρταρίοις, οἳ Τιτῆνες καλέονται, σχέτλιοι, οὔτε δίκας εὖ εἰδότες οὔτε θέμιστας, ἠέρι καὶ νεφέλῃ κεκαλυμμένοι· οὐδέ ποτ' αὐτοὺς εἴα ἵστασθαι, χαλεπὸς δέ τις ὤρορε δαίμων δαίμοσιν ἀρήσασθαι, ὑποσχέσθαι δ' ἑκατόμβας. ἀλλ' αὐτός τ' ἐσάωσε καὶ ἐφράσατο μέγ' ὄνειαρ, ὃς πᾶσι θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνάσσει, υἱὸν ἀναστήσας ἀγαπήνορα, λαομέδοντα, μοῦνον, τηλύγετον πολλοῖσιν ἐπὶ κτεάτεσσιν, ὃς ᾔδη τά τ' ἐόντα τά τ' ἐσσόμενα πρό τ' ἐόντα, ὅς οἱ πλησίον ἷζε· μάλιστα δέ μιν φιλέεσκεν ἀμφαγαπαζόμενος ὡσεί θ' ἑὸν υἱὸν ἐόντα. τὸν καὶ φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· «ἦ ῥά νύ μοί τι πίθοιο, φίλον τέκος, ὅττι κεν εἴπω· οὐ γάρ τις νόον ἄλλον ἀμείνονα τοῦδε νοήσει· καὶ δέ σοι αὐτῷ θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισιν ἤπια δήνεα οἶδε· τὰ γὰρ φρονέεις, ἅ τ' ἐγώ περ· τώ τοι προφρονέως ἐρέω ἔπος, οὐδ' ἐπικεύσω. εἰσοράᾳς, ὅτι δ' αὖτε βροτοὶ ἐπ' ἀπείρονα γαῖαν ἡμέας ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανόωνται, βοῦς ἱερεύοντες, ὄϊας καὶ πίονας αἶγας, οὐδέ τι ἴσασιν θάνατον καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς ἐθέλω καὶ ἐέλδομαι ἤματα πάντα πάντων ἀνθρώπων ῥῦσθαι γενεήν τε τόκον τε, ὄφρα μὴ ἄσπερμος γενεὴ καὶ ἄφαντος ὄληται. ἀλλ' ἴθι νῦν κατὰ λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν, μηδ' ἑτέρωθι, οὐρανόθεν καταβὰς ἐξ αἰθέρος ἀτρυγέτοιο· σοῖς δ' ἀγανοῖς ἐπέεσσιν ἐρήτυε φῶτα ἕκαστον σῇ τ' ἀγανοφροσύνῃ καὶ αἱμυλίοισι λόγοισιν, ὡς ἄν μοι τιμὴν μεγάλην καὶ κῦδος ἄροιο, ἥτε καὶ ἐσσομένοισι μετ' ἀνθρώποισι πέληται. σοὶ δ' αὐτῷ μελέτω, καὶ ἐμῶν ἐμπάζεο μύθων. οἱ δέ τοι αὐτίκ' ἰόντι κακὰ φράσσονται ὀπίσσω ἱέμενοι κτεῖναι καὶ ἀπὸ κλυτὸν εὖχος ἀμέρσαι. ἀλλὰ σὺ τούς γ' ἐπέεσσι παραιφάμενος πυκινοῖσιν, πάντας κυδαίνων, μηδὲ μεγαλίζεο θυμῷ, ὡς μὴ πάντες ὄλωνται ὀδυσσαμένοιο θεοῖο· δηθὰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐείσῃ ἑκάστου πειρητίζων γνοίης θ', οἵτινές εἰσιν ἐναίσιμοι οἵ τ' ἀθέμιστοι οἵ τε φιλόξεινοι, καί σφι νόος ἐστὶ θεουδής. καί κ' αἰδοιότερος καὶ φίλτερος ἀνδράσιν εἴης, αἴ κε θάνῃς, καὶ πότμον ἀναπλήσεις βιότοιο. ὃς δ' ἂν ἀμύμων αὐτὸς ἔῃ καὶ ἀμύμονα εἰδῇ, αἶψα μεταστρέψειε νόον μετὰ σὸν καὶ ἐμὸν κῆρ, καί οἱ πάντα γένοιτο, ὅσα φρεσὶν ᾗσι μενοινᾷ. ὃς δέ κ' ἀνήνηται καί τε στερεῶς ἀποείπῃ ἡμέας ἀμφοτέρω, μάλα εἰκέλω ἀλλήλοιιν, αἰεὶ τούτῳ ἔπειτα πόνος καὶ κήδε' ἔσονται καί ἑ κακὴ βούβρωστις ἐπὶ χθόνα δῖαν ἐλαύνοι, ἤ μιν ἑλὼν ῥίψω ἐς Τάρταρον ἠερόεντα, τῆσδ' ἀπάτης κοτέων. τὰ μὲν ἔσσεται οὐκ ἀτέλεστα.»

2 Περὶ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ. Τὸν δὲ παριστάμενος προσεφώνεε φαίδιμος υἱός· «ὦ πάτερ, ὅστε θεοῖσι καὶ

ἀνθρώποισιν ἀνάσσεις, γινώσκω, φρονέω· τάδε δὴ νοέοντι κελεύεις ὥστε πατὴρ ᾧ παιδί, καὶ οὔποτε λήσομαι αὐτῶν· καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ θεός εἰμι, γένος δέ μοι ἔνθεν, ὅθεν σοί. ἀλλὰ μάλ' εὔκηλος τὰ φράζεο, ὅσσ' ἐθέλῃσθα· οὐ γὰρ ἀπόβλητον ἔπος ἔσσεται, ὅττι κεν εἴπῃς. εἴ πέρ μοί τοι μοῖρα θανεῖν καὶ πότμον ἐπισπεῖν, πάντα μάλ' ἐκτελέω καὶ πείσομαι, ὡς σὺ κελεύεις αὐτὸς σῷ θυμῷ, γνώωσι δὲ πάντες Ἀχαιοί, ὡς ἐμὸς