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never is my heart untrusting in my breast. But I would wish, even having toiled through many sorrows, to save the race and offspring of all men; for my mind is fitting and not neglectful; I wish my people to be safe rather than to perish.” So they, thinking these things, stood by one another in mutual will, and the immortals brought grace to mortal men upon the grain-giving earth.

3 Concerning the annunciation.

And then they sent a messenger, who was to announce to a woman the counsel that then pleased them in their deliberation; and swiftly he darted down to the much-nourishing earth. Descending from heaven out of the barren ether, he comes announcing the light of the early-born dawn. He went to an ornate chamber, in which a maiden sat on a couch—and a footstool was under her feet—untamed, whom a man had not yet brought under the yoke. Her, then, in the halls, her father and lady mother had given to a dear man; and he readily received her, neither on pretext of the bed, needing it or desiring or suspecting anything. For so God had commanded him, never to go upon her bed nor to be joined, as is the custom of humans, of men and of women. She, the revered virgin, sat at the hearth with her handmaidens, having gone up to the upper room, spinning sea-purple wool on her distaff, a wonder to behold; and a dutiful handmaiden stood beside her on either side. And then came the messenger, who was to announce to the woman; and standing very near he spoke a word to her: “Hail to you, O queen, throughout all time, until old age comes to men and women upon the much-nourishing earth, and death, which things happen to humans; for I shall speak to you truthfully and shall not conceal it. We asked God to show a wonder; and he for us will bring forth one from the men who are of your bloodline, who will rule over all who dwell around, seeming a man both vigorous and strong, eating and drinking as mortal men eat, throwing a cloak of evil things around his shoulders, like a servant, being struck and rebuked with an enduring spirit.” So he spoke; and he stirred the heart in her breast, and her hairs stood on end on her pliant limbs; and she sat silent, bending her dear heart. And at last, answering him with words, she addressed him: “O dear one, since it is right for me to answer, why does that great God command me? And I am in awe that he is always mindful of me, kind as he is, nor do I escape his notice. But what can I do? God brings all things to fulfillment, just as he wishes; for he is the mightiest of all. But I shall speak not so, but with an oath, that I will never go upon the bed nor be joined, as is the custom of humans, of men and of women.” And answering her, the noble, great-hearted one addressed her: “Hail, graceful woman; and when the years have come full circle, he shall appear, who will rule over all who dwell around; his glory shall be, as far as the dawn spreads, over all men, and his gift shall be noble. And I will tell you another thing, and you cast it in your mind: be silent and keep it in your mind, and do not ask.” So he spoke; and he stirred the heart in her breast, but in no way could she still shrink back or withdraw. But when he had spoken the whole command, swiftly darted from the wide-wayed earth the man-persuading herald, knowing prudent counsels; and he came to steep Olympus, and went among the assembled. And she, having spoken thus, departed to her beautiful house.

4 Concerning the birth and the star and the shepherds.

But when Eileithyia of the birth-pangs, as one month was waning, and another beginning, brought him forth into the light, and he saw the rays of the sun as the year came round again, and the seasons came on, a radiance reached heaven, and all the earth around laughed; all

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οὔποτε θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἄπιστος. βουλοίμην δ' ἂν ἔγωγε, καὶ ἄλγεα πολλὰ μογήσας, πάντων ἀνθρώπων ῥῦσθαι γενεήν τε τόκον τε· καὶ γὰρ ἐμοὶ νόος ἐστὶν ἐναίσιμος οὐδὲ μεθήμων· βούλομ' ἐγὼ λαὸν σόον ἔμμεναι ἢ ἀπολέσθαι.» οἱ μὲν τὰ φρονέοντες ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισιν ἀλλήλων ἰότητι, χάριν δ' ἄνδρεσσι φέροντες ἀθάνατοι θνητοῖσι κατὰ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν.

3 Περὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελισμοῦ.

Καὶ τότ' ἄρ' ἄγγελον ἧκαν, ὃς ἀγγείλειε γυναικὶ βουλήν, ἥ ῥα τότε σφιν ἐφήνδανε μητιόωσι· καρπαλίμως δ' ἤιξεν ἐπὶ χθόνα πουλυβότειραν. οὐρανόθεν καταβὰς ἐξ αἰθέρος ἀτρυγέτοιο ἔρχεται ἀγγέλλων φάος ἠοῦς ἠριγενείης. βῆ δ' ἴμεν ἐς θάλαμον πολυδαίδαλον, ᾧ ἔνι κούρη ἕζετ' ἐνὶ κλισμῷ-ὑπὸ δὲ θρῆνυς ποσὶν ἦεν- ἀδμήτη, τὴν οὔπω ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἤγαγεν ἀνήρ. τὴν δὲ τότ' ἐν μεγάροισι πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ ἀνδρὶ φίλῳ ἔπορον· ὁ δέ μιν πρόφρων ὑπέδεκτο, οὔτ' εὐνῆς πρόφασιν κεχρημένος οὔτε χατίζων ἤ τι ὀϊσάμενος. ᾗ καὶ θεὸς ὣς ἐκέλευεν, μή ποτε τῆς εὐνῆς ἐπιβήμεναι ἠδὲ μιγῆναι, ἣ θέμις ἀνθρώπων πέλει, ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ γυναικῶν. ἡ μὲν ἐπ' ἐσχάρῃ ἧστο σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶν παρθένος αἰδοίη, ὑπερώιον εἰσαναβᾶσα, ἠλάκατα στρωφῶσ' ἁλιπόρφυρα, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι· ἀμφίπολος δ' ἄρα οἱ κεδνὴ ἑκάτερθε παρέστη. καὶ τότ' ἄρ' ἄγγελος ἦλθεν, ὃς ἀγγείλειε γυναικί· στῆ δὲ μάλ' ἐγγὺς ἐὼν καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν· «χαῖρέ μοι, ὦ βασίλεια, διαμπερές, εἰσόκε γῆρας ἀνδράσιν ἠδὲ γυναιξὶν ἐπὶ χθόνα πουλυβότειραν ἔλθῃ καὶ θάνατος, τά τ' ἐπ' ἀνθρώποισι πέλονται· νημερτὲς γάρ τοι μυθήσομαι οὐδ' ἐπικεύσω. ᾐτέομέν γε θεὸν φῆναι τέρας· αὐτὰρ ὅγ' ἡμῖν τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οἳ σῆς ἐξ αἵματός εἰσι γενέθλης, ἐκφανεῖ, ὃς πάντεσσι περικτιόνεσσιν ἀνάξει, ἀνέρι εἰδόμενος αἰζηῷ τε κρατερῷ τε, ἔσθων καὶ πίνων οἷα βροτοὶ ἄνδρες ἔδουσιν, σπεῖρα κάκ' ἀμφ' ὤμοισι βαλών, οἰκῆι ἐοικώς, βαλλόμενος καὶ ἐνισσόμενος τετληότι θυμῷ.» ὣς φάτο· τῇ δ' ἄρα θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὄρινεν, ὀρθαὶ δὲ τρίχες ἔσταν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσι· καί ῥ' ἀκέουσα καθῆστο ἐπιγνάμψασα φίλον κῆρ. ὀψὲ δὲ δή μιν ἔπεσσιν ἀμειβομένη προσέειπεν· «ὦ φίλ', ἐπεί θήν μοι καὶ ἀμείψασθαι θέμις ἐστί, τίπτέ με κεῖνος ἄνωγε μέγας θεός; αἰδέομαι δέ, ὥς μευ ἀεὶ μέμνηται ἐνηέος, οὐδέ ἑ λήθω. ἀλλὰ τί κεν ῥέξαιμι; θεὸς διὰ πάντα τελευτᾷ, ὅππως κεν ἐθέλῃσιν· ὃ γὰρ κάρτιστος ἁπάντων. ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐχ αὕτως μυθήσομαι, ἀλλὰ σὺν ὅρκῳ, μή ποτε τῆς εὐνῆς ἐπιβήμεναι ἠδὲ μιγῆναι, ἣ θέμις ἀνθρώπων πέλει, ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ γυναικῶν.» τὴν δ' ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη μεγαληγόρος ἐσθλός· «χαῖρε, γύναι χαρίεσσα· περιπλομένων δ' ἐνιαυτῶν ἐκφανεῖ, ὃς πάντεσσι περικτιόνεσσιν ἀνάξει· τοῦ δή τοι κλέος ἔσται, ὅσον τ' ἐπικίδναται ἠώς, πάντας ἐπ' ἀνθρώπους, καί οἱ δόσις ἔσσεται ἐσθλή. ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δ' ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν· σίγα καὶ κατὰ σὸν νόον ἴσχανε, μηδ' ἐρέεινε.» ὣς φάτο· τῇ δ' ἄρα θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὄρινεν, ἀλλ' οὔ πως ἔτι εἶχεν ὑποτρέσαι οὐδ' ἀναδῦναι. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πᾶσαν ἐφημοσύνην ἀπέειπεν, καρπαλίμως ἤιξεν ἀπὸ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης κήρυξ πεισήνωρ, πεπνυμένα μήδεα εἰδώς· ἵκετο δ' αἰπὺν Ὄλυμπον, ὁμηγυρέεσσι δ' ἐπῆλθεν. ἣ δ' ἄρα ὣς εἰποῦσ' ἀπέβη πρὸς δώματα καλά.

4 Περὶ τοῦ τόκου καὶ τοῦ ἀστέρος καὶ τῶν ποιμένων.

Αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ τόνγε μογοστόκος Εἰλείθυια, τοῦ μὲν φθίνοντος μηνός, τοῦ δ'

ἱσταμένοιο, ἐξάγαγε προφόωσδε, καὶ ἠελίου ἴδεν αὐγὰς ἂψ περιτελλομένου ἔτεος, καὶ ἐπήλυθον ὧραι, αἴγλη δ' οὐρανὸν ἷκε, γέλασσε δὲ πᾶσα περὶ χθών· πάντες