4

gathered together, both young men and old, were astonished, and the spirit of all fell at their feet, when the brightest star rose up, which shines most brilliantly, having bathed in Ocean, showing a sign to mortals; and its rays are very conspicuous; which the shepherd in the field among the fleecy sheep marveled at in his heart; for he thought it to be a god. That the one born of a virgin is himself the creator of all things. "Coming here he promised me gifts and nodded his assent; and he would not speak a lie; for he is very wise; for I have never seen nor heard an immortal god so openly cherish mortals, except for one, who makes sleep and food hateful to me, whom the father of men and of gods loved with all his heart, his only late-born son among many possessions, since he gave me a son to be born and to be raised, and the mother who bore him and nourished him when he was little, arose, that he might bring light to immortals and to mortals, and the firstborn, who is the origin of all things, knowing well the counsels of the wisdom of God." In it he wrought the earth, in it the heaven, in it the sea, and in it all the constellations with which heaven is crowned, the unwearying sun and the full moon, fish and birds, and whatever dear thing might come to his hands, things of the sea, for whom the works of the sea are a care, and sea-monsters, which the resounding Amphitrite pastures in their thousands, and horses and mules and the mighty heads of cattle, and bears and wild boars and bright-eyed lions. And for them the divine earth grew fresh-sprouting grass, dewy lotus and crocus and hyacinth. And moist water came to be and the high-leafed tree, alder and poplar and fragrant cypress, pears and pomegranates and bright-fruited apple trees; last, the best man; and to him he made like a wondrous form and stature and a mind within to match. And beside him a woman, a mistress, prepared his bed and couch, for the sake of her beauty, that she might be among the immortals. But then dire destruction did not ward off from them; for they perished by their own recklessness.

5

Concerning paradise and the serpent and the deceit.

Then appeared a great sign, a serpent, tawny on its back, terrible and grievous and wild and not to be fought with, who used to do many evils, such as all the others did not, and by beguilement he stole away the mind of those who think wisely. And he met a maiden drawing water before the city; straightway he spoke a gentle and crafty word and with a mortal voice he restrained her and spoke: "Now would you in some way obey me, dear child, in what I might say. And for you I shall not be a fruitless watcher, nor one who misses the mark. Here grow beautiful, flourishing trees, sweet figs and flourishing olives and many others besides. But you, put on a gracious spirit; of these the fruit never perishes nor fails. If somehow you could take it by lying in wait, first, then you yourself would benefit, if you should eat, and you will make immortal and ageless for all days both your husband and your house; and he would grant you like-mindedness." So he spoke and persuaded her, since he had explained everything; for you know what kind of spirit is in the breast of a woman. But when he had shown where the tall trees grew, straightway then with words she questioned her husband about each thing, begging to eat; but he refused, groaning, but still somehow he remembered the commands which he enjoined who rules over all mortals and immortals. But she always with soft and wheedling words and with many follies led her husband’s mind astray to think of drink and food as quickly as possible, bringing forth death for her wedded husband and for herself; and she sent forth many mighty souls to Hades, as there is nothing else more terrible and shameless than a woman. For six days only they toiled thus, both nights and day; but when fair-tressed Dawn brought the seventh day to pass, he was delighting, holding in his hands the glorious gifts of God, then again he devised another thing in his mind and in his spirit, he who rules over all mortals and immortals; likening himself to a man, both vigorous and strong, the insolence of men and their good order

4

ὁμηγερέες ἠμὲν νέοι ἠδὲ γέροντες θάμβησαν, πᾶσιν δὲ παραὶ ποσὶ κάππεσε θυμός, εὖτ' ἀστὴρ ὑπερέσχε φαάντατος, ὅστε μάλιστα λαμπρὸν παμφαίνῃσι, λελουμένος Ὠκεανοῖο, δεικνὺς σῆμα βροτοῖσιν· ἀρίζηλοι δέ οἱ αὐγαί· ὅν ῥά τε ποιμὴν ἀγρῷ ἐπ' εἰροπόκοις ὀΐεσσι θάμβησεν κατὰ θυμόν· ὀίσατο γὰρ θεὸν εἶναι. Ὅτι ὁ τεχθεὶς ἐκ παρθένου αὐτὸς πάντων δημιουργός. «δῶρα δὲ δεῦρο μολών μοι ὑπέσχετο καὶ κατένευσεν· ψεῦδος δ' οὐκ ἐρέοι· μάλα γὰρ πεπνυμένος ἐστίν· οὐ γάρ πω ἰδόμην οὐδ' ἔκλυον αὐδήσαντος ἀθάνατον θεὸν ὧδε βροτοὺς ἀγαπαζέμεν ἄντην πλὴν ἑνός, ὅστε μοι ὕπνον ἀπεχθαίρει καὶ ἐδωδήν, ὃν περὶ κῆρι φίλησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε μοῦνον τηλύγετον πολλοῖσιν ἐπὶ κτεάτεσσιν, υἱὸν ἐπεί μοι δῶκε γενέσθαί τε τραφέμεν τε, μήτηρ θ', ἥ μιν ἔτικτε καὶ ἔτρεφε τυτθὸν ἐόντα, ὄρνυθ', ἵν' ἀθανάτοισι φόως φέροι ἠδὲ βροτοῖσι, πρωτότοκος θ', ὅσπερ γένεσις πάντεσσι τέτυκται, εὖ εἰδὼς σοφίης ὑποθημοσύνῃσι θεοῖο.» ἐν μὲν γαῖαν ἔτευξ', ἐν δ' οὐρανόν, ἐν δὲ θάλασσαν, ἐν δὲ τὰ τείρεα πάντα, τά τ' οὐρανὸς ἐστεφάνωται, ἠέλιόν τ' ἀκάμαντα σελήνην τε πλήθουσαν, ἰχθῦς ὄρνιθάς τε, φίλον θ' ὅ τι χεῖρας ἵκοιτο, εἰναλίους, τοῖσίν τε θαλάσσια ἔργα μέμηλε, κήτε', ἃ μυρία βόσκει ἀγάστονος ἀμφιτρίτη, ἵππους θ' ἡμιόνους τε βοῶν τ' ἴφθιμα κάρηνα ἄρκτους τ' ἀγροτέρους τε σύας χαροπούς τε λέοντας. τοῖσι δ' ὑπὸ χθὼν δῖα φύεν νεοθηλέα ποίην λωτόν θ' ἑρσήεντα ἰδὲ κρόκον ἠδ' ὑάκινθον. γίνετο δ' ὑγρὸν ὕδωρ καὶ δένδρεον ὑψιπέτηλον κλήθρη τ' αἴγειρός τε καὶ εὐώδης κυπάρισσος, ὄγχναι καὶ ῥοιαὶ καὶ μηλέαι ἀγλαόκαρποι· λοῖσθος ἀνὴρ ὤριστος· ἔικτο δὲ θέσκελον αὐτῷ εἶδός τε μέγεθός τε ἰδὲ φρένας ἔνδον ἐίσας. πὰρ δὲ γυνὴ δέσποινα λέχος πόρσυνε καὶ εὐνὴν κάλλεος εἵνεκα οἷο, ἵν' ἀθανάτοισι μετείη. ἀλλ' οὔ σφιν τότε τοῖσιν ἐπήρκεσε λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον· αὐτῶν γὰρ σφετέρῃσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὄλοντο.

5 Περὶ τοῦ παραδείσου καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως καὶ τῆς ἀπάτης.

Ἔνθ' ἐφάνη μέγα σῆμα, δράκων ἐπὶ νῶτα δαφοινὸς δεινός τ' ἀργαλέος τε καὶ

ἄγριος οὐδὲ μαχητός, ὃς κακὰ πόλλ' ἔρδεσκεν, ὅσ' οὐ σύμπαντες οἱ ἄλλοι, παρφασίῃ τ' ἔκλεψε νόον πυκινὰ φρονεόντων. κούρῃ δὲ ξύμβλητο πρὸ ἄστεος ὑδρευούσῃ· αὐτίκα μειλίχιον καὶ κερδαλέον φάτο μῦθον φωνῇ τε βροτέῃ κατερήτυε φώνησέν τε· «ἦ ῥά νύ μοί τι πίθοιο, φίλον τέκος, ὅττι κεν εἴπω. σοὶ δ' ἐγὼ οὐχ ἅλιος σκοπὸς ἔσσομαι οὐδ' ἀπὸ δόξης. ἐνθάδε δένδρεα καλὰ πεφύκει τηλεθόωντα, συκαῖ τε γλυκεραὶ καὶ ἐλαῖαι τηλεθόωσαι ἄλλά τε πόλλ' ἐπὶ τῇσι. σὺ δ' ἵλαον ἔνθεο θυμόν· τάων οὔ ποτε καρπὸς ἀπόλλυται οὐδ' ἀπολήγει. τόν γ' εἴ πως σὺ δύναιο λοχησαμένη λελαβέσθαι πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δέ κ' αὐτὴ ὀνήσεαι, αἴ κε φάγῃσθα, θήσεις τ' ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀγήραον ἤματα πάντα ἄνδρα τε καὶ οἶκον· καὶ ὁμοφροσύνην ὀπάσειεν.» ὣς εἰπὼν παρέπεισεν, ἐπεὶ διεπέφραδε πάντα· οἶσθα γάρ, οἷος θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι γυναικός. αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ δεῖξ', ὅθι δένδρεα μακρὰ πεφύκει, αὐτίκ' ἔπειτ' ἐπέεσσι πόσιν ἐρέεινεν ἕκαστα λισσομένη δειπνῆσαι· ὁ δ' ἠρνεῖτο στεναχίζων, ἀλλ' ἔτι που μέμνητο ἐφετμῶν, ἃς ἐπέτελλεν ὃς πᾶσι θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνάσσει. ἡ δ' αἰεὶ μαλακοῖσι καὶ αἱμυλίοισι λόγοισι πολλῇσίν τ' ἄτῃσι παρὲκ νόον ἤγαγεν ἀνδρὸς μεμνῆσθαι πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ὅττι τάχιστα, κουριδίῳ τέξασα πόσει φόνον ἠδέ οἱ αὐτῇ· πολλὰς δ' ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄιδι προΐαψεν, ὡς οὐκ αἰνότερον καὶ κύντερον ἄλλο γυναικός. ἑξῆμαρ μόνον ὣς πόνεον νύκτας τε καὶ ἦμαρ· ἀλλ' ὅτε δ' ἕβδομον ἦμαρ ἐυπλόκαμος τέλεσ' Ἠώς, τέρπετο δ' ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔχων θεοῦ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα, ἔνθ' αὖτ' ἄλλ' ἐνόησε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν ὃς πᾶσι θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνάσσει· ἀνέρι εἰσάμενος αἰζηῷ τε κρατερῷ τε, ἀνθρώπων ὕβριν τε καὶ εὐνομίην