GREEK TEXTS

five texts, followed by a translation:

ΟΜΗΡΟΣ, Ιλιας Ε'

870 δειξεν δ'αμβροτον αιμα καταρρεον εξ ωτειλης,
και ρ'ολοφυρομενος επεα πτεροεντα προσηυδα
"Ζευ πατερ, ου νεμεσιζηι ορων ταδε καρτερα εργα
αιει τοι ριγιστα θεοι τετληοτες ειμεν
αλληλων ιοτητι, χαριν δ'ανδρεσσι φεροντες...
σοι παντες μαχομεσθα συ γαρ τεκες αφρονα κουρην.
ουλομενην, ηι τ' αιεν αησυλα εργα μεμηλεν.
αλλοι μεν γαρ παντες, οσοι θεοι εισ'εν Ολυμπωι,
σοι τ'επιπειθονται και δεδμημεσθα εκαστος...
ταυτην δ'ουτ'επει προτιβαλλεαι ουτε τι εργωι,
880 αλλ' ανιεις, επει αυτος εγειναο παιδ'αιδηλον!

HOMER, Iliad V: 870 - 880

870 He showed him the immortal blood running from his wound
and in a dismal tone without mincing words said:
"Father Zeus, are you not indignant at seeing
these violent deeds? We gods constantly suffer
most cruelly by one anothers devices when we
875 show favour to men. With you we are all at war,
for you are father to that mad and accursed maid,
whose mind is always set on deeds of lawlessness.
For all the other gods who are in the Olympus
are obedient to you, and subject to you, each one of us;
but her you do not oppose either in word or in deed,
880 but rather incite her, since this destructive maiden is your own child."


HESIOD ΘΕΟΓΟΝΙΑ, 886vv.

886 Ζευς δε θεων βασιλευς πρωτην αλοχον θετο Μητιν
πλειστα θεων τε ιδυιαν ιδε θνητων ανθρωπων.
Αλλ'οτε δη ρ'ημελλε θεαν γλαυκωπιν Αθηνην
τεξεσθαι, τοτ'επειτα δολωι φρενας εξαπατησας
890 αιμυλιοισι λογοισιν εην εσκατθετο νηδυν
Γαιης φραδμοσυνησι και Ουρανου αστεροεντος.
τως γαρ οι φρασατην, ινα μη βασιληιδα τιμην
αλλος εχοι Διος αντι θεων αιειγενεταων.
εκ γαρ της ειμαρτο περιφρονα τεκνα γενεσθαι,
πρωτην μεν κουρην γλαυκωπιδα Τριτογενειαν
ισον εχουσαν πατρι μενος και επιφρονα βουλην
αυταρ επειτ'αρα παιδα θεων βασιληα και ανδρων
ημελλεν τεξεσθαι, υπερβιον ητορ εχοντα.
900 αλλ'αρα μιν Ζευς προσθεν εην εσκατθετο νηδυν
ως δη οι φρασσαιτο θεα αγαθον τε κακον τε...
............................................
924 Αυτος δ'εκ κεφαλης γλαυκωπιδα Τριτογενειαν [sc. γεινατο]
δεινην εγρεκυδοιμον αγεστρατον ατρυτωνην
ποτνιαν, ηι κελαδοι τε αδον πολεμοι τε μαχαι τε.
Ηρη δ'Ηφαιστον κλυτον ου φιλοτητι μιγεισα
γεινατο, και ζαμενησε και ερισε ωι παρακοιτηι
εκ παντων τεχνηισι κεκασμενον Ουρανιωνων.

Hesiod Theogony 886ff.:

886 Now Zeus, king of the gods, made Metis his first wife ,
and she was wisest among gods and mortal men.
But when she was about to bring forth the goddess
bright-eyed Athene, Zeus craftily deceived her
890 with cunning words and put her in his own belly,
as Earth and starry Heaven advised.
For they advised him so, to the end that no other
should hold his royal sway over the eternal gods
in place of Zeus; for very wise children were destined
to be born of her, first the maiden bright-eyed Tritogeneia,
equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding.
But afterwards she was to bear a son of overbearing spirit,
king of gods and men. But Zeus put her into his own belly first,
900 that the goddess might devise for him both, good and evil....
..................................................
924 But Zeus himself gave birth from his own head
to bright-eyed Tritogeneia, the awful, the strife stirring,
the host-leader, daughter of the unwearying, the queen, who delights
in tumults and wars and battles. But Hera without union
with Zeus - for she was very angry and quarrelled with her mate -
bare famous Hephaestus, who is skilled in crafts more
than all the sons of Heaven.


HYMN TO APOLLO

................Τυφαονα...................
307 ον ποτ'αρ Ηρη ετικτε χολωσαμενη Διι πατρι
ηνικ'αρα Κρονιδης ερικυδεα γεινατ'Αθηνην
εκ κορυφηι. η δ'αιψα χολωσατο ποτνια Ηρη
310 ηδε και αγρομενοισι μετ'αθανατοισι εειπε -
κεκλυτε μεν παντες τε θεοι πασαι τε θεαναι
ως εμ'ατιμαζειν αρχει νεφεληγερετα Ζευς
πρωτος επει μ'αλοχον ποιησατο κεδν'ειδυιαν
και νυν νοσφιν εμειο τεκε γλαυκωπιν Αθηνην
η πασιν μακαρεσσι μεταπρεπει αθανατοισι.
..........................................

323 Πως ετλης οιος τεκεειν γλαυκωπιδ'Αθηνην
ουκ αν εγω τεκομεν.....................

Hymn Hom. III: to Apollo.
In this passage is told how Apollo has got Typhaon as a present from Hera:
.............Typhaon...............
307 Once on a time Hera bare him because
she was angry with father Zeus,
when the son of Cronos bare
all-glorious Athena in his head
310 Thereupon queenly Hera was angry and
spoke thus among the assembled gods:
"Hear from me, all gods and goddesses
how cloudgathering Zeus begins to dishonour me
wantonly, when he has made me his true-hearted wife.
See now, apart from me he has given birth to
bright-eyed Athena who is foremost among
all the blessed gods.

323 How dared you by yourself give birth to
bright-eyed Athena? Would not only I have borne you children --


ΕΙΣ ΑΘΗΝΑΝ

1 Παλλαδ'Αθηναιην, κυδρην θεον, αρχομ'αειδειν,
γλαυκωπιν, πολυμητιν, αμειλιχον ητορ εχουσαν
παρθενον αιδοιην, ερυσιπτολιν, αλκηεσσαν,
Τριτογενη, την αυτος εγενετο μητιετα Ζευς
5 σεμνης εκ κεφαλης, πολεμηια τευχε'εχουσαν.
χρυσεα παμφανοωντα, σεβας δ'εχε παντας ορωντας
αθανατους η δε προσθεν Διος αιγιοχοιο
εσσυμενως ωρουσεν απ'αθανατοιο καρηνου
σεισασ'οξυν ακοντα. μεγας δ'ελελιζετ'Ολυμπος
10 δεινον υπο βριμης γλαθκωπιδος αμφι δε γαια
σμερδαλιον ιαχησεν εκινηθη δ'αρα ποντος
κυμασι πορφυρεοισι κυκωμενος εσχετο δ'αλμη
εξαπινης στησεν δ'Υπεριονος αγλαος υιος
ιππους ωκυποδας δηρον χρονον, εισοτε κουρη
15 ειλετ'απ αθανατων ωμων θεοεικελα τευχη
Παλλας Αθηναιη γηθησε δε μητιετα Ζευς
και συ μεν ουτω χαιρε, Διος τεκος αιγιοχοιο
αυταρ εγω και σειο και αλλης μνησομ'αοιδης.

Hymn Hom. XXVIII: TO ATHENA

I begin to sing of Pallas Athena, the glorious goddess,
bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart, pure virgin,
saviour of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia.
From his awful head wise Zeus himself
bare her arrayed in warlike arms of flashing gold,
and awe seized all the gods as they gazed.
But Athena sprang quickly from the immortal head
and stood before Zeus who holds the aegis,
shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly
at the might of the bright-eyed goddess, and
earth round about cried fearfully, and the sea
was moved and tossed with dark waves;
suddenly - the sea was stayed:
the bright Son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses
a long while, until the maiden Pallas Athena had stripped
the heavenly armour from her immortal shoulders. And wise Zeus was glad . And so hail to you,
daughter of Zeus, who holds the aigis. Now I will
remember you and another song as well.


ΠΙΝΔΑΡΟΣ, ΕΠΙΝΙΚΙΟΙ ΟΛΥΜΠΙΟΝΙΚΑΙΣ. ΔΙΑΓΟΡΑΙ ΡΟΔΙΩΙ ΠΥΚΤΗΙ. ΟΙΔΗ Ζ'.

31 ....... ες αμφιθαλασσον νομον,
ενθα ποτε βρεχε θεων
βασιλευς ο μεγας χρυ-
σεαις νιφαδεσσι πολιν,
ανιχ'Αφαιστου τεχναισι
χαλκελατωι πελεκει πα-
τερος Αθαναια κορ&upsilonWould not I have borne you a child -- ;φην κατ'ακραν
ανορουσαισ'αλαλα-
ξεν υπερμακει βοαι.
Ουρανος δ'εφριξε νιν και Γαια ματηρ...

Pindar, Olympiakoi, Ode VII
In honour of the boxer Diagoras from Rhodos

31 (told him to sail from the shore of Lerna)
straight to the seagirt pasture,
where once the great king of the gods
showered the city with snows of gold
when by the skills of Hephaistos
with the stroke of a bronze-forged axe
Athena sprang forth on the top of
her father's head and
shouted a prodiguous battle cry and
heaven shuddered at her and mother Earth...


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Birth of the goddess Athena
© A.E.J. Kaal, 2004.