Hesiod · Theogony Θεογονία

Hesiod, Theogony 335–369: The rivers and the Oceanids (335-369)

Tethys bears to Oceanus the swirling rivers, among them the Nile, the Alpheus and the Eridanus, and also a company of daughters who, with Apollo and the rivers, watch over the young. Hesiod names a selection of both, saying there are three thousand Oceanids and as many rivers, but that only people living near each stream can name it.

Lines 335–369 · 271 words · click a number to copy its link
335πείρασιν ἐν μεγάλοις παγχρύσεα μῆλα φυλάσσει. τοῦτο μὲν ἐκ Κητοῦς καὶ Φόρκυνος γένος ἐστίν. Τηθὺς δʼ Ὠκεανῷ Ποταμοὺς τέκε δινήεντας, Νεῖλόν τʼ Ἀλφειόν τε καὶ Ἠριδανὸν βαθυδίνην Στρυμόνα Μαίανδρόν τε καὶ Ἴστρον καλλιρέεθρον 340Φᾶσίν τε Ῥῆσόν τʼ Ἀχελώιόν τʼ ἀργυροδίνην Νέσσον τε Ῥοδίον θʼ Ἁλιάκμονά θʼ Ἑπτάπορόν τε Γρήνικόν τε καὶ Αἴσηπον θεῖόν τε Σιμοῦντα Πηνειόν τε καὶ Ἕρμον ἐυρρείτην τε Κάικον Σαγγάριόν τε μέγαν Λάδωνά τε Παρθένιόν τε 345Εὔηνόν τε καὶ Ἄρδησκον θεῖόν τε Σκάμανδρον. τίκτε δὲ θυγατέρων ἱερὸν γένος, αἳ κατὰ γαῖαν ἄνδρας κουρίζουσι σὺν Ἀπόλλωνι ἄνακτι καὶ Ποταμοῖς, ταύτην δὲ Διὸς πάρα μοῖραν ἔχουσι, Πειθώ τʼ Ἀδμήτη τε Ἰάνθη τʼ Ἠλέκτρη τε 350Δωρίς τε Πρυμνώ τε καὶ Οὐρανίη θεοειδὴς Ἱππώ τε Κλυμένη τε Ῥόδειά τε Καλλιρόη τε Ζευξώ τε Κλυτίη τε Ἰδυῖά τε Πασιθόη τε Πληξαύρη τε Γαλαξαύρη τʼ ἐρατή τε Διώνη Μηλόβοσίς τε Φόη τε καὶ εὐειδὴς Πολυδώρη 355Κερκηίς τε φυὴν ἐρατὴ Πλουτώ τε βοῶπις Περσηίς τʼ Ἰάνειρά τʼ Ἀκάστη τε Ξάνθη τε Πετραίη τʼ ἐρόεσσα Μενεσθώ τʼ Εὐρώπη τε Μῆτίς τʼ Εὐρυνόμη τε Τελεστώ τε Κροκοπεπλος Χρυσηίς τʼ Ἀσίη τε καὶ ἱμερόεσσα Καλυψὼ 360Εὐδώρη τε Τύχη τε καὶ Ἀμφιρὼ Ὠκυρόη τε καὶ Στύξ, ἣ δή σφεων προφερεστάτη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων. αὗται δʼ Ὠκεανοῦ καὶ Τηθύος ἐξεγένοντο πρεσβύταται κοῦραι· πολλαί γε μέν εἰσι καὶ ἄλλαι. τρὶς γὰρ χίλιαί εἰσι τανύσφυροι Ὠκεανῖναι, 365αἵ ῥα πολυσπερέες γαῖαν καὶ βένθεα λίμνης πάντη ὁμῶς ἐφέπουσι, θεάων ἀγλαὰ τέκνα. τόσσοι δʼ αὖθʼ ἕτεροι ποταμοὶ καναχηδὰ ῥέοντες, υἱέες Ὠκεανοῦ, τοὺς γείνατο πότνια Τηθύς· τῶν ὄνομʼ ἀργαλέον πάντων βροτὸν ἀνέρʼ ἐνισπεῖν,

This is the offspring of Ceto and Phorcys. And Tethys bore to Ocean eddying rivers, Nilus, and Alpheus, and deep-swirling Eridanus, Strymon, and Meander, and the fair stream of Ister, and Phasis, and Rhesus, and the silver eddies of Achelous, Nessus, and Rhodius, Haliacmon, and Heptaporus, Granicus, and Aesepus, and holy Simois, and Peneus, and Hermus, and Caicus' fair stream, and great Sangarius, Ladon, Parthenius, Euenus, Ardescus, and divine Scamander. Also she brought forth a holy company of daughters who with the lord Apollo and the Rivers have youths in their keeping—to this charge Zeus appointed them—Peitho, and Admete, and Ianthe, and Electra, and Doris, and Prymno, and Urania divine in form, Hippo, Clymene, Rhodea, and Callirrhoe, Zeuxo and Clytie, and Idyia, and Pasithoe, Plexaura, and Galaxaura, and lovely Dione, Melobosis and Thoe and handsome Polydora, Cerceis lovely of form, and soft eyed Pluto, Perseis, Ianeira, Acaste, Xanthe, Petraea the fair, Menestho, and Europa, Metis, and Eurynome, and Telesto saffron-clad, Chryseis and Asia and charming Calypso, Eudora, and Tyche, Amphirho, and Ocyrrhoe, and Styx who is the chiefest of them all. These are the eldest daughters that sprang from Ocean and Tethys; but there are many besides. For there are three thousand neat-ankled daughters of Ocean who are dispersed far and wide, and in every place alike serve the earth and the deep waters, children who are glorious among goddesses. And as many other rivers are there, babbling as they flow, sons of Ocean, whom queenly Tethys bare, but their names it is hard for a mortal man to tell, but people know those by which they severally dwell.

People and places in this passage

English translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White (1914). Original text: Hugh G. Evelyn-White (ed.), Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns and Homerica, Loeb Classical Library, London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1914 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.