Hesiod · Theogony Θεογονία

Hesiod, Theogony 450–479: Rhea and Cronus; the birth of Zeus (450-479)

Hecate is made a nurse of the young. Rhea bears Cronus Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus, and Cronus swallows each child as it is born, because Gaia and Uranus have told him his own son will overcome him. When she is about to bear Zeus, Rhea asks her parents for a plan, and they send her to Lyctus in Crete, where Gaia receives the child.

Lines 450–479 · 302 words · click a number to copy its link
450θῆκε δέ μιν Κρονίδης κουροτρόφον, οἳ μετʼ ἐκείνην ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδοντο φάος πολυδερκέος Ἠοῦς. οὕτως ἐξ ἀρχῆς κουροτρόφος, αἳ δέ τε τιμαί. Ῥείη δὲ δμηθεῖσα Κρόνῳ τέκε φαίδιμα τέκνα, Ἱστίην Δήμητρα καὶ Ἥρην χρυσοπέδιλον 455ἴφθιμόν τʼ Ἀίδην, ὃς ὑπὸ χθονὶ δώματα ναίει νηλεὲς ἦτορ ἔχων, καὶ ἐρίκτυπον Ἐννοσίγαιον Ζῆνά τε μητιόεντα, θεῶν πατέρʼ ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν, τοῦ καὶ ὑπὸ βροντῆς πελεμίζεται εὐρεῖα χθών. καὶ τοὺς μὲν κατέπινε μέγας Κρόνος, ὥς τις ἕκαστος 460νηδύος ἐξ ἱερῆς μητρὸς πρὸς γούναθʼ ἵκοιτο, τὰ φρονέων, ἵνα μή τις ἀγαυῶν Οὐρανιώνων ἄλλος ἐν ἀθανάτοισιν ἔχοι βασιληίδα τιμήν. πεύθετο γὰρ Γαίης τε καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος, οὕνεκά οἱ πέπρωτο ἑῷ ὑπὸ παιδὶ δαμῆναι 465καὶ κρατερῷ περ ἐόντι, Διὸς μεγάλου διὰ βουλάς· τῷ ὅ γʼ ἄρʼ οὐκ ἀλαὸς σκοπιὴν ἔχεν, ἀλλὰ δοκεύων παῖδας ἑοὺς κατέπινε· Ῥέην δʼ ἔχε πένθος ἄλαστον. ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Δίʼ ἔμελλε θεῶν πατέρʼ ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν τέξεσθαι, τότʼ ἔπειτα φίλους λιτάνευε τοκῆας 470τοὺς αὐτῆς, Γαῖάν τε καὶ Οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα, μῆτιν συμφράσσασθαι, ὅπως λελάθοιτο τεκοῦσα παῖδα φίλον, τίσαιτο δʼ ἐρινῦς πατρὸς ἑοῖο παίδων θʼ, οὓς κατέπινε μέγας Κρόνος ἀγκυλομήτης. οἳ δὲ θυγατρὶ φίλῃ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδʼ ἐπίθοντο, 475καί οἱ πεφραδέτην, ὅσα περ πέπρωτο γενέσθαι ἀμφὶ Κρόνῳ βασιλῆι καὶ υἱέι καρτεροθύμῳ. πέμψαν δʼ ἐς Λύκτον, Κρήτης ἐς πίονα δῆμον, ὁππότʼ ἄρʼ ὁπλότατον παίδων τέξεσθαι ἔμελλε, Ζῆνα μέγαν· τὸν μέν οἱ ἐδέξατο Γαῖα πελώρη

And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honors. But Rhea was subject in love to Cronos and bore splendid children, Hestia, Demeter, and gold-shod Hera and strong Hades, pitiless in heart, who dwells under the earth, and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, and wise Zeus, father of gods and men, by whose thunder the wide earth is shaken. These great Cronos swallowed as each came forth from the womb to his mother's knees with this intent, that no other of the proud sons of Heaven should hold the kingly office amongst the deathless gods. For he learned from Earth and starry Heaven that he was destined to be overcome by his own son, strong though he was, through the contriving of great Zeus. Therefore he kept no blind outlook, but watched and swallowed down his children: and unceasing grief seized Rhea. But when she was about to bear Zeus, the father of gods and men, then she besought her own dear parents, Earth and starry Heaven, to devise some plan with her that the birth of her dear child might be concealed, and that retribution might overtake great, crafty Cronos for his own father and also for the children whom he had swallowed down. And they readily heard and obeyed their dear daughter, and told her all that was destined to happen touching Cronos the king and his stout-hearted son. So they sent her to Lyctus, to the rich land of Crete, when she was ready to bear great Zeus, the youngest of her children. Him did vast Earth receive from Rhea in wide Crete to nourish and to bring up.

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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.