Hesiod · Theogony Θεογονία

Hesiod, Theogony 615–649: Zeus releases the Hundred-Handers (615-649)

Zeus and the gods, at Gaia's advice, bring the Hundred-Handers, Obriareus, Cottus and Gyes, up from the gloom beneath the earth where their father Uranus had bound them. The ten-year war between the Titans on Othrys and the gods on Olympus is evenly balanced, and Zeus feeds the three nectar and ambrosia and asks them to stand with the younger gods against the Titans.

Lines 615–649 · 349 words · click a number to copy its link
615τοῖό γʼ ὑπεξήλυξε βαρὺν χόλον, ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης καὶ πολύιδριν ἐόντα μέγας κατὰ δεσμὸς ἐρύκει. Βριάρεῳ δʼ ὡς πρῶτα πατὴρ ὠδύσσατο θυμῷ Κόττῳ τʼ ἠδὲ Γύῃ, δῆσεν κρατερῷ ἐνὶ δεσμῷ ἠνορέην ὑπέροπλον ἀγώμενος ἠδὲ καὶ εἶδος 620καὶ μέγεθος· κατένασσε δʼ ὑπὸ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης. ἔνθʼ οἵ γʼ ἄλγεʼ ἔχοντες ὑπὸ χθονὶ ναιετάοντες εἵατʼ ἐπʼ ἐσχατιῇ, μεγάλης ἐν πείρασι γαίης, δηθὰ μάλʼ ἀχνύμενοι, κραδίῃ μέγα πένθος ἔχοντες. ἀλλά σφεας Κρονίδης τε καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι, 625οὓς τέκεν ἠύκομος Ῥείη Κρόνου ἐν φιλότητι, Γαίης φραδμοσύνῃσιν ἀνήγαγον ἐς φάος αὖτις· αὐτὴ γάρ σφιν ἅπαντα διηνεκέως κατέλεξε σὺν κείνοις νίκην τε καὶ ἀγλαὸν εὖχος ἀρέσθαι. δηρὸν γὰρ μάρναντο πόνον θυμαλγέʼ ἔχοντες 630Τιτῆνές τε θεοὶ καὶ ὅσοι Κρόνου ἐξεγένοντο, ἀντίον ἀλλήλοισι διὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας, οἳ μὲν ἀφʼ ὑψηλῆς Ὄθρυος Τιτῆνες ἀγαυοί, οἳ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ Οὐλύμποιο θεοί, δωτῆρες ἐάων, οὓς τέκεν ἠύκομος Ῥείη Κρόνῳ εὐνηθεῖσα. 635οἵ ῥα τότʼ ἀλλήλοισι χόλον θυμαλγέʼ ἔχοντες συνεχέως ἐμάχοντο δέκα πλείους ἐνιαυτούς· οὐδέ τις ἦν ἔριδος χαλεπῆς λύσις οὐδὲ τελευτὴ οὐδετέροις, ἶσον δὲ τέλος τέτατο πτολέμοιο. ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ κείνοισι παρέσχεθεν ἄρμενα πάντα, 640νέκταρ τʼ ἀμβροσίην τε, τά περ θεοὶ αὐτοὶ ἔδουσι, πάντων ἐν στήθεσσιν ἀέξετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ. ὡς νέκταρ τʼ ἐπάσαντο καὶ ἀμβροσίην ἐρατεινήν, δὴ τότε τοῖς μετέειπε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε· κέκλυτε μευ, Γαίης τε καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀγλαὰ τέκνα, 645ὄφρʼ εἴπω, τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει. ἤδη γὰρ μάλα δηρὸν ἐναντίοι ἀλλήλοισι νίκης καὶ κράτεος πέρι μαρνάμεθʼ ἤματα πάντα Τιτῆνές τε θεοὶ καὶ ὅσοι Κρόνου ἐκγενόμεσθα. ὑμεῖς δὲ μεγάλην τε βίην καὶ χεῖρας ἀάπτους

But when first their father was vexed in his heart with Obriareus and Cottus and Gyes, he bound them in cruel bonds, because he was jealous of their exceeding manhood and comeliness and great size: and he made them live beneath the wide-pathed earth, where they were afflicted, being set to dwell under the ground, at the end of the earth, at its great borders, in bitter anguish for a long time and with great grief at heart. But the son of Cronos and the other deathless gods whom rich-haired Rhea bore from union with Cronos, brought them up again to the light at Earth's advising. For she herself recounted all things to the gods fully, how with these they might gain victory and a glorious cause to vaunt themselves. For the Titan gods and as many as sprang from Cronos had long been fighting together in stubborn war with heart-grieving toil, the lordly Titans from high Othrys, but the gods, givers of good, whom rich-haired Rhea bore in union with Cronos, from Olympus. So they, with bitter wrath, were fighting continually with one another at that time for ten full years, and the hard strife had no close or end for either side, and the issue of the war hung evenly balanced. But when he had provided those three with all things fitting, nectar and ambrosia which the gods themselves eat, and when their proud spirit revived within them all after they had fed on nectar and delicious ambrosia, then it was that the father of men and gods spoke amongst them: “Hear me, bright children of Earth and Heaven, that I may say what my heart within me bids. A long while now have we, who are sprung from Cronos and the Titan gods, fought with each other every day to get victory and to prevail. But show your great might and unconquerable strength, and face the Titans in bitter strife; for remember our friendly kindness, and from what sufferings you are come back to the light from your cruel bondage under misty gloom through our counsels.”

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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.