Hesiod · Theogony Θεογονία

Hesiod, Theogony 930–959: Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, Dionysus and Heracles (930-959)

Poseidon and Amphitrite have Triton, and Aphrodite bears Panic and Fear to Ares, and Harmonia, whom Cadmus marries. Maia bears Hermes, Semele bears Dionysus and Alcmene bears Heracles, who is finally wed to Hebe and lives among the gods. Hephaestus marries Aglaea, Dionysus marries Ariadne, and Perseis bears Circe and Aeetes to Helios, with Aeetes' daughter Medea at the end.

Lines 930–959 · 301 words · click a number to copy its link
930Ἐκ δʼ Ἀμφιτρίτης καὶ ἐρικτύπου Ἐννοσιγαίου Τρίτων εὐρυβίης γένετο μέγας, ὅστε θαλάσσης πυθμένʼ ἔχων παρὰ μητρὶ φίλῃ καὶ πατρὶ ἄνακτι ναίει χρύσεα δῶ, δεινὸς θεός. αὐτὰρ Ἄρηι ῥινοτόρῳ Κυθέρεια Φόβον καὶ Δεῖμον ἔτικτε

And of Amphitrite and the loud-roaring Earth-Shaker was born great, wide-ruling Triton, and he owns the depths of the sea, living with his dear mother and the lord his father in their golden house, an awful god. Also Cytherea bore to Ares the shield-piercer Panic and Fear, terrible gods who drive in disorder the close ranks of men in numbing war, with the help of Ares, sacker of towns; and Harmonia whom high-spirited Cadmus made his wife.

935δεινούς, οἵτʼ ἀνδρῶν πυκινὰς κλονέουσι φάλαγγας ἐν πολέμῳ κρυόεντι σὺν Ἄρηι πτολιπόρθῳ, Ἁρμονίην θʼ, ἣν Κάδμος ὑπέρθυμος θέτʼ ἄκοιτιν. Ζηνὶ δʼ ἄρʼ Ἀτλαντὶς Μαίη τέκε κύδιμον Ἑρμῆν, κήρυκʼ ἀθανάτων, ἱερὸν λέχος εἰσαναβᾶσα. 940Καδμείη δʼ ἄρα οἱ Σεμέλη τέκε φαίδιμον υἱὸν μιχθεῖσʼ ἐν φιλότητι, Διώνυσον πολυγηθέα, ἀθάνατον θνητή· νῦν δʼ ἀμφότεροι θεοί εἰσιν. Ἀλκμήνη δʼ ἄρʼ ἔτικτε βίην Ἡρακληείην μιχθεῖσʼ ἐν φιλότητι Διὸς νεφεληγερέταο. 945ἀγλαΐην δʼ Ἥφαιστος, ἀγακλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις, ὁπλοτάτην Χαρίτων θαλερὴν ποιήσατʼ ἄκοιτιν. χρυσοκόμης δὲ Διώνυσος ξανθὴν Ἀριάδνην, κούρην Μίνωος, θαλερὴν ποιήσατʼ ἄκοιτιν. τὴν δέ οἱ ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀγήρω θῆκε Κρονίων. 950ἥβην δʼ Ἀλκμήνης καλλισφύρου ἄλκιμος υἱός, ἲς Ἡρακλῆος, τελέσας στονόεντας ἀέθλους, παῖδα Διὸς μεγάλοιο καὶ Ἥρης χρυσοπεδίλου, αἰδοίην θέτʼ ἄκοιτιν ἐν Οὐλύμπῳ νιφόεντι, ὄλβιος, ὃς μέγα ἔργον ἐν ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνύσσας 955ναίει ἀπήμαντος καὶ ἀγήραος ἤματα πάντα. ἠελίῳ δʼ ἀκάμαντι τέκεν κλυτὸς Ὠκεανίνη Περσηὶς Κίρκην τε καὶ Αἰήτην βασιλῆα. Αἰήτης δʼ υἱὸς φαεσιμβρότου Ἠελίοιο κούρην Ὠκεανοῖο τελήεντος ποταμοῖο

And Maia, the daughter of Atlas, bore to Zeus glorious Hermes, the herald of the deathless gods, for she went up into his holy bed. And Semele, daughter of Cadmus was joined with him in love and bore him a splendid son, joyous Dionysus,—a mortal woman an immortal son. And now they both are gods. And Alcmena was joined in love with Zeus who drives the clouds and bore mighty Heracles. And Hephaestus, the famous Lame One, made Aglaea, youngest of the Graces, his buxom wife. And golden-haired Dionysus made brown-haired Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, his buxom wife: and the son of Cronos made her deathless and unageing for him. And mighty Heracles, the valiant son of neat-ankled Alcmena, when he had finished his grievous toils, made Hebe the child of great Zeus and goldshod Hera his shy wife in snowy Olympus. Happy he! For he has finished his great work and lives amongst the undying gods, untroubled and unaging all his days. And Perseis, the daughter of Ocean, bore to unwearying Helios Circe and Aeetes the king. And Aeetes, the son of Helios who shows light to men, took to wife fair-cheeked Idyia, daughter of Ocean the perfect stream, by the will of the gods: and she was subject to him in love through golden Aphrodite and bore him neat-ankled Medea.

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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.