Thus he mocked the half-living corpse of the son of Earth. Then Cilician Tauros brayed a vie-, torlous noise on his stony trumpet for Zeus Almighty, while Cydnos danced zigzag on his watery feet, crying Euoi in rolling roar for the victory of Zeus, Cydnos visible in the midst, as he poured the flood upon Tarsos which had been there ever since he had been there himself. But Earth tore her rocky tunic and lay there grieving instead of the shears of mourning she let the winds beat her breast and shear off a coppice for a curl ; so she cut the tresses from her forest-covered head as in the month of leaf-shedding, she tore gullies in her cheeks ; Earth wailed, as her river-tears rolled echoing through the swollen torrents of the hills. The gales eddying from Typhaon’s limbs lash the waves, hurrying to engulf the ships and riding down the sheltered calm. Not only the surges they invade ; but often over the land sweeps a storm of dust, and overwhelms the crops growing firm and upright upon the fields.
Then Nature, who governs the universe and recreates its substance, closed up the gaping rents in earth’s broken surface, and sealed once more with the bond of indivisible joinery those island cliffs which had been rent from their beds. No longer was there turmoil among the stars. For Helios replaced the maned Lion, who had moved out of the path of the Zodiac, beside the Maiden who holds the corn-ear; Selene took the Crab, now crawling over the forehead of the heavenly Lion, and drew him back opposite cold Capricorn, and fixt him there. But Zeus Cronides did not forget Cadmos the mastersinger. He dispersed the cloud of darkness which overshadowed him, and calling him, spoke in this fashion :
“Cadmos, you have crowned the gates of Olympos with your pipes! Then will I myself celebrate your bridal with heaven’s own Harp. I will make you goodson to Ares and Cythereia ; gods shall be guests at your wedding feast on the earth! I will visit your house : what more could you want, than to see the King of the Blessed touching your table ? And if you wish to cross life’s ferry on a calm sea, escaping the uncertain currents of Chance, be careful always not to offend Ares Dircalan Ares angry when deprived of his brood At dead of night fix your gaze on the heavenly Serpent, and do sacrifice on the altar holding in your hand a piece of fragrant serpentine ; and calling upon the Olympian Serpentholder, burn in the fire a horn of the Illyrian deer with many tines: that so you may escape all the bitter things which the wreathed spindle of apportioned Necessity has spun for your fate,—if the threads of the Portioners ever obey. Let pass the memory of your angry father Agenor, fear not for your wandering brothers; for they all live, though far apart. Cepheus journeyed to the regions of the south, and he has found favour with the Cephenes of Ethiopia; Thasos went to Thasos, and Cilix is king over the Cilicians round about the snowy mount of high-peaked Tauros ; Phineus came with all speed to the Thracian land. As for him, I will make him proud with his deep mines of riches, and lead him as goodson to Oreithyia and Thracian Boreas, as prophetic bridegroom of garlanded Cleopatra. For you, the Portioner’s thread weighs equal with your brothers ; be king of the Cadmeians, and leave your name to your people. Give up the back-wending circuits of your wandering way, and relinquish the bull’s restless track ; for your sister has been wedded by the law of love to Asterion of Dicte, king of Corybantian Ida. So much I will myself foretell for you, the rest I will leave to Phoibos. And now, Cadmos, do you make your way to the midnipple of the earth, and visit the speaking vales of Pytho.”
“With these words, Zeus Cronides dismissed Agenor’s son, and swiftly turned his golden chariot toward the round of the ethereal stars, while Victory by his side drove her father’s team with the heavenly whip. So the god came once more to the sky ; and to receive him the stately Seasons threw open the heavenly gates, and crowned the heavens. With Zeus victorious, the other gods came home to ” Olympos, in their own form come again, for they put off the winged shapes which they had taken on, ” Athena came into heaven unarmed, in dainty robes with Ares turned Comus, and Victory for Song and Themis displayed to dumbfounded Earth, mother of the giants, the spoils of the giant destroyed, an awful warming for the future, and hung them up high in the vestibule of Olympos.
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