The Golden Verses of Pythagoras · 75 of 122 · tr. Florence M. Firth
Section 13 (part 42)
Πεύθετο γὰρ Γαίης τε καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος, οὕνεκά οἱ πέπρωτο ἑῷ ὑπὸ παιδὶ δαμῆναι καὶ κρατερῷ περ ἐόντι — Διὸς μεγάλου διὰ βουλάς· — 465 τῷ ὅ γ᾽ ἄρ᾽ οὐκ ἀλαὸς σκοπιὴν ἔχεν, ἀλλὰ δοκεύων παῖδας ἑοὺς κατέπινε· ῾Ρέην δ᾽ ἔχε πένθος ἄλαστον.
Ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ Δί᾽ ἔμελλε θεῶν πατέρ᾽ ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν τέξεσθαι, τότ᾽ ἔπειτα φίλους λιτάνευε τοκῆας τοὺς αὐτῆς, Γαῖάν τε καὶ Οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα, 470 μῆτιν συμφράσσασθαι, ὅπως λελάθοιτο τεκοῦσα παῖδα φίλον, τείσαιτο δ᾽ ἐρινῦς πατρὸς ἑοῖο παίδων θ᾽, οὓς κατέπινε μέγας Κρόνος ἀγκυλομήτης.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
The passage depicts gods engaging in distinctly human or physical actions such as marriage, childbirth, and swallowing children due to fear of usurpation.
All passages →◆Divine Marriagesoteriology
The reunification of complementary divine principles (male-female, spirit-matter) as a symbol of wholeness and salvation.
The text explicitly mentions Rhea being joined to Cronus as the source of divine offspring, representing a union of divine principles.
All passages →◆Sacred Namestheology
Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.
Specific divine names (Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus) are invoked to identify the distinct powers and roles of the gods.
All passages →