The Golden Verses of Pythagoras · 105 of 122 · tr. Florence M. Firth
Section 13 (part 72)
φωναὶ δ᾽ ἐν πάσῃσιν ἔσαν δεινῇς κεφαλῇσι παντοίην ὄπ᾽ ἰεῖσαι ἀθέσφατον· ἄλλοτε μὲν γὰρ 830 φθέγγονθ᾽ ὥστε θεοῖσι συνιέμεν, ἄλλοτε δ᾽ αὖτε ταύρου ἐριβρύχεω, μένος ἀσχέτου, ὄσσαν ἀγαύρου, ἄλλοτε δ᾽ αὖτε λέοντος ἀναιδέα θυμὸν ἔχοντος, ἄλλοτε δ᾽ αὖ σκυλάκεσσιν ἐοικότα, θαύματ᾽ ἀκοῦσαι, ἄλλοτε δ᾽ αὖ ῥοίζεσχ᾽, ὑπὸ δ᾽ ἤχεεν οὔρεα μακρά.
835 Καί νύ κεν ἔπλετο ἔργον ἀμήχανον ἤματι κείνῳ καί κεν ὅ γε θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἄναξεν, εἰ μὴ ἄρ᾽ ὀξὺ νόησε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε.
Σκληρὸν δ᾽ ἐβρόντησε καὶ ὄβριμον, ἀμφὶ δὲ γαῖα σμερδαλέον κονάβησε καὶ οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθε 840 πόντος τ᾽ Ὠκεανοῦ τε ῥοαὶ καὶ Τάρταρα γαίης.
Themes
◇Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
[auto] The passage depicts gods engaging in physical combat and using weapons like lightning, attributing human-like warfare to divine beings.
All passages →◇Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
[auto] Zeus is portrayed as an active agent whose signs (thunder, lightning) directly influence the cosmic scene, presenting the divine as dynamic and present.
All passages →