The Golden Verses of Pythagoras · 108 of 122 · tr. Florence M. Firth
Section 13 (part 75)
Αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δή μιν δάμασεν πληγῇσιν ἱμάσσας, ἤριπε γυιωθείς, στενάχιζε δὲ γαῖα πελώρη.
Φλὸξ δὲ κεραυνωθέντος ἀπέσσυτο τοῖο ἄνακτος οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃσιν Ἀίτνης παιπαλοέσσῃς, 860 πληγέντος.
Πολλὴ δὲ πελώρη καίετο γαῖα ἀτμῇ θεσπεσίῃ καὶ ἐτήκετο κασσίτερος ὣς τέχνῃ ὕπ᾽ αἰζηῶν ἐν ἐυτρήτοις χοάνοισι θαλφθείς, ἠὲ σίδηρος, ὅ περ κρατερώτατός ἐστιν, οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃσι δαμαζόμενος πυρὶ κηλέῳ 865 τήκεται ἐν χθονὶ δίῃ ὑφ᾽ Ἡφαιστου παλάμῃσιν.
Ὥς ἄρα τήκετο γαῖα σέλαι πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο.
Ῥῖψε δέ μιν θυμῷ ἀκαχὼν ἐς Τάρταρον εὐρύν.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
The passage attributes human emotions such as hate and fear to the gods regarding the primordial depths.
All passages →◆Cosmic Sympathycosmology
The Stoic and Plotinian doctrine that all parts of the cosmos are bound by hidden affinities, so that a movement in one part resonates through the whole; the metaphysical basis for astrology, magic, and divination.
The text describes how divine action (Zeus striking) causes a resonant reaction throughout the cosmos (earth, sea, and sky shaking).
All passages →