The Golden Verses of Pythagoras · 109 of 122 · tr. Florence M. Firth
Section 13 (part 76)
Ἐκ δὲ Τυφωέος ἔστ᾽ ἀνέμων μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων, νόσφι Νότου Βορέωτε καὶ ἀργέστεω Ζεφύροιο· 870 οἵ γε μὲν ἐκ θεόφιν γενεή, θνητοῖς μέγ᾽ ὄνειαρ· Οἱ δ᾽ ἄλλοι μαψαῦραι ἐπιπνείουσι θάλασσαν· αἳ δή τοι πίπτουσαι ἐς ἠεροειδέα πόντον, πῆμα μέγα θνητοῖσι, κακῇ θυίουσιν ἀέλλῃ· ἄλλοτε δ᾽ ἄλλαι ἄεισι διασκιδνᾶσί τε νῆας 875 ναύτας τε φθείρουσι· κακοῦ δ᾽ οὐ γίγνεται ἀλκὴ ἀνδράσιν, οἳ κείνῃσι συνάντωνται κατὰ πόντον· αἳ δ᾽ αὖ καὶ κατὰ γαῖαν ἀπείριτον ἀνθεμόεσσαν ἔργ᾽ ἐρατὰ φθείρουσι χαμαιγενέων ἀνθρώπων πιμπλεῖσαι κόνιός τε καὶ ἀργαλέου κολοσυρτοῦ.
Themes
◆Alchemical Workpraxis
The transformation of base substance — outer matter or the inner soul — into a purified, perfected, or 'gold' state; the magnum opus as both laboratory practice and spiritual allegory.
The imagery of earth and iron melting under fire in furnaces parallels the alchemical process of transforming base matter.
All passages →◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
The passage depicts divine beings acting with human-like emotions such as anger and physical actions like striking and throwing.
All passages →