The Golden Verses of Pythagoras · 111 of 122 · tr. Florence M. Firth
Section 13 (part 78)
Ἐκ γὰρ τῆς εἵμαρτο περίφρονα τέκνα γενέσθαι· πρώτην μὲν κούρην γλαυκώπιδα Τριτογένειαν 895 ἶσον ἔχουσαν πατρὶ μένος καὶ ἐπίφρονα βουλήν.
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ᾽ ἄρα παῖδα θεῶν βασιλῆα καὶ ἀνδρῶν ἤμελλεν τέξεσθαι, ὑπέρβιον ἦτορ ἔχοντα· ἀλλ᾽ ἄρα μιν Ζεὺς πρόσθεν ἑὴν ἐσκάτθετο νηδύν, ὡς δή οἱ φράσσαιτο θεὰ ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε.
900 Δεύτερον ἠγάγετο λιπαρὴν Θέμιν, ἣ τέκεν Ὥρας, Εὐνουμίην τε Δίκην τε καὶ Εἰρήνην τεθαλυῖαν, αἳ ἔργ᾽ ὠρεύουσι καταθνητοῖσι βροτοῖσι, Μοίρας θ᾽, ᾗ πλείστην τιμὴν πόρε μητίετα Ζεύς, Κλωθώ τε Λάχεσίν τε καὶ Ἄτροπον, αἵτε διδοῦσι 905 θνητοῖς ἀνθρώποισιν ἔχειν ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
The passage depicts Zeus with human physical attributes (belly) and actions (marriage, swallowing, deception), clearly attributing human characteristics to the divine.
All passages →◆Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
Zeus and other deities are portrayed as active, personal agents who make decisions, form relationships, and intervene in cosmic affairs rather than abstract principles.
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