s　of　good　things。　　Then；　next；　the　goddesses　sing　of　Zeus；　the　father　of　gods　and　men；　as　they　begin　and　end　their　strain；　how　much　he　is　the　most　excellent　among　the　gods　and　supreme　in　power。　　And　again；　they　chant　the　race　of　men　and　strong　giants；　and　gladden　the　heart　of　Zeus　within　Olympus；　　the　Olympian　Muses；　daughters　of　Zeus　the　aegis…holder。
  （ll。　53…74）　Them　in　Pieria　did　Mnemosyne　（Memory）；　who　reigns　over　the　hills　of　Eleuther；　bear　of　union　with　the　father；　the　son　of　Cronos；　a　forgetting　of　ills　and　a　rest　from　sorrow。　　For　nine　nights　did　wise　Zeus　lie　with　her；　entering　her　holy　bed　remote　from　the　immortals。　　And　when　a　year　was　passed　and　the　seasons　came　round　as　the　months　waned；　and　many　days　were　accomplished；　she　bare　nine　daughters；　all　of　one　mind；　whose　hearts　are　set　upon　song　and　their　spirit　free　from　care；　a　little　way　from　the　topmost　peak　of　snowy　Olympus。　　There　are　their　bright　dancing…places　and　beautiful　homes；　and　beside　them　the　Graces　and　Himerus　（Desire）　live　in　delight。　　And　they；　uttering　through　their　lips　a　lovely　voice；　sing　the　laws　of　all　and　the　goodly　ways　of　the　immortals；　uttering　their　lovely　voice。　　Then　went　they　to　Olympus；　delighting　in　their　sweet　voice；　with　heavenly　song；　and　the　dark　earth　resounded　about　them　as　they　chanted；　and　a　lovely　sound　rose　up　beneath　their　feet　as　they　went　to　their　father。　　And　he　was　reigning　in　heaven；　himself　holding　the　lightning　and　glowing　thunderbolt；　when　he　had　overcome　by　might　his　father　Cronos；　and　he　distributed　fairly　to　the　immortals　their　portions　and　declared　their　privileges。
  （ll。　75…103）　These　things；　then；　the　Muses　sang　who　dwell　on　Olympus；　nine　daughters　begotten　by　great　Zeus；　Cleio　and　Euterpe；　Thaleia；　Melpomene　and　Terpsichore；　and　Erato　and　Polyhymnia　and　Urania　and　Calliope　（3）；　who　is　the　chiefest　of　them　all；　for　she　attends　on　worshipful　princes：　whomsoever　of　heaven…nourished　princes　the　daughters　of　great　Zeus　honour；　and　behold　him　at　his　birth；　they　pour　sweet　dew　upon　his　tongue；　and　from　his　lips　flow　gracious　words。　　All　the　people　look　towards　him　while　he　settles　causes　with　true　judgements：　and　he；　speaking　surely；　would　soon　make　wise　end　even　of　a　great　quarrel；　for　therefore　are　there　princes　wise　in　heart；　because　when　the　people　are　being　misguided　in　their　assembly；　they　set　right　the　matter　again　with　ease；　persuading　them　with　gentle　words。　　And　when　he　passes　through　a　gathering；　they　greet　him　as　a　god　with　gentle　reverence；　and　he　is　conspicuous　amongst　the　assembled：　such　is　the　holy　gift　of　the　Muses　to　men。　　For　it　is　through　the　Muses　and　far…shooting　Apollo　that　there　are　singers　and　harpers　upon　the　earth；　but　princes　are　of　Zeus；　and　happy　is　he　whom　the　Muses　love：　sweet　flows　speech　from　his　mouth。　　For　though　a　man　have　sorrow　and　grief　in　his　newly…troubled　soul　and　live　in　dread　because　his　heart　is　distressed；　yet；　when　a　singer；　the　servant　of　the　Muses；　chants　the　glorious　deeds　of　men　of　old　and　the　blessed　gods　who　inhabit　Olympus；　at　once　he　forgets　his　heaviness　and　remembers　not　his　sorrows　at　all；　but　the　gifts　of　the　goddesses　soon　turn　him　away　from　these。
  （ll。　104…115）　Hail；　children　of　Zeus！　　Grant　lovely　song　and　celebrate　the　holy　race　of　the　deathless　gods　who　are　for　ever；　those　that　were　born　of　Earth　and　starry　Heaven　and　gloomy　Night　and　them　that　briny　Sea　did　rear。　　Tell　how　at　the　first　gods　and　earth　came　to　be；　and　rivers；　and　the　boundless　sea　with　its　raging　swell；　and　the　gleaming　stars；　and　the　wide　heaven　above；　and　the　gods　who　were　born　of　them；　givers　of　good　things；　and　how　they　divided　their　wealth；　and　how　they　shared　their　honours　amongst　them；　and　also　how　at　the　first　they　took　many…folded　Olympus。　　These　things　declare　to　me　from　the　beginning；　ye　Muses　who　dwell　in　the　house　of　Olympus；　and　tell　me　which　of　them　first　came　to　be。
  （ll。　116…138）　Verily　at　the　first　Chaos　came　to　be；　but　next　wide…bosomed　Earth；　the　ever…sure　foundations　of　all　（4）　the　deathless　ones　who　hold　the　peaks　of　snowy　Olympus；　and　dim　Tartarus　in　the　depth　of　the　wide…pathed　Earth；　and　Eros　（Love）；　fairest　among　the　deathless　gods；　who　unnerves　the　limbs　and　overcomes　the　mind　and　wise　counsels　of　all　gods　and　all　men　within　them。　　From　Chaos　came　forth　Erebus　and　black　Night；　but　of　Night　were　born　Aether　（5）　and　Day；　whom　she　conceived　and　bare　from　union　in　love　with　Erebus。　　And　Earth　first　bare　starry　Heaven；　equal　to　herself；　to　cover　her　on　every　side；　and　to　be　an　ever…sure　abiding…place　for　the　blessed　gods。　　And　she　brought　forth　long　Hills；　graceful　haunts　of　the　goddess…Nymphs　who　dwell　amongst　the　glens　of　the　hills。　　She　bare　also　the　fruitless　deep　with　his　raging　swell；　Pontus；　without　sweet　union　of　love。　　But　afterwards　she　lay　with　Heaven　and　bare　deep…swirling　Oceanus；　Coeus　and　Crius　and　Hyperion　and　Iapetus；　Theia　and　Rhea；　Themis　and　Mnemosyne　and　gold…crowned　Phoebe　and　lovely　Tethys。　　After　them　was　born　Cronos　the　wily；　youngest　and　most　terrible　of　her　children；　and　he　hated　his　lusty　sire。
  （ll。　139…146）　And　again；　she　bare　the　Cyclopes；　overbearing　in　spirit；　Brontes；　and　Steropes　and　stubborn…hearted　Arges　（6）；　who　gave　Zeus　the　thunder　and　made　the　thunderbolt：　in　all　else　they　were　like　the　gods；　but　one　eye　only　was　set　in　the　midst　of　their　fore…heads。　　And　they　were　surnamed　Cyclopes　（Orb…eyed）　because　one　orbed　eye　was　set　in　their　foreheads。　　Strength　and　might　and　craft　were　in　their　works。
  （ll。　147…163）　And　again；　three　other　sons　were　born　of　Earth　and　Heaven；　great　and　doughty　beyond　telling；　Cottus　and　Briareos　and　Gyes；　presumptuous　children。　　From　their　shoulders　sprang　an　hundred　arms；　not　to　be　approached；　and　each　had　fifty　heads　upon　his　shoulders　on　their　strong　limbs；　and　irresistible　was　the　stubborn　strength　that　was　in　their　great　forms。　　For　of　all　the　children　that　were　born　of　Earth　and　Heaven；　these　were　the　most　terrible；　and　they　were　hated　by　their　own　father　from　the　first。
  And　he　used　to　hide　them　all　away　in　a　secret　place　of　Earth　so　soon　as　each　was　born；　and　would　not　suffer　them　to　come　up　into　the　light：　and　Heaven　rejoiced　in　his　evil　doing。　　But　vast　Earth　groaned　within；　being　straitened；　and　she　made　the　element　of　grey　flint　and　shaped　a　great　sickle；　and　told　her　plan　to　her　dear　sons。　　And　she　spoke；　cheering　them；　while　she　was　vexed　in　her　dear　heart：
  （ll。　164…166）　‘My　children；　gotten　of　a　sinful　father；　if　you　will　obey　me；　we　should　punish　the　vile　outrage　of　your　father；　for　he　first　thought　of　doing　shameful　things。'
  （ll。　167…169）　So　she　said；　but　fear　seized　them　all；　and　none　of　them　uttered　a　word。　　But　great　Cronos　the　wily　took　courage　and　answered　his　dear　mother：
  （ll。　170…172）　‘Mother；　I　will　undertake　to　do　this　deed；　for　I　reverence　not　our　father　of　evil　name；　for　he　first　thought　of　doing　shameful　things。'
  （ll。　173…175）　So　he　said：　and　vast　Earth　rejoiced　greatly　in　spirit；　and　set　and　hid　him　in　an　ambush；　and　put　in　his　hands　a　jagged　sickle；　and　revealed　to　him　the　whole　plot。
  （ll。　176…206）　And　Heaven　came；　bringing　on　night　and　longing　for　love；　and　he　lay　about　Earth　spreading　himself　full　upon　her　（7）。
  Then　the　son　from　his　ambush　stretched　forth　his　left　hand　and　in　his　right　took　the　great　long　sickle　with　jagged　teeth；　and　swiftly　lopped　off　his　own　father's　members　and　cast　them　away　to　fall　behind　him。　　And　not　vainly　did　they　fall　from　his　hand；　for　all　the　bloody　drops　that　gushed　forth　Earth　received；　and　as　the　seasons　moved　round　she　bare　the　strong　Erinyes　and　the　great　Giants　with　gleaming　armour；　holding　long　spears　in　their　hands　and　the　Nymphs　whom　they　call　Meliae　（8）　all　over　the　boundless　earth。　　And　so　soon　as　he　had　cut　off　the　members　with　flint　and　cast　them　from　the　land　into　the　surging　sea；　they　were　swept　away　over　the　main　a　long　time：　and　a　white　foam　spread　around　them　from　the　immortal　flesh；　and　in　it　there　grew　a　maiden。　　First　she　drew　near　holy　Cythera；　and　from　there；　afterwards；　she　came　to　sea…girt　Cyprus；　and　came　forth　an　awful　and　lovely　goddess；　and　grass　grew　up　about　her　beneath　her　shapely　feet。　　Her　gods　and　men　call　Aphrodite；　and　the　foam…born　goddess　and　rich…crowned　Cytherea；　because　she　grew　amid　the　foam；　and　Cytherea　because　she　reached　Cythera；　and　Cyprogenes　because　she　was　born　in　billowy　Cyprus；　and　Philommedes　（9）　because　sprang　from　the　members。　　And　with　her　went　Eros；　and　comely　Desire　followed　her　at　her　birth　at　the　first　and　as　she　went　into　the　assembly　of　the　gods。　　This　honour　she　has　from　the　beginning；　and　this　is　the　portion　allotted　to　her　amongst　men　and　undying　gods；　　the　whisperings　of　maidens　and　smiles　and　deceits　with　sweet　delight　and　love　and　graciousness。
  （ll。　207…210）　But　these　sons　whom　be　begot　himself　great　Heaven　used　to　call　Titans　（Strainers）　in　reproach；　for　he　said　that　they　strained　and　did　presumptuously　a　fearful　deed；　and　that　vengeance　for　it　would　come　afterwards。
  （ll。　211…225）　And　Night　bare　hateful　Doom　and　black　Fate　and　Death；　and　she　bare　Sleep　and　the　tribe　of　Dreams。　　And　again　the　goddess　murky　Night；　though　she　lay　with　none；　bare　Blame　and　painful　Woe；　and　the　Hesperides　who　guard　the　rich；　golden　apples　and　the　trees　bearing　frui