THEOGONY

HESIOD

Δημήτηρ μὲν Πλοῦτον ἐγείνατο δῖα θεάων, 970Ἰασίῳ ἥρωι μιγεῖσ’ ἐρατῇ φιλότητι νειῷ ἔνι τριπόλῳ, Κρήτης ἐν πίονι δήμῳ, ἐσθλόν, ὃς εἶσ’ ἐπὶ γῆν τε καὶ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης πᾶσαν· τῷ δὲ τυχόντι καὶ οὗ κ’ ἐς χεῖρας ἵκηται, τὸν δὴ ἀφνειὸν ἔθηκε, πολὺν δέ οἱ ὤπασεν ὄλβον. 975Κάδμῳ δ’ Ἁρμονίη, θυγάτηρ χρυσῆς Ἀφροδίτης, Ἰνὼ καὶ Σεμέλην καὶ Ἀγαυὴν καλλιπάρηον Αὐτονόην θ’, ἣν γῆμεν Ἀρισταῖος βαθυχαίτης, γείνατο καὶ Πολύδωρον ἐυστεφάνῳ ἐνὶ Θήβῃ. κούρη δ’ Ὠκεανοῦ Χρυσάορι καρτεροθύμῳ 980μιχθεῖσ’ ἐν φιλότητι πολυχρύσου Ἀφροδίτης Καλλιρόη τέκε παῖδα βροτῶν κάρτιστον ἁπάντων, Γηρυονέα, τὸν κτεῖνε βίη Ἡρακληείη βοῶν ἕνεκ’ εἰλιπόδων ἀμφιρρύτῳ εἰν Ἐρυθείῃ. Τιθωνῷ δ’ Ἠὼς τέκε Μέμνονα χαλκοκορυστήν, 985Αἰθιόπων βασιλῆα, καὶ Ἠμαθίωνα ἄνακτα. αὐτάρ τοι Κεφάλῳ φιτύσατο φαίδιμον υἱόν, ἴφθιμον Φαέθοντα, θεοῖς ἐπιείκελον ἄνδρα· τόν ῥα νέον τέρεν ἄνθος ἔχοντ’ ἐρικυδέος ἥβης παῖδ’ ἀταλὰ φρονέοντα φιλομμειδὴς Ἀφροδίτη 990ὦρτ’ ἀνερειψαμένη, καί μιν ζαθέοις ἐνὶ νηοῖς νηοπόλον μύχιον ποιήσατο, δαίμονα δῖον. κούρην δ’ Αἰήταο διοτρεφέος βασιλῆος Αἰσονίδης βουλῇσι θεῶν αἰειγενετάων ἦγε παρ’ Αἰήτεω, τελέσας στονόεντας ἀέθλους,

(969) Demeter, divine among goddesses, gave birth to Plutus (Wealth), mingling in lovely desire with the hero Iasius in thrice-plowed fallow land in the rich land of Crete—fine Plutus, who goes upon the whole earth and the broad back of the sea, and whoever meets him and comes into his hands, that man he makes rich, and he bestows much wealth upon him.

(975) To Cadmus, Harmonia, golden Aphrodite’s daughter, bore Ino and Semele and beautiful-cheeked Agave and Autonoe, whom deep-haired Aristaeus married, and Polydorus, in well-garlanded Thebes.

(979) Callirhoe, Ocean’s daughter, mingling in golden Aphrodite’s love with strong-spirited Chrysaor, bore a son, the strongest of all mortals, Geryoneus, whom Heracles’ force killed on account of rolling-footed cattle in sea-girt Erythea.

(984) To Tithonus, Eos bore bronze-helmeted Memnon, the king of the Ethiopians, and lord Emathion. And to Cephalus she bore a splendid son, powerful Phaethon, a man equal to the gods. While he was young, a delicate-spirited child, and still possessed the tender flower of glorious youth, smile-loving Aphrodite snatched him away, and made him her innermost temple-keeper in her holy temples, a divine spirit.

(992) By the plans of the eternally living gods, Aeson’s son⁴⁵ led away from Aeetes, that Zeus-nurtured king, Aeetes’ daughter,⁴⁶ after completing the many painful