†ταῦτ ̓ ἄρα ἁζόμενος τίμα ἀριδείκετον υἱόν· 535 532. ταῦτ ̓ ἂρ άζ. LN, Ald. 533. παύθη Ν. παύσθη L, Ald. 537. ἐξαπατίσκων Ald. ζηνὸς νόον LN, Ald. 532. This verse appears to be corrupt, or perhaps a verse has been lost which followed it. Flach, with Robinson, has τοῦτον ἄρ ̓ ἁς. Goettling's conjecture, ταῦτ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἀγαζόμενος, probable in itself, is the more so because two or three MSS. give the unmetrical elision ταῦτ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἁζόμενος. He compares Pind. Nem. xi. 6, πολλὰ μὲν λοιβαῖσιν ἀγαζόμενοι πρώταν θεῶν. But τίμα cannot be the imperfect, unless on the supposition of some lacuna, or that the next verse, which has no connecting particle, is spurious. Perhaps Tua ἀριδείκετον υἱὸν, καίπερ χωόμενος παύσας χόλον κ.τ.λ. Or (as we might rather expect παυσάμενος), τιμῶν would be no violent change.—καίπερ χωόμενος, cf. inf. v. 561. 568. tion with them, of the primitive indigenous divinities. Van Lennep thinks the story may be traced to some ancient council held at Sicyon to determine what gods should belong to the national religion of Hellas. 537. δασσάμενος, having divided into two portions" (perhaps as umpire). See on v. 520.—προὔθηκε, " placed before them, offered for a banquet. The trick consisted in this: he placed the eatable parts of the ox inside the skin, and covered the heap over with the paunch, which, as Goettling infers from Od. xviii. 44, was an inferior part, and one little cared for; while te really worthless parts, the stripped bones, he enveloped in enticing fat, so as to appear the better share. Zeus, although he took the latter, is represented as doing so knowingly (v. 551), and making the affair an excuse for punishing man, since in future, in consequence of the choice, only bones wrapped in fat were burned on the altars for the portion of Zeus. Schol. διὰ τοῦτο ἀνέσχετο χλευασθῆναι, ὅπως εὕρῃ χώραν τιμωρήσασθαι τὸν Προμηθέα, ἵνα ἄξιος ᾖ μείζονος τιμωρίας. Sir G. W. Cox remarks on this (Mythology and Folk-lore, p. 174, note), “In relating this story the Hesiodic poet says, strangely enough, that Zeus saw through the trick from the first, and that it was therefore no trick at all. But this is inconsistent with the feverish eagerness of Zeus to lay his hands on the fat. The god is really outwitted." The story seems to have been one of the ἱεροί λόγοι, to account for certain sacrificial practices. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ σάρκας τε καὶ ἔγκατα * πίονα δημῷ Ὣς φάτο κερτομέων Ζεὺς ἄφθιτα μήδεα ειδώς. τὸν δ ̓ αὖτε προσέειπε Προμηθεὺς ἀγκυλομήτης, ἦκ ̓ ἐπιμειδήσας, δολίης δ ̓ οὐ λήθετο τέχνης· Ζεῦ κύδιστε, μέγιστε θεῶν αἰειγενετάων, τῶνδ ̓ ἑλεῖ ὁπποτέρην σε ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θυμὸς ἀνώγει. 540 545 Φῆ ῥα δολοφρονέων· Ζεὺς δ ̓ ἄφθιτα μήδεα εἰδὼς 550 γνῶ ῥ ̓ οὐδ ̓ ἠγνοίησε δόλον· κακὰ δ ̓ ὄσσετο θυμῷ 539. βοείη 540. βολος 542. 546. προσέξειπε 544. μοῖραν 550. φη With this 538. πίονι MSS. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ Ν. τῷ μὲν γὰρ vulg. Ald. 547. οὐκἐλήθετο Ν. 548. Ζεὺς Αld., L. Ζεν Ν. ῥα οὐδ ̓ ἠγνόησε N, the intermediate words omitted. verse a different hand commences in L, which henceforth exhibits readings more distinct from N. 538-40. τοῖς μὲν—τῷ δέ. There were two shares, and two parties to choose; gods and mortal men. This is a safer and better reading than T μèv τῷ δὲ, ‘on this side and on that. Guiet. proposed tỷ μèv―tî dè, which perhaps is the Attic rather than the Epic form. Two MSS. give τοῖς μὲν— τοῖς δέ.—For πίονι we should doubtless read πίονα, “ the inwards rich in fat, i. e. the σπλάγχνα, or larger organs, as the heart and liver, which were considered delicate parts. The error may have arisen from ἀργέτι δημῷ ν. 541. Flach also gives πίονα. 540. δολίῃ ἐπὶ τέχνῃ, for δόλια μηχανώμενος, “ intending a crafty trick. Cf. inf. 555.—κατέθηκε, set down, viz. near to the other heap. But this verse can hardly be genuine. It repeats κατέθηκε, it anticipates v. 555, and it contains a verb εὐθετίζειν, which seems of a late coinage. We should read therefore τῷ δ ̓ αὖτ ̓ ὀστέα λευκὰ καλύψας ἀργέτι δημῷ. 543. This is a corrupt or spurious verse, since avat regularly has the digamma. Besides, conspicuous among all kings' was an extraordinary appellation for Prometheus. Perhaps, ἀριδείκετε λαῶν. 544. ἑτεροζήλως, unfairly, partially ; with zeal for one side. 545. κερτομέων, reproaching him for the apparent unfairness, though Zeus knew which was the better portion.ἄφθιτα μήδεα εἰδὼς is quoted by Goettling from Il. xxiv. 88, and Hymn. in Ven. 43, and so δολίης δ ̓ οὐ λήθετο τέχνης from Hymn. Merc. 76. Compare also inf. 545. 550. 559. 561. 549. σε ἐνί. Perhaps γέ σ' ἐνὶ, or σε γ ̓ ἐνί. But see on v. 399. 551. ὄσσετο, designed, meditated. See Lexil. p. 445. θνητοῖς ἀνθρώποισι, τὰ καὶ τελέεσθαι ἔμελλε. ἐκ τοῦ δ ̓ ἀθανάτοισιν ἐπὶ χθονὶ φυλ ̓ ἀνθρώπων 555 560 553. Goettling and Van Lennep give ἄλειφα, with several MSS., for ἄλειφαρ, as the older form. Hesych. άλειφα· στέαρ, μύρον, χρίσμα, ἔλαιον. Cf. Aesch. Agam. 313. The share meant is the bones covered with fat, v. 540—1. 554. Schoemann reads χώσατο δὲ φρένας ἀμφὶ, χόλος δέ μιν ἵκετο θυμόν, the majority of copies having this order. 556. ἐκ τοῦ, in consequence of this; like ἐκ τούτου inf. v. 562, and the Attic ἐκ τῶνδε, Aesch. Αgam. 850. Eur. Electr. 31. Ion 843. Since Zeus had himself chosen the bones, mortals thought themselves justified in offering the same in sacrifice. Human nature is ever the same: the smaller share falls to the lot of religion, the larger to self. This distich (556-7), if not an interpolation, can hardly be considered to stand in its right place. Goettling would transpose it to follow v. 561, where it is much more appropriate. In this case, it would almost follow that v. 564 was added by an interpolator, since μελέοισι in 563 would refer to φύλ' ἀνθρώπων.—ὀστέα λευκὰ, the thigh-bones stripped clean from the fesh. These appear to have been burnt along with the slices of meat enveloped with fat. Here there is specific mention of offering bones in a burnt sacrifice, yet unpía and μηροί (μηρὰ) seem to mean meat-slices carved or cut from the joint, the technical term for which is ἐκτέμνειν οι ἐξελεῖν. See Soph. Αnt. 1011, Ar. Pac. 1021. 560. οὔπω ἄρα. 'So you have not yet, it seems,' &c. This implies that Prometheus had frequently before practised the arts of deception. Cf. v. 547, and 562, δόλου μεμνημένος ἀεί. 563. οὐκ ἐδίδου, he did not allow, did not continue the use of fire to mortals. The reading of many copies, μελίῃσι, is not easy to account for, except on the supposition made in the note on v. 556, that v. 564 was wanting. It seems to have been made from a gloss to μελέοισι, viz. ἀνθρώποις implied from v. 556. The Schol. seems to refer to it in the com ment ἢ ὅτι ἐκ Μελιῶν ἐγένοντο Νυμφῶν. ἀλλά μιν ἐξαπάτησεν ἐὺς παῖς Ἰαπετοιο, 572. Είκελον 574. Ξεσθῆτι 567. νεόθι 569. Είδεν 565 570 575 567. δέ ὁ εἰόθι Ν. 574. αργυφέ Ald. ἀργυρέῃ Ν. αργυφέῃ L. καταθῆκε δὲ καλύπτρην Ν. καταθῆκεν δὲ κ. L, but with gloss ἐπάνω τῆς κεφαλῆς. LN? πίης Ν. 575. κατέθηκεν Ν. 567. νάρθηκι. See Opp. 52. νειόθι, ἐκ νέου, for νεάτου, ' at the very bottom. Photius, νεάτη· ἐσχάτη. Il. xxi. 317, οὔτε τὰ τεύχεα καλὰ, τά που μάλα νειόθι λίμνης κείσεται. 569. ὡς ἴδεν. Perhaps ὡς ἴδ ̓ ἐν κ.τ.λ. But this verse seems made up from 555 and 566. Goettling is inclined to include in brackets v. 568, and in the preceding one to adopt the reading of the Emmanuel MS. (Ν.), δάκεν δέ ἑ κ.τ.λ. 570. ἀντὶ πυρός. See Opp. 57. For the next three verses see ibid. 70-2.ἴκελον, supply πλάσμα from σύμπλασσε, 575. “ Recte habet χείρεσσι κατέσχεθε. Pandora enim veli ab Minerva ei praebiti lacinias suis manibus tenebat, quemadmodum saepissime id expressum videmus in antiquae artis monumentis." Goettl. The meaning appears simply to be, she kept down with her hands (i.e. drew close, or prevented from being moved by the wind) a worked veil that fell from her head. Compare σχέσθαι καλύπτρην in Apoll. Rhod. iii. 445. So 576. νεοθηλέας Ald. νεοθηλέος Penelope in Od. xxi. 65, ἄντα παρειάων σχομένη λιπαρὰ κρήδεμνα, and Helen in Il. iii. 419, κατασχομένη ἑανῷ ἀργῆτι φαεινῷ. There is perhaps some objection to the abrupt change of the subject from Athena to Pandora. At the same time, the change will account for the repetition of Παλλάς Αθήνη in 577, which some critics have thought an indication of spuriousness. The καλύπτρη was probably a kind of head-cloth, which could be held so as to enclose the face. It is nearly represented by the coloured kerchiefs that gipsies wear, after the Eastern fashion. It appears generally to have been richly embroidered; hence Σιδονίᾳ καλύπτρα Aesch. Suppl. 113. 576. στεφάνους. As this, the chaplet of flowers, was added over and above the σrepávn, the diadem or circlet of gold, and by the same hand of Pallas, Wolf and others have enclosed this and the next verse in brackets. The same account, however, is given in Opp. 74, ἀμφὶ δὲ τήνγε Ὧραι καλλίκομοι στέφον ἱμερτοὺς παρέθηκε καρήατι Παλλάς Αθήνη ἀμφὶ δέ οἱ στεφάνην χρυσέην κεφαλήφιν ἔθηκε, τὴν αὐτὸς ποίησε περικλυτὸς ̓Αμφιγυήεις ἀσκήσας παλάμῃσι, χαριζόμενος Διὶ πατρί. τῇ δ ̓ ἐνὶ δαίδαλα πολλὰ τετεύχατο, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι, κνώδαλ ̓, ὅσ ̓ ἤπειρος πολλὰ τρέφει ἠδὲ θάλασσα. τῶν ὅγε πόλλ ̓ ἐνέθηκε, (χάρις δ' ἀπελάμπετο πολλὴ,) θαυμάσια, ζώοισιν ἐοικότα φωνήεσσιν. 580 Αὐτὰρ † ἐπειδὴ τεύξε καλὸν κακὸν ἀντ ̓ ἀγαθοῖο, 585 ἐξάγαγ ̓ ἔνθα περ ἄλλοι ἔσαν θεοὶ ἠδ ̓ ἄνθρωποι κόσμῳ ἀγαλλομένην γλαυκώπιδος ὀμβριμοπάτρης. θαῦμα δ ̓ ἔχ ̓ ἀθανάτους τε θεοὺς θνητούς τ ̓ ἀνθρώπους, ὡς εἶδον δόλον αἰπὺν, ἀμήχανον ἀνθρώποισιν. 578. Τοι 580. Διὶ 581, 588. θάμα 581. Ειδέσθαι 589. Ρεῖδον 578. Sè om. L, Ald. 577. ἱμερτούς τε Ν. L, Ald. πολλά om. Ald. 584. θαυμάσια Ν. 587. οβρ. Ν. όμβρ. L, Ald. ἄνθεσιν εἰαρινοῖσι. Here the entire decoration of the woman is attributed to Pallas, who ζῶσε καὶ κόσμησε ν. 573, where ζωννύναι refers to the ἐσθής, κοσμεῖν to the head-ornaments. For παρέθηκε, which Goettling explains παρὰ τὴν καλύπτρην ἔθηκε, Hermann would read περίθηκε or περέθηκε (like περίαχε inf. v. 678). The former is better, and appears very probable. But the reading of the Emmanuel MS., ἱμερτούς τε, suggests ἱμερτούς τ ̓ ἐπέθηκε κ.τ.λ. And this is adopted by Dr. Flach, who however excludes from the text 366-584. We might also suggest προσέθηκε. 578-80. These three verses were probably taken from a different recension, in which they stood in place of the distich preceding. 582. The readings of the Aldine and Barocc. 109 suggest κνώδαλα θ' ὅσσα περ ἤπειρος τρέφει ἠδὲ θάλασσα. 584. θαυμάσια, the reading of several good copies, is manifestly better than θαυμασίη, agreeing with χάρις. 582. κνώδαλα ὅσσ' θαυμασίη L, Ald. 585. καλὸν καλὸν. When Zeus had fashioned a fair evil as a counterbalance to the good that had been fraudulently obtained, viz. the stolen fire. Cf. v. 370. Opp. 57, ἀντὶ πυρὸς δώσω κακὸν ᾧ κεν ἅπαντες τέρπωνται. From v. 571 Hermann infers that the same nominative is continued as in the foregoing sentence, viz. ̓Αμφιγυήεις.—For καλον see Opp. 63. The correction of Hermann is probably right, αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τεῦξεν κ.τ.λ. 586. ἔνθα περ. The poet does not say where the place was, in which both gods and men were assembled to witness the new-created beauty. In Opp. 84 the story is differently told. There Hermes is ordered to conduct Pandora as a gift to Epimetheus, who forthwith places her at the disposal of mortals on earth. There is something abrupt and obscure in the narrative here, which says θαῦμα ἔχεν ἀνθρώπους ὡς εἶδον δόλον ἀνθρώ ποις. |