第 19 节
作者:精灵王      更新:2021-02-18 23:56      字数:9321
  t it like a neck…circlet; while above grow the roots of the earth and unfruitful sea。  There by the counsel of Zeus who drives the clouds the Titan gods are hidden under misty gloom; in a dank place where are the ends of the huge earth。  And they may not go out; for Poseidon fixed gates of bronze upon it; and a wall runs all round it on every side。  There Gyes and Cottus and great…souled Obriareus live; trusty warders of Zeus who holds the aegis。
  (ll。 736…744) And there; all in their order; are the sources and ends of gloomy earth and misty Tartarus and the unfruitful sea and starry heaven; loathsome and dank; which even the gods abhor。
  It is a great gulf; and if once a man were within the gates; he would not reach the floor until a whole year had reached its end; but cruel blast upon blast would carry him this way and that。  And this marvel is awful even to the deathless gods。
  (ll。 744…757) There stands the awful home of murky Night wrapped in dark clouds。  In front of it the son of Iapetus (22) stands immovably upholding the wide heaven upon his head and unwearying hands; where Night and Day draw near and greet one another as they pass the great threshold of bronze: and while the one is about to go down into the house; the other comes out at the door。
  And the house never holds them both within; but always one is without the house passing over the earth; while the other stays at home and waits until the time for her journeying come; and the one holds all…seeing light for them on earth; but the other holds in her arms Sleep the brother of Death; even evil Night; wrapped in a vaporous cloud。
  (ll。 758…766) And there the children of dark Night have their dwellings; Sleep and Death; awful gods。  The glowing Sun never looks upon them with his beams; neither as he goes up into heaven; nor as he comes down from heaven。  And the former of them roams peacefully over the earth and the sea's broad back and is kindly to men; but the other has a heart of iron; and his spirit within him is pitiless as bronze: whomsoever of men he has once seized he holds fast: and he is hateful even to the deathless gods。
  (ll。 767…774) There; in front; stand the echoing halls of the god of the lower…world; strong Hades; and of awful Persephone。  A fearful hound guards the house in front; pitiless; and he has a cruel trick。  On those who go in he fawns with his tail and both is ears; but suffers them not to go out back again; but keeps watch and devours whomsoever he catches going out of the gates of strong Hades and awful Persephone。
  (ll。 775…806) And there dwells the goddess loathed by the deathless gods; terrible Styx; eldest daughter of back…flowing (23) Ocean。  She lives apart from the gods in her glorious house vaulted over with great rocks and propped up to heaven all round with silver pillars。  Rarely does the daughter of Thaumas; swift… footed Iris; come to her with a message over the sea's wide back。
  But when strife and quarrel arise among the deathless gods; and when any of them who live in the house of Olympus lies; then Zeus sends Iris to bring in a golden jug the great oath of the gods from far away; the famous cold water which trickles down from a high and beetling rock。  Far under the wide…pathed earth a branch of Oceanus flows through the dark night out of the holy stream; and a tenth part of his water is allotted to her。  With nine silver…swirling streams he winds about the earth and the sea's wide back; and then falls into the main (24); but the tenth flows out from a rock; a sore trouble to the gods。  For whoever of the deathless gods that hold the peaks of snowy Olympus pours a libation of her water is forsworn; lies breathless until a full year is completed; and never comes near to taste ambrosia and nectar; but lies spiritless and voiceless on a strewn bed: and a heavy trance overshadows him。  But when he has spent a long year in his sickness; another penance and an harder follows after the first。  For nine years he is cut off from the eternal gods and never joins their councils of their feasts; nine full years。  But in the tenth year he comes again to join the assemblies of the deathless gods who live in the house of Olympus。  Such an oath; then; did the gods appoint the eternal and primaeval water of Styx to be: and it spouts through a rugged place。
  (ll。 807…819) And there; all in their order; are the sources and ends of the dark earth and misty Tartarus and the unfruitful sea and starry heaven; loathsome and dank; which even the gods abhor。
  And there are shining gates and an immoveable threshold of bronze having unending roots and it is grown of itself (25)。  And beyond; away from all the gods; live the Titans; beyond gloomy Chaos。  But the glorious allies of loud…crashing Zeus have their dwelling upon Ocean's foundations; even Cottus and Gyes; but Briareos; being goodly; the deep…roaring Earth…Shaker made his son…in…law; giving him Cymopolea his daughter to wed。
  (ll。 820…868) But when Zeus had driven the Titans from heaven; huge Earth bare her youngest child Typhoeus of the love of Tartarus; by the aid of golden Aphrodite。  Strength was with his hands in all that he did and the feet of the strong god were untiring。  From his shoulders grew an hundred heads of a snake; a fearful dragon; with dark; flickering tongues; and from under the brows of his eyes in his marvellous heads flashed fire; and fire burned from his heads as he glared。  And there were voices in all his dreadful heads which uttered every kind of sound unspeakable; for at one time they made sounds such that the gods understood; but at another; the noise of a bull bellowing aloud in proud ungovernable fury; and at another; the sound of a lion; relentless of heart; and at anothers; sounds like whelps; wonderful to hear; and again; at another; he would hiss; so that the high mountains re…echoed。  And truly a thing past help would have happened on that day; and he would have come to reign over mortals and immortals; had not the father of men and gods been quick to perceive it。  But he thundered hard and mightily: and the earth around resounded terribly and the wide heaven above; and the sea and Ocean's streams and the nether parts of the earth。  Great Olympus reeled beneath the divine feet of the king as he arose and earth groaned thereat。  And through the two of them heat took hold on the dark…blue sea; through the thunder and lightning; and through the fire from the monster; and the scorching winds and blazing thunderbolt。  The whole earth seethed; and sky and sea: and the long waves raged along the beaches round and about; at the rush of the deathless gods: and there arose an endless shaking。  Hades trembled where he rules over the dead below; and the Titans under Tartarus who live with Cronos; because of the unending clamour and the fearful strife。  So when Zeus had raised up his might and seized his arms; thunder and lightning and lurid thunderbolt; he leaped form Olympus and struck him; and burned all the marvellous heads of the monster about him。  But when Zeus had conquered him and lashed him with strokes; Typhoeus was hurled down; a maimed wreck; so that the huge earth groaned。  And flame shot forth from the thunder… stricken lord in the dim rugged glens of the mount (26); when he was smitten。  A great part of huge earth was scorched by the terrible vapour and melted as tin melts when heated by men's art in channelled (27) crucibles; or as iron; which is hardest of all things; is softened by glowing fire in mountain glens and melts in the divine earth through the strength of Hephaestus (28)。  Even so; then; the earth melted in the glow of the blazing fire。  And in the bitterness of his anger Zeus cast him into wide Tartarus。
  (ll。 869…880) And from Typhoeus come boisterous winds which blow damply; except Notus and Boreas and clear Zephyr。  These are a god…sent kind; and a great blessing to men; but the others blow fitfully upon the seas。  Some rush upon the misty sea and work great havoc among men with their evil; raging blasts; for varying with the season they blow; scattering ships and destroying sailors。  And men who meet these upon the sea have no help against the mischief。  Others again over the boundless; flowering earth spoil the fair fields of men who dwell below; filling them with dust and cruel uproar。
  (ll。 881…885) But when the blessed gods had finished their toil; and settled by force their struggle for honours with the Titans; they pressed far…seeing Olympian Zeus to reign and to rule over them; by Earth's prompting。  So he divided their dignities amongst them。
  (ll。 886…900) Now Zeus; king of the gods; made Metis his wife first; and she was wisest among gods and mortal men。  But when she was about to bring forth the goddess bright…eyed Athene; Zeus craftily deceived her with cunning words and put her in his own belly; as Earth and starry Heaven advised。  For they advised him so; to the end that no other should hold royal sway over the eternal gods in place of Zeus; for very wise children were destined to be born of her; first the maiden bright…eyed Tritogeneia; equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding; but afterwards she was to bear a son of overbearing spirit; king of gods and men。  But Zeus put her into