Bibliotheca Polyglotta

Hesiod: Arma Herculis

Complete text

Introduction

Zeus and Amphitryon lay with Alcmena, two sons are born

Heracles battles Cycnus, son of Ares

Heracles and his charioteer Iolaus

The fearful Heracles prepares for war

Heracles shield is described

The description of the shield continues

Athene supports Heracles

Hercules and Cycnus speak

The clash likened to nature

Heracles kills Cycnus and Ares comes to avenge him

Athene intervenes

List of Names

Back to library

χερσί γε μὴν σάκος εἷλε παναίολον, οὐδέ τις αὐτὸ
οὔτ᾽ ἔρρηξε βαλὼν οὔτ᾽ ἔθλασε, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι.
πᾶν μὲν γὰρ κύκλῳ τιτάνῳ λευκῷ τ᾽ ἐλέφαντι
ἠλέκτρῳ θ᾽ ὑπολαμπὲς ἔην χρυσῷ τε φαεινῷ
λαμπόμενον, κυάνου δὲ διὰ πτύχες ἠλήλαντο.
ἐν μέσσῳ δ᾽ ἀδάμαντος ἔην Φόβος οὔ τι φατειός,
ἔμπαλιν ὄσσοισιν πυρὶ λαμπομένοισι δεδορκώς:
τοῦ καὶ ὀδόντων μὲν πλῆτο στόμα λευκὰ θεόντων,
δεινῶν ἀπλήτων, ἐπὶ δὲ βλοσυροῖο μετώπου
δεινὴ Ἔρις πεπότητο κορύσσουσα κλόνον ἀνδρῶν,
σχετλίη, ἥ ῥα νόον τε καὶ ἐκ φρένας εἵλετο φωτῶν.
οἵτινες ἀντιβίην πόλεμον Διὸς υἷι φέροιεν.
τῶν καὶ ψυχαὶ μὲν χθόνα δύμεναι Ἄιδος εἴσω
κάκκιον, ὀστέα δέ σφι περὶ ῥινοῖο σαπείσης
Σειρίου ἀζαλέοιο μελαίνῃ πύθεται αἴῃ.

139-153 Heracles shield is described:
In his hands he took his shield, all glittering: no one ever broke it with a blow or crushed it. And a wonder it was to see; for its whole orb was a-shimmer with enamel and white ivory and electrum, and it glowed with shining gold; and there were zones of cyanus drawn upon it. In the centre was Fear worked in adamant, unspeakable, staring backwards with eyes that glowed with fire. His mouth was full of teeth in a white row, fearful and daunting, and upon his grim brow hovered frightful Strife who arrays the throng of men: pitiless she, for she took away the mind and senses of poor wretches who made war against the son of Zeus. Their souls passed beneath the earth and went down into the house of Hades; but their bones, when the skin is rotted about them, crumble away on the dark earth under parching Sirius.

ἐν δὲ Προΐωξίς τε Παλίωξίς τε τέτυκτο,
ἐν δ᾽ Ὅμαδός τε Φόβος τ᾽ Ἀνδροκτασίη τε δεδήει,
ἐν δ᾽ Ἔρις, ἐν δὲ Κυδοιμὸς ἐθύνεον, ἐν δ᾽ ὀλοὴ Κὴρ
ἄλλον ζωὸν ἔχουσα νεούτατον, ἄλλον ἄουτον,
ἄλλον τεθνηῶτα κατὰ μόθον ἕλκε ποδοῖιν.
εἷμα δ᾽ ἔχ᾽ ἄμφ᾽ ὤμοισι δαφοινεὸν αἵματι φωτῶν,

154-160 Upon the shield Pursuit and Flight were wrought, and Tumult, and Panic, and Slaughter. Strife also, and Uproar were hurrying about, and deadly Fate was there holding one man newly wounded, and another unwounded; and one, who was dead, she was dragging by the feet through the tumult. She had on her shoulders a garment red with the blood of men, and terribly she glared and gnashed her teeth.

δεινὸν δερκομένη καναχῇσί τε βεβρυχυῖα.
ἐν δ᾽ ὀφίων κεφαλαὶ δεινῶν ἔσαν, οὔ τι φατειῶν,
δώδεκα, ταὶ φοβέεσκον ἐπὶ χθονὶ φῦλ᾽ ἀνθρώπων,
οἵ τινες ἀντιβίην πόλεμον Διὸς υἷι φέροιεν:
τῶν καὶ ὀδόντων μὲν καναχὴ πέλεν, εὖτε μάχοιτο
Ἀμφιτρυωνιάδης, τὰ δ᾽ ἐδαίετο θαυματὰ ἔργα.
στίγματα δ᾽ ὣς ἐπέφαντο ἰδεῖν δεινοῖσι δράκουσιν:
κυάνεοι κατὰ νῶτα, μελάνθησαν δὲ γένεια.

160-167 And there were heads of snakes unspeakably frightful, twelve of them; and they used to frighten the tribes of men on earth whosoever made war against the son of Zeus; for they would clash their teeth when Amphitryon’s son was fighting: and brightly shone these wonderful works. And it was as though there were spots upon the frightful snakes: and their backs were dark blue and their jaws were black.

ἐν δὲ συῶν ἀγέλαι χλούνων: ἔσαν ἠδὲ λεόντων
ἐς σφέας δερκομένων, κοτεόντων θ᾽ ἱεμένων τε.
τῶν καὶ ὁμιληδὸν στίχες ἤισαν: οὐδέ νυ τώ γε
οὐδέτεροι τρεέτην: φρῖσσόν γε μὲν αὐχένας ἄμφω.
ἤδη γάρ σφιν ἔκειτο μέγας λῖς, ἀμφὶ δὲ κάπροι
δοιοί, ἀπουράμενοι ψυχάς, κατὰ δέ σφι κελαινὸν
αἷμ᾽ ἀπελείβετ᾽ ἔραζ᾽: οἳ δ᾽ αὐχένας ἐξεριπόντες
κείατο τεθνηῶτες ὑπὸ βλοσυροῖσι λέουσιν.
τοὶ δ᾽ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐγειρέσθην κοτέοντε μάχεσθαι,
ἀμφότεροι, χλοῦναί τε σύες χαροποί τε λέοντες.

168-177 Also there were upon the shield droves of boars and lions who glared at each other, being furious and eager: the rows of them moved on together, and neither side trembled but both bristled up their manes. For already a great lion lay between them and two boars, one on either side, bereft of life, and their dark blood was dripping down upon the ground; they lay dead with necks outstretched beneath the grim lions. And both sides were roused still more to fight because they were angry, the fierce boars and the bright-eyed lions.

ἐν δ᾽ ἦν ὑσμίνη Λαπιθάων αἰχμητάων
Καινέα τ᾽ ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα Δρύαντά τε Πειρίθοόν τε
Ὁπλέα τ᾽ Ἐξάδιόν τε Φάληρόν τε Πρόλοχόν τε
Μόψον τ᾽ Ἀμπυκίδην, Τιταρήσιον, ὄζον Ἄρηος,
Θησέα τ᾽ Αἰγεΐδην, ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισιν:
ἀργύρεοι, χρύσεια περὶ χροῒ τεύχε᾽ ἔχοντες.
Κένταυροι δ᾽ ἑτέρωθεν ἐναντίοι ἠγερέθοντο
ἀμφὶ μέγαν Πετραῖον ἰδ᾽ Ἄσβολον οἰωνιστὴν
Ἄρκτον τ᾽ Οὔρειόν τε μελαγχαίτην τε Μίμαντα
καὶ δύο Πευκεΐδας, Περιμήδεά τε Δρύαλόν τε,
ἀργύρεοι, χρυσέας ἐλάτας ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες.
καί τε συναΐγδην ὡς εἰ ζωοί περ ἐόντες
ἔγχεσιν ἠδ᾽ ἐλάτῃς αὐτοσχεδὸν ὠριγνῶντο.

178-190 And there was the strife of the Lapith spearmen gathered round the prince Caeneus and Dryas and Peirithous, with Hopleus, Exadius, Phalereus, and Prolochus, Mopsus the son of Ampyce of Titaresia, a scion of Ares, and Theseus, the son of Aegeus, like unto the deathless gods. These were of silver, and had armour of gold upon their bodies. And the Centaurs were gathered against them on the other side with Petraeus and Asbolus the diviner, Arctus, and Ureus, and black-haired Mimas, and the two sons of silver, and they had pinetrees of gold in their hands, and they were rushing together as though they were alive and striking at one another hand to hand with spears and with pines.

ἐν δ᾽ Ἄρεος βλοσυροῖο ποδώκεες ἕστασαν ἵπποι
χρύσεοι, ἐν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐναρσφόρος οὔλιος Ἄρης
αἰχμὴν ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔχων, πρυλέεσσι κελεύων,
αἵματι φοινικόεις, ὡς εἰ ζωοὺς ἐναρίζων
δίφρου ἐπεμβεβαώς: παρὰ δὲ Δεῖμός τε Φόβος τε
ἕστασαν ἱέμενοι πόλεμον καταδύμεναι ἀνδρῶν.

191-196 And on the shield stood the fleet-footed horses of grim Ares made gold, and deadly Ares the spoil-winner himself. He held a spear in his hands and was urging on the footmen: he was red with blood as if he were slaying living men, and he stood in his chariot. Beside him stood Fear and Flight, eager to plunge amidst the fighting men.

ἐν δὲ Διὸς θυγάτηρ ἀγελείη Τριτογένεια,
τῇ ἰκέλη ὡς εἴ τε μάχην ἐθέλουσα κορύσσειν,
ἔγχος ἔχουσ᾽ ἐν χερσὶν ἰδὲ χρυσέην τρυφάλειαν
αἰγίδα τ᾽ ἀμφ᾽ ὤμοις: ἐπὶ δ᾽ ᾤχετο φύλοπιν αἰνήν.

197-200 There, too, was the daughter of Zeus, Tritogeneia who drives the spoil. She was like as if she would array a battle, with a spear in her hand, and a golden helmet, and the aegis about her shoulders. And she was going towards the awful strife.

ἐν δ᾽ ἦν ἀθανάτων ἱερὸς χορός: ἐν δ᾽ ἄρα μέσσῳ
ἱμερόεν κιθάριζε Διὸς καὶ Λητοῦς υἱὸς
χρυσείῃ φόρμιγγι: θεῶν δ᾽ ἕδος ἁγνὸς Ὄλυμπος:
ἐν δ᾽ ἀγορή, περὶ δ᾽ ὄλβος ἀπείριτος ἐστεφάνωτο
ἀθανάτων ἐν ἀγῶνι: θεαὶ δ᾽ ἐξῆρχον ἀοιδῆς
Μοῦσαι Πιερίδες, λιγὺ μελπομένῃς ἐικυῖαι.

201-206 And there was the holy company of the deathless gods: and in the midst the son of Zeus and Leto played sweetly on a golden lyre. There also was the abode of the gods, pure Olympus, and their assembly, and infinite riches were spread around in the gathering, the Muses of Pieria were beginning a song like clear-voiced singers.

ἐν δὲ λιμὴν ἐύορμος ἀμαιμακέτοιο θαλάσσης
κυκλοτερὴς ἐτέτυκτο πανέφθου κασσιτέροιο
κλυζομένῳ ἴκελος: πολλοί γε μὲν ἂμ μέσον αὐτοῦ
δελφῖνες τῇ καὶ τῇ ἐθύνεον ἰχθυάοντες
νηχομένοις ἴκελοι: δοιὼ δ᾽ ἀναφυσιόωντες
ἀργύρεοι δελφῖνες ἐθοινῶντ᾽ ἔλλοπας ἰχθῦς.
τῶν δ᾽ ὕπο χάλκειοι τρέον ἰχθύες: αὐτὰρ ἐπ᾽ ἀκταῖς
ἧστο ἀνὴρ ἁλιεὺς δεδοκημένος: εἶχε δὲ χερσὶν
ἰχθύσιν ἀμφίβληστρον ἀπορρίψοντι ἐοικώς.

207-215 And on the shield was a harbour with a safe haven from the irresistible sea, made of refined tin wrought in a circle, and it seemed to heave with waves. In the middle of it were many dolphins rushing this way and that, fishing: and they seemed to be swimming. Two dolphins of silver were spouting and devouring the mute fishes. And beneath them fishes of bronze were trembling. And on the shore sat a fisherman watching: in his hands he held a casting net for fish, and seemed as if about to cast it forth.

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