art-they take many-coloured pigments to work with, and blend together harmoniously more of one and less of another till they produce likenesses of all things; so let not error overcome thy mind to make thee think there is any other source of mortal things that have likewise come into distinct existence in unspeakable numbers; but know these (elements), for thou didst hear from a god the account of them. 130. But come, I will tell thee now the first principle of the sun, even the sources of all things now visible, earth and billowy sea and damp mist and Titan aether (i.e. air) binding all things in its embrace. 135. Then neither is the bright orb of the sun greeted, nor yet either the shaggy might of earth or sea; thus, then, in the firm vessel of harmony is fixed God, a sphere, round, rejoicing in complete solitude. [δένδρεά τε κτίζοντε καὶ ἀνέρας ἠδὲ γυναῖκας 125 θηράς τ' οἰωνούς τε καὶ ὑδατοθρέμμονας ἰχθὺς 160 καί τε θεοὺς δολιχαίωνας τιμῇσι φερίστους.] αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ μέγα Νεῖκος ἐνὶ μελέεσσιν ἐθρέφθη 140 ἐς τιμάς τ' ἀνόρουσε τελειομένοιο χρόνοιο, ὅς σφιν ἀμοιβαῖος πλατέος παρελήλαται ὅρκου. χωρὶς γὰρ βαρὺ πᾶν, χωρὶς κοῦφον. 66 70 71 ἄστοργοι καὶ ἄκρητοι. 145 σωρευόμενον μέγεθος. εἴπερ ἀπείρονα γῆς τε βάθη καὶ δαψιλὸς αἰθήρ, 199 ὡς διὰ πολλῶν δὴ βροτέων ῥηθέντα ματαίως ἐκκέχυται στομάτων, ὀλίγον τοῦ παντὸς ἰδόν των. ἥλιος ὀξυβελὴς ἡδ' αὖ ἱλάειρα σελήνη. 168 150 ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἁλισθεὶς μέγαν οὐρανὸν ἀμφιπολεύει. 187 ἀνταυγεῖν πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἀταρβήτοισι προσ- 139-141. Arist. Meta. ii. 4; 1000 b 13; Simpl. Phys. 272 b. 188 139. Arist. ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ, Simpl. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ. 141. Simpl. 8: Arist. Ε παρελήλατο. 142. Simpl. Phys. 272 v. associated with v. 135. 143-144. Plut. de fac. lun. 926 F. 143. Sturz ends the line ἔθηκεν with object Νείκος. ἄκρατοι καὶ ἄστοργοι, corr. Stein. 145. Arist. Gen. et Corr. i. 8; 325 b 22. 144. MSS. 146-148. Arist. de X.Z.G. 2; 976 a 35; de coelo ii. 113; 294 a 25 ; and Simpl. on this passage. 147-148. Clem. Αl. Strom. 817. 147. Arist. Χ.Ζ.G. βροτέων, de coelo, Clem. γλώσσης: Clem. ἐλθόντα. 148. Clem. εἰδότων. 149. Plut. de fac. lun. 920 c. ΜS. ὀξυμελής, Χylander ὀξυβελής : MS. ἠδὲ λάινα, corr. G. Dindorf. 150. Macrob. Saturn. i. 17; Etym. Mag., Orion Etym., Suidas, under ἥλιος; Cramer, Anec. ii. 444. Macrob. οἵνεκ' ἀναλισθείς, Suid. Cram. ἀλεῖσθαι; Εt. Μ. μέσον. 151. Plut. Pyth. or. 400 Β ; Galen, de us. part. iii. 3. Plut. ἀνταυγεῖν, Galen ἀνταυγέω. 139. But when mighty Strife was nurtured in its members and leaped up to honour at the completion of the time, which has been driven on by them both in turn under a mighty oath. 142. For the limbs of the god were made to tremble, all of them in turn. 143. For all the heavy (he put) by itself, the light by itself. 144. Without affection and not mixed together. 145. Heaped together in greatness. 146. If there were no limit to the depths of the earth and the abundant air, as is poured out in foolish words from the mouths of many mortals who see but little of the all. 149. Swift-darting sun and kindly moon. 150. But gathered together it advances around the great heavens. face. 151. It shines back to Olympos with untroubled 193 ἡ δὲ φλὸξ ἱλάειρα μινυθαδίης τύχεν αὐγῆς. ὡς αὐγὴ τύψασα σεληναίης κύκλον εὐρύν. . 192 κυκλοτερὲς περὶ γαῖαν ἑλίσσεται ἀλλότριον φῶς 190 155 ἅρματος ὥσπερ ἀν' ἴχνος ἀθρεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἄνακτος ἐναντίον ἁγέα κύκλον. ἐπεσκέδασεν δέ οἱ αὐγὰς εἰς αἴθρην καθύπερθεν, ἐπεσκνίφωσε δὲ γαίης 189 191 195 153a. Diels, Hermes xv. 175, constructs the following line from Philo ed. Aucher, p. 92: καὶ μέγαν, αὐτίκ ̓ ἀνῆλθε, θέουσ ̓ ὡς οὐρανὸν ἵκοι. 154. Achill. Tat. Introd. in Arat. c. 16 p. 77 Pet. 155. Plut. de fac. orb. lun. 925. 155. Plut. (σελήνη) περιφερομένη πλήσιον, ἅρματος ὥσπερ ἴχνος ἀνελίσσεται ἥτε περὶ ἄκραν. 156. Bekk. Anecd. i. 337. 157-159. Plut. de fac. lun. 929 c. 157. MS. ἀπεσκεύασε, Χyl. ἀπεσκέδασεν, Bergk ἀπεσκίασεν. 158. MS. ἔστε γαία, Xyl. ἐς γαῖαν : Stein ἱσταμένη or εἰς αἴθρην: MS. ἀπεσκνίφωσε, corr. Karst. 159. γλαυκώπιδος, cf. Plut. de fac. lun. 934 D (Diels, Hermes xv. 176). 160. Plut. Quaest. Plat. 1006 F. 161. Plut. Quaest. conv. 720 E. ΜS. ἀγλαώπιδος, corr. Xyl. Cf. Hesych. ἀλαῶπιν· πουσαν. 162. Prokl. on Tim. iii. 141. MS. οὔδεος, Sturz writes ὕδεος from following. οὐ βλέ Diels finds con nection only with preceding and writes édeos. Cf. Hesych. ἕδος· . γή. ... 152. The kindly light has a brief period of shining. 153. As sunlight striking the broad circle of the moon. 154. A borrowed light, circular in form, it revolves about the earth, as if following the track of a chariot. 156. For she beholds opposite to her the sacred circle of her lord. 157. And she scatters his rays into the sky above, and spreads darkness over as much of the earth as the breadth of the gleaming-eyed moon. 160. And night the earth makes by coming in front of the lights. 161. Of night, solitary, blind-eyed. 162. And many fires burn beneath the earth. N |