Translated by Catherine Proppe, November 15, 2016
13. Κρόνου, θυμίαμα στύρακα.
To Kronos, God of Time
Divine medium: styrax
Ἀιθαλής, μακάρων τε θεῶν πάτερ ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν,
Ever-flourishing blessed father of deities and humans,
ποικιλόβουλ', ἀμίαντε, μεγασθενές, ἄλκιμε Τιτάν·
Complex counselor, flawless, mighty, strong, courageous Titan,
ὃς δαπανᾶις μὲν ἅπαντα καὶ αὔξεις ἔμπαλιν αὐτός·
Devouring power supreme and regenerating again in one
δεσμοὺς ἀρρήκτους ὃς ἔχεις κατ' ἀπείρονα κόσμον·,
Bond unbreakable, holding firm the pure impervious cosmos,
αἰῶνος Κρόνε παγγενέτωρ, Κρόνε ποικιλόμυθε·
Eternal Kronos, parent of all, Kronos, of varied and complex legend.
Γαίης τε βλάστημα καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος,
To Gaia’s sprout and Ouranos’ star,
γέννα, φυή, μείωσι, Ῥέας πόσι, σεμνὲ Προμηθεῦ,
Give birth, thrive, decline. Rhea’s revered husband, when forethought
ὃς ναίεις κατὰ πάντα μέρη κόσμοιο, γενάρχα,
Prevailed, each and all portions of the cosmos’ generative architect,
ἀγκυλομῆτα, φέριστε· κλύων ἱκετηρίδα φωνὴν,
Circular counselor, history-bearer, be open to suppliants’ appeals,
πέμποις εὔολβον βιότου τέλος αἰὲν ἄμεμπτον.
Send life’s blessings, complete, eternally above reproach.
NOTES
Kronos (Κρόνος) is the God of time (χρόνος). He is the Titan son of Ouranos (sky) and Gaia (earth). Kronos ruled over a Golden Age of health and prosperity.
Kronos’ beneficent rule is described by Diodorus of Sicily:
“Cronus . . . became king and caused all…who were his subjects to change from a rude way of living to civilized life . . .
“. . . he introduced justice and sincerity of soul, and this is why the tradition has come down to later generations that the men [and women] of Cronus’ time were good-hearted, altogether guileless, and blest with felicity . . .
“And because of the exceptional obedience to laws no injustice was committed by any one at any time and all the subjects of the rule of Cronus lived a life of blessedness, in the unhindered enjoyment of every pleasure. To this the poet Hesiod also bears witness in the following words:
“‘And they who were of Cronus’ day, what time
He reigned in heav’n, lived like the [Goddesses and G]ods, no care
In heart, remote and free from ills and toils
Severe, from grievous sicknesses and cares;
Old age lay not upon their limbs, but they,
Equal in strength of leg and arm, enjoyed
Endless delight of feasting far from ills,
And when death came, they sank in it as in
A sleep. And many other things were theirs;
Grain-giving earth, unploughed, bore for them
fruit
Abundantly and without stint; and glad
Of heart they dwelt upon their tilth throughout
The earth, in midst of blessings manifold,
Rich in their flocks, loved by the blessed [Goddesses and G]ods.’” [1]
Kronos, “time,” is the father of the Olympian Goddesses and Gods by Rhea (Ῥεία, Ῥέα, Ῥείη, Ῥέη), the Goddess of “flow (ῥέω).”
Kronos tried to secure his rule by castrating his father and then swallowing his own children. His wife, Rhea, tricked him by swaddling a rock and telling Kronos it was his son, Zeus. When Kronos swallowed the rock it caused him to vomit up all the children he had swallowed.
Nonnos describes a scene engraved on a shield of Dionysos which depicts how Kronos was tricked by Rhea:
"She seemed to hold in her arms pressed to her bosom a mock-child she had not borne, all worked by the artist’s hands; aye, cunning Rheia offered to her callous consort [Kronos] a babe of stone, a spiky heavy dinner. There was the father swallowing the stony son, the thing shaped like humanity, in his voracious maw, and making his meal of another pretended Zeus. There he was again in heavy labour, with the stone inside him, bringing up all those children squeezed together and disgorging the burden from his pregnant throat.”[2]
The Titans reside in Tartaros, the deepest realm beneath the earth, in contrast to the Olympians who reside on Mount Olympos, the highest known place on earth. Titaino (τῐταίνω) means stretch, extend. The Titans are the offspring of Earth (Gaia) and Sky (Ouranos). Olympians are the offspring of the Titans Kronos (Time) and Rhea (Flow).
Promeetheu (Προμηθεῦ) means fore (Προ) + knowledge (μηθεῦ), forethought, caution, shrewdness, foresight.
[1] Diodorus of Sicily, The Library of History 5.66.4-6, trans. Oldfather.
[2] Nonnos, Dionysiaca 25. 553-562, trans. Rouse.
13. Κρόνου, θυμίαμα στύρακα.
To Kronos, God of Time
Divine medium: styrax
Ἀιθαλής, μακάρων τε θεῶν πάτερ ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν,
Ever-flourishing blessed father of deities and humans,
ποικιλόβουλ', ἀμίαντε, μεγασθενές, ἄλκιμε Τιτάν·
Complex counselor, flawless, mighty, strong, courageous Titan,
ὃς δαπανᾶις μὲν ἅπαντα καὶ αὔξεις ἔμπαλιν αὐτός·
Devouring power supreme and regenerating again in one
δεσμοὺς ἀρρήκτους ὃς ἔχεις κατ' ἀπείρονα κόσμον·,
Bond unbreakable, holding firm the pure impervious cosmos,
αἰῶνος Κρόνε παγγενέτωρ, Κρόνε ποικιλόμυθε·
Eternal Kronos, parent of all, Kronos, of varied and complex legend.
Γαίης τε βλάστημα καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος,
To Gaia’s sprout and Ouranos’ star,
γέννα, φυή, μείωσι, Ῥέας πόσι, σεμνὲ Προμηθεῦ,
Give birth, thrive, decline. Rhea’s revered husband, when forethought
ὃς ναίεις κατὰ πάντα μέρη κόσμοιο, γενάρχα,
Prevailed, each and all portions of the cosmos’ generative architect,
ἀγκυλομῆτα, φέριστε· κλύων ἱκετηρίδα φωνὴν,
Circular counselor, history-bearer, be open to suppliants’ appeals,
πέμποις εὔολβον βιότου τέλος αἰὲν ἄμεμπτον.
Send life’s blessings, complete, eternally above reproach.
NOTES
Kronos (Κρόνος) is the God of time (χρόνος). He is the Titan son of Ouranos (sky) and Gaia (earth). Kronos ruled over a Golden Age of health and prosperity.
Kronos’ beneficent rule is described by Diodorus of Sicily:
“Cronus . . . became king and caused all…who were his subjects to change from a rude way of living to civilized life . . .
“. . . he introduced justice and sincerity of soul, and this is why the tradition has come down to later generations that the men [and women] of Cronus’ time were good-hearted, altogether guileless, and blest with felicity . . .
“And because of the exceptional obedience to laws no injustice was committed by any one at any time and all the subjects of the rule of Cronus lived a life of blessedness, in the unhindered enjoyment of every pleasure. To this the poet Hesiod also bears witness in the following words:
“‘And they who were of Cronus’ day, what time
He reigned in heav’n, lived like the [Goddesses and G]ods, no care
In heart, remote and free from ills and toils
Severe, from grievous sicknesses and cares;
Old age lay not upon their limbs, but they,
Equal in strength of leg and arm, enjoyed
Endless delight of feasting far from ills,
And when death came, they sank in it as in
A sleep. And many other things were theirs;
Grain-giving earth, unploughed, bore for them
fruit
Abundantly and without stint; and glad
Of heart they dwelt upon their tilth throughout
The earth, in midst of blessings manifold,
Rich in their flocks, loved by the blessed [Goddesses and G]ods.’” [1]
Kronos, “time,” is the father of the Olympian Goddesses and Gods by Rhea (Ῥεία, Ῥέα, Ῥείη, Ῥέη), the Goddess of “flow (ῥέω).”
Kronos tried to secure his rule by castrating his father and then swallowing his own children. His wife, Rhea, tricked him by swaddling a rock and telling Kronos it was his son, Zeus. When Kronos swallowed the rock it caused him to vomit up all the children he had swallowed.
Nonnos describes a scene engraved on a shield of Dionysos which depicts how Kronos was tricked by Rhea:
"She seemed to hold in her arms pressed to her bosom a mock-child she had not borne, all worked by the artist’s hands; aye, cunning Rheia offered to her callous consort [Kronos] a babe of stone, a spiky heavy dinner. There was the father swallowing the stony son, the thing shaped like humanity, in his voracious maw, and making his meal of another pretended Zeus. There he was again in heavy labour, with the stone inside him, bringing up all those children squeezed together and disgorging the burden from his pregnant throat.”[2]
The Titans reside in Tartaros, the deepest realm beneath the earth, in contrast to the Olympians who reside on Mount Olympos, the highest known place on earth. Titaino (τῐταίνω) means stretch, extend. The Titans are the offspring of Earth (Gaia) and Sky (Ouranos). Olympians are the offspring of the Titans Kronos (Time) and Rhea (Flow).
Promeetheu (Προμηθεῦ) means fore (Προ) + knowledge (μηθεῦ), forethought, caution, shrewdness, foresight.
[1] Diodorus of Sicily, The Library of History 5.66.4-6, trans. Oldfather.
[2] Nonnos, Dionysiaca 25. 553-562, trans. Rouse.
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