f new-grown herbs. Also she put upon her
head a crown of gold which the very famous Limping God made himself and
worked with his own hands as a favour to Zeus his father. On it was much
curious work, wonderful to see; for of the many creatures which the
land and sea rear up, he put most upon it, wonderful things, like living
beings with voices: and great beauty shone out from it.
(ll. 585-589) But when he had made the beautiful evil to be the price
for the blessing, he brought her out, delighting in the finery which
the bright-eyed daughter of a mighty father had given her, to the place
where the other gods and men were. And wonder took hold of the deathless
gods and mortal men when they saw that which was sheer guile, not to be
withstood by men.
(ll. 590-612) For from her is the race of women and female kind: of her
is the deadly race and tribe of women who live amongst mortal men
to their great trouble, no helpmeets in hateful poverty, but only in
wealth. And as in thatched hives bees feed the drones whose nature is to
do mischief--by day and throughout the day until the sun goes down the
bees are busy and lay the white combs, while the drones stay at home
in the covered skeps and reap the toil of others into their own
bellies--even so Zeus who thunders on high made women to be an evil to
mortal men, with a nature to do evil. And he gave them a second evil
to be the price for the good they had: whoever avoids marriage and
the sorrows that women cause, and will not wed, reaches deadly old age
without anyone to tend his years, and though he at least has no lack of
livelihood while he lives, yet, when he is dead, his kinsfolk divide
his possessions amongst them. And as for the man who chooses the lot
of marriage and takes a good wife suited to his mind, evil continually
contends with good; for whoever happens to have mischievous children,
lives always with unceasing grief in his spirit and heart within him;
and this evil cannot be healed.
(ll. 613-616) So it is not possible to deceive or go beyond the will of
Zeus; for not even the son of Iapetus, kindly Prometheus, escaped his
heavy anger, but of necessity strong bands confined him, although he
knew many a wile.
(ll. 617-643) But when first their father was vexed in his heart with
Obriareus and Cottus and Gyes, he bound them in cruel bonds, because he
was jealous of their exceeding manhood and comeliness and great size:
and he made them live beneath the wide-pat
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