“There then I saw Minos, the glorious son of Zeus, golden sceptre in hand, giving judgment to the dead 570 from his seat, while they sat and stood about the king through the wide-gated house of Hades, and asked of him judgment. “And after him I marked huge Orion driving together over the field of asphodel wild beasts which he himself had slain on the lonely hills, 575 and in his hands he held a club all of bronze, ever unbroken. “And I saw Tityos, son of glorious Gaea, lying on the ground. Over nine roods ¹ he stretched, and two vultures sat, one on either side, and tore his liver, plunging their beaks into his bowels, nor could he beat them off with his hands. 580 For he had offered violence to Leto, the glorious wife of Zeus, as she went toward Pytho through Panopeus with its lovely lawns. “Aye, and I saw Tantalus in violent torment, standing in a pool, and the water came nigh unto his chin. He seemed as one athirst, but could not take and drink; 585 for as often as that old man stooped down, eager to drink, so often would the water be swallowed up and vanish away, and at his feet the black earth would appear, for some god made all dry. And trees, high and leafy, let stream their fruits above his head, pears, and pomegranates, and apple trees with their bright fruit, 590 and sweet figs, and luxuriant olives. But as often as that old man would reach out toward these, to clutch them with his hands, the wind would toss them to the shadowy clouds. “Aye, and I saw Sisyphus in violent torment, seeking to raise a monstrous stone with both his hands. 595 Verily he would brace himself with hands and feet, and thrust the stone toward the crest of a hill, but as often as he was about to heave it over the top, the weight would turn it back, and then down again to the plain would come rolling the ruthless stone. But he would strain again and thrust it back, and the sweat 600 flowed down from his limbs, and dust rose up from his head.

After him I saw huge Orion in a meadow full of asphodel driving the spirits of the wild beasts that he had killed upon the mountains, [575] and he had a great bronze club in his hand, unbreakable for ever and ever.

And I saw Tityos, glorious son of Gaia, stretched upon the plain and covering some nine acres of ground. Two vultures on either side of him were digging their beaks into his liver, and he kept on trying to beat them off with his hands, but could not; [580] for he had violated Zeus’ honored mistress Leto as she was going through Panopeus on her way to Pytho.

I saw also the dreadful fate of Tantalus, who stood in a lake that reached his chin; he was dying to quench his thirst, but could never reach the water, [585] for whenever the poor creature stooped to drink, it dried up and vanished, so that there was nothing but dry ground—parched by a superhuman force [ daimōn]. There were tall trees, moreover, that shed their fruit over his head—pears, pomegranates, apples, [590] sweet figs and juicy olives, but whenever the poor creature stretched out his hand to take some, the wind tossed the branches back again to the clouds.

And I saw Sisyphus at his endless task raising his prodigious stone [595] with both his hands. With hands and feet he tried to roll it up to the top of the hill, but always, just before he could roll it over on to the other side, its weight would be too much for him, and the pitiless stone would come thundering down again on to the plain. Then he would begin trying to push it up hill again, and the sweat ran [600] off him and the steam rose after him.