Lucian of Samosata, Juppiter Tragoedus, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 3

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ZEUS

Why, Hera, the circumstances of the gods are as bad as they can be, and as the saying goes, it rests on the edge of a razor whether we are still to be honoured and have our due on earth or are actually to be ignored completely and count for nothing.

HERA

It can’t be that the earth has once more given birth to giants, or that the Titans have burst their bonds and overpowered their guard, and are once more taking up arms against us?

ZEUS

Take heart: the gods have naught to fear from Hell.¹

HERA

Then what else that is terrible can happen? Unless something of that sort is worrying you, I don’t see why you should behave in our presence like a Polus or an Aristodemus² instead of Zeus.

Juppiter Tragoedus. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Zeus Rants (English) (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.)

Editions (1)

Ζεὺς Τραγῳδός Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 3 focus

Ζεύς

ἐν ἐσχάτοις, ὦ Ἥρα, τὰ θεῶν πράγματα, καὶ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ τοῦ λόγου, ἐπὶ ξυροῦ ἕστηκεν εἴτε χρὴ τιμᾶσθαι ἡμᾶς ἔτι καὶ τὰ γέρα ἔχειν τἀν τῇ γῇ εἴτε καὶ ἠμελῆσθαι παντάπασι καὶ τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι δοκεῖν.

Ἥρα

μῶν ἢ γίγαντάς τινας αὖθις ἡ γῆ ἔφυσεν, ἢ οἱ Τιτᾶνες διαρρήξαντες τὰ δεσμὰ καὶ τῆς φρουρᾶς ἐπικρατήσαντες αὖθις ἡμῖν ἐναντία αἴρονται τὰ ὅπλα;

Ζεύς

θάρσει, τὰ νέρθεν ἀσφαλῶς ἔχει θεοῖς.

Ἥρα

τί οὖν ἄλλο δεινὸν ἂν γένοιτο; οὐχ ὁρῶ γάρ, ὅτε μὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα παραλυποῖ, ἐφʼ ὅτῳ Πῶλος ἢ Ἀριστόδημος ἀντὶ Διὸς ἡμῖν ἀναπέφηνας.

Translations (2)

Zeus Tragoedus Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 3. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 3 focus

Zeus

Hera, our condition is most precarious; it is touchand-go, as they call it, whether we are still to enjoy reverence and honour from the earth, or be utterly neglected and become of no account.

Heracles

Has Earth produced a new brood of giants? Have the Titans broken their chains, overpowered their guards, and taken up arms against us once more?

Zeus

Nay, fear not that; Hell threatens not the Gods.

Heracles

What can the matter be, then? To hear you, one might think it was Polus or Aristodemus, not Zeus; and why, pray, if something of that sort is not bothering you?

Zeus the Tragedian Perseus (Selections from Lucian. Smith, Emily James, translator. New York: Harper Brothers, 1892.) — 3 focus

Zeus

Poor, simple thing, do you think, then, that my present affairs have to do with love-making and such-like child's play?

Hera

Being Zeus, you are disturbed by nothing else, I know.

Zeus

O Hera, things divine are in extremity. As the saying is, it is touch and go with us whether we are still to be honored and to receive the gifts that are offered up on earth, or whether we are to be disregarded altogether and held utterly insignificant.

Hera

Surely the earth has not produced another race of giants? Or have the Titans broken their bonds and overpowered their guard, and taken up arms against us again?

Zeus

Take heart. Beneath the earth all things are well.

Hera

Then what could happen to frighten us? If you have no anxiety of that kind I do not see why you have favored us with this little dramatic exhibition.

Notes on the current edition

Zeus Rants

1. A parody on Euripides, Phoenissae 117.

2. Famous actors in tragedy, contemporaries of Demosthenes.

Lucian of Samosata Juppiter Tragoedus 3

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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ZEUS

Why, Hera, the circumstances of the gods are as bad as they can be, and as the saying goes, it rests on the edge of a razor whether we are still to be honoured and have our due on earth or are actually to be ignored completely and count for nothing.

HERA

It can’t be that the earth has once more given birth to giants, or that the Titans have burst their bonds and overpowered their guard, and are once more taking up arms against us?

ZEUS

Take heart: the gods have naught to fear from Hell.¹

HERA

Then what else that is terrible can happen? Unless something of that sort is worrying you, I don’t see why you should behave in our presence like a Polus or an Aristodemus² instead of Zeus.

Current edition Perseus

Ἥρα

μῶν ἢ γίγαντάς τινας αὖθις ἡ γῆ ἔφυσεν, ἢ οἱ Τιτᾶνες διαρρήξαντες τὰ δεσμὰ καὶ τῆς φρουρᾶς ἐπικρατήσαντες αὖθις ἡμῖν ἐναντία αἴρονται τὰ ὅπλα;

Ζεύς

θάρσει, τὰ νέρθεν ἀσφαλῶς ἔχει θεοῖς.

Ἥρα

τί οὖν ἄλλο δεινὸν ἂν γένοιτο; οὐχ ὁρῶ γάρ, ὅτε μὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα παραλυποῖ, ἐφʼ ὅτῳ Πῶλος ἢ Ἀριστόδημος ἀντὶ Διὸς ἡμῖν ἀναπέφηνας.

Zeus

Hera, our condition is most precarious; it is touchand-go, as they call it, whether we are still to enjoy reverence and honour from the earth, or be utterly neglected and become of no account.

Heracles

Has Earth produced a new brood of giants? Have the Titans broken their chains, overpowered their guards, and taken up arms against us once more?

Zeus

Nay, fear not that; Hell threatens not the Gods.

Heracles

What can the matter be, then? To hear you, one might think it was Polus or Aristodemus, not Zeus; and why, pray, if something of that sort is not bothering you?

Zeus

Poor, simple thing, do you think, then, that my present affairs have to do with love-making and such-like child's play?

Hera

Being Zeus, you are disturbed by nothing else, I know.

Zeus

O Hera, things divine are in extremity. As the saying is, it is touch and go with us whether we are still to be honored and to receive the gifts that are offered up on earth, or whether we are to be disregarded altogether and held utterly insignificant.

Hera

Surely the earth has not produced another race of giants? Or have the Titans broken their bonds and overpowered their guard, and taken up arms against us again?

Zeus

Take heart. Beneath the earth all things are well.

Hera

Then what could happen to frighten us? If you have no anxiety of that kind I do not see why you have favored us with this little dramatic exhibition.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

ZEUS Why, Hera, the circumstances of the gods are as bad as they can be, and as the saying goes, it rests on the edge of a razor whether we are still to be honoured and have our due on earth or are actually to be ignored completely and count for nothing.

HERA It can’t be that the earth has once more given birth to giants, or that the Titans have burst their bonds and overpowered their guard, and are once more taking up arms against us?

ZEUS Take heart: the gods have naught to fear from Hell. 1

HERA Then what else that is terrible can happen? Unless something of that sort is worrying you, I don’t see why you should behave in our presence like a Polus or an Aristodemus 2 instead of Zeus.

Current edition Perseus

Ἥρα μῶν ἢ γίγαντάς τινας αὖθις ἡ γῆ ἔφυσεν, ἢ οἱ Τιτᾶνες διαρρήξαντες τὰ δεσμὰ καὶ τῆς φρουρᾶς ἐπικρατήσαντες αὖθις ἡμῖν ἐναντία αἴρονται τὰ ὅπλα;

Ζεύς θάρσει, τὰ νέρθεν ἀσφαλῶς ἔχει θεοῖς.

Ἥρα τί οὖν ἄλλο δεινὸν ἂν γένοιτο; οὐχ ὁρῶ γάρ, ὅτε μὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα παραλυποῖ, ἐφʼ ὅτῳ Πῶλος ἢ Ἀριστόδημος ἀντὶ Διὸς ἡμῖν ἀναπέφηνας.

Zeus Hera, our condition is most precarious; it is touchand-go, as they call it, whether we are still to enjoy reverence and honour from the earth, or be utterly neglected and become of no account.

Heracles Has Earth produced a new brood of giants? Have the Titans broken their chains, overpowered their guards, and taken up arms against us once more?

Zeus Nay, fear not that; Hell threatens not the Gods.

Heracles What can the matter be, then? To hear you, one might think it was Polus or Aristodemus, not Zeus; and why, pray, if something of that sort is not bothering you?

Zeus Poor, simple thing, do you think, then, that my present affairs have to do with love-making and such-like child's play?

Hera Being Zeus, you are disturbed by nothing else, I know.

Zeus O Hera, things divine are in extremity. As the saying is, it is touch and go with us whether we are still to be honored and to receive the gifts that are offered up on earth, or whether we are to be disregarded altogether and held utterly insignificant.

Hera Surely the earth has not produced another race of giants? Or have the Titans broken their bonds and overpowered their guard, and taken up arms against us again?

Zeus Take heart. Beneath the earth all things are well.

Hera Then what could happen to frighten us? If you have no anxiety of that kind I do not see why you have favored us with this little dramatic exhibition.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

ZEUS

Why, Hera, the circumstances of the gods are as bad as they can be, and as the saying goes, it rests on the edge of a razor whether we are still to be honoured and have our due on earth or are actually to be ignored completely and count for nothing.

HERA

It can’t be that the earth has once more given birth to giants, or that the Titans have burst their bonds and overpowered their guard, and are once more taking up arms against us?

ZEUS

Take heart: the gods have naught to fear from Hell.¹

HERA

Then what else that is terrible can happen? Unless something of that sort is worrying you, I don’t see why you should behave in our presence like a Polus or an Aristodemus² instead of Zeus.

Ἥρα

μῶν ἢ γίγαντάς τινας αὖθις ἡ γῆ ἔφυσεν, ἢ οἱ Τιτᾶνες διαρρήξαντες τὰ δεσμὰ καὶ τῆς φρουρᾶς ἐπικρατήσαντες αὖθις ἡμῖν ἐναντία αἴρονται τὰ ὅπλα;

Ζεύς

θάρσει, τὰ νέρθεν ἀσφαλῶς ἔχει θεοῖς.

Ἥρα

τί οὖν ἄλλο δεινὸν ἂν γένοιτο; οὐχ ὁρῶ γάρ, ὅτε μὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα παραλυποῖ, ἐφʼ ὅτῳ Πῶλος ἢ Ἀριστόδημος ἀντὶ Διὸς ἡμῖν ἀναπέφηνας.

Zeus

Hera, our condition is most precarious; it is touchand-go, as they call it, whether we are still to enjoy reverence and honour from the earth, or be utterly neglected and become of no account.

Heracles

Has Earth produced a new brood of giants? Have the Titans broken their chains, overpowered their guards, and taken up arms against us once more?

Zeus

Nay, fear not that; Hell threatens not the Gods.

Heracles

What can the matter be, then? To hear you, one might think it was Polus or Aristodemus, not Zeus; and why, pray, if something of that sort is not bothering you?

Zeus

Poor, simple thing, do you think, then, that my present affairs have to do with love-making and such-like child's play?

Hera

Being Zeus, you are disturbed by nothing else, I know.

Zeus

O Hera, things divine are in extremity. As the saying is, it is touch and go with us whether we are still to be honored and to receive the gifts that are offered up on earth, or whether we are to be disregarded altogether and held utterly insignificant.

Hera

Surely the earth has not produced another race of giants? Or have the Titans broken their bonds and overpowered their guard, and taken up arms against us again?

Zeus

Take heart. Beneath the earth all things are well.

Hera

Then what could happen to frighten us? If you have no anxiety of that kind I do not see why you have favored us with this little dramatic exhibition.