Lucian, Prometheus, ed. Austin Morris Harmon, 13

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Προμηθεύς

καὶ δὴ κατὰ τὸν ποιητικὸν λόγον γαῖαν ὕδει φύρας καὶ διαμαλάξας ἀνέπλασα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἔτι καὶ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν παρακαλέσας συνεπιλαβέσθαι μοι τοῦ ἔργου. ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ μεγάλα ἐγὼ τοὺς θεοὺς ἠδίκηκα. καὶ τὸ ζημίωμα ὁρᾷς ἡλίκον, εἰ ἐκ πηλοῦ ζῷα ἐποίησα καὶ τὸ τέως ἀκίνητον εἰς κίνησιν ἤγαγον· καί, ὡς ἔοικε, τὸ ἀπʼ ἐκείνου ἧττον θεοί εἰσιν οἱ θεοί, διότι καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τινα θνητὰ ζῷα γεγένηται· οὕτω γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἀγανακτεῖ νῦν ὁ Ζεὺς ὥσπερ ἐλαττουμένων τῶν θεῶν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων γενέσεως, εἰ μὴ ἄρα τοῦτο δέδιε, μὴ καὶ οὗτοι ἐπανάστασιν¹ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν βουλεύσωσι καὶ πόλεμον ἐξενέγκωσι πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς ὥσπερ οἱ Γίγαντες.

ἀλλʼ ὅτι μὲν δὴ οὐδὲν ἠδίκησθε, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, πρὸς ἐμοῦ καὶ τῶν ἔργων τῶν ἐμῶν, δῆλον· ἢ σὺ δεῖξον κἂν ἕν τι μικρότατον, κἀγὼ σιωπήσομαι καὶ δίκαια ἔσομαι πεπονθὼς πρὸς ὑμῶν.

Prometheus. Lucian. ed. Austin Morris Harmon. Medford, MA. Perseus 4.0.

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Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (2)

Prometheus Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 2. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1915.) — 13 focus

PROMETHEUS

And then, “water and earth intermingling,” in the words of the poet,¹ and kneading them, I moulded men, inviting Athena, moreover, to give me a hand in the task. Therein lies the great wrong I have done the gods, and you see what the penalty is for making creatures out of mud and imparting motion to that which was formerly motionless. From that time on, it would seem, the gods are less of gods because on earth a few mortal creatures have come into being! Indeed, Zeus is actually as angry as though the gods were losing caste through the creation of men. Surely he doesn’t’ fear that they will plot an insurrection against him and make war on the gods as the Giants did?

No, Hermes, that you gods have suffered no wrong through me and my works is self-evident; come, show me even one wrong of the smallest sort, and I will hold my tongue and own that I have had the treatment that I deserved at your hahds.

Prometheus on Caucasus Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 13 focus

Prometheus

Thereupon, I moulded my material,

With water mingling clay,

and created man, calling in Athene to aid me in the task. And this is my rank offence against the Gods.. Destructive work,— to reduce inanimate clay to life and motion! The Gods, it seems, are Gods no longer, now that there are mortal creatures on the earth. To judge at least by Zeus’s indignation, one would suppose that the Gods suffered some loss of prestige -from the creation of mankind; unless it is that he is afraid of another revolt, of their waging war with heaven, like the Giants.

Notes on the current edition

Prometheus

1. ἐπανάστασι Fritzsche: ἀπόστασιν MSS.

Lucian Prometheus 13

ed. Austin Morris Harmon

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