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Iris and Poseidon

IRIS

That wandering island, ¹ Poseidon, which was broken off from Sicily, and is still propelling itself about under water—Zeus says you are to make it stop now, and bring it into view. You are to fix it quite securely, and make it stand firm, clearly visible ² from now on in the middle of the Aegean. He wants it for something.

POSEIDON

It will be done, Iris. But what use will it be to him by coming to light and ceasing its seafaring?

IRIS

Leto must be delivered upon it. She’s already in distress from her birth pangs.

POSEIDON

What of it? Hasn’t heaven room enough for bearing children? If not heaven, couldn’t all the earth accommodate her for the birth?

IRIS

No, Poseidon. Hera has laid the earth under strict oath not to give Leto anywhere for her travail; thus this island is not bound by the oath, for it was not visible.

POSEIDON

I see. Stop still, island. Come up again from the deep, and drift below the surface no more. Remain in a fixed position, and receive, most lucky of islands, my brother’s two children, the most beautiful of all the gods. And you, Tritons, give Leto passage to the island, and let all be calm. And the moment the babes are born, they’ll pursue the serpent that’s now maddening Leto with fright, and exact vengeance for their mother. And you, Iris, go and tell Zeus that all is ready. Delos is stationary. Let Leto come now and have her children.

Dialogi Marini. Lucian of Samosata. Matthew Donald Macleod (Translator). Medford, MA. Perseus 5.0.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Dialogues of the Gods (English) (Lucian, Vol. 7. Macleod, Matthew Donald, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961 (unrenewed copyright).)

Editions (2)

Ἐνάλιοι Διάλογοι Perseus (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 1. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1909.) — 9 focus

Ποσειδῶνος καὶ Νηρηΐδων

310

Ποσειδῶν

τὸ μὲν στενὸν τοῦτο, ἔνθα ἡ παῖς κατηνέχθη, Ἑλλήσποντος ἀπʼ αὐτῆς καλείσθω· τὸν δὲ νεκρὸν 311 ὑμεῖς, ὦ Νηρηίδες, παραλαβοῦσαι τῇ Τρῳάδι προσενέγκατε, ὡς ταφείη ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων.

Ἀμφιτρίτη

μηδαμῶς, ὦ Πόσειδον, ἀλλʼ ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῷ ἐπωνύμῳ πελάγει τεθάφθω· ἐλεοῦμεν γὰρ αὐτὴν οἴκτιστα ὑπὸ τῆς μητρυιᾶς πεπονθυῖαν.

Ποσειδῶν

τοῦτο μέν, ὦ Ἀμφιτρίτη, οὐ θέμις· οὐδὲ ἄλλως καλὸν ἐνταῦθά που κεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῇ ψάμμῳ αὐτήν, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ ἔφην ἐν τῇ Τρῳάδι ἢ ἐν Χερρονήσῳ τεθάψεται. 312 ἐκεῖνο δὲ παραμύθιον οὐ μικρὸν ἔσται αὐτῇ, ὅτι μετʼ ὀλίγον τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ἡ Ἰνὼ πείσεται καὶ ἐμπεσεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀθάμαντος διωκομένη ἐς τὸ πέλαγος ἀπʼ ἄκρου τοῦ Κιθαιρῶνος, καθʼ ὅπερ καθήκει ἐς τὴν θάλατταν, ἔχουσα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγκάλης. ἀλλὰ κἀκείνην σῶσαι δεήσει χαρισαμένους τῷ Διονύσῳ· τροφὸς γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ τίτθη ἡ Ἰνώ.

Ἀμφιτρίτη

οὐκ ἐχρῆν οὕτω πονηρὰν οὖσαν.

Ποσειδῶν

ἀλλὰ τῷ Διονύσῳ ἀχαριστεῖν, ὦ Ἀμφιτρίτη, οὐκ ἄξιον.

313

Νηρηίδες

αὕτη δὲ ἄρα τί παθοῦσα κατέπεσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κριοῦ; ὁ ἀδελφὸς δὲ ὁ Φρίξος ἀσφαλῶς ὀχεῖται;

Ποσειδῶν

εἰκότως· νεανίας γὰρ καὶ δυνατὸς ἀντέχειν πρὸς τὴν φοράν, ἡ δὲ ὑπʼ ἀηθείας ἐπιβᾶσα ὀχήματος παραδόξου καὶ ἀπιδοῦσα ἐς βάθος ἀχανές, ἐκπλαγεῖσα καὶ τῷ θάλπει ἅμα συσχεθεῖσα καὶ ἰλιγγιάσασα πρὸς τὸ σφοδρὸν τῆς πτήσεως ἀκρατὴς ἐγένετο τῶν κεράτων τοῦ 314 κριοῦ, ὧν τέως ἐπείληπτο, καὶ κατέπεσεν ἐς τὸ πέλαγος.

Νηρηίδες

οὔκουν ἐχρῆν τὴν μητέρα τὴν Νεφέλην βοηθῆσαι πιπτούσῃ;

Ποσειδῶν

ἐχρῆν ἀλλʼ ἡ Μοῖρα τῆς Νεφέλης πολλῷ δυνατωτέρα.

Θεῶν διάλογοι Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 7. Macleod, Matthew Donald, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961 (unrenewed copyright).) — 9 focus

ΙΡΙΔΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝΟΣ

ΙΡΙΣ

Τὴν νῆσον τὴν πλανωμένην, ὦ Πόσειδον, ἣν ἀποσπασθεῖσαν τῆς Σικελίας ὕφαλον ἔτι νήχεσθαι ¹ συμβέβηκεν, ταύτην, φησὶν ὁ Ζεύς, στῆσον ἤδη καὶ ἀνάφηνον καὶ ποίησον ἤδη δῆλον ἐν τῷ Αἰγαίῳ μέσῳ βεβαίως μένειν στηρίξας πάνυ ἀσφαλῶς· δεῖται γάρ τι αὐτῆς.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Πεπράξεται ταῦτα, ὦ Ἶρι. τίνα δ’ ὅμως παρέξει τὴν χρείαν αὐτῷ ἀναφανεῖσα καὶ μηκέτι πλέουσα;

315

ΙΡΙΣ

Τὴν Λητὼ ἐπ' αὐτῆς δεῖ ἀποκυῆσαι· ἤδη δὲ πονήρως ὑπὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἔχει.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Τί οὖν; οὐχ ἱκανὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐντεκεῖν; εἰ δὲ μὴ οὗτος, ἀλλ’ ἥ γε γῆ πᾶσα οὐκ ἂν ὑποδέξασθαι δύναιτο τὰς γονὰς αὐτῆς;

ΙΡΙΣ

Οὔκ, ὦ Πόσειδον· ἡ Ἥρα γὰρ ὅρκῳ μεγάλῳ κατέλαβε τὴν γῆν, μὴ παρασχεῖν τῇ Λητοῖ τῶν ὠδίνων ὑποδοχήν. ἡ τοίνυν νῆσος αὕτη ἀνώμοτός ἐστιν· ἀφανὴς γὰρ ἦν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Συνίημι. στῆθι, ὦ νῆσε, καὶ ἀνάδυθι αὖθις ἐκ τοῦ βυθοῦ καὶ μηκέτι ὐποφέρου, ἀλλὰ βεβαίως μένε καὶ ὑπόδεξαι, ὦ εὐδαιμονεσάτη, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τα τέκνα δύο, τοὺς καλλίστους τῶν θεῶν· καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὦ Τρίτωνες, διαπορθμεύσατε τὴν Λητὼ ἐς αὐτήν· καὶ γαληνὰ ἅπαντα ἔστω. τὸν δράκοντα δέ, ὃς νῦν ἐξοιστρεῖ αὐτὴν φοβῶν, τὰ νεογνὰ ἐπειδὰν τεχθῇ, αὐτίκα μέτεισι καὶ τιμωρήσει τῇ μητρί. 316 σὺ δὲ ἀπάγγελλε τῷ Διὶ ἅπαντα εἶναι εὐτρεπῆ· ἕστηκεν ἡ Δῆλος· ἡκέτω ἡ Λητὼ ἤδη καὶ τικτέτω.

Translations (1)

Dialogues of the Sea-gods: Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 9 focus

IX

Posidon

Amphitrite

and other

Nereids

Posidon

The strait where the child fell shall be called Hellespont after her. And as for her body, you Nereids shall take it to the Troad to be buried by the inhabitants,

Amphitrite

Oh no, Posidon. Let her grave be the sea which bears her name. We are so sorry for her; that step-mother’s treatment of her was shocking.

Posidon

No, my dear, that may not be. And indeed it is not desirable that she should lie here under the sand; her grave shall be in the Troad, as I said, or in the Chersonese. It will be no small consolation to her that Ino will have the same fate before long. She will be chased by Athamas from the top of Cithaeron down the ridge which runs into the sea, and there plunge in with her son in her arms. But her we must rescue, to please Dionysus; Ino was his nurse and suckled him, you know.

Amphitrite

Rescue a wicked creature like her?

Posidon

Well; we do not want to disoblige Dionysus.

Nereid

I wonder what made the poor child fall off the ram; her brother Phrixus held on all right.

Posidon

Of course he did; a lusty youth equal to the flight; but it was all too strange foe her; sitting on that queer mount, looking down on yawning space, terrified, overpowered by the heat, giddy with the speed, she lost her hold on the ram’s horns, and down she came into the sea.

Nereid

Surely her mother Nephele should have broken her fall.

Posidon

I dare say; but Fate is a great deal too strong for Nephele.

Henry Watson Fowler

Notes on the current edition

Dialogues of the Gods

1. Pindar, Fr. 58 (followed by Callimachus, Hymns, IV, 35 ff.) tells how the island of Delos floated in the sea, till the time when it was moored by pillars to the sea-bed to enable Leto to bear Apollo and Artemis. The story may have originated from a doubtful interpretation of the Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo, 1. 73.

2. For the etymology cf. Callimachus, Hymns, IV, 53.

Lucian of Samosata Dialogi Marini 9

Matthew Donald Macleod (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Iris and Poseidon

POSEIDON

It will be done, Iris. But what use will it be to him by coming to light and ceasing its seafaring?

IRIS

Leto must be delivered upon it. She’s already in distress from her birth pangs.

POSEIDON

What of it? Hasn’t heaven room enough for bearing children? If not heaven, couldn’t all the earth accommodate her for the birth?

IRIS

No, Poseidon. Hera has laid the earth under strict oath not to give Leto anywhere for her travail; thus this island is not bound by the oath, for it was not visible.

Current edition Perseus

Ποσειδῶνος καὶ Νηρηΐδων

Ἀμφιτρίτη

μηδαμῶς, ὦ Πόσειδον, ἀλλʼ ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῷ ἐπωνύμῳ πελάγει τεθάφθω· ἐλεοῦμεν γὰρ αὐτὴν οἴκτιστα ὑπὸ τῆς μητρυιᾶς πεπονθυῖαν.

Ἀμφιτρίτη

οὐκ ἐχρῆν οὕτω πονηρὰν οὖσαν.

Ποσειδῶν

ἀλλὰ τῷ Διονύσῳ ἀχαριστεῖν, ὦ Ἀμφιτρίτη, οὐκ ἄξιον.

Νηρηίδες

αὕτη δὲ ἄρα τί παθοῦσα κατέπεσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κριοῦ; ὁ ἀδελφὸς δὲ ὁ Φρίξος ἀσφαλῶς ὀχεῖται;

Νηρηίδες

οὔκουν ἐχρῆν τὴν μητέρα τὴν Νεφέλην βοηθῆσαι πιπτούσῃ;

Ποσειδῶν

ἐχρῆν ἀλλʼ ἡ Μοῖρα τῆς Νεφέλης πολλῷ δυνατωτέρα.

ΙΡΙΔΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝΟΣ

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Πεπράξεται ταῦτα, ὦ Ἶρι. τίνα δ’ ὅμως παρέξει τὴν χρείαν αὐτῷ ἀναφανεῖσα καὶ μηκέτι πλέουσα;

ΙΡΙΣ

Τὴν Λητὼ ἐπ' αὐτῆς δεῖ ἀποκυῆσαι· ἤδη δὲ πονήρως ὑπὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἔχει.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Τί οὖν; οὐχ ἱκανὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐντεκεῖν; εἰ δὲ μὴ οὗτος, ἀλλ’ ἥ γε γῆ πᾶσα οὐκ ἂν ὑποδέξασθαι δύναιτο τὰς γονὰς αὐτῆς;

IX

Posidon

Amphitrite

Nereids

Posidon

The strait where the child fell shall be called Hellespont after her. And as for her body, you Nereids shall take it to the Troad to be buried by the inhabitants,

Amphitrite

Oh no, Posidon. Let her grave be the sea which bears her name. We are so sorry for her; that step-mother’s treatment of her was shocking.

Amphitrite

Rescue a wicked creature like her?

Posidon

Well; we do not want to disoblige Dionysus.

Nereid

I wonder what made the poor child fall off the ram; her brother Phrixus held on all right.

Posidon

Of course he did; a lusty youth equal to the flight; but it was all too strange foe her; sitting on that queer mount, looking down on yawning space, terrified, overpowered by the heat, giddy with the speed, she lost her hold on the ram’s horns, and down she came into the sea.

Nereid

Surely her mother Nephele should have broken her fall.

Posidon

I dare say; but Fate is a great deal too strong for Nephele.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Iris and Poseidon

POSEIDON It will be done, Iris. But what use will it be to him by coming to light and ceasing its seafaring?

IRIS Leto must be delivered upon it. She’s already in distress from her birth pangs.

POSEIDON What of it? Hasn’t heaven room enough for bearing children? If not heaven, couldn’t all the earth accommodate her for the birth?

IRIS No, Poseidon. Hera has laid the earth under strict oath not to give Leto anywhere for her travail; thus this island is not bound by the oath, for it was not visible.

Current edition Perseus

Ποσειδῶνος καὶ Νηρηΐδων

Ἀμφιτρίτη μηδαμῶς, ὦ Πόσειδον, ἀλλʼ ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῷ ἐπωνύμῳ πελάγει τεθάφθω· ἐλεοῦμεν γὰρ αὐτὴν οἴκτιστα ὑπὸ τῆς μητρυιᾶς πεπονθυῖαν.

Ἀμφιτρίτη οὐκ ἐχρῆν οὕτω πονηρὰν οὖσαν.

Ποσειδῶν ἀλλὰ τῷ Διονύσῳ ἀχαριστεῖν, ὦ Ἀμφιτρίτη, οὐκ ἄξιον.

Νηρηίδες αὕτη δὲ ἄρα τί παθοῦσα κατέπεσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κριοῦ; ὁ ἀδελφὸς δὲ ὁ Φρίξος ἀσφαλῶς ὀχεῖται;

Νηρηίδες οὔκουν ἐχρῆν τὴν μητέρα τὴν Νεφέλην βοηθῆσαι πιπτούσῃ;

Ποσειδῶν ἐχρῆν ἀλλʼ ἡ Μοῖρα τῆς Νεφέλης πολλῷ δυνατωτέρα.

ΙΡΙΔΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝΟΣ

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Πεπράξεται ταῦτα, ὦ Ἶρι. τίνα δ’ ὅμως παρέξει τὴν χρείαν αὐτῷ ἀναφανεῖσα καὶ μηκέτι πλέουσα;

ΙΡΙΣ Τὴν Λητὼ ἐπ' αὐτῆς δεῖ ἀποκυῆσαι· ἤδη δὲ πονήρως ὑπὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἔχει.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Τί οὖν; οὐχ ἱκανὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐντεκεῖν; εἰ δὲ μὴ οὗτος, ἀλλ’ ἥ γε γῆ πᾶσα οὐκ ἂν ὑποδέξασθαι δύναιτο τὰς γονὰς αὐτῆς;

IX

Posidon

Amphitrite

Nereids

Posidon The strait where the child fell shall be called Hellespont after her. And as for her body, you Nereids shall take it to the Troad to be buried by the inhabitants,

Amphitrite Oh no, Posidon. Let her grave be the sea which bears her name. We are so sorry for her; that step-mother’s treatment of her was shocking.

Amphitrite Rescue a wicked creature like her?

Posidon Well; we do not want to disoblige Dionysus.

Nereid I wonder what made the poor child fall off the ram; her brother Phrixus held on all right.

Posidon Of course he did; a lusty youth equal to the flight; but it was all too strange foe her; sitting on that queer mount, looking down on yawning space, terrified, overpowered by the heat, giddy with the speed, she lost her hold on the ram’s horns, and down she came into the sea.

Nereid Surely her mother Nephele should have broken her fall.

Posidon I dare say; but Fate is a great deal too strong for Nephele.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

POSEIDON

It will be done, Iris. But what use will it be to him by coming to light and ceasing its seafaring?

IRIS

Leto must be delivered upon it. She’s already in distress from her birth pangs.

POSEIDON

What of it? Hasn’t heaven room enough for bearing children? If not heaven, couldn’t all the earth accommodate her for the birth?

IRIS

No, Poseidon. Hera has laid the earth under strict oath not to give Leto anywhere for her travail; thus this island is not bound by the oath, for it was not visible.

Ἀμφιτρίτη

μηδαμῶς, ὦ Πόσειδον, ἀλλʼ ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῷ ἐπωνύμῳ πελάγει τεθάφθω· ἐλεοῦμεν γὰρ αὐτὴν οἴκτιστα ὑπὸ τῆς μητρυιᾶς πεπονθυῖαν.

Ἀμφιτρίτη

οὐκ ἐχρῆν οὕτω πονηρὰν οὖσαν.

Ποσειδῶν

ἀλλὰ τῷ Διονύσῳ ἀχαριστεῖν, ὦ Ἀμφιτρίτη, οὐκ ἄξιον.

Νηρηίδες

αὕτη δὲ ἄρα τί παθοῦσα κατέπεσεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κριοῦ; ὁ ἀδελφὸς δὲ ὁ Φρίξος ἀσφαλῶς ὀχεῖται;

Νηρηίδες

οὔκουν ἐχρῆν τὴν μητέρα τὴν Νεφέλην βοηθῆσαι πιπτούσῃ;

Ποσειδῶν

ἐχρῆν ἀλλʼ ἡ Μοῖρα τῆς Νεφέλης πολλῷ δυνατωτέρα.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Πεπράξεται ταῦτα, ὦ Ἶρι. τίνα δ’ ὅμως παρέξει τὴν χρείαν αὐτῷ ἀναφανεῖσα καὶ μηκέτι πλέουσα;

ΙΡΙΣ

Τὴν Λητὼ ἐπ' αὐτῆς δεῖ ἀποκυῆσαι· ἤδη δὲ πονήρως ὑπὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἔχει.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Τί οὖν; οὐχ ἱκανὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐντεκεῖν; εἰ δὲ μὴ οὗτος, ἀλλ’ ἥ γε γῆ πᾶσα οὐκ ἂν ὑποδέξασθαι δύναιτο τὰς γονὰς αὐτῆς;

Posidon

The strait where the child fell shall be called Hellespont after her. And as for her body, you Nereids shall take it to the Troad to be buried by the inhabitants,

Amphitrite

Oh no, Posidon. Let her grave be the sea which bears her name. We are so sorry for her; that step-mother’s treatment of her was shocking.

Amphitrite

Rescue a wicked creature like her?

Posidon

Well; we do not want to disoblige Dionysus.

Nereid

I wonder what made the poor child fall off the ram; her brother Phrixus held on all right.

Posidon

Of course he did; a lusty youth equal to the flight; but it was all too strange foe her; sitting on that queer mount, looking down on yawning space, terrified, overpowered by the heat, giddy with the speed, she lost her hold on the ram’s horns, and down she came into the sea.

Nereid

Surely her mother Nephele should have broken her fall.

Posidon

I dare say; but Fate is a great deal too strong for Nephele.