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Poseidon and Hermes

POSEIDON

May I have a word with Zeus, Hermes?

HERMES

Impossible, Poseidon.

POSEIDON

Just tell him I’m here.

HERMES

Don’t bother us, I tell you. It’s not convenient. You can’t see him just now.

POSEIDON

He’s not with Hera, is he?

HERMES

No, it’s something quite different.

POSEIDON

I know what you mean. He’s got Ganymede in there.

HERMES

No, it’s not that either. He’s poorly.

POSEIDON

How come, Hermes? That’s surprising.

HERMES

I’m ashamed to tell you; it’s so awful.

POSEIDON

There’s nothing wrong with telling Uncle Poseidon.

HERMES

He’s just had a baby, uncle.

POSEIDON

Nonsense. How could he? Who’s the father? Was he a man-woman, then, without us knowing? His belly didn’t show he was pregnant.

HERMES

True enough; the child wasn’t there.

POSEIDON

Oh, I’ve got it. He produced it out of his head again, just as he did Athena. ¹ He’s got a prolific head.

HERMES

No, it was from his thigh that Semele’s child ² came.

POSEIDON

Bravo! He’s a fine one for you. Gets pregnant from head to toe. Breeds all over his body. But who is Semele?

HERMES

She’s from Thebes—one of Cadmus’ daughters. He got her into trouble.

POSEIDON

And then had the baby himself, instead of her?

HERMES

Exactly, even if you do think it odd. The fact is that Hera—you know how jealous she is—talked Semele into persuading Zeus to visit her complete with thunder and lightning. He agreed, and came with his thunderbolt too; the roof caught fire, and Semele was burnt up, and he told me to cut open her womb, and bring him the half-formed seven-month child. When I did so, he cut a slit in his own thigh, and slipped it in to finish its growth there; now, two months later, he’s brought it into the world, and he’s ill from the birth-pains.

POSEIDON

Then, where’s the baby now?

HERMES

I took him to Nysa, and gave him to the Nymphs to bring up. His name is Dionysus.

POSEIDON

Is my brother, then, both father and mother of Dionysus?

HERMES

So it seems. But I’ll be off now to bring him water for his wound, and give him the other attentions usual after a confinement.

Dialogi deorum. 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)

Θεῶν Διάλογοι Perseus (Lucian. Luciani Samosatensis Opera, Vol. 1. Jacobitz, Karl, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1909.) — 12 focus

Ἀφροδίτης καὶ Ἔρωτος

233

Ἀφροδίτη

ὦ τέκνον Ἔρως, ὅρα οἷα ποιεῖς· οὐ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ λέγω, ὁπόσα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπείθεις καθʼ αὑτῶν ἢ κατʼ ἀλλήλων ἐργάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὃς τὸν μὲν Δία πολύμορφον ἐπιδεικνύεις ἀλλάττων ἐς ὅ τι ἄν σοι ἐπὶ τοῦ καιροῦ δοκῇ, τὴν Σελήνην δὲ καθαιρεῖς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, τὸν Ἥλιον δὲ παρὰ τῇ Κλυμένῃ βραδύνειν ἐνίοτε ἀναγκάζεις ἐπιλελησμένον τῆς ἱππασίας· ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐς ἐμὲ τὴν μητέρα ὑβρίζεις, θαρρῶν ποιεῖς. ἀλλὰ σύ, ὦ τολμηρότατε, καὶ τὴν Ῥέαν αὐτὴν γραῦν ἤδη καὶ μητέρα τοσούτων θεῶν οὖσαν ἀνέπεισας παιδεραστεῖν καὶ τὸ Φρύγιον μειράκιον ποθεῖν, καὶ νῦν ἐκείνη μέμηνεν ὑπὸ σοῦ καὶ ζευξαμένη τοὺς λέοντας, παραλαβοῦσα καὶ τοὺς Κορύβαντας ἅτε μανικοὺς καὶ αὐτοὺς ὄντας, ἄνω καὶ κάτω τὴν Ἴδην περιπολοῦσιν, ἡ μὲν ὀλολύζουσα ἐπὶ τῷ Ἄττῃ, οἱ Κορύβαντες δὲ ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν τέμνεται ξίφει τὸν πῆχυν, ὁ δὲ ἀνεὶς τὴν κόμην ἵεται μεμηνὼς 234 διὰ τῶν ὀρῶν, ὁ δὲ αὐλεῖ τῷ κέρατι, ὁ δὲ ἐπιβομβεῖ τῷ τυμπάνῳ ἢ ἐπικτυπεῖ τῷ κυμβάλῳ, καὶ ὅλως θόρυβος καὶ μανία τὰ ἐν τῇ Ἴδῃ ἅπαντά ἐστι. δέδια τοίνυν ἅπαντα, δέδια ἡ τὸ τοιοῦτον σὲ κακὸν ἐγὼ τεκοῦσα μὴ ἀπομανεῖσά ποτε ἡ Ῥέα ἢ καὶ μᾶλλον ἔτι ἐν αὑτῇ οὖσα κελεύσῃ τοὺς Κορύβαντας συλλαβόντας σε διασπάσασθαι ἢ τοῖς λέουσι παραβαλεῖν· ταῦτα δέδια κινδυνεύοντά σε ὁρῶσα.

Ἔρως

θάρρει, μῆτερ, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῖς λέουσιν αὐτοῖς ἤδη ξυνήθης εἰμί, καὶ πολλάκις ἐπαναβὰς ἐπὶ τὰ νῶτα καὶ τῆς κόμης λαβόμενος ἡνιοχῶ αὐτούς, οἱ δὲ σαίνουσί με καὶ τὴν χεῖρα δεχόμενοι ἐς τὸ στόμα περιλιχμησάμενοι ἀποδιδόασί μοι. αὐτὴ μὲν γὰρ ἡ Ῥέα πότε ἂν ἐκείνη σχολὴν ἀγάγοι ἐπʼ ἐμὲ ὅλη οὖσα ἐν τῷ Ἄττῃ; καιτοι τί ἐγὼ ἀδικῶ δεικνὺς τὰ καλὰ οἷά ἐστιν; ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ ἐφίεσθε τῶν καλῶν· μὴ τοίνυν ἐμὲ αἰτιᾶσθε τούτων. ἢ 235 θέλεις σύ, ὦ μῆτερ, αὐτὴ μηκέτι ἐρᾶν μήτε σὲ τοῦ Ἄρεως μήτε ἐκεῖνον σοῦ;

Ἀφροδίτη

ὡς δεινὸς εἶ καὶ κρατεῖς ἁπάντων· ἀλλα μεμνήσῃ μού ποτε τῶν λόγων.

Θεῶν διάλογοι Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 7. Macleod, Matthew Donald, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961 (unrenewed copyright).) — 12 focus

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΡΜΟΥ

227

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Ἔστιν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, νῦν ἐντυχεῖν τῷ Διί;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Οὐδαμῶς, ὦ Πόσειδον.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Ὅμως προσάγγειλον αὐτῷ.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Μὴ ἐνόχλει, φημί· ἄκαιρον γάρ ἐστιν, ὥστε οὐκ ἂν ἴδοις αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ παρόντι.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Μῶν τῇ Ἥρᾳ σύνεστιν;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἑτεροῖόν τί ἐστιν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Συνίημι· ὁ Γανυμήδης ἔνδον.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Οὐδὲ τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ μαλακῶς ἔχει αὐτός.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Πόθεν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ; δεινὸν γὰρ τοῦτο φῄς.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Αἰσχύνομαι εἰπεῖν, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Ἀλλὰ οὐ χρὴ ¹ πρὸς ἐμὲ θεῖόν γε ὄντα.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Τέτοκεν ἀρτίως, ὦ Πόσειδον.

228

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Ἄπαγε, τέτοκεν ἐκεῖνος; ἐκ τίνος; οὐκοῦν ἐλελήθει ἡμᾶς ἀνδρόγυνος ὤν; ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ ἐπεσήμανεν ἡ γαστὴρ αὐτῷ ὄγκον τινά.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Εὖ λέγεις· οὐ γὰρ ἐκείνη εἶχε τὸ ἔμβρυον.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Οἶδα· ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔτεκεν αὖθις ὥσπερ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν· τοκάδα γὰρ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔχει.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῷ μηρῷ ἐκύει ² τὸ τῆς Σεμέλης βρέφος.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Εὖ γε ὁ γενναῖος, ὡς ὅλος ἡμῖν κυοφορεῖ καὶ πανταχόθι τοῦ σώματος. ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ Σεμέλη ἐστί;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Θηβαία, τῶν Κάδμου θυγατέρων μία. ταύτῃ συνελθὼν ἐγκύμονα ἐποίησεν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Εἶτα ἔτεκεν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ἀντ' ἐκείνης;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Καὶ μάλα, εἰ καὶ παράδοξον εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ· τὴν μὲν γὰρ Σεμέλην ὑπελθοῦσαι ἡ Ἥρα—οἶσθα ὡς ζηλότυπός ἐστι—πείθει αἰτῆσαι παρὰ τοῦ Διὸς μετὰ βροντῶν καὶ ἀστραπῶν ἥκειν παρ' αὐτήν· ὡς δὲ ἐπείσθη καὶ ἧκεν ἔχων καὶ τὸν κεραυνόν, ἀνεφλέγη ³ ὁ ὄροφος, καὶ ἡ Σεμέλη μὲν διαφθείρεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρός, ἐμὲ δὲ κελεύει ἀνατεμόντα τὴν γαστέρα τῆς γυναικὸς ἀνακομίσαι ἀτελὲς ἔτι αὐτῷ τὸ ἔμβρυον ἑπτάμηνον· καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐποίησα, διελὼν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μηρὸν ἐντίθησιν, ὡς ἀποτελεσθείη ἐνταῦθα, καὶ νῦν τρίτῳ ἤδη μηνὶ ἐξέτεκεν αὐτὸ καὶ μαλακῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἔχει.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Νῦν οὖν ποῦ τὸ βρέφος ἐστίν;

229

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Ἐς τὴν Νῦσαν ἀποκομίσας παρέδωκα ταῖς Νύμφαις ἀνατρέφειν Διόνυσον αὐτὸν ⁴ ἐπονομασθέντα.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Οὐκοῦν ἀμφότερα τοῦ Διονύσου τούτου καὶ μήτηρ καὶ πατὴρ ὁ ἀδελφός ἐστιν;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Ἔοικεν. ἄπειμι δ’ οὖν ὕδωρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ τραῦμα οἴσων καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ποιήσων ἃ νομίζεται ὥσπερ λεχοῖ.

Translations (1)

Dialogues of the Gods Perseus (The Works of Lucian of Samosata, Vol. 1. Fowler, Henry Watson and Fowler, Francis George, translators. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.) — 12 focus

XII

Aphrodite

Eros

Aphrodite

Child, child, you must think what you are doing. It is bad enough on earth,—you are always inciting men to do some mischief, to themselves or to one another;—but I am speaking of the Gods. You change Zeus into shape after shape as the fancy takes you; you make Selene come down from the sky; you keep Helius loitering about with Clymene, till he sometimes forgets to drive out at all. As for the naughty tricks you play on your own mother, you know you are safe there. But Rhea! how could you dare to set her on thinking of that young fellow in Phrygia, an old lady like her, the mother of so many Gods? Why, you have made her quite mad: she harnesses those lions of ers, and drives about all over Ida with the Corybantes, who are as mad as herself, shrieking high and low for Attis; and there they are, slashing their arms with swords, rushing about over the hills, like wild things, with dishevelled hair, blowing horns, beating drums, clashing cymbals; all Ida is one mad tumult. I am quite uneasy about it; yes, you wicked boy, your poor mother is quite uneasy: some day when Rhea is in one of her mad fits (or when she is in her senses, more likely), she will send the Corybantes after you, with orders to tear you to pieces, or throw you to the lions. You are so venturesome!

Eros

Be under no alarm, mother; I understand lions perfectly by this time. I get on to their backs every now and then, and take hold of their manes, and ride them about; and when I put my hand into their mouths, they only lick it, and let me take it out again. Besides, how is Rhea going to have time to attend to me? She is too busy with Attis. And I see no harm in just pointing out beautiful things to people; they can leave them alone;—it is nothing to do with me. And ‘how would you like it if Ares were not in love with you, or you with him?

Aphrodite

Masterful boy! always the last word! But you will remember this some day.

Francis George Fowler

Notes on the current edition

Dialogues of the Gods

1. Cf. Theogony, 886 ff. and 924, where Hesiod tells how Zeus swallowed his pregnant paramour Metis (or Thought) and then gave birth to their child, Athena, from his head.

2. Dionysus.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Poseidon and Hermes

POSEIDON May I have a word with Zeus, Hermes?

HERMES Impossible, Poseidon.

POSEIDON Just tell him I’m here.

HERMES Don’t bother us, I tell you. It’s not convenient. You can’t see him just now.

POSEIDON He’s not with Hera, is he?

HERMES No, it’s something quite different.

POSEIDON I know what you mean. He’s got Ganymede in there.

HERMES No, it’s not that either. He’s poorly.

POSEIDON How come, Hermes? That’s surprising.

HERMES I’m ashamed to tell you; it’s so awful.

POSEIDON There’s nothing wrong with telling Uncle Poseidon.

HERMES He’s just had a baby, uncle.

POSEIDON Nonsense. How could he? Who’s the father? Was he a man-woman, then, without us knowing? His belly didn’t show he was pregnant.

HERMES True enough; the child wasn’t there.

POSEIDON Oh, I’ve got it. He produced it out of his head again, just as he did Athena. 1 He’s got a prolific head.

HERMES No, it was from his thigh that Semele’s child 2 came.

POSEIDON Bravo! He’s a fine one for you. Gets pregnant from head to toe. Breeds all over his body. But who is Semele?

HERMES She’s from Thebes—one of Cadmus’ daughters. He got her into trouble.

POSEIDON And then had the baby himself, instead of her?

POSEIDON Then, where’s the baby now?

HERMES I took him to Nysa, and gave him to the Nymphs to bring up. His name is Dionysus.

POSEIDON Is my brother, then, both father and mother of Dionysus?

HERMES So it seems. But I’ll be off now to bring him water for his wound, and give him the other attentions usual after a confinement.

Current edition Perseus

Ἀφροδίτης καὶ Ἔρωτος

Ἀφροδίτη ὡς δεινὸς εἶ καὶ κρατεῖς ἁπάντων· ἀλλα μεμνήσῃ μού ποτε τῶν λόγων.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΡΜΟΥ

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Ἔστιν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, νῦν ἐντυχεῖν τῷ Διί;

ΕΡΜΗΣ Οὐδαμῶς, ὦ Πόσειδον.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Ὅμως προσάγγειλον αὐτῷ.

ΕΡΜΗΣ Μὴ ἐνόχλει, φημί· ἄκαιρον γάρ ἐστιν, ὥστε οὐκ ἂν ἴδοις αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ παρόντι.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Μῶν τῇ Ἥρᾳ σύνεστιν;

ΕΡΜΗΣ Οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἑτεροῖόν τί ἐστιν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Συνίημι· ὁ Γανυμήδης ἔνδον.

ΕΡΜΗΣ Οὐδὲ τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ μαλακῶς ἔχει αὐτός.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Πόθεν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ; δεινὸν γὰρ τοῦτο φῄς.

ΕΡΜΗΣ Αἰσχύνομαι εἰπεῖν, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Ἀλλὰ οὐ χρὴ 1 πρὸς ἐμὲ θεῖόν γε ὄντα.

ΕΡΜΗΣ Τέτοκεν ἀρτίως, ὦ Πόσειδον.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Ἄπαγε, τέτοκεν ἐκεῖνος; ἐκ τίνος; οὐκοῦν ἐλελήθει ἡμᾶς ἀνδρόγυνος ὤν; ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ ἐπεσήμανεν ἡ γαστὴρ αὐτῷ ὄγκον τινά.

ΕΡΜΗΣ Εὖ λέγεις· οὐ γὰρ ἐκείνη εἶχε τὸ ἔμβρυον.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Οἶδα· ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔτεκεν αὖθις ὥσπερ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν· τοκάδα γὰρ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔχει.

ΕΡΜΗΣ Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῷ μηρῷ ἐκύει 2 τὸ τῆς Σεμέλης βρέφος.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Εὖ γε ὁ γενναῖος, ὡς ὅλος ἡμῖν κυοφορεῖ καὶ πανταχόθι τοῦ σώματος. ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ Σεμέλη ἐστί;

ΕΡΜΗΣ Θηβαία, τῶν Κάδμου θυγατέρων μία. ταύτῃ συνελθὼν ἐγκύμονα ἐποίησεν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Εἶτα ἔτεκεν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ἀντ' ἐκείνης;

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Νῦν οὖν ποῦ τὸ βρέφος ἐστίν;

ΕΡΜΗΣ Ἐς τὴν Νῦσαν ἀποκομίσας παρέδωκα ταῖς Νύμφαις ἀνατρέφειν Διόνυσον αὐτὸν 4 ἐπονομασθέντα.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ Οὐκοῦν ἀμφότερα τοῦ Διονύσου τούτου καὶ μήτηρ καὶ πατὴρ ὁ ἀδελφός ἐστιν;

ΕΡΜΗΣ Ἔοικεν. ἄπειμι δ’ οὖν ὕδωρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ τραῦμα οἴσων καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ποιήσων ἃ νομίζεται ὥσπερ λεχοῖ.

XII

Aphrodite

Eros

Aphrodite Masterful boy! always the last word! But you will remember this some day.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

POSEIDON

May I have a word with Zeus, Hermes?

HERMES

Impossible, Poseidon.

POSEIDON

Just tell him I’m here.

HERMES

Don’t bother us, I tell you. It’s not convenient. You can’t see him just now.

POSEIDON

He’s not with Hera, is he?

HERMES

No, it’s something quite different.

POSEIDON

I know what you mean. He’s got Ganymede in there.

HERMES

No, it’s not that either. He’s poorly.

POSEIDON

How come, Hermes? That’s surprising.

HERMES

I’m ashamed to tell you; it’s so awful.

POSEIDON

There’s nothing wrong with telling Uncle Poseidon.

HERMES

He’s just had a baby, uncle.

POSEIDON

Nonsense. How could he? Who’s the father? Was he a man-woman, then, without us knowing? His belly didn’t show he was pregnant.

HERMES

True enough; the child wasn’t there.

POSEIDON

Oh, I’ve got it. He produced it out of his head again, just as he did Athena. ¹ He’s got a prolific head.

HERMES

No, it was from his thigh that Semele’s child ² came.

POSEIDON

Bravo! He’s a fine one for you. Gets pregnant from head to toe. Breeds all over his body. But who is Semele?

HERMES

She’s from Thebes—one of Cadmus’ daughters. He got her into trouble.

POSEIDON

And then had the baby himself, instead of her?

POSEIDON

Then, where’s the baby now?

HERMES

I took him to Nysa, and gave him to the Nymphs to bring up. His name is Dionysus.

POSEIDON

Is my brother, then, both father and mother of Dionysus?

HERMES

So it seems. But I’ll be off now to bring him water for his wound, and give him the other attentions usual after a confinement.

Ἀφροδίτη

ὡς δεινὸς εἶ καὶ κρατεῖς ἁπάντων· ἀλλα μεμνήσῃ μού ποτε τῶν λόγων.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Ἔστιν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, νῦν ἐντυχεῖν τῷ Διί;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Οὐδαμῶς, ὦ Πόσειδον.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Ὅμως προσάγγειλον αὐτῷ.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Μὴ ἐνόχλει, φημί· ἄκαιρον γάρ ἐστιν, ὥστε οὐκ ἂν ἴδοις αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ παρόντι.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Μῶν τῇ Ἥρᾳ σύνεστιν;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἑτεροῖόν τί ἐστιν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Συνίημι· ὁ Γανυμήδης ἔνδον.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Οὐδὲ τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ μαλακῶς ἔχει αὐτός.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Πόθεν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ; δεινὸν γὰρ τοῦτο φῄς.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Αἰσχύνομαι εἰπεῖν, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Ἀλλὰ οὐ χρὴ ¹ πρὸς ἐμὲ θεῖόν γε ὄντα.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Τέτοκεν ἀρτίως, ὦ Πόσειδον.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Ἄπαγε, τέτοκεν ἐκεῖνος; ἐκ τίνος; οὐκοῦν ἐλελήθει ἡμᾶς ἀνδρόγυνος ὤν; ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ ἐπεσήμανεν ἡ γαστὴρ αὐτῷ ὄγκον τινά.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Εὖ λέγεις· οὐ γὰρ ἐκείνη εἶχε τὸ ἔμβρυον.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Οἶδα· ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔτεκεν αὖθις ὥσπερ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν· τοκάδα γὰρ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔχει.

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῷ μηρῷ ἐκύει ² τὸ τῆς Σεμέλης βρέφος.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Εὖ γε ὁ γενναῖος, ὡς ὅλος ἡμῖν κυοφορεῖ καὶ πανταχόθι τοῦ σώματος. ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ Σεμέλη ἐστί;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Θηβαία, τῶν Κάδμου θυγατέρων μία. ταύτῃ συνελθὼν ἐγκύμονα ἐποίησεν.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Εἶτα ἔτεκεν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ἀντ' ἐκείνης;

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Νῦν οὖν ποῦ τὸ βρέφος ἐστίν;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Ἐς τὴν Νῦσαν ἀποκομίσας παρέδωκα ταῖς Νύμφαις ἀνατρέφειν Διόνυσον αὐτὸν ⁴ ἐπονομασθέντα.

ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ

Οὐκοῦν ἀμφότερα τοῦ Διονύσου τούτου καὶ μήτηρ καὶ πατὴρ ὁ ἀδελφός ἐστιν;

ΕΡΜΗΣ

Ἔοικεν. ἄπειμι δ’ οὖν ὕδωρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ τραῦμα οἴσων καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ποιήσων ἃ νομίζεται ὥσπερ λεχοῖ.

Aphrodite

Masterful boy! always the last word! But you will remember this some day.