bearing harvest grows heavy, and in the fields he is rich in beasts of burden, and his house is filled with good things. And they themselves rule under good laws through the city of fair dames, and much prosperity and riches follows [them], and their children exult in juvenile joy, and their virgins with joyous mind leap sportingly[1] in the flowery circle o'er the soft blossoms of the grass, they whom thou, forsooth, dost honour, unstinting[2] goddess! Hail! mother of the gods, wife of the starry heaven, and willingly award me a pleasant life in reward for my song: but I will be mindful of thee and of another song.
XXIX. TO THE SUN.
O Calliope, child of Jove, again begin to hymn the shining Sun, whom large-eyed Euryphaessa bore to the son of the earth and the starry heaven. For Hyperion wedded his own sister, Euryphaessa all-renowned, who bore him beauteous children, both rosy-fingered Morn, and the fair-haired Moon, and the unwearied Sun, like unto the immortals, who shines unto mortals and to the immortal gods, mounting his steeds. And dreadfully with his eyes he glances from his golden casque, and from him the bright rays flash splendidly, and down from his temples the cheek-plates[3] [of his helmet], shining from his head, guard his beauteous face, shining afar, and with the gale of the winds his beauteous garments glitter around his form, and his male steeds beneath. Here indeed, at even,[4] he, having stopped his golden-yoked chariot and steeds, sends them through heaven towards the ocean. Hail! O king, and willingly grant a pleasant life; and commencing from thee, I will celebrate the race of articulate-voiced men, demigods, whose deeds the gods have shown forth unto mortals.
- ↑ I read παίζουσαι σπαίρουσι with Ruhnken, and εὐανθέσιν with Hermann. By χοροῖς the latter scholar rightly understands "locos, in quibus choreæ ducuntur."
- ↑ Matthiæ would read ἄφιτε. Ruhnken condemns this line, but Hermann defends it.
- ↑ See Hermann, who however cannot find any example of this signification. Pearson would read περὶ κροτάφοισι τ' ἔθειραι.
- ↑ This is Ruhnken's elegant emendation for θεσπέσιος.
