hesiod, the homeric hymns, and homerica-第70部分

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（ll。　285…293）　So　said　Hera：　and　the　Son　of　Cronos　cast　a　lurid　thunderbolt：　first　he　thundered　and　made　great　Olympus　shake；　and　the　cast　the　thunderbolt；　the　awful　weapon　of　Zeus；　tossing　it　lightly　forth。　　Thus　he　frightened　them　all；　Frogs　and　Mice　alike；　hurling　his　bolt　upon　them。　　Yet　even　so　the　army　of　the　Mice　did　not　relax；　but　hoped　still　more　to　destroy　the　brood　of　warrior　Frogs。　　Only；　the　Son　of　Cronos；　on　Olympus；　pitied　the　Frogs　and　then　straightway　sent　them　helpers。

（ll。　294…303）　So　there　came　suddenly　warriors　with　mailed　backs　and　curving　claws；　crooked　beasts　that　walked　sideways；　nut…　cracker…jawed；　shell…hided：　bony　they　were；　flat…backed；　with　glistening　shoulders　and　bandy　legs　and　stretching　arms　and　eyes　that　looked　behind　them。　　They　had　also　eight　legs　and　two　feelers　　persistent　creatures　who　are　called　crabs。　　These　nipped　off　the　tails　and　paws　and　feet　of　the　Mice　with　their　jaws；　while　spears　only　beat　on　them。　　Of　these　the　Mice　were　all　afraid　and　no　longer　stood　up　to　them；　but　turned　and　fled。　　Already　the　sun　was　set；　and　so　came　the　end　of　the　one…day　war。


ENDNOTES：

（1）　　Lines　42…52　are　intrusive；　the　list　of　vegetables　which　the　　　　　　Mouse　cannot　eat　must　follow　immediately　after　the　various　　　　　　dishes　of　which　he　does　eat。　（2）　　lit。　‘those　unable　to　swim'。　（3）　　This　may　be　a　parody　of　Orion's　threat　in　Hesiod；　　　　　　〃Astronomy〃；　frag。　4。



OF　THE　ORIGIN　OF　HOMER　AND　HESIOD；　AND　OF　THEIR　CONTEST　（aka　〃The　Contest　of　Homer　and　Hesiod〃）

Everyone　boasts　that　the　most　divine　of　poets；　Homer　and　Hesiod；　are　said　to　be　his　particular　countrymen。　　Hesiod；　indeed；　has　put　a　name　to　his　native　place　and　so　prevented　any　rivalry；　for　he　said　that　his　father　‘settled　near　Helicon　in　a　wretched　hamlet；　Ascra；　which　is　miserable　in　winter；　sultry　in　summer；　and　good　at　no　season。'　　But；　as　for　Homer；　you　might　almost　say　that　every　city　with　its　inhabitants　claims　him　as　her　son。　　Foremost　are　the　men　of　Smyrna　who　say　that　he　was　the　Son　of　Meles；　the　river　of　their　town；　by　a　nymph　Cretheis；　and　that　he　was　at　first　called　Melesigenes。　　He　was　named　Homer　later；　when　he　became　blind；　this　being　their　usual　epithet　for　such　people。　　The　Chians；　on　the　other　hand；　bring　forward　evidence　to　show　that　he　was　their　countrymen；　saying　that　there　actually　remain　some　of　his　descendants　among　them　who　are　called　Homeridae。　　The　Colophonians　even　show　the　place　where　they　declare　that　he　began　to　compose　when　a　schoolmaster；　and　say　that　his　first　work　was　the　〃Margites〃。

As　to　his　parents　also；　there　is　on　all　hands　great　disagreement。

Hellanicus　and　Cleanthes　say　his　father　was　Maeon；　but　Eugaeon　says　Meles；　Callicles　is　for　Mnesagoras；　Democritus　of　Troezen　for　Daemon；　a　merchant…trader。　　Some；　again；　say　he　was　the　son　of　Thamyras；　but　the　Egyptians　say　of　Menemachus；　a　priest…　scribe；　and　there　are　even　those　who　father　him　on　Telemachus；　the　son　of　Odysseus。　　As　for　his　mother；　she　is　variously　called　Metis；　Cretheis；　Themista；　and　Eugnetho。　　Others　say　she　was　an　Ithacan　woman　sold　as　a　slave　by　the　Phoenicians；　other；　Calliope　the　Muse；　others　again　Polycasta；　the　daughter　of　Nestor。

Homer　himself　was　called　Meles　or；　according　to　different　accounts；　Melesigenes　or　Altes。　　Some　authorities　say　he　was　called　Homer；　because　his　father　was　given　as　a　hostage　to　the　Persians　by　the　men　of　Cyprus；　others；　because　of　his　blindness；　for　amongst　the　Aeolians　the　blind　are　so　called。　　We　will　set　down；　however；　what　we　have　heard　to　have　been　said　by　the　Pythia　concerning　Homer　in　the　time　of　the　most　sacred　Emperor　Hadrian。　　When　the　monarch　inquired　from　what　city　Homer　came；　and　whose　son　he　was；　the　priestess　delivered　a　response　in　hexameters　after　this　fashion：

‘Do　you　ask　me　of　the　obscure　race　and　country　of　the　heavenly　siren？　　Ithaca　is　his　country；　Telemachus　his　father；　and　Epicasta；　Nestor's　daughter；　the　mother　that　bare　him；　a　man　by　far　the　wisest　of　mortal　kind。'　　This　we　must　most　implicitly　believe；　the　inquirer　and　the　answerer　being　who　they　are　　especially　since　the　poet　has　so　greatly　glorified　his　grandfather　in　his　works。

Now　some　say　that　he　was　earlier　than　Hesiod；　others　that　he　was　younger　and　akin　to　him。　　They　give　his　descent　thus：　Apollo　and　Aethusa；　daughter　of　Poseidon；　had　a　son　Linus；　to　whom　was　born　Pierus。　　From　Pierus　and　the　nymph　Methone　sprang　Oeager；　and　from　Oeager　and　Calliope　Orpheus；　from　Orpheus；　Dres；　and　from　him；　Eucles。　　The　descent　is　continued　through　Iadmonides；　Philoterpes；　Euphemus；　Epiphrades　and　Melanopus　who　had　sons　Dius　and　Apelles。　　Dius　by　Pycimede；　the　daughter　of　Apollo　had　two　sons　Hesiod　and　Perses；　while　Apelles　begot　Maeon　who　was　the　father　of　Homer　by　a　daughter　of　the　River　Meles。

According　to　one　account　they　flourished　at　the　same　time　and　even　had　a　contest　of　skill　at　Chalcis　in　Euboea。　　For；　they　say；　after　Homer　had　composed　the　〃Margites〃；　he　went　about　from　city　to　city　as　a　minstrel；　and　coming　to　Delphi；　inquired　who　he　was　and　of　what　country？　　The　Pythia　answered：

‘The　Isle　of　Ios　is　your　mother's　country　and　it　shall　receive　you　dead；　but　beware　of　the　riddle　of　the　young　children。'　（1）

Hearing　this；　it　is　said；　he　hesitated　to　go　to　Ios；　and　remained　in　the　region　where　he　was。　　Now　about　the　same　time　Ganyctor　was　celebrating　the　funeral　rites　of　his　father　Amphidamas；　king　of　Euboea；　and　invited　to　the　gathering　not　only　all　those　who　were　famous　for　bodily　strength　and　fleetness　of　foot；　but　also　those　who　excelled　in　wit；　promising　them　great　rewards。　　And　so；　as　the　story　goes；　the　two　went　to　Chalcis　and　met　by　chance。　　The　leading　Chalcidians　were　judges　together　with　Paneides；　the　brother　of　the　dead　king；　and　it　is　said　that　after　a　wonderful　contest　between　the　two　poets；　Hesiod　won　in　the　following　manner：　he　came　forward　into　the　midst　and　put　Homer　one　question　after　another；　which　Homer　answered。　　Hesiod；　then；　began：

‘Homer；　son　of　Meles；　inspired　with　wisdom　from　heaven；　come；　tell　me　first　what　is　best　for　mortal　man？'

HOMER：　‘For　men　on　earth　'tis　best　never　to　be　born　at　all；　or　being　born；　to　pass　through　the　gates　of　Hades　with　all　speed。'

Hesiod　then　asked　again：

‘Come；　tell　me　now　this　also；　godlike　Homer：　what　think　you　in　your　heart　is　most　delightsome　to　men？'

Homer　answered：

‘When　mirth　reigns　throughout　the　town；　and　feasters　about　the　house；　sitting　in　order；　listen　to　a　minstrel；　when　the　tables　beside　them　are　laden　with　bread　and　meat；　and　a　wine…bearer　draws　sweet　drink　from　the　mixing…bowl　and　fills　the　cups：　this　I　think　in　my　heart　to　be　most　delightsome。'

It　is　said　that　when　Homer　had　recited　these　verses；　they　were　so　admired　by　the　Greeks　as　to　be　called　golden　by　them；　and　that　even　now　at　public　sacrifices　all　the　guests　solemnly　recite　them　before　feasts　and　libations。　　Hesiod；　however；　was　annoyed　by　Homer's　felicity　and　hurried　on　to　pose　him　with　hard　questions。　　He　therefore　began　with　the　following　lines：

‘Come；　Muse；　sing　not　to　me　of　things　that　are；　or　that　shall　be；　or　that　were　of　old；　but　think　of　another　song。'

Then　Homer；　wishing　to　escape　from　the　impasse　by　an　apt　answer；　replied：　

‘Never　sh