Stephanus 41

41a after them; and of Cronos and Rhea, Zeus and Hera, and all their brothers and sisters whom we know, and yet other children of these. And when all the gods had received their birth—those who patrol the heavens openly, and those who show themselves only as far as they wish—he who begat this all spoke to them as follows:

"Gods of gods, whose maker and father I am of the works that came to be through me—indissoluble, unless I am willing. For everything bound 41b may be loosed; yet only evil would wish to loosen what has been harmoniously joined and stands in good condition. And so, though you have come to be, you are not immortal, nor wholly indissoluble—yet you shall never be loosed, nor shall death's lot come upon you: for you have won a bond greater than those with which you were bound when you came to be, and more sovereign still—my will. Now learn what I declare to you. Three races of mortals remain unbegotten; and unless these are begotten, the heaven will be incomplete, for it will not have within 41c itself all the kinds of living things, as it must if it is to be complete enough. But let them be begotten through me and share in life, and they will be made equal to the gods. Turn therefore, as is natural for you, to the fashioning of living things, imitating my power in your own begetting. And inasmuch as a part of them should rightly bear the same name as the immortals—the part called divine, and ruling within those who are willing ever to follow justice and to follow you—that part, when I have sown it and given it its beginning, 41d I will hand over to you. The rest is yours: weaving the mortal onto the immortal, fashion living creatures and beget them; give them food, make them grow, and receive them back again as they wane."

He spoke, and turned again to the former mixing bowl, the one in which he had poured and blended the soul of the whole; into it he decanted what remained of the former ingredients, mixing them in a way much the same, though they were no longer in the same way unadulterated, but of second and third degree. And when he had compounded the whole, he divided off souls equal in number to the stars, 41e and assigned each soul to each star; then, setting them as into a chariot, he showed them the nature of the all and declared to them the laws of destiny: that the first birth would be one and the same for all, ordained so that none might be brought low by him; and that, sown each into the instrument of time proper to each, it was needful for them

41a them. From Cronus and Rhea came Zeus and Hera and all the brothers we know of, and then the children of these as well. So when every one of the gods had come to be—both those who circle about in the open and all those who appear as much as they choose—the maker of this universe spoke to them like this:

Gods of gods—those works whose maker and father I am—what came to be through me cannot be undone unless I will it. 41b Everything that is bound can be undone, true. But it is an evil for what is beautifully fitted together and in good condition to want to come undone. So, since you have come to be, you are not immortal, and not fully beyond being undone. Still, you will never be undone, and you will never meet a share in death. You have won a bond of my will, which is greater and more sovereign than the bonds you were tied with when you came to be. Now learn what I show you and say to you. Three mortal kinds are still unborn. If they are not born, the heaven will be incomplete, for it will not have all the kinds of living things within 41c itself. And it must have them, if it is to be complete enough. But if they are born through me and share in life, they will be made equal to the gods. So, so that mortal things may exist and this whole universe may truly be all-complete, turn, as your nature leads, to the making of living things, and imitate my power in your own births. And so far as it is right for them to share the immortal name, I will sow the divine part in them that rules—the part that follows justice always and follows you willingly—and having sown it and given it its start, 41d I will hand it over to you. The rest is your work: weaving the mortal onto the immortal, make living creatures. Beget them, feed them, make them grow, and take them in again as they waste away.

He said this, and turned back to the first mixing bowl, the one in which he had mixed and blended the soul of the universe. He poured in what was left of the earlier material, mixing it in much the same way, but no longer unmixed and pure in the same way as before—only second grade and third. When he had put the whole thing together, he divided out souls, as many as the stars, 41e and assigned one to each star. Then he set them each in place, as if into a chariot, and showed them the nature of the universe. And he told them the laws of destiny: their first birth would be one and the same for all, so that none should be lessened by him; and they were to be sown into the instruments of time that suited each

41a and of Cronos and Rhea were born Zeus and Hera and all those who are, as we know, called their brethren; and of these again, other descendants.

Now when all the gods, both those who revolve manifestly and those who manifest themselves so far as they choose, had come to birth, He that generated this All addressed them thus:

Gods of gods, those works whereof I am framer and father are indissoluble save by my will. For though all that is bound may be dissolved, 41b yet to will to dissolve that which is fairly joined together and in good case were the deed of a wicked one. Wherefore ye also, seeing that ye were generated, are not wholly immortal or indissoluble, yet in no wise shall ye be dissolved nor incur the doom of death, seeing that in my will ye possess a bond greater and more sovereign than the bonds wherewith, at your birth, ye were bound together. Now, therefore, what I manifest and declare unto you do ye learn. Three mortal kinds still remain ungenerated; but if these come not into being the Heaven will be imperfect; for it will not contain within itself the whole sum of the hinds of living creatures, yet contain them it must if 41c it is to be fully perfect. But if by my doing these creatures came into existence and partook of life, they would be made equal unto gods; in order, therefore, that they may be mortal and that this World-all may be truly All, do ye turn yourselves, as Nature directs, to the work of fashioning these living creatures, imitating the power showed by me in my generating of you. Now so much of them as it is proper to designate ’immortal,’ the part we call divine which rules supreme in those who are fain to follow justice always and yourselves, that part I will deliver unto you when I have sown it and given it origin. 41d For the rest, do ye weave together the mortal with the immortal, and thereby fashion and generate living creatures, and give them food that they may grow, and when they waste away receive them to yourselves again.

Thus He spake, and once more into the former bowl, wherein He had blended and mixed the Soul of the Universe, He poured the residue of the previous material, mixing it in somewhat the same manner, yet no longer with a uniform and invariable purity, but second and third in degree of purity. And when He had compounded the whole He divided it into souls equal in number to the stars, and each several soul He assigned to one star, 41e and setting them each as it were in a chariot He showed them the nature of the Universe, and declared unto them the laws of destiny,—namely, how that the first birth should be one and the same ordained for all, in order that none might be slighted by Him; and how it was needful that they, when sown each into his own proper organ of time, should grow into the most god-fearing of living creatures;