---
title: "Dialogues of the Gods · Θεῶν διάλογοι"
author: "Lucian"
translator: "Matthew Donald Macleod"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
section: 5 of 25
url: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-gods/5/
cite: "Lucian, tr. Matthew Donald Macleod, Dialogues of the Gods · Θεῶν διάλογοι, section 5. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-gods/5/"
---

# Dialogues of the Gods · Θεῶν διάλογοι

*Lucian, tr. Matthew Donald Macleod*

The Olympians gossip, quarrel and complain: Zeus, Hera, Hermes, Ganymede and Eros.

> Greek: ed. Matthew Donald Macleod, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0062.tlg068, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Matthew Donald Macleod, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0062.tlg068.perseus-eng3). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (books, chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## 5. Dialogue 5

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-gods/5/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/lucian-dialogues-of-the-gods/5/#p-N

[¶0] 1. PROMETHEUS: Free me, Zeus. I’ve suffered terribly already. ZEUS: I’m to free you, am I? You ought to have had heavier chains, and all of Caucasus on your head, and a whole sixteen vultures to tear at your liver, and dig your eyes out too, for making such creatures as humans to plague us, and stealing fire and producing women. For need I mention how you tricked me in serving out the meat, by serving me with hones wrapped in fat, and keeping the better portion for yourself? PROMETHEUS: Well, haven’t I already been punished enough for that, nailed all this time to Caucasus, with that accursed eagle feeding on my liver?

> Greek: 1. ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΥΣ: Λῦσόν με, ὦ Ζεῦ· δεινὰ γὰρ ἤδη πέπονθα. ΖΕΥΣ: Λύσω σε, φῄς, ὃν ἐχρῆν βαρυτέρας πέδας ἔχοντα καὶ τὸν Καύκασον ὅλον ὑπέρ κεφαλῆς ἐπικείμενον ὑπὸ ἑκκαίδεκα γυπῶν μὴ μόνον κείρεσθαι τὸ ἧπαρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξορύττεσθαι, ἀνθ' ὧν τοιαῦθ' ἡμῖν ζῷα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἔπλασας καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἔκλεψας καὶ γυναῖκας ἐδημιούργησας; ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐμὲ ἐξηπάτησας ἐν τῇ νομῇ τῶν κρεῶν ὀστᾶ πιμελῇ κεκαλυμμένα παραθεὶς καὶ τὴν ἀμείνω τῶν μοιρῶν σεαυτῷ φυλάττων, τί χρὴ λέγειν; ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΥΣ: Οὔκουν ἱκανὴν ἤδη τὴν δίκην ἐκτέτικα τοσοῦτον χρόνον τῷ Καυκάσῳ προσηλωμένος τὸν κάκιστα ὀρνέων ἀπολούμενον ἀετὸν τρέφων τῷ ἥπατι; ΖΕΥΣ: Οὐδὲ πολλοστημόριον τοῦτο ὧν σε δεῖ παθεῖν. ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΥΣ: Καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἀμισθί με λύσεις, ἀλλά σοι μηνύσω τι, ὦ Ζεῦ, πάνυ ἀναγκαῖον.

[¶1] 2. ZEUS: That’s not the tiniest fraction of what you deserve. PROMETHEUS: But you shall have your reward for my freedom. I’ll give you some very vital information, Zeus.

> Greek: 2. ΖΕΥΣ: Κατασοφίζῃ με, ὦ Προμηθεῦ. ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΥΣ: Καὶ τί πλέον ἕξω; οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοήσεις αὖθις ἔνθα ὁ Καύκασός ἐστιν, οὐδὲ ἀπορήσεις δεσμῶν, ἤν τι τεχνάζων ἁλίσκωμαι.

[¶2] ZEUS: You’re trying to trick me, Prometheus. PROMETHEUS: What good will that do me? You’ll still know where Caucasus is, and still have plenty of chains left, if I’m caught up to any tricks.

> Greek: ΖΕΥΣ: Εἰπὲ πρότερον ὅντινα μισθὸν ἀποτίσεις ἀναγκαῖον ἡμῖν ὄντα. ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΥΣ: Ἢν εἴπω ἐφ' ὅ τι βαδίζεις νῦν, ἀξιόπιστος ἔσομαί σοι καὶ περὶ τῶν ὑπολοίπων μαντευόμενος;

[¶3] ZEUS: Tell me first what is this vital reward I’ll have from you? PROMETHEUS: Suppose I tell you what you’re after in your present expedition, will you trust the rest of my prophecies?

> Greek: ΖΕΥΣ: Πῶς γὰρ οὔ; ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΥΣ: Παρὰ τὴν Θέτιν, συνεσόμενος αὐτῇ.

[¶4] ZEUS: Yes, indeed. PROMETHEUS: You’re off to Thetis, to make love to her.

> Greek: ΖΕΥΣ: Τουτὶ μὲν ἔγνως· τί δ’ οὖν τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ; δοκεῖς γὰρ ἀληθές τι ἐρεῖν. ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΥΣ: Μηδέν, ὦ Ζεῦ, κοινωνήσῃς τῇ Νηρεΐδι· ἢν γὰρ αὕτη κυοφορήσῃ ἐκ σοῦ, τὸ τεχθὲν ἴσα ἐργάσεταί σε οἷα καὶ σὺ ἔδρασας — ΖΕΥΣ: Τοῦτο φῄς, ἐκπεσεῖσθαί με τῆς ἀρχῆς; ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΥΣ: Μὴ γένοιτο, ὦ Ζεῦ. πλὴν τοιοῦτό γε ἡ μῖξις αὐτῆς ἀπειλεῖ.

[¶5] ZEUS: So far you’re right, but what’s to follow? For I think what you say will prove true. PROMETHEUS: Have nothing to do with that daughter of Nereus, for if she brings you a child, it will treat you just as you treated— ZEUS: Do you mean that I’ll be cast out of my kingdom? PROMETHEUS: I hope not, Zeus, but something of the sort threatens if you tamper with her.
ZEUS: Goodbye, then, to Thetis; and you, Prometheus, must be released by Hephaestus for this.

> Greek: ΖΕΥΣ: Χαιρέτω τοιγαροῦν ἡ Θέτις· σὲ δὲ ὁ Ἥφαιστος ἐπὶ τούτοις λυσάτω.