The Remains of Hesiod the Ascræan, Including the Shield of Hercules: Translated into English rhyme and blank verse; with a dissertation on the life and æra, the poems and mythology of Hesiod, and copious notes.Hesiod
General
The Remains of Hesiod the Ascræan, Including the Shield of Hercules: Translated into English rhyme and blank verse; with a dissertation on the life and æra, the poems and mythology of Hesiod, and copious notes.
Hesiod
Heracles (Greek mythological character) -- Poetry; Hesiod -- Translations into English
Milton has imitated this description of the infelicities supposed to
be produced by woman-kind, in a prophetic complaint, which comes with
beautiful propriety from the lips of Adam: and which his own domestic
unhappiness enabled him to express with feeling.
[205]
_The host_
_Of glorious Titans._]
The giants, whom Abydenus makes the builders of Babel, are by other
writers represented as the Titans. They are said to have received their
name from their mother Titæa: by which we are to understand that they
were denominated from their religion and place of worship. The ancient
altars consisted of a conical hill of earth, in the shape of a woman’s
breast. Titæa was one of these. It is a term compounded of Tit-aia, and
signifies literally a breast of earth. These altars were also called
Tit-an, and Tit-anis, from the great fountain of night, styled An and
Anis: hence many places were called Titanis and Titana where the worship
of the sun prevailed. By these giants and Titans are always meant the
sons of Ham and Chus. That the sons of Chus were the chief agents
both in erecting the tower of Babel, and in maintaining principles of
rebellion, is plain: for it is said of Nimrod, the son of Chus, that “the
beginning of his kingdom was Babel.” The sons of Chus would not submit
to the divine dispensation in the original disposition of the several
families: and Nimrod, who first took upon him regal state, drove Ashur
from his demesnes, and forced him to take shelter in the higher parts
of Mesopotamia. This was their first act of rebellion and apostacy.
Their second was to erect a lofty tower, as a landmark to repair to, as
a token to direct them, and prevent their being scattered abroad. It
was an idolatrous temple, erected in honour of the sun, and called the
tower of Bel: as the city, from its consecration to the sun, was named
Bel-on: the city of the solar god. Their intention was to have founded
a great, if not an universal, empire: but their purpose was defeated by
the confounding of their labial utterance. By this judgment they were
dispersed; the tower was deserted; and the city left unfinished. These
circumstances seem, in great measure, to be recorded by the gentile
writers. They add, that a war soon after commenced between the Titans and
the family of Zeuth. This was no other than the war mentioned by Moses;
which was carried on by four kings of the family of Shem against the sons
of Ham and Chus. The dispersion from Babylonia had weakened the Cuthites.
The house of Shem took advantage of their dissipation, and recovered the
land of Shinar, which had been unduly usurped by their enemies. After
this success they proceeded farther: and attacked the Titans in all their
quarters. After a contest of some time they made them tributaries: but
upon their rising in rebellion, after a space of thirteen years, the
confederates made a fresh inroad into their countries. “Twelve years
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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