Now first the several particles of earth, Since they were heavy and close-packed, all met Together in the middle, and took up The lowest places: and the more they met In close-packed throngs, the more did they squeeze out Those particles which were to form sea, stars, Sun and moon, and the walls of the great world. For all these are of smoother rounder seeds, And of much smaller elements than earth. So first through porous openings in the soil The fire-laden aether here and there Bursting forth rose and lightly carried off Many fires with it, much in the same way As often we may see when first the beams Of the radiant sun with golden morning light Blush through the grasses gemmed with dew, and lakes And ever-flowing rivers exhale mist, While earth itself is sometimes seen to smoke; And when floating aloft these vapours all Unite on high, then taking bodily shape As clouds, they weave a veil beneath the heavens. Thus then the light diffusive aether once Took bodily shape, and, arched round on all sides, Far into every quarter spreading out, So with its greedy embrace hemmed in all else. Next came the rudiments of sun and moon, Whose globes turn in the air midway between Aether and earth; for neither did the earth Nor the great aether claim them for itself, Since they were not so heavy as to sink And settle down, nor so light as to glide Along the topmost borders: yet their course Between the two is such, that as they roll Their lifelike bodies onward, they are still Parts of the whole world; even as with us Some of our members may remain at rest, While at the same time others may be in motion. So when these things had been withdrawn, the earth, Where now the ocean’s vast blue region spreads, Sank suddenly down, and flooded with salt surge Its hollow parts. And day by day the more The encircling aether’s heats and the sun’s rays Compressed the earth into a closer mass By constant blows upon its outer surface From every side, so that thus beaten upon It shrank and drew together round its centre, The more did the salt sweat squeezed from its body Increase by its oozings the sea’s floating plains, And the more did those many particles Of heat and air escaping fly abroad, And far away from the earth condensing, form The lofty glittering mansions of the sky. The plains sank lower, the high mountains grew Yet steeper; for the rocks could not sink down, Nor could all parts subside to one same level.