at the first Chaos came to be, but next
wide-bosomed Earth, the ever-sure foundations of all [1604] the
deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympus, and dim Tartarus in
the depth of the wide-pathed Earth, and Eros (Love), fairest among the
deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise
counsels of all gods and all men within them. From Chaos came forth
Erebus and black Night; but of Night were born Aether [1605] and Day,
whom she conceived and bare from union in love with Erebus. And Earth
first bare starry Heaven, equal to herself, to cover her on every side,
and to be an ever-sure abiding-place for the blessed gods. And she
brought forth long Hills, graceful haunts of the goddess-Nymphs who
dwell amongst the glens of the hills. She bare also the fruitless
deep with his raging swell, Pontus, without sweet union of love. But
afterwards she lay with Heaven and bare deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and
Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and
gold-crowned Phoebe and lovely Tethys. After them was born Cronos the
wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty
sire.

(ll. 139-146) And again, she bare the Cyclopes, overbearing in spirit,
Brontes, and Steropes and stubborn-hearted Arges [1606], who gave Zeus
the thunder and made the thunderbolt: in all else they were like the
gods, but one eye only was set in the midst of their fore-heads. And
they were surnamed Cyclopes (Orb-eyed) because one orbed eye was set in
their foreheads. Strength and might and craft were in their works.

(ll. 147-163) And again, three other sons were born of Earth and
Heaven, great and doughty beyond telling, Cottus and Briareos and Gyes,
presumptuous children. From their shoulders sprang an hundred arms, not
to be approached, and each had fifty heads upon his shoulders on their
strong limbs, and irresistible was the stubborn strength that was in
their great forms. For of all the children that were born of Earth and
Heaven, these were the most terrible, and they were hated by their own
father from the first.

And he used to hide them all away in a secret place of Earth so soon as
each was born, and would not suffer them to come up into the light: and
Heaven rejoiced in his evil doing. But vast Earth groaned within, being
straitened, and she made the element of grey flint and shaped a great
sickle, and told her plan to her dear sons. And she spoke, cheering
them,