PROMETHEUS The mock-plea Prometheus, clearly suggested by_ the opening of the Prometheus Bound of Aeschylus, is midway between the Menippean satires and the pure genre of the Dialogues of the Gods, in one of which (5, formerly 1) the Titan figures again. In some of the manuscripts it bears a sub-title, The Caucasus, possibly added to distinguish it from A Literary Prometheus, vol. 1. RTIPOMH@ETS EPMHE ‘O pe Kavxacos, & “Hdatote, obtos, & Tov GOrsov rovrovt Titava mpoonrdcbar Serfoer mepisxoT ev 58 987 «pnuver Twa émutndecov, el qrov TAS, XLovos TL yupvev forw, as BeBarorepov karamaryeln 7a Seopa, nal odros Grace mepupavys eln Kpeudpevos. H®AIZTOZ Teproxomdpev, & ‘Eph: obre yap Taqewev Kar mpoaryetov éoravphabar XP thy as pa érrapv- votev aire a midopara avrTod ot vO porror, obte way Kata TO Gx pov,—apavirs yap av ein trois xdtw—arr eb Soxel cata pécov evTav0d trov imép tis Pdpayyos avertavpacbw éexmetacbels To xelpe amb tovrovt tod Kpnuvod mpos Tov évaytiov. EPMH2 ED réyers: arrokupol te yap ai wétpae nal arpoaBaro. mavraxdber, pepe. emivevevaviat, Kal TO mod) orevyy Tavrqy 6 pnpves exer TH ériBacw, as dx pom odyri pores éordvat, nat Oras émeuxay upoTaros av 6 araupos yévotto. wy éhre ow, ® TIpopn bed, ann avdBawe wal mdpexe ceavToy KaTaTrarynoopevoy ampos TO Spos. 242PROMETHEUS HERMES We t, Hephaestus, here is the Caucasus, where this poor Titan will have to be nailed up. Now then let us look about for a suitable rock, if there is a place anywhere that has no snow on it, so that the irons may be riveted in more firmly and he may be in full sight of everybody as he hangs there. HEPHAESTUS Yes, let’s look about, Hermes: we mustn’t crucify him low and close to the ground for fear that men, his own handiwork, may come to his aid, nor yet on the summit, either, for he would be out of sight from below. Suppose we crucify him half way up, somewhere hereabouts over the ravine, with his hands outstretched from this rock to that one? HERMES Right you are ; the cliffs are sheer and inaccessible on every side, and overhang slightly, and the rock has only this narrow foothold, so that one can barely stand on tip toe ; in short, it will make a very handy cross. Well, Prometheus, don’t hang back: climb up and let yourself be riveted to the mountain. 243 R22