PROMETHEUS BOUND 97
The counsel I thought meetest, could not move 245
The Titans, children of the Heaven and Earth,
What time, disdaining in their rugged souls
My subtle machinations, they assumed
It was an easy thing for force to take
The mastery of fate. My mother, then, 250
Who is called not only Themis, but Earth too,
(Her single beauty joys in many names) ^
Did teach me with reiterant prophecy
What future should be, and how conquering gods
Should not prevail by strength and violence, 25.5
But by guile only. When I told them so,
They would not deign to contemplate the truth
On all sides round ; whereat I deemed it best
To lead my willing mother upwardly.
And set my Themis face to face with Zeus 260
As willing to receive her. Tartarus,
IVith its abysmal cloister of the Dark,
Because I gave that counsel, covers up
The antique Cronos and his siding hosts,
And, by that counsel helped, the king of gods 265
Hath recompensed me with these bitter pangs ;
For kingship wears a cancer at the heart, —
Distrust in friendship. Do ye also ask
What crime it is for which he tortures me ?
That shall be clear before you. When at first 270
He filled his father's throne, he instantly
Made various gifts of glory to the gods.
And dealt the empire out. Alone of men,
Of miserable men, he took no count.
But yearned to sweep their track off from the world, 275
And plant a newer race there. Not a god
Resisted such desire, except myself.
1 More literallj-, '" one form (i. e., one person) of many names,"
