Pandoras ask
I detta lilla inlägg kommer jag bara att nämna hur Hesiodos återberättar orsaken till varför människan (mänskligheten) kom att bli drabbad av en sån stor olycka genom kvinnan, Pandora och hennes ask. Jämför gärna med berättelserna från den judisk-kristna traditionen, jag åsyftar skapelseberättelsen och Adam och Eva från Första Mosebok (Genesis). Båda myterna är lika varandra i både tema och innehåll. Du kan själv dra dessa slutsatser när du läser texten nedan. I den grekiska myten skapades Pandora som straff för att Prometheus avslöjat eldens hemlighet för människorna. Heifaistos ombads skapa en kvinna av lera som gavs namnet Pandora och gudarna gav henne flera egenskaper. Hon fick också med sig en gåva i form av en ask av Zeus, men fick under inga omständigheter öppna asken. Hon gifte sig senare med Prometheus bror Epimetheus. Tillsist blev hennes nyfikenhet för stor och hon valde att trotsa förbudet och öppna asken. Det visade sig att den innehöll olyckor och sjukdomar som flög ut över världen. När Pandora förskräckt stängde asken hade nästan hela dess innehåll flugit ut. Det enda som fanns kvar på botten av asken var hoppet.
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En bevarad utgåva av Works and days från 1539. Grekisk text till vänster jämte latinsk översättning till höger.[/caption]Textavsnittet 42-105 i Verk och dagar
I nedanstående valda textstycke möter vi framställningen av ett flertal gudar i den grekiska mytologin. Lägg särskilt märke till de beskrivande attributen när det gäller tillägg till gudarnas namn! Zeus är "molnsamlaren" och hans dotter Athena beskrivs som "den strålögda". Afrodite, den "gyllene" och Hermes, gudarnas budbärare förekommer också som Argus-dödaren. Lägg även märke till innebörden av brödernas namn, Prometheus "förtanken" och Epimetheus "eftertanken" som har varsitt uppdrag i handlingen.
Forthee gods keep hidden from men the means of life. Else you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working; [45] soon would you put away your rudder over the smoke, and the fields worked by ox and sturdy mule would run to waste. But Zeus in the anger of his heart hid it, because Prometheus the crafty deceived him; therefore he planned sorrow and mischief against men. [50] He hid fire; but that the noble son of Iapetus stole again for men from Zeus the counsellor in a hollow fennel-stalk, so that Zeus who delights in thunder did not see it. But afterwards Zeus who gathers the clouds said to him in anger: “Son of Iapetus, surpassing all in cunning, [55] you are glad that you have outwitted me and stolen fire—a great plague to you yourself and to men that shall be. But I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction.
{Gudarna skapar Pandora}
”So said the father of men and gods, and laughed aloud. And he bade famous Hephaestus make haste and mix earth with water and to put in it the voice and strength of human kind, and fashion a sweet, lovely maiden-shape, like to the immortal goddesses in face; and Athena to teach her needlework and the weaving of the varied web; [65] and golden Aphrodite to shed grace upon her head and cruel longing and cares that weary the limbs. And he charged Hermes the guide, the Slayer of Argus, to put in her a shameless mind and a deceitful nature. So he ordered. And they obeyed the lord Zeus the son of Cronos. [70] Forthwith the famous Lame God moulded clay in the likeness of a modest maid, as the son of Cronos purposed. The brighteyed Athena girded and clothed her, and the divine Graces and queenly Persuasion put necklaces of gold upon her, [75] and the rich-haired Hours crowned her head with spring flowers. And Pallas Athena bedecked her form with all manner of finery. Also the Guide, the Slayer of Argus, contrived within her lies and crafty words and a deceitful nature at the will of loud thundering Zeus, [80] and the Herald of the gods put speech in her. And he called this woman Pandora, because all they who dwelt on Olympus gave each a gift, a plague to men who eat bread. But when he had finished the sheer, hopeless snare, the Father sent glorious Argus-Slayer, [85] the swift messenger of the gods, to take it to Epimetheus as a gift. And Epimetheus did not think on what Prometheus had said to him, bidding him never take a gift of Olympian Zeus, but to send it back for fear it might prove to be something harmful to men. But he took the gift, and afterwards, when the evil thing was already his, he understood. [90] For ere this the tribes of men lived on earth remote and free from ills and hard toil and heavy sicknesses which bring the Fates upon men; for in misery men grow old quickly. But the woman took off the great lid of the jar with her hands [95] and scattered, all these and her thought caused sorrow and mischief to men. Only Hope remained there in an unbreakable home within under the rim of the great jar, and did not fly out at the door; for ere that, the lid of the jar stopped her, by the will of Aegis-holding Zeus who gathers the clouds. [100] But the rest, countless plagues, wander amongst men; for earth is full of evils, and the sea is full. Of themselves diseases come upon men continually by day and by night, bringing mischief to mortals silently; for wise Zeus took away speech from them. [105] So is there no way to escape the will of Zeus. Or if you will, I will sum you up another tale well and skilfully—and do you lay it up in your heart,—how the gods and mortal men sprang from one source.
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