Source edition
Callimachus and Lycophron; Aratus. Mair, A. W., editor. London: William Heinemann; New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1921.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This hymn celebrates the birth of Zeus, the supreme deity of Greek mythology, and his establishment of sovereign rule as the king of the gods. The poem begins by addressing the dispute over Zeus's birthplace, choosing between Arcadia and Crete. It depicts how his mother, Rhea, gave birth in Arcadia, miraculously causing rivers to flow from the parched earth, and how the infant Zeus was then whisked away to Crete to be nurtured by nymphs and divine beasts. As he grows, Zeus attains the supreme kingship not through the traditional casting of lots with his brothers, but by his own sheer power and wisdom. The hymn concludes by illustrating Zeus's patronage over earthly rulers and offering a final prayer for virtue and wealth.