レアはクロノスと愛を交わし、輝かしい子らを産んだ。ヘスティア、デメテル、黄金の履のヘラ、心に憐れみを知らず地の下に住む強きハデス、大地を揺るがし轟かせる者、そして知恵深いゼウス、神々と人々の父、その雷によって広い大地が震える者を。これらを、大いなるクロノスは母の膝へ出てくるそばから呑み込んだ。天の誇りある子らのうち、他の誰も神々のあいだで王位に就くことのないように、というのである。というのも彼は、ガイアと星ちりばめた天から、いかに強かろうと自分の子に打ち負かされる定めであること、それが大いなるゼウスの企てによることを、学び知っていたからだ。だから彼は目を離さず、見張っては子らを呑み下した。絶えることのない嘆きがレアを捉えた。しかし、神々と人々の父ゼウスを産もうとするとき、彼女は自分の親であるガイアと星ちりばめた天に願った。愛しい子の誕生を隠し、またクロノスがその父ウラノスにしたことと、彼が呑み込んだ子らとのために、狡知にたけたクロノスへ報いが下るよう、ともに計らってほしい、と。二人はすぐに聞き入れて愛しい娘に従い、クロノス王とその剛胆な子について定められていることを、ことごとく彼女に告げた。そして彼女がゼウスを——子らのうち最も年少の者を——産もうとするとき、豊かな地クレタのリュクトスへ送った。広いクレタで、レアからその子を受け取って養い育てたのは、広大なガイアであった。ガイアは黒い夜を抜けてその子をすみやかに運び、まずリュクトスへ至った。そして腕に抱いて、木の茂るアイガイオン山の、聖なる地の奥まった場所の、人知れぬ洞に隠した。一方レアは、ウラノスの強大な支配者たる息子、神々の先の王クロノスに、産着で包んだ大きな石を渡した。彼はそれを手に取り、腹へ押し込んだ。愚かなことに、自分が息子の代わりに石を呑み、息子の方は無事にあとへ残されたこと、その子が力と武によってまもなく自分を打ち負かし、誉れから追い落とし、自ら不死の神々を治めることになるのを、心に知らなかったのである。
英文
But Rhea was subject in love to Cronos and bare splendid children, Hestia, Demeter, and gold-shod Hera and strong Hades, pitiless in heart, who dwells under the earth, and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, and wise Zeus, father of gods and men, by whose thunder the wide earth is shaken. These great Cronos swallowed as each came forth from the womb to his mother's knees with this intent, that no other of the proud sons of Heaven should hold the kingly office amongst the deathless gods. For he learned from Earth and starry Heaven that he was destined to be overcome by his own son, strong though he was, through the contriving of great Zeus. Therefore he kept no blind outlook, but watched and swallowed down his children: and unceasing grief seized Rhea. But when she was about to bear Zeus, the father of gods and men, then she besought her own dear parents, Earth and starry Heaven, to devise some plan with her that the birth of her dear child might be concealed, and that retribution might overtake great, crafty Cronos for his own father and also for the children whom he had swallowed down. And they readily heard and obeyed their dear daughter, and told her all that was destined to happen touching Cronos the king and his stout-hearted son. So they sent her to Lyetus, to the rich land of Crete, when she was ready to bear great Zeus, the youngest of her children. Him did vast Earth receive from Rhea in wide Crete to nourish and to bring up. Thither came Earth carrying him swiftly through the black night to Lyctus first, and took him in her arms and hid him in a remote cave beneath the secret places of the holy earth on thick-wooded Mount Aegeum; but to the mightily ruling son of Heaven, the earlier king of the gods, she gave a great stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. Then he took it in his hands and thrust it down into his belly: wretch! he knew not in his heart that in place of the stone his son was left behind, unconquered and untroubled, and that he was soon to overcome him by force and might and drive him from his honours, himself to reign over the deathless gods.