Forthwith he made an evil thing for
men as the price of fire; for the very famous Limping God formed of
earth the likeness of a shy maiden as the son of Cronos willed. And
the goddess bright-eyed Athena girded and clothed her with silvery
raiment, and down from her headshe spread with her hands an embroidered veil, a wonder to see; and
she, Pallas Athena, put about her head lovely garlands, flowers of
new-grown herbs. Also she put upon her head a crown of gold which the
very famous Limping God made himselfand worked with his own hands as a favor to Zeus his
father. On it was much curious work, wonderful to see; for of the many
creatures which the land and sea rear up, he put most upon it,
wonderful things, like living beings with voices: and great beauty
shone out from it.
But when he had made the
beautiful evil to be the price for the blessing, he brought her out,
delighting in the finery which the bright-eyed daughter of a mighty
father had given her, to the place where the other gods and men were.
And wonder took hold of the deathless gods and mortal men when they
saw that which was sheer guile, not to be withstood by men. For from her is the race of women and
female kind: of her is the deadly race and tribe of women who live
amongst mortal men to their great trouble, no helpmeets in hateful
poverty, but only in wealth. And as in thatched hives beesfeed the drones whose nature is to do
mischief—by day and throughout the day until the sun goes down
the bees are busy and lay the white combs, while the drones stay at
home in the covered hives and reap the toil of others into their own
bellies—even so Zeus
who thunders on high made women to be an evil to mortal men, with a
nature to do evil. And he gave them a second evil to be the price for
the good they had: whoever avoids marriage and the sorrows that women
cause, and will not wed, reaches deadly old agewithout anyone to tend his years, and though he
at least has no lack of livelihood while he lives, yet, when he is
dead, his kinsfolk divide his possessions amongst them. And as for the
man who chooses the lot of marriage and takes a good wife suited to
his mind, evil continually contends with good;