'The leader of the Cretans turned to Apollo and asked: "Kyrie, as you brought us far from our dear ones and our country-so it must have pleased your heart-how are we going to feed ourselves now? That's what we want you to consider. This land is too barren for us to live off and serve the people, it cannot sustain production of crops or pasture." Zeus' son Apollo smiled and said, "Oh childish men, miserable, who want to live with anxiety, hard toil and bad temper! I give you a simple answer to keep in mind. Each of you shall keep in his right hand a knife and slaughter sacrificial animals for ever; they will be available in abundance, as many the humanity will bring for me. Watch over my temple, and welcome the people coming here, and regard my will above all. But if you say or do anything wanton, any insolence, as is the habit of mortals, then you shall have other men as your masters, under whose whims you will be subjugated for ever. I told you everything, and you keep these words in you minds.' From Homeric Hymns. Hymn to Apollo.
Comments
Atlas11, on May 8, 2008, said:
'The leader of the Cretans turned to Apollo and asked: "Kyrie, as you brought us far from our dear ones and our country-so it must have pleased your heart-how are we going to feed ourselves now? That's what we want you to consider. This land is too barren for us to live off and serve the people, it cannot sustain production of crops or pasture." Zeus' son Apollo smiled and said, "Oh childish men, miserable, who want to live with anxiety, hard toil and bad temper! I give you a simple answer to keep in mind. Each of you shall keep in his right hand a knife and slaughter sacrificial animals for ever; they will be available in abundance, as many the humanity will bring for me. Watch over my temple, and welcome the people coming here, and regard my will above all. But if you say or do anything wanton, any insolence, as is the habit of mortals, then you shall have other men as your masters, under whose whims you will be subjugated for ever. I told you everything, and you keep these words in you minds.' From Homeric Hymns. Hymn to Apollo.