50 Ernest Heinrich Klotsche 



Dreams obtained by dream-oracles are described by the poet as 

 a kind of spurious and deceptive divination sent by Earth in vexa- 

 tion for her ejected daughter Themis who alone possessed the 

 power of predicting the truth. In order to punish Apollo for the 

 deposition of her daughter Themis, Earth instituted a dream- 

 oracle which was consulted by sleeping upon the ground by the 

 shrine. Here, Earth sent up dreams, which deluded mankind, 

 who trusted more to the predictions derived from dreams than to 

 the oracles themselves. 



I. T. 1259 ff-: 



Qk/jnv 5' ewel Yds mv 

 7raI5' aTrefdcrcraro Aa- 



XPV<^T7]pL(j}V, wx'tt K- T- ^• 



" But the Child of the Earth did his coming make 



Of her birthright dispossessed, 

 For the oracle-sceptre of Themis he brake : 



Wherefore the Earth from her breast, 

 To make of his pride a derision, sent forth dream-vision on 



vision. 

 Whereby to sons of men the things that had been ere then, 



And the things for the God's decision 



Yet waiting beyond our ken. 

 Through the darkness of slumber she spake, and from 

 Phoebus — in fierce heart-ache 

 Of jealous wrath for her daughter's sake — 



His honor so did she wrest." 



Thereupon Apollo appeals to Zeus to stop the baneful power of 

 Earth, 1270 fT. Zeus puts an end to the nightly visions and con- 

 firms Apollo's authority : 



I.T. 1277-83: 



iravaev vvxlovs oveipovs, 



dvro 5e \ado(Tvvav 



VVKTCOTTOV k^elXev ISporibv, k. t. X. 



"And he made an end to the voices of night; 

 For he took from mortals the dream-visitations. 

 Truth's shadows upfloating from Earth's dark womb; 

 And he sealed by an everlasting right 

 Loxias' honours, that all men might 

 104 . 



