batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l2439-l2460
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l2439-l2460
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
passage_locator:
label: THE ASTRONOMY / THE PRECEPTS OF CHIRON / THE GREAT WORKS / THE IDAEAN DACTYLS;
lines 2439-2460
start: '2439'
end: '2460'
translation: Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: 'The passage preserves brief testimonia and fragments attributed to Hesiodic
works. One fragment states a principle of reciprocal justice: one who sows evil
reaps evil. Another reports that silver is of the family of Earth. The Idaean
Dactyls are credited with teaching iron smelting and tempering in Crete; Celmis
and Damnameneus are named as discovering iron in Cyprus, and Delas, also called
Scythes by Hesiod, is associated with the discovery of bronze smelting.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A fragment from the Great Works states that a man who sows evil will reap
evil increase, and that receiving treatment like one's own deeds is true justice.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A testimony reports that Hesiod in the Great Works makes silver to be of the
family of Earth.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: A testimony reports that the Idaean Dactyls taught smelting and tempering
of iron in Crete.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Celmis and Damnameneus are named as the first of the Idaean Dactyls and as
discoverers of iron in Cyprus.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Delas, another Idaean, is credited with discovering bronze smelting; the passage
notes that Hesiod calls him Scythes.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Rhadamanthys
description: Named in a parenthetical note referring to a verse on the slaying of
Rhadamanthys.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Silver Race
description: A collective race said by some to be attributed to the earth and described
as of the family of Earth.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Earth
description: Named as the family to which silver belongs in the reported Hesiodic
statement.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Idaean Dactyls
description: A named group credited with teaching the smelting and tempering of
iron in Crete.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Celmis
description: Named as one of the first Idaean Dactyls and as a discoverer of iron
in Cyprus.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Damnameneus
description: Named as one of the first Idaean Dactyls and as a discoverer of iron
in Cyprus.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Delas / Scythes
description: Named as another Idaean who discovered bronze smelting; the passage
says Hesiod calls him Scythes.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: victim named in cited verse
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage parenthetically identifies the verse as concerning the slaying
of Rhadamanthys.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: collective race with earth-related kinship
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The Silver Race is reported to be attributed to earth and made of the family
of Earth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: kinship source
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Earth is named as the family to which silver belongs.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: Idaean metallurgical figure
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
basis: The Idaean Dactyls, including named individuals, are credited with teaching
or discovering metalworking practices.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: discoverer of iron
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: Celmis and Damnameneus are said to have discovered iron in Cyprus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:6
label: discoverer of bronze smelting
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Delas is said to have discovered bronze smelting, with Scythes given as Hesiod's
name for him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: iron
literal_form: iron
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:2
label: bronze smelting
literal_form: bronze smelting
associated_figures:
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: silver
literal_form: silver
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: Crete
literal_form: Crete
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: Cyprus
literal_form: Cyprus
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Reciprocal justice maxim
summary: A fragment states that evil actions yield evil returns and that equivalent
treatment constitutes true justice.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Silver linked to Earth
summary: A testimony reports that Hesiod connects silver with the family of Earth.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Idaean Dactyls teach ironworking
summary: The Idaean Dactyls are credited with teaching the smelting and tempering
of iron in Crete.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Named Idaeans discover metals
summary: Celmis and Damnameneus are credited with discovering iron in Cyprus, while
Delas, also called Scythes, is credited with discovering bronze smelting.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: reciprocal justice for wrongdoing
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: The fragment formulates justice as evil returning to the one who does evil.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage states a moral-legal maxim but does not explicitly name a
god or divine judge.
- id: motif:2
label: primordial or earth-related lineage of a race or substance
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The Silver Race or silver is reported as belonging to the family of Earth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: low
cautions: The fragment is brief and its wording is mediated by Proclus; the exact
relation between the Silver Race, silver, and Earth is compressed.
- id: motif:3
label: culture figures transmit or discover metallurgy
taxonomy_refs:
- culture_hero
- wisdom
basis: The Idaean Dactyls and named Idaeans are credited with teaching or discovering
ironworking and bronze smelting.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage concerns technical discovery and instruction; it does not
provide a full narrative of the discovery.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 2439-2445
quote_or_summary: "“If a man sow evil, he shall reap evil increase; if men do to
him as he has done, it will be true justice.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; short excerpt used for evidence.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 2446-2449
quote_or_summary: Proclus reports that some attribute the Silver Race to earth and
say Hesiod makes silver of the family of Earth in the Great Works.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2452-2455
quote_or_summary: Pliny reports that Hesiod says the Idaean Dactyls taught the smelting
and tempering of iron in Crete.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 2456-2460
quote_or_summary: Clement reports that Celmis and Damnameneus discovered iron in
Cyprus, and that Delas, another Idaean whom Hesiod calls Scythes, discovered bronze
smelting.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation summarized.
confidence:
extraction: medium
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The passage consists of short fragmentary testimonia, so roles and motifs
are limited to explicit attributions and cautious motif labels.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Only the supplied passage and metadata were used. No comparison claims were added because the passage does not itself make an explicit cross-traditional comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg__l2439-l2460
passage_sha256=7fc8ee9f04d57fe9f7d49e7ea7313f935d414150faa49d5cbfd6035f719f7579