The human race that then lived upon the earth was far hardier, as was only natural, since it had been fashioned by the hard earth itself. Its bones were larger and stronger within, its flesh bound together by powerful sinews. It was a race that could not easily be troubled by heat or cold, unfamiliar food or any bodily weakness. For many revolutions of the sun they wandered endlessly, living like wild beasts.

There was no sturdy ploughman to guide the curved plough, no one knew how to cultivate the fields with an iron ploughshare, to plant tender shoots in the earth or to cut away old branches from the lofty trees with a pruning hook. Whatever the sun and the rains had bestowed, whatever the earth had produced of its own accord, was gift enough to satisfy their hearts.

For the most part, they fed on acorns. And the arbutus berries, which you now see ripening with their purple hue in winter, were then produced by the earth in great abundance and of much larger size. The youthful vigour of the world also brought forth plentiful food, coarse perhaps, but suitable for poor mortals.

Rivers and springs invited them to quench their thirst, just as today the water flowing down from high mountains calls to thirsty wild animals. They lived in the dwellings of the nymphs, deep within the forests, places they had discovered through their wanderings. There they learned how streams, flowing swiftly, washed the moss-covered rocks with their waters, and how in certain places they overflowed and spread across the open plains.

They did not yet know how to work with fire or how to use skins to cover their bodies with the hides of wild animals. They lived in forests, mountain caves and thickets, hiding their unwashed bodies among the bushes to escape the lashes of the winds and the rain.

They could neither care for common possessions nor regulate their relationships through customs and laws. Each took whatever prey chance offered, accustomed to relying on his own strength and living for himself alone.

Venus united the bodies of lovers in the forests. They were brought together by mutual desire, by the force of passion and the powerful longing of the man, or by gifts: acorns, arbutus berries or choice pears.

With the remarkable skill of their hands and feet, they hunted wild animals in the forests, using heavy clubs and hurling stones. They overcame most of them, while others escaped into hiding places.

Like wild boars, when night overtook them, they stretched their savage bodies upon the ground and covered themselves with leaves and branches. They did not wander through the forests, lamenting the absence of daylight and the sun, nor did they tremble in terror at the shadows of the night. Instead, they waited silently, buried in sleep, until the sun spread its rosy torch of light across the heavens.

Since childhood they had been accustomed to seeing darkness and light appear in succession. They therefore had no reason to wonder or fear that the sun might disappear and an everlasting night descend upon the earth.

What troubled them far more were the wild beasts that frequently disturbed the peace of these unfortunate people. Driven from their homes, they were forced to abandon their rocky shelters when a foaming wild boar or a mighty lion approached. In the middle of the night, trembling with fear, they surrendered their beds of leaves to these savage visitors.

Nor did human beings in those days, any more than they do now, willingly surrender the sweet light of life without lamentation. Indeed, it was easier then for anyone to be seized and become living food for wild beasts, torn apart by their teeth, while their cries echoed through valleys, mountains and forests. They watched their own living flesh become a living tomb.

Those who managed to escape, holding their trembling hands against their wounds, called upon the underworld with terrible cries, until savage pain finally robbed them of life. There was no help, and they did not know what treatment their wounds required.

Yet in those days a single day did not send thousands of men to destruction, arranged in battle formations beneath their standards. Nor did enormous, raging waves hurl ships and men violently against the rocks. The sea often rose in vain and raged without purpose, but its hollow threats could deceive no one. Its treacherous calm and smiling waves held no power over them. The wicked art of navigation still lay hidden in darkness.

In those times, it was the lack of food that offered human bodies to death. Today, by contrast, it is abundance that overwhelms them. Those people poisoned themselves through ignorance; now, with greater sophistication, human beings administer poison to others.

Later, when they began to use huts, animal skins and fire, and when woman, joined to man, entered the home, when the laws of marriage became known and children were born, the human race began for the first time to grow gentler.

Fire ensured that their shivering bodies could no longer endure exposure beneath the open sky, while Venus softened their strength. Children, through their tender affection, easily broke the proud spirit of their parents.

Neighbours also began to form friendly bonds, wishing neither to harm others nor to suffer harm themselves. They sought protection for their children and for women, expressing through gestures, cries and confused words that the weak deserved compassion from everyone.

Yet harmony could not prevail in every circumstance. Many, however, respected their agreements faithfully. Otherwise, the human race would already have been completely destroyed and would never have survived to continue its existence down to our own day.