Demeter's Wrath, Famine on Earth, and the Mission of Hermes — Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter, lines 284–358, Greek & English

284

τοῦ δὲ κασίγνηται φωνὴν ἐσάκουσαν ἐλεινήν,

And his sisters heard his pitiful voice,

285

κὰδ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀπʼ εὐστρώτων λεχέων θόρον· ἣ μὲν ἔπειτα

and leapt down from their well-strewn beds. Then indeed one of them

παῖδʼ ἀνὰ χερσὶν ἑλοῦσα ἑῷ ἐγκάτθετο κόλπῳ·

taking the child up in her hands, placed him in her bosom;

ἣ δʼ ἄρα πῦρ ἀνέκαιʼ· ἣ δʼ ἔσσυτο πόσσʼ ἁπαλοῖσι

and another kindled the fire; and another rushed with tender feet

μητέρʼ ἀναστήσουσα θυώδεος ἐκ θαλάμοιο.

to rouse their mother from her fragrant bedchamber.

ἀγρόμεναι δέ μιν ἀμφὶς ἐλούεον ἀσπαίροντα

And gathering around, they washed him as he gasped,

290

ἀμφαγαπαζόμεναι· τοῦ δʼ οὐ μειλίσσετο θυμός·

hugging him lovingly; but his heart was not appeased;

χειρότεραι¹ γὰρ δή μιν ἔχον τροφοὶ ἠδὲ τιθῆναι.

for indeed much inferior nurses and caregivers now held him.

αἳ μὲν παννύχιαι κυδρὴν θεὸν ἱλάσκοντο

They indeed all night long propitiated the glorious goddess,

δείματι παλλόμεναι, ἅμα δʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφιν

throbbing with fear; and as dawn was appearing,

εὐρυβίῃ Κελεῷ νημερτέα μυθήσαντο,

they told the truth to wide-ruling Celeus,

295

ὡς ἐπέτελλε θεά, καλλιστέφανος Δημήτηρ.

as the goddess, fair-crowned Demeter, had commanded.

αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ εἰς ἀγορὴν καλέσας πολυπείρονα λαὸν

But he, having called the countless people into assembly,

ἤνωγʼ ἠυκόμῳ Δημήτερι πίονα νηὸν

bade them make a rich temple for lovely-haired Demeter

ποιῆσαι καὶ βωμὸν ἐπὶ προὔχοντι κολωνῷ.

and an altar upon the jutting hill.

οἳ δὲ μάλʼ αἶψʼ ἐπίθοντο καὶ ἔκλυον αὐδήσαντος,

And they right quickly obeyed and heard him as he spoke,

300

τεῦχον δʼ, ὡς ἐπέτελλʼ. ὃ δʼ ἀέξετο δαίμονι ἶσος.

and built as he commanded. And he grew like a divinity.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τέλεσαν καὶ ἐρώησαν καμάτοιο,

But when they had finished and rested from their labor,

βάν ῥʼ ἴμεν οἴκαδʼ ἕκαστος· ἀτὰρ ξανθὴ Δημήτηρ

they went to go home, each one; but golden-haired Demeter,

ἔνθα καθεζομένη μακάρων ἀπὸ νόσφιν ἁπάντων

sitting there, apart from all the blessed gods,

μίμνε πόθῳ μινύθουσα βαθυζώνοιο θυγατρός.

remained, wasting away with longing for her deep-girdled daughter.

305

αἰνότατον δʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπὶ χθόνα πουλυβότειραν

And she made a most terrible and cruel year upon the all-nourishing

ποίησʼ ἀνθρώποις καὶ κύντατον· οὐδέ τι γαῖα

earth for humans; nor did the earth

σπέρμʼ ἀνίει, κρύπτεν γὰρ ἐυστέφανος Δημήτηρ·

send up any seed, for fair-crowned Demeter hid it.

πολλὰ δὲ καμπύλʼ ἄροτρα μάτην βόες εἷλκον ἀρούραις·

And many curved plows the oxen dragged in vain through the fields;

πολλὸν δὲ κρῖ λευκὸν ἐτώσιον ἔμπεσε γαίῃ·

and much white barley fell fruitless onto the earth.

310

καί νύ κε πάμπαν ὄλεσσε γένος μερόπων ἀνθρώπων

And now she would have utterly destroyed the race of mortal humans

λιμοῦ ὑπʼ ἀργαλέης, γεράων τʼ ἐρικυδέα τιμὴν

by painful famine, and deprived those who have Olympian dwellings

καὶ θυσιῶν ἤμερσεν Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἔχοντας,

of the glorious honor of gifts and sacrifices,

εἰ μὴ Ζεὺς ἐνόησεν² ἑῷ τʼ ἐφράσσατο θυμῷ.

had not Zeus noticed and considered in his heart.

Ἶριν δὲ πρῶτον χρυσόπτερον ὦρσε καλέσσαι

And first he sent golden-winged Iris to call

315

Δήμητρʼ ἠύκομον, πολυήρατον εἶδος ἔχουσαν.

lovely-haired Demeter, who has a much-loved form.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ· ἣ δὲ Ζηνὶ κελαινεφέι Κρονίωνι

Thus he spoke; and she obeyed Zeus, the dark-clouded son of Cronos,

πείθετο καὶ τὸ μεσηγὺ διέδραμεν ὦκα πόδεσσιν.

and swiftly ran the space between with her feet.

ἵκετο δὲ πτολίεθρον Ἐλευσῖνος θυοέσσης,

And she came to the city of fragrant Eleusis,

εὗρεν δʼ ἐν νηῷ Δημήτερα κυανόπεπλον

and found dark-robed Demeter in the temple;

320

καί μιν φωνήσασʼ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and speaking to her, she addressed winged words:

Δήμητερ, καλέει σε πατὴρ Ζεὺς ἄφθιτα εἰδὼς

”Demeter, father Zeus, who knows imperishable things, calls you

ἐλθέμεναι μετὰ φῦλα θεῶν αἰειγενετάων.

to come among the tribes of the eternal gods.

ἄλλʼ ἴθι, μηδʼ ἀτέλεστον ἐμὸν ἔπος ἐκ Διὸς ἔστω.

But come, and let not my word from Zeus be unaccomplished.”

ὣς φάτο λισσομένη· τῇ δʼ οὐκ ἐπεπείθετο θυμός.

Thus she spoke, entreating; but her mind was not persuaded.

325

αὖτις ἔπειτα πατὴρ μάκαρας θεοὺς αἰὲν ἐόντας

And next thereafter, the father sent forth all the blessed, ever-existing

πάντας ἐπιπροΐαλλεν· ἀμοιβηδὶς δὲ κιόντες

gods; and going one after another,

κίκλησκον καὶ πολλὰ δίδον περικαλλέα δῶρα

they called her and offered many beautiful gifts

τιμάς θʼ, †ἅς κʼ ἐθέλοιτο† μετʼ ἀθανάτοισιν ἑλέσθαι.

and honors, whatever she might wish to choose among the immortals.

ἀλλʼ οὔτις πεῖσαι δύνατο φρένας οὐδὲ νόημα

But no one was able to persuade the heart or mind

330

θυμῷ χωομένης· στερεῶς δʼ ἠναίνετο μύθους.

of her who was angry in her heart; and she stubbornly rejected their words.

οὐ μὲν γάρ ποτʼ ἔφασκε θυώδεος Οὐλύμποιο

For she declared that she would never set foot

πρίν γʼ ἐπιβήσεσθαι, οὐ πρὶν γῆς καρπὸν ἀνήσειν,

on fragrant Olympus, nor send up the fruit of the earth,

πρὶν ἴδοι ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἑὴν εὐώπιδα κούρην.

until she should see with her eyes her own fair-faced daughter.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τό γʼ ἄκουσε βαρύκτυπος εὐρύοπα Ζεύς,

But when heavy-thundering, far-sounding Zeus heard this,

335

εἰς Ἔρεβος πέμψε χρυσόρραπιν Ἀργειφόντην,

he sent the golden-wand Argos-slayer to Erebus,

ὄφρʼ Ἀίδην μαλακοῖσι παραιφάμενος ἐπέεσσιν

so that, coaxing Hades with gentle words,

ἁγνὴν Περσεφόνειαν ὑπὸ ζόφου ἠερόεντος

he might lead holy Persephone from the murky gloom

ἐς φάος ἐξαγάγοι μετὰ δαίμονας, ὄφρα ἑ μήτηρ

into the light among the gods, so that her mother

ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδοῦσα μεταλήξειε χόλοιο.

seeing her with her eyes might cease from her anger.

340

Ἑρμῆς δʼ οὐκ ἀπίθησεν, ἄφαρ δʼ ὑπὸ κεύθεα γαίης

And Hermes did not disobey, but immediately down into the depths of the earth

ἐσσυμένως κατόρουσε λιπὼν ἕδος Οὐλύμποιο.

he eagerly rushed down, leaving the seat of Olympus.

τέτμε δὲ τόν γε ἄνακτα δόμων ἔντοσθεν ἐόντα,

And he found that lord inside his dwelling,

ἥμενον ἐν λεχέεσσι σὺν αἰδοίῃ παρακοίτι,

seated upon a bed with his revered wife,

πόλλʼ ἀεκαζομένῃ μητρὸς πόθῳ·³ ἣ δʼ ἀποτηλοῦ

who was much unwilling through longing for her mother; but she, far away,

345

ἔργοις θεῶν μακάρων δεινὴν μητίσετο βουλήν.

was devising a terrible plan against the deeds of the blessed gods.

ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱστάμενος προσέφη κρατὺς Ἀργειφόντης·

And standing near, the strong Argos-slayer addressed him:

Ἅιδη κυανοχαῖτα, καταφθιμένοισιν ἀνάσσων,

”Dark-haired Hades, ruling over the dead,

Ζεύς με πατὴρ ἤνωγεν ἀγαυὴν Περσεφόνειαν

father Zeus bade me lead noble Persephone

ἐξαγαγεῖν Ἐρέβευσφι μετὰ σφέας, ὄφρα ἑ μήτηρ

out from Erebus among them, so that her mother

350

ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδοῦσα χόλου καὶ μήνιος αἰνῆς

seeing her with her eyes might cease from her anger and terrible wrath

ἀθανάτοις λήξειεν· ἐπεὶ μέγα μήδεται ἔργον,

against the immortals; since she is planning a mighty deed,

φθῖσαι φῦλʼ ἀμενηνὰ χαμαιγενέων ἀνθρώπων,

to destroy the feeble tribes of earth-born humans,

σπέρμʼ ὑπὸ γῆς κρύπτουσα, καταφθινύθουσα δὲ τιμὰς

by hiding the seed beneath the earth, and to make diminish the honors

ἀθανάτων· ἣ δʼ αἰνὸν ἔχει χόλον, οὐδὲ θεοῖσι

of the immortals; and she holds a terrible anger, nor does she mix

355

μίσγεται, ἀλλʼ ἀπάνευθε θυώδεος ἔνδοθι νηοῦ

with the gods, but apart inside her fragrant temple

ἧσται Ἐλευσῖνος κραναὸν πτολίεθρον ἔχουσα.

she sits, holding the rocky city of Eleusis.”

ὣς φάτο· μείδησεν δὲ ἄναξ ἐνέρων Ἀιδωνεὺς

Thus he spoke; and Aidoneus, lord of those below, smiled

ὀφρύσιν, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε Διὸς βασιλῆος ἐφετμῇς·

with his brows, nor did he disobey the commands of king Zeus;

Syntax notes3 items

291χειρότεραι
The comparative adjective implies a comparison with Demeter ('much inferior'), where the object of comparison is omitted in the context.
310καί νύ κε πάμπαν ὄλεσσε... εἰ μὴ Ζεὺς ἐνόησεν
A contrary-to-fact conditional construction in the past. It uses the past indicative (aorist) ὄλεσσε with the particle κε (ἄν) in the apodosis, and εἰ μή with the past indicative ἐνόησεν in the protasis.
344μητρὸς πόθῳ
The genitive μητρὸς functions as an objective genitive dependent on the noun πόθῳ, representing 'longing for her mother.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:284-358