Arrival at Crisa and Appointment of Cretan Priests — Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 3 to Apollo, lines 415–482, Greek & English

415

φράσσασθαι¹ μέγα θαῦμα καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδέσθαι,

to observe a great wonder and to see it with their eyes,

εἰ μενέει νηὸς γλαφυρῆς δαπέδοισι πέλωρον

whether the monster would remain on the deck of the hollow ship,

ἢ εἰς οἶδμʼ ἅλιον πολυΐχθυον αὖτις ὀρούσει.

or would leap back again into the fish-swarming salty wave.

ἀλλʼ οὐ πηδαλίοισιν ἐπείθετο νηῦς εὐεργής,

But the well-built ship would not obey the rudders,

ἀλλὰ παρὲκ Πελοπόννησον πίειραν ἔχουσα

but holding her course past the fertile Peloponnese,

420

ἤιʼ ὁδόν· πνοιῇ δὲ ἄναξ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων

went on her way; and by a breeze lord far-shooting Apollo

ῥηιδίως ἴθυνʼ· ἣ δὲ πρήσσουσα κέλευθον

easily guided her; and she, making her way,

Ἀρήνην ἵκανε καὶ Ἀργυφέην ἐρατεινὴν

reached Arene and lovely Argyphea,

καὶ Θρύον, Ἀλφειοῖο πόρον, καὶ ἐύκτιτον Αἶπυ

and Thryon, the ford of Alpheus, and well-built Aepy,

καὶ Πύλον ἠμαθόεντα Πυλοιγενέας τʼ ἀνθρώπους.

and sandy Pylos and the Pylian-born men.

425

βῆ δὲ παρὰ Κρουνοὺς καὶ Χαλκίδα καὶ παρὰ Δύμην

And she went past Krounoi and Chalcis and past Dyme,

ἠδὲ παρʼ Ἤλιδα δῖαν, ὅθι κρατέουσιν Ἐπειοί.

and past divine Elis, where the Epeians rule.

εὖτε Φερὰς ἐπέβαλλεν, ἀγαλλομένη Διὸς οὔρῳ,

When she was making for Pherae, rejoicing in the breeze of Zeus,

καί σφιν ὑπὲκ νεφέων Ἰθάκης τʼ ὄρος αἰπὺ πέφαντο

there appeared to them from beneath the clouds the steep mountain of Ithaca,

Δουλίχιόν τε Σάμη τε καὶ ὑλήεσσα Ζάκυνθος.

and Dulichium and Same and woody Zacynthus.

430

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ Πελοπόννησον παρενίσατο πᾶσαν

But when indeed she had passed by all the Peloponnese,

καὶ δὴ ἐπὶ Κρίσης κατεφαίνετο κόλπος ἀπείρων,

and indeed the boundless gulf of Crisa came in sight,

ὅστε διὲκ Πελοπόννησον πίειραν ἐέργει·

which cuts off the fertile Peloponnese;

ἦλθʼ ἄνεμος Ζέφυρος μέγας, αἴθριος, ἐκ Διὸς αἴσης,

there came a great, clear West Wind from the allotment of Zeus,

λάβρος ἐπαιγίζων ἐξ αἰθέρος, ὄφρα τάχιστα

raging fiercely from the upper air, so that most quickly

435

νηῦς ἀνύσειε θέουσα θαλάσσης ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ.

the running ship might make her way through the salty water of the sea.

ἄψορροι δὴ ἔπειτα πρὸς ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε

Then indeed they sailed back again toward the dawn and the sun;

ἔπλεον· ἡγεμόνευε δʼ ἄναξ Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων·

and the lord Apollo, son of Zeus, led them;

ἷξον δʼ ἐς Κρίσην εὐδείελον, ἀμπελόεσσαν,

and they came to far-seen Crisa, rich in vines,

ἐς λιμένʼ· ἣ δʼ ἀμάθοισιν ἐχρίμψατο ποντοπόρος νηῦς.

into the harbor; and the seafaring ship ran aground on the sands.

440

ἔνθʼ ἐκ νηὸς ὄρουσε ἄναξ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων,

There leaped from the ship lord far-shooting Apollo,

ἀστέρι εἰδόμενος μέσῳ ἤματι· τοῦ δʼ ἀπὸ πολλαὶ

like a star in the middle of the day; and from him many

σπινθαρίδες πωτῶντο, σέλας δʼ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἷκεν·

sparks flew, and the splendor reached to heaven;

ἐς δʼ ἄδυτον κατέδυσε διὰ τριπόδων ἐριτίμων.

and he entered into the adytum through the precious tripods.

ἔνθʼ ἄρʼ ὅ γε φλόγα δαῖε πιφαυσκόμενος τὰ ἃ κῆλα·

There indeed he kindled a flame, showing his arrows;

445

πᾶσαν δὲ Κρίσην κάτεχεν σέλας· αἳ δʼ ὀλόλυξαν

and the splendor held all Crisa; and they cried aloud,

Κρισαίων ἄλοχοι καλλίζωνοί τε θύγατρες

the wives of the Crisaeans and their beautiful-girdled daughters,

Φοίβου ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς· μέγα γὰρ δέος ἔμβαλʼ ἑκάστῳ.

under the rush of Phoebus; for he cast great fear upon each.

ἔνθεν δʼ αὖτʼ ἐπὶ νῆα νόημʼ ὣς ἆλτο πέτεσθαι,

Thence indeed again he leaped to fly to the ship like a thought,

ἀνέρι εἰδόμενος αἰζηῷ τε κρατερῷ τε,

in the likeness of a man, lusty and strong,

450

πρωθήβῃ, χαίτῃς εἰλυμένος εὐρέας ὤμους·

in his first youth, his hair covering his broad shoulders;

καί σφεας φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and addressing them, he spoke winged words:

ὦ ξεῖνοι, τίνες ἐστέ; πόθεν πλεῖθʼ ὑγρὰ κέλευθα;

”O strangers, who are you? Whence do you sail the watery paths?

ἤ τι κατὰ πρῆξιν ἢ μαψιδίως ἀλάλησθε

Is it for business, or do you wander at random over the sea,

οἷά τε ληιστῆρες ὑπεὶρ ἅλα, τοί τʼ ἀλόωνται

even as pirates, who wander over the salt wave,

455

ψυχὰς παρθέμενοι, κακὸν ἀλλοδαποῖσι φέροντες;

hazarding their lives, bringing evil to men of other lands?

τίφθʼ οὕτως ἧσθον² τετιηότες, οὐδʼ ἐπὶ γαῖαν

Why do you sit thus sorrowful, and do not go out upon the land,

ἐκβῆτʼ, οὐδὲ καθʼ ὅπλα μελαίνης νηὸς ἔθεσθε;

nor lay up the tackling of your black ship?

αὕτη μέν γε δίκη πέλει ἀνδρῶν ἀλφηστάων,

For this indeed is the custom of bread-eating men,

ὁππότʼ ἂν ἐκ πόντοιο ποτὶ χθονὶ νηὶ μελαίνῃ

whenever from the sea to the earth in a black ship

460

ἔλθωσιν καμάτῳ ἀδηκότες, αὐτίκα δέ σφεας

they come spent with labor, and straightway upon them

σίτοιο γλυκεροῖο περὶ φρένας ἵμερος αἱρεῖ.

a desire for sweet food takes hold of their minds.”

ὣς φάτο καί σφιν θάρσος ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔθηκε.

So he spoke, and put courage into their breasts.

τὸν καὶ ἀμειβόμενος Κρητῶν ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And the leader of the Cretans, answering, spoke to him in turn:

ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν γάρ³ τι καταθνητοῖσι ἔοικας,

”O stranger, since indeed you are in no way like to mortal men,

465

οὐ δέμας οὐδὲ φυήν, ἀλλʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν,

neither in body nor in stature, but to the immortal gods,

οὖλέ τε καὶ μέγα χαῖρε, θεοὶ δέ τοι ὄλβια δοῖεν.

hail and rejoice greatly, and may the gods give you prosperity.

καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ εὖ εἰδῶ·

And tell me this truly, so that I may know well:

τίς δῆμος; τίς γαῖα; τίνες βροτοὶ ἐγγεγάασιν;

What people is this? What land? What men are born here?

ἄλλῃ γὰρ φρονέοντες ἐπεπλέομεν μέγα λαῖτμα

For with other thoughts in mind we were sailing the great gulf

470

ἐς Πύλον ἐκ Κρήτης, ἔνθεν γένος εὐχόμεθʼ εἶναι·

to Pylos from Crete, whence we boast our race to be.

νῦν δʼ ὧδε ξὺν νηὶ κατήλθομεν οὔ τι ἑκόντες,

But now we have come hither thus with our ship, in no way willingly,

νόστου ἱέμενοι, ἄλλην ὁδόν, ἄλλα κέλευθα·

desiring our return, by another path, other ways;

ἀλλά τις ἀθανάτων δεῦρʼ ἤγαγεν οὐκ ἐθέλοντας.

but some one of the immortals brought us hither against our will.”

τοὺς δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων·

And far-shooting Apollo, answering them, spoke:

475

ξεῖνοι, τοὶ Κνωσὸν πολυδένδρεον ἀμφενεμεσθε

”O strangers, who inhabited well-wooded Knossos

τὸ πρίν, ἀτὰρ νῦν οὐκ ἔθʼ ὑπότροποι αὖτις ἔσεσθε

before, but now you shall no more return back again

ἔς τε πόλιν ἐρατὴν καὶ δώματα καλὰ ἕκαστος

each to your lovely city and beautiful homes

ἔς τε φίλας ἀλόχους· ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδε πίονα νηὸν

and your dear wives; but here you shall hold my rich temple,

ἕξετʼ ἐμὸν πολλοῖσι τετιμένον ἀνθρώποισιν.

honored by many men.

480

εἰμὶ δʼ ἐγὼ Διὸς υἱός, Ἀπόλλων δʼ εὔχομαι εἶναι·

And I am the son of Zeus, and I boast to be Apollo;

ὑμέας δʼ ἤγαγον ἐνθάδʼ ὑπὲρ μέγα λαῖμα θαλάσσης,

and I brought you hither over the great gulf of the sea,

οὔ τι κακὰ φρονέων, ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδε πίονα νηὸν

thinking no evil, but hither a rich temple...”

Syntax notes3 items

415φράσσασθαι
The infinitives φράσσασθαι and ἰδέσθαι function adverbially to express purpose or result, depending on the main verb ἔθελον ('they wished') in the preceding §414, explaining the Cretans' intention to stop the ship and disembark.
456ἧσθον
The second-person dual imperfect (or present) of the verb ἧμαι ('to sit'). Although the address is directed to the Cretans in the plural, in epic language the dual form is frequently used with plural meaning or interchangeably with the plural.
464ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν γάρ
The causal conjunctions ἐπεί and γάρ are used together here. In epic poetry, this combination of particles serves to emphasize the causal relationship or the reason behind the statement.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:415-482