Altar of Apollo Delphinius and Instructions to Cretans — Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 3 to Apollo, lines 483–546, Greek & English

483

ἕξετʼ ἐμὸν πᾶσιν μάλα τίμιον ἀνθρώποισι,

you shall hold my temple, highly honored by all men,

βουλάς τʼ ἀθανάτων εἰδήσετε, τῶν ἰότητι

and you shall know the counsels of the immortals, by whose will

485

αἰεὶ τιμήσεσθε διαμπερὲς ἤματα πάντα.

you shall ever be honored continuously for all days.

ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ, ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω, πείθεσθε τάχιστα·

But come, as I shall speak, obey most quickly:

ἱστία μὲν πρῶτον κάθετον λύσαντε βοείας,¹

first lower the sails, loosening the ox-hide ropes,

νῆα δʼ ἔπειτα θοὴν μὲν ἐπʼ ἠπείρου ἐρύσασθε,

and then draw the swift ship onto the mainland,

ἐκ δὲ κτήμαθʼ ἕλεσθε καὶ ἔντεα νηὸς ἐίσης

and take out the possessions and the tackling of the well-balanced ship,

490

καὶ βωμὸν ποιήσατʼ ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης·

and make an altar upon the surf of the sea;

πῦρ δʼ ἐπικαίοντες ἐπί τʼ ἄλφιτα λευκὰ θύοντες

and kindling fire upon it and offering white barley,

εὔχεσθαι δὴ ἔπειτα παριστάμενοι περὶ βωμόν.

then pray indeed, standing around the altar.

ὡς μὲν ἐγὼ τὸ πρῶτον ἐν ἠεροειδέι πόντῳ

Even as I at the first upon the misty sea,

εἰδόμενος δελφῖνι θοῆς ἐπὶ νηὸς ὄρουσα,

in the likeness of a dolphin, leaped onto the swift ship,

495

ὣς² ἐμοὶ εὔχεσθαι Δελφινίῳ· αὐτὰρ ὁ βωμὸς

so pray to me as Delphinius; and the altar itself

αὐτὸς Δελφίνιος καὶ ἐπόψιος ἔσσεται αἰεί.

shall itself be Delphinius and looker-over for ever.

δειπνῆσαί τʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα θοῇ παρὰ νηὶ μελαίνῃ

And then dine beside the swift black ship,

καὶ σπεῖσαι μακάρεσσι θεοῖς, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν.

and pour libations to the blessed gods who hold Olympus.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν σίτοιο μελίφρονος ἐξ ἔρον ἧσθε,

But when you have put away the desire for honey-hearted food,

500

ἔρχεσθαί θʼ ἅμʼ ἐμοὶ καὶ ἰηπαιήονʼ ἀείδειν,

then come along with me and sing the “Ie Paieon,”

εἰς ὅ κε χῶρον ἵκησθον, ἵνʼ ἕξετε πίονα νηόν.

until you come to the place where you shall hold the rich temple.”

ὣς ἔφαθʼ· οἳ δʼ ἄρα τοῦ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδʼ ἐπίθοντο.

So he spoke; and they indeed heard him well and obeyed.

ἱστία μὲν πρῶτον κάθεσαν, λῦσαν δὲ βοείας,

First they lowered the sails and loosened the ox-hide ropes,

ἱστὸν δʼ ἱστοδόκῃ πέλασαν προτόνοισιν ὑφέντες·

and lowered the mast by the forestays and brought it to the mast-holder;

505

ἐκ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βαῖνον ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης.

and they themselves also went out upon the surf of the sea.

ἐκ δʼ ἁλὸς ἤπειρόνδε θοὴν ἀνὰ νῆʼ ἐρύσαντο

And from the salt sea onto the mainland they drew the swift ship

ὑψοῦ ἐπὶ ψαμάθοις, ὑπὸ δʼ ἕρματα μακρὰ τάνυσσαν·

high up onto the sands, and stretched long shores beneath it;

καὶ βωμὸν ποίησαν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης·

and they made an altar upon the surf of the sea;

πῦρ δʼ ἐπικαίοντες ἐπί τʼ ἄλφιτα λευκὰ θύοντες

and kindling fire upon it and offering white barley,

510

εὔχονθʼ, ὡς ἐκέλευε, παριστάμενοι περὶ βωμόν.

they prayed, as he commanded, standing around the altar.

δόρπον ἔπειθʼ εἵλοντο θοῇ παρὰ νηὶ μελαίνῃ

Then they took their supper beside the swift black ship,

καὶ σπεῖσαν μακάρεσσι θεοῖς, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν.

and poured libations to the blessed gods who hold Olympus.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,

But when they had put away the desire for drinking and eating,

βάν ῥʼ ἴμεν· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρα σφιν ἄναξ Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων,

they started to go; and the lord Apollo, son of Zeus, led them,

515

φόρμιγγʼ ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔχων, ἐρατὸν κιθαρίζων,

holding a phorminx in his hands, playing lovely music,

καλὰ καὶ ὕψι βιβάς· οἳ δὲ ῥήσσοντες ἕποντο

stepping high and beautifully; and they followed, stamping the ground,

Κρῆτες πρὸς Πυθὼ καὶ ἰηπαιήονʼ ἄειδον,

the Cretans, toward Pytho, and they sang the “Ie Paieon,”

οἷοί τε Κρητῶν παιήονες, οἷσί τε Μοῦσα

even as the paeans of the Cretans, in whose breasts

ἐν στήθεσσιν ἔθηκε θεὰ μελίγηρυν ἀοιδήν.

the goddess Muse has put honey-sweet song.

520

ἄκμητοι δὲ λόφον προσέβαν ποσίν, αἶψα δʼ ἵκοντο

Unwearied they approached the hill on foot, and quickly they came to

Παρνησὸν καὶ χῶρον ἐπήρατον, ἔνθʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλον

Parnassus and the lovely place where they were about to

οἰκήσειν πολλοῖσι τετιμένοι ἀνθρώποισι·

dwell, honored by many men;

δεῖξε δʼ ἄγων ἄδυτον ζάθεον καὶ πίονα νηόν.

and leading them, he showed the most holy adytum and the rich temple.

τῶν δʼ ὠρίνετο θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισι·

And the heart in their dear breasts was stirred;

525

τὸν καὶ ἀνειρόμενος Κρητῶν ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα·

and the leader of the Cretans, questioning him, spoke in turn:

ὦ ἄνα, εἰ δὴ τῆλε φίλων καὶ πατρίδος αἴης

”O Lord, since indeed far from our friends and fatherland

ἤγαγες·³ οὕτω που τῷ σῷ φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ·

you have brought us—so, I suppose, it was pleasing to your heart—

πῶς καὶ νῦν βιόμεσθα; τό σε φράζεσθαι ἄνωγμεν.

how indeed shall we now live? We bid you to consider this.

οὔτε τρυγηφόρος ἥδε γʼ ἐπήρατος οὔτʼ εὐλείμων,

This lovely land is neither rich in vintage nor in good meadows,

530

ὥστʼ ἀπό τʼ εὖ ζώειν καὶ ἅμʼ ἀνθρώποισιν ὀπάζειν.

so as to live well from it and at the same time to attend to men.”

τοὺς δʼ ἐπιμειδήσας προσέφη Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων·

And the son of Zeus, Apollo, smiling on them, spoke:

νήπιοι ἄνθρωποι, δυστλήμονες, οἳ μελεδῶνας

”Foolish men, wretched ones, who desire cares

βούλεσθʼ ἀργαλέους τε πόνους καὶ στείνεα θυμῷ·

and painful labors and straits in your heart.

ῥηίδιον ἔπος ὔμμʼ ἐρέω καὶ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θήσω,

I will tell you an easy word, and I will lay it in your minds:

535

δεξιτερῇ μάλʼ ἕκαστος ἔχων ἐν χειρὶ μάχαιραν,

each having a knife in his right hand,

σφάζειν αἰεὶ μῆλα· τὰ δʼ ἄφθονα πάντα παρέσται,

always slaughter sheep; and they shall all be present in abundance,

ὅσσα τʼ ἐμοί κʼ ἀγάγωσι περικλυτὰ φῦλʼ ἀνθρώπων·

as many as the glorious tribes of men may bring to me.

νηὸν δὲ προφύλαχθε, δέδεχθε δὲ φῦλʼ ἀνθρώπων

But guard my temple, and receive the tribes of men

ἐνθάδʼ ἀγειρομένων καὶ ἐμὴν ἰθύν τε μάλιστα.

gathering here, and especially my direction.

[δείκνυσθε θνητοῖσι· σὺ δὲ φρεσὶ δέξο θέμιστα.

[show it to mortal men; and do you receive ordinances in your mind.

εἰ δέ τις ἀφραδίῃς οὐ πείσεται, ἀλλʼ ἀλογήσει]

But if anyone through folly will not obey, but will disregard them,]

540

ἠέ τι τηΰσιον ἔπος ἔσσεται ἠέ τι ἔργον

whether there shall be any empty word or any deed

ὕβρις θʼ, ἣ θέμις ἐστὶ καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων,

and outrage, which is the custom of mortal men,

ἄλλοι ἔπειθʼ ὑμῖν σημάντορες ἄνδρες ἔσονται,

then other men shall be your rulers,

τῶν ὑπʼ ἀναγκαίῃ⁴ δεδμήσεσθʼ ἤματα πάντα.

under whose compulsion you shall be subdued for all days.

εἴρηταί τοι πάντα· σὺ δὲ φρεσὶ σῇσι φύλαξαι.

All has been said to you; do you keep it in your heart.”

545

καὶ σὺ μὲν οὕτω χαῖρε, Διὸς καὶ Λητοῦς υἱέ·

And do you thus hail, son of Zeus and Leto;

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ σεῖο καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομʼ ἀοιδῆς.

but I will remember both you and another song.

Syntax notes4 items

487λύσαντε βοείας
The participle λύσαντε is dual (nominative masculine), corresponding to the dual verb form κάθετον in the same line, despite addressing the group of Cretans. This showcases the epic variation and fluid usage between dual and plural forms.
493ὡς μὲν... ὣς
A correlative construction where ὡς μέν (as/even as) in line 493 introduces the subordinate clause of comparison, and the accented ὣς in line 495 introduces the main clause (so/in this manner).
526εἰ δὴ... ἤγαγες·
The protasis introduced by εἰ in line 526 has no direct apodosis, but is followed by οὕτω που... in line 527. This functions as an elliptical or exclamatory premise, implying "Since you have indeed brought us here (we must accept it)."
543τῶν ὑπʼ ἀναγκαίῃ
τῶν is a relative pronoun in the genitive case, referring back to the "other rulers" (ἄλλοι σημάντορες ἄνδρες) in line 542. It depends on δεδμήσεσθʼ (you shall be subdued by/under them), while ὑπʼ ἀναγκαίῃ ("under compulsion") is a separate prepositional phrase with the dative.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:483-546