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Homeric Hymns · Homeric Hymn 6 to Aphrodite §1-21

The Birth and Reception of Aphrodite Among the Gods

Passage 1 of 1 · Greek

Summary

The poet describes the birth of Aphrodite from the sea foam, how she was adorned with beautiful garments and jewelry by the Hours, and her welcoming reception among the gods. It concludes with a prayer for victory in the poetic contest.

§1αἰδοίην, χρυσοστέφανον, καλὴν Ἀφροδίτην §2ᾁσομαι, ἣ πάσης Κύπρου κρήδεμνα λέλογχεν §3εἰναλίης, ὅθι μιν Ζεφύρου μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντος §4ἤνεικεν κατὰ κῦμα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης §5ἀφρῷ ἔνι μαλακῷ·
I shall sing of the revered, golden-crowned, beautiful Aphrodite, who has for her portion the walled heights of all sea-girt Cyprus, where the moist breath of the blowing Zephyrus carried her over the waves of the loud-resounding sea in soft foam.
τὴν δὲ χρυσάμπυκες Ὧραι §6δέξαντ’ ἀσπασίως, περὶ δ’ ἄμβροτα εἵματα ἕσσαν· §7κρατὶ δ’ ἐπ’ ἀθανάτῳ στεφάνην εὔτυκτον ἔθηκαν §8καλήν, χρυσείην· ἐν δὲ τρητοῖσι λοβοῖσιν §9ἄνθεμ’ ὀρειχάλκου χρυσοῖό τε τιμήεντος· §10δειρῇ δ’ ἀμφ’ ἁπαλῇ καὶ στήθεσιν ἀργυφέοισιν §11ὅρμοισι χρυσέοισιν ἐκόσμεον, οἷσί περ αὐταὶ §12Ὧραι κοσμείσθην χρυσάμπυκες, ὁππότ’ ἴοιεν §13ἐς χορὸν ἱμερόεντα θεῶν καὶ δώματα πατρός.
And her the golden-filleted Hours welcomed joyfully, and clothed her in immortal garments; and on her deathless head they placed a well-wrought crown, beautiful and golden; and in her pierced ears they put flower-ornaments of orichalcum and precious gold; and about her soft neck and silver-white breasts they adorned her with golden necklaces, with which the golden-filleted Hours themselves were adorned whenever they went to the lovely dance of the gods and to their father's house.
§14αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ πάντα περὶ χροῒ κόσμον ἔθηκαν, §15ἦγον ἐς ἀθανάτους· οἳ δ’ ἠσπάζοντο ἰδόντες §16χερσί τ’ ἐδεξιόωντο καὶ ἠρήσαντο ἕκαστος §17εἶναι κουριδίην ἄλοχον καὶ οἴκαδ’ ἄγεσθαι, §18εἶδος θαυμάζοντες ἰοστεφάνου Κυθερείης.
But when they had placed all the adornments about her body, they led her to the immortals; and they, seeing her, welcomed her, and greeted her with their hands, and each one prayed that she might be his wedded wife and that he might lead her home, marvelling at the beauty of violet-crowned Cytherea.
§19χαῖρ’ ἑλικοβλέφαρε, γλυκυμείλιχε·
Hail, quick-glancing, sweet-smiling goddess!
δὸς δ’ ἐν ἀγῶνι §20νίκην τῷδε φέρεσθαι, ἐμὴν δ’ ἔντυνον ἀοιδήν.
Grant that in this contest I may bear away the victory, and do you direct my song.
§21αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ σεῖο καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομ’ ἀοιδῆς.
And I will remember both you and another song also.

Notes

  1. §2κρήδεμνα — Accusative plural of κρήδεμνον (headband, veil). Here used metaphorically to mean 'the battlements or walled heights' of a city, and together with the preceding genitive πάσης Κύπρου, it refers to the fortified heights or battlements of all Cyprus.
  2. §3εἰναλίης — Genitive feminine singular of the adjective εἰνάλιος (of the sea, sea-girt), modifying Κύπρου (feminine) in the preceding line. It is separated from its noun by the intervening relative clause ἣ... λέλογχεν, forming a hyperbaton.
  3. §9ἄνθεμ’ — Accusative plural of ἄνθεμα (flower-shaped ornament, earring), with elision. No verb is explicitly expressed in this clause, but the force of the verb ἔθηκαν (placed) from line 7 is carried over to imply that they 'inserted' or 'placed' the ornaments in her pierced ears.
  4. §12κοσμείσθην — Third-person dual imperfect middle of κοσμέω. Although the subject Ὧραι is plural (traditionally three), in Homeric style the dual verb form is occasionally used with a plural subject, appearing here as a poetic license.

Cite this passage

Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 6 to Aphrodite §1-21. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg006.humanitext-grc2:1-21

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