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Homeric Hymns · Homeric Hymn 8 to Ares §1-17

Praise of Ares and a Prayer for Peaceful Life

Passage 1 of 1 · Greek

Summary

A hymn to Ares, the god of war, courage, and celestial orbits. The narrator prays to Ares for the strength to control violent passions and live in peace and harmony.

§1Ἆρες ὑπερμενέτα, βρισάρματε, χρυσεοπήληξ, §2ὀβριμόθυμε, φέρασπι, πολισσόε, χαλκοκορυστά, §3καρτερόχειρ, ἀμόγητε, δορισθενές, ἕρκος Ὀλύμπου, §4Νίκης εὐπολέμοιο πάτερ, συναρωγὲ Θέμιστος, §5ἀντιβίοισι τύραννε, δικαιοτάτων ἀγὲ φωτῶν, §6ἠνορέης σκηπτοῦχε, πυραυγέα κύκλον ἑλίσσων §7αἰθέρος ἑπταπόροις ἐνὶ τείρεσιν, ἔνθα σε πῶλοι §8ζαφλεγέες τριτάτης ὑπὲρ ἄντυγος αἰὲν ἔχουσι·
Ares, exceeding in strength, rider of chariot, golden-helmeted, doughty in heart, shield-bearer, savior of cities, harnessed in bronze, strong of hand, unwearied, mighty with the spear, defense of Olympus, father of warlike Victory, ally of Justice, sovereign over opponents, leader of most righteous men, scepter-bearer of manhood, who whirlest thy fiery sphere among the stars in their sevenfold paths of the ether, where thy steeds ever keep thee above the third orbit, blazing with fire.
§9κλῦθι, βροτῶν ἐπίκουρε, δοτὴρ εὐθαρσέος ἥβης, §10πρηὺ καταστίλβων σέλας ὑψόθεν ἐς βιότητα §11ἡμετέρην καὶ κάρτος ἀρήιον, ὥς κε δυναίμην §12σεύασθαι κακότητα πικρὴν ἀπʼ ἐμοῖο καρήνου, §13καὶ ψυχῆς ἀπατηλὸν ὑπογνάμψαι φρεσὶν ὁρμήν, §14θυμοῦ αὖ μένος ὀξὺ κατισχέμεν, ὅς μʼ ἐρέθῃσι §15φυλόπιδος κρυερῆς ἐπιβαινέμεν·
Hear me, helper of mortals, giver of doughty youth, shedding a mild light from above upon our life and martial strength, so that I may be able to drive away bitter cowardice from my head, and to bend down in my mind the deceitful impulse of my soul, and to restrain the sharp fury of my anger, which incites me to enter upon chilling battle.
ἀλλὰ σὺ θάρσος §16δός, μάκαρ, εἰρήνης τε μένειν ἐν ἀπήμοσι θεσμοῖς §17δυσμενέων προφυγόντα μόθον Κῆράς τε βιαίους.
But do thou, blessed one, give me courage, and to abide in the harmless laws of peace, having escaped the combat of foes and violent Fates.

Notes

  1. §11ὥς κε δυναίμην — The conjunction ὥς with the particle κε and the optative δυναίμην expresses purpose ("so that I might be able"). This potential/purposive verb governs the three subsequent infinitives: σεύασθαι, ὑπογνάμψαι, and κατισχέμεν.
  2. §14ὅς μʼ ἐρέθῃσι — The relative pronoun ὅς refers back to θυμοῦ (fury/anger) in the preceding clause. The subjunctive ἐρέθῃσι (an epic form of ἐρεθίζω, 3rd person singular) indicates habitual action, and governs the complementary infinitive ἐπιβαινέμεν ("to enter upon"), meaning "which incites me to enter".
  3. §16δός, μάκαρ, εἰρήνης τε μένειν — The imperative δός ("give") governs both the accusative noun θάρσος ("courage") in line 15 and the infinitive μένειν ("to abide") in this line, functioning as "give me courage, and grant me to abide".
  4. §17προφυγόντα — The aorist active participle in the accusative masculine singular agrees with the implied subject of the infinitive μένειν ("me"), standing in the accusative as is standard for the subject of an infinitive.

Cite this passage

Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 8 to Ares §1-17. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg008.humanitext-grc2:1-17

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