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Homeric Hymns · Homeric Hymn 31 to Helios §1-19

Genealogy and Radiant Celestial Drive of Helios

Passage 1 of 1 · Greek

Summary

The hymn celebrates the genealogy of the sun god Helios, describes his dazzling appearance in a golden helmet as he drives across heaven, and concludes with a prayer and a transition to the stories of demigods.

§1ἥλιον ὑμνεῖν αὖτε Διὸς τέκος ἄρχεο Μοῦσα, §2Καλλιόπη, φαέθοντα, τὸν Εὐρυφάεσσα βοῶπις §3γείνατο Γαίης παιδὶ καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος· §4γῆμε γὰρ Εὐρυφάεσσαν ἀγακλειτὴν Ὑπερίων, §5αὐτοκασιγνήτην, ἥ οἱ τέκε κάλλιμα τέκνα, §6Ἠῶ τε ῥοδόπηχυν ἐυπλόκαμόν τε Σελήνην §7Ἠέλιόν τʼ ἀκάμαντʼ, ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισιν, §8ὃς φαίνει θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν §9ἵπποις ἐμβεβαώς· σμερδνὸν δʼ ὅ γε δέρκεται ὄσσοις §10χρυσέης ἐκ κόρυθος· λαμπραὶ δʼ ἀκτῖνες ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ §11αἰγλῆεν στίλβουσι παρὰ κροτάφων δέ τʼ ἔθειραι §12λαμπραὶ ἀπὸ κρατὸς χαρίεν κατέχουσι πρόσωπον §13τηλαυγές· καλὸν δὲ περὶ χροῒ λάμπεται ἔσθος §14λεπτουργές, πνοιῇ ἀνέμων· ὕπο δʼ ἄρσενες ἵπποι.
Begin again, Muse, child of Zeus, to sing of Helios, Calliope, the shining one, whom ox-eyed Euryphaessa bore to the son of Earth and starry Heaven; for Hyperion wedded glorious Euryphaessa, his own sister, who bore him beautiful children, rosy-armed Dawn and rich-tressed Moon and tireless Helios, like unto the deathless ones, who shines for mortals and immortal gods, riding on his chariot; and dreadfully he gazes with his eyes from his golden helmet; and bright rays from him gleam dazzlingly, and from his temples the hair bright from his head frames his lovely, far-shining face; and a beautiful, fine-spun garment shines about his body, in the breath of the winds; and beneath him are his male steeds.
§15ἔνθʼ ἄρʼ ὅ γε στήσας χρυσόζυγον ἅρμα καὶ ἵππους, §15a[αὐτόθι παύεται ἄκρου ἐπʼ οὐρανοῦ, εἰσόκεν αὖτις] §16θεσπέσιος πέμπῃσι διʼ οὐρανοῦ Ὠκεανόνδε.
There indeed, having stayed his golden-yoked chariot and horses, [he rests there upon the highest heaven, until again] wondrously he drives through heaven to Ocean.
§17χαῖρε, ἄναξ, πρόφρων δὲ βίον θυμήρεʼ ὄπαζε.
Hail, lord, and graciously grant a life-pleasing livelihood.
§18ἐκ σέο δʼ ἀρξάμενος κλῄσω μερόπων γένος ἀνδρῶν §19ἡμιθέων, ὧν ἔργα θεαὶ θνητοῖσιν ἔδειξαν.
And beginning from you, I shall sing of the race of mortal men, of demigods, whose deeds the goddesses have shown to mortals.

Notes

  1. §1ὑμνεῖν αὖτε Διὸς τέκος ἄρχεο Μοῦσα — The verb ἄρχεο (second-person singular middle imperative of ἄρχομαι, "begin") takes the complementary infinitive ὑμνεῖν, meaning "begin to sing." The vocative Μοῦσα (and Καλλιόπη in §2) is in apposition with the noun phrase Διὸς τέκος ("child of Zeus").
  2. §3Γαίης παιδὶ — The dative Γαίης παιδὶ ("to the son of Earth", i.e., Hyperion) is governed by the verb γείνατο (third-person singular aorist middle of γείνομαι, "bore"), indicating the father to whom Euryphaessa bore the child.
  3. §11αἰγλῆεν — The neuter accusative singular of the adjective αἰγλήεις ("dazzling") is used adverbially here to modify the verb στίλβουσι ("gleam"), meaning "dazzlingly."
  4. §14ὕπο — The preposition ὑπό with anastrophe (ὕπο) functions adverbially here, meaning "thereunder" or "beneath (the yoke)."
  5. §16πέμπῃσι — A third-person singular subjunctive. In epic language, the subjunctive is often used to express a habitual or future action, functioning here equivalently to a present indicative ("he drives/sends").

Cite this passage

Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn 31 to Helios §1-19. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0013.tlg031.humanitext-grc2:1-19

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