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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §1.16.1-1.16.2

Inventions and Merits of Hermes for Osiris

Passage 17 of 406 · Greek

Summary

Hermes is credited with the invention of language, writing, religious rites, astronomy, music (the three-stringed lyre), and athletics, and served as Osiris's highly valued sacred scribe; his discovery of the olive tree is also mentioned.

§1.16.1ὑπὸ γὰρ τούτου πρῶτον μὲν τήν τε κοινὴν διάλεκτον διαρθρωθῆναι καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἀνωνύμων τυχεῖν προσηγορία, τήν τε εὕρεσιν τῶν γραμμάτων γενέσθαι καὶ τὰ περὶ τὰς τῶν θεῶν τιμὰς καὶ θυσίας διαταχθῆναι·
For by him, first of all, the common language was clearly articulated, and many nameless things received a designation; also the invention of letters took place, and the matters concerning the honors and sacrifices of the gods were regulated.
περί τε τῆς τῶν ἄστρων τάξεως καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν φθόγγων ἁρμονίας καὶ φύσεως τοῦτον πρῶτον γενέσθαι παρατηρητήν, καὶ παλαίστρας εὑρετὴν ὑπάρξαι, καὶ τῆς εὐρυθμίας καὶ τῆς περὶ τὸ σῶμα πρεπούσης πλάσεως ἐπιμεληθῆναι.
He was also the first to become an observer of the order of the stars and of the harmony and nature of sounds, and he was the discoverer of the palaestra, and devoted his attention to rhythm and the proper shaping of the body.
λύραν τε νευρίνην ποιῆσαι τρίχορδον, μιμησάμενον τὰς κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ὥρας· τρεῖς γὰρ αὐτὸν ὑποστήσασθαι φθόγγους, ὀξὺν καὶ βαρὺν καὶ μέσον, ὀξὺν μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ θέρους, βαρὺν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος, §1.16.2μέσον δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔαρος.
He also made a three-stringed lyre with sinews, imitating the seasons of the year; for he established three tones—high, low, and medium—the high from summer, the low from winter, and the medium from spring.
καὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας διδάξαι τοῦτον τὰ περὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν, ὑπὲρ ὧν Ἑρμῆν αὐτὸν ὠνομάσθαι.
And he taught the Greeks the matters concerning expression, for which reason he was named Hermes.
καθόλου δὲ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ὄσιριν τοῦτον ἔχοντας ἱερογραμματέα ἅπαντʼ αὐτῷ προσανακοινοῦσθαι καὶ μάλιστα χρῆσθαι τῇ τούτου συμβουλίᾳ.
In general, Osiris and his associates, having him as their sacred scribe, communicated everything to him and especially made use of his counsel.
καὶ τῆς ἐλαίας δὲ τὸ φυτὸν αὐτὸν εὑρεῖν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ Ἀθηνᾶν, ὥσπερ Ἕλληνές φασι.
And he himself discovered the olive tree, and not Athena, as the Greeks say.

Notes

  1. §1.16.1διαρθρωθῆναι — The indirect discourse (accusative and infinitive construction) from the preceding sections continues here. This infinitive and the subsequent series of infinitives (such as τυχεῖν, γενέσθαι, διαταχθῆναι, and ὑπάρξαι) are all governed by the implied verb of saying φασί.
  2. §1.16.1μιμησάμενον — Aorist participle in the masculine accusative singular. It agrees in gender, number, and case with the unexpressed subject of the infinitive ποιῆσαι (which corresponds to an accusative αὐτόν, referring to Hermes).
  3. §1.16.2ὑπὲρ ὧν — The relative pronoun ὧν is neuter plural genitive. Its antecedent is the preceding phrase τὰ περὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν (matters concerning expression), introducing the etymological explanation of Hermes' name.
  4. §1.16.2τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ὄσιριν — An idiomatic expression consisting of the article, the preposition περί, and the accusative, meaning 'Osiris and his associates' or 'Osiris's court'. Here they function as the subject who employed Hermes.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §1.16.1-1.16.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:1.16.1-1.16.2

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