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Callimachus · Hymn to Delos §81-161

Prophecy of Apollo and Leto's Wandering to River Peneus

Passage 2 of 4 · Greek

Summary

The unborn Apollo pronounces a prophecy of curse against the unwilling Thebes. Leto implores the river Peneus in Thessaly, who bravely tries to shelter her despite Ares' terrifying threats, but she declines his sacrifice to save him and continues her journey, rejected by various islands before reaching Cos.

§81ἥλικος ἀσθμαίνουσα περὶ δρυός, ὡς ἴδε χαίτην §82σειομένην Ἑλικῶνος.
gasping around her coeval oak, when she saw the hair of Helicon shaking.
ἐμαὶ θεαί, εἴπατε Μοῦσαι, §83ἦ ῥʼ ἐτεὸν ἐγένοντο τότε δρύες ἡνίκα Νύμφαι;
My goddesses, tell me, O Muses, did oaks really come into being at the same time as Nymphs?
§84νύμφαι μὲν χαίρουσιν, ὅτε δρύας ὄμβρος ἀέξει, §85νύμφαι δʼ αὖ κλαίουσιν, ὅτε δρυσὶν οὐκέτι φύλλα.
Nymphs indeed rejoice when the rain makes the oaks grow, and Nymphs again weep when there are no longer leaves on the oaks.
§86ταῖς μὲν ἔτʼ Ἀπόλλων ὑποκόλπιος αἰνὰ χολώθη, §87φθέγξατο δʼ οὐκ ἀτέλεστον ἀπειλήσας ἐπὶ Θήβῃ· §88Θήβη, τίπτε τάλαινα τὸν αὐτίκα πότμον ἐλέγχεις;
Against them Apollo, still in his mother’s womb, was terribly angered, and he uttered a threat against Thebes, which was not to be unfulfilled: "Thebes, why, wretched one, do you hasten your immediate fate?
§89μήπω μή μʼ ἀέκοντα βιάζεο μαντεύεσθαι.
Do not yet force me to prophesy against my will.
§90οὔπω μοι Πυθῶνι μέλει τριποδήιος ἕδρη, §91οὐδέ τί πω τέθνηκεν ὄφις μέγας, ἀλλʼ ἔτι κεῖνο §92θηρίον αἰνογένειον ἀπὸ Πλειστοῖο καθέρπον §93Παρνησὸν νιφόεντα περιστέφει ἐννέα κύκλοις·
Not yet do I care for the tripod-seat at Pytho, nor is the great serpent yet dead, but still that dread-born monster, crawling down from Pleistus, girds snowy Parnassus with nine coils.
§94ἀλλʼ ἔμπης ἐρέω τι τομώτερον ἢ ἀπὸ δάφνης.
Yet nevertheless I will speak something sharper than from the laurel.
§95φεῦγε πρόσω· ταχινός σε κιχήσομαι αἵματι λούσων §96τόξον ἐμόν·
Flee far; I will quickly overtake you, to bathe my bow in your blood.
σὺ δὲ τέκνα κακογλώσσοιο γυναικὸς §97ἔλλαχεσ.
You have obtained the children of a bad-tongued woman.
οὐ σύ γʼ ἐμεῖο φίλη τροφὸς οὐδὲ Κιθαιρὼν §98ἔσσεται· εὐαγέων δὲ καὶ εὐαγέεσσι μελοίμην. §99ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη.
Neither you nor Cithaeron shall be my beloved nurse; may I be dear to the pure, and may I care for the pure." Thus indeed he spoke.
Λητὼ δὲ μετάτροπος αὖτις ἐχώρει.
And Leto turned back and went again.
§100ἀλλʼ ὅτʼ Ἀχαιιάδες μιν ἀπηρνήσαντο πόληες §101ἐρχομένην, Ἑλίκη τε Ποσειδάωνος ἑταίρη §102Βοῦρά τε Δεξαμενοῖο βοόστασις Οἰκιάδαο,
But when the Achaean cities refused her as she came, both Helice, the companion of Poseidon, and Boura, the ox-stall of Dexamenos, son of Oiceus, she turned her feet back to Thessaly.
§103ἂψ δʼ ἐπὶ Θεσσαλίην πόδας ἔτρεπε, φεῦγε δʼ Ἄναυρος §104καὶ μεγάλη Λάρισα καὶ αἱ Χειρωνίδες ἄκραι, §105φεῦγε δὲ καὶ Πηνειὸς ἑλισσόμενος διὰ Τεμπέων.
And Anauros fled, and great Larissa, and the Chironian heights, and Peneus also fled, winding through Tempe.
§106Ἥρη, σοὶ δʼ ἔτι τῆμος ἀνηλεὲς ἦτορ ἔκειτο §107οὐδὲ κατεκλάσθης τε καὶ ᾤκτισας, ἡνίκα πήχεις §108ἀμφοτέρους ὀρέγουσα μάτην ἐφθέγξατο τοῖα §109Νύμφαι Θεσσαλίδες, ποταμοῦ γένος, εἴπατε πατρὶ §110κοιμῆσαι μέγα χεῦμα· περιπλέξασθε γενείῳ §111λισσόμεναι τὰ Ζηνὸς ἐν ὕδατι τέκνα τεκέσθαι.
Hera, your heart was still pitiless then, nor were you broken or did you feel pity, when she, stretching out both arms, cried out in vain such words: "Thessalian Nymphs, offspring of the river, tell your father to lull his great stream; clasp his beard in entreaty, that the children of Zeus may be born in his water.
§112Πηνειὲ Φθιῶτα, τί νῦν ἀνέμοισιν ἐρίζεις;
Peneus of Phthia, why do you now contend with the winds?
§113ὦ πάτερ, οὐ μὴν ἵππον ἀέθλιον ἀμφιβέβηκας.
O father, surely you are not riding a prize-winning horse.
§114ἦ ῥά τοι ὧδʼ αἰεὶ ταχινοὶ πόδες, ἢ ἐπʼ ἐμεῖο §115μοῦνοι ἐλαφρίζουσι, πεποίησαι δὲ πέτεσθαι §116σήμερον ἐξαπίνης; "ὁ δʼ ἀνήκοος.
Are your feet indeed always so swift, or do they lighten for me alone, and have you been made to fly today suddenly?" But he was unheeding.
"ὦ ἐμὸν ἄχθος, §117ποῖ σε φέρω;
"O my burden, where shall I bear you?
μέλεοι γὰρ ἀπειρήκασι τένοντες.
For my wretched tendons have failed.
§118Πήλιον ὦ Φιλύρης νυμφήιον, ἀλλὰ σὺ μεῖνον, §119μεῖνον, ἐπεὶ καὶ θῆρες ἐν οὔρεσι πολλάκι σεῖο §120ὠμοτόκους ὠδῖνας ἀπηρείσαντο λέαιναι. §121τὴν δʼ ἄρα καὶ Πηνειὸς ἀμείβετο δάκρυα λείβων §122Λητοῖ, Ἀναγκαίη μεγάλη θεός.
Mount Pelion, bridal chamber of Philyra, do you at least remain, remain, since even wild lionesses on your mountains have often laid down their raw-birth labor pains." And Peneus answered her, shedding tears: "Leto, Necessity is a great goddess.
οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγε §123πότνια σὰς ὠδῖνας ἀναίνομαι· οἶδα καὶ ἄλλας §124λουσαμένας ἀπʼ ἐμεῖο λεχωίδας· ἀλλά μοι Ἥρη §125δαψιλὲς ἠπείλησεν.
For I indeed, lady, do not refuse your labor pains; I know of other women in childbed who washed in my stream; but Hera has threatened me terribly.
ἀπαύγασαι, οἷος ἔφεδρος §126οὔρεος ἐξ ὑπάτου σκοπιὴν ἔχει, ὅς κέ με ῥεῖα §127βυσσόθεν ἐξερύσειε.
Look, what a sentinel keeps watch from the highest mountain, who would easily drag me out from the bottom.
τί μήσομαι;
What shall I devise?
ἢ ἀπολέσθαι §128ἡδύ τί τοι Πηνειόν;
Or is the destruction of Peneus a sweet thing to you?
ἴτω πεπρωμένον ἦμαρ· §129τλήσομαι εἵνεκα σεῖο καὶ εἰ μέλλοιμι ῥοάων §130διψαλέην ἄμπωτιν ἔχων αἰώνιον ἔρρειν §131καὶ μόνος ἐν ποταμοῖσιν ἀτιμότατος καλέεσθαι.
Let the destined day come; I will endure for your sake, even if I should flow with a thirsty ebb, dry forever, and alone among rivers be called the most dishonored.
§132ἠνίδʼ ἐγώ· τί περισσά;
Behold, here am I; why say more?
κάλει μόνον Εἰλήθυιαν. §133εἶπε καὶ ἠρώησε μέμαν ῥόον.
Only call Eileithyia." He spoke and stayed his rushing stream.
ἀλλά οἱ Ἄρης §134Παγγαίου προθέλυμνα καρήατα μέλλεν ἀείρας §135ἐμβαλέειν δίνῃσιν, ἀποκρύψαι δὲ ῥέεθρα· §136ὑψόθε δʼ ἐσμαράγησε καὶ ἀσπίδα τύψεν ἀκωκῇ §137δούρατος·
But Ares was about to raise the peaks of Pangaeum by the roots and cast them into the eddies, to hide his streams; and from on high he thundered and struck his shield with the point of his spear; and it rang with a warlike sound.
ἡ δʼ ἐλέλιξεν ἐνόπλιον· ἔτρεμε δʼ Ὄσσης §138οὔρεα καὶ πεδίον Κραννώνιον αἵ τε δυσαεῖς §139ἐσχατιαὶ Πίνδοιο, φόβῳ δʼ ὠρχήσατο πᾶσα §140Θεσσαλίη· τοῖος γὰρ ἀπʼ ἀσπίδος ἔβρεμεν ἦχος.
And Mount Ossa trembled, and the Crannonian plain, and the windy extremities of Pindus, and in fear all Thessaly danced; for such a sound roared from his shield.
§141ὡς δʼ ὁπότʼ Αἰτναίου ὄρεος πυρὶ τυφομένοιο §142σείονται μυχὰ πάντα κατουδαίοιο γίγαντος §143εἰς ἑτέρην Βριαρῆος ἐπωμίδα κινυμένοιο, §144θερμάστραι τε βρέμουσιν ὑφʼ Ἡφαίστοιο πυράγρης §145ἔργα θʼ ὁμοῦ, δεινὸν δὲ πυρίκμητοί τε λέβητες §146καὶ τρίποδες πίπτοντες ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοις ἰαχεῦσι· §147τῆμος ἔγεντʼ ἄραβος σάκεος τόσος εὐκύκλοιο.
And as when all the depths of Mount Etna, smoldering with fire, shake as the underground giant Briareus shifts to his other shoulder, and the bellows roar under Hephaestus' tongs along with his works, and terribly the fire-wrought cauldrons and tripods fall upon one another and crash; such then was the din of the well-rounded shield.
§148Πηνειὸς δʼ οὐκ αὖτις ἐχάζετο, μίμνε δʼ ὁμοίως §149καρτερὸς ὡς τὰ πρῶτα, θοὰς δʼ ἐστήσατο δίνας, §150εἰσόκε οἱ Κοιηὶς ἐκέκλετο σῴζεο χαίρων, §151σῴζεο· μὴ σύ γʼ ἐμεῖο πάθῃς κακὸν εἵνεκα τῆσδε §152ἀντʼ ἐλεημοσύνης, χάριτος δέ τοι ἔσσετʼ ἀμοιβή. §153ἦ καὶ πολλὰ πάροιθεν ἐπεὶ κάμεν ἔστιχε νήσους §154εἰναλίας· αἱ δʼ οὔ μιν ἐπερχομένην ἐδέχοντο, §155οὐ λιπαρὸν νήεσσιν Ἐχινάδες ὅρμον ἔχουσαι, §156οὐδʼ ἥτις Κέρκυρα φιλοξεινωτάτη ἄλλων,
But Peneus did not retreat, but remained just as steadfast as before, and stayed his swift eddies, until the daughter of Coeus called to him: "Save yourself, and farewell; save yourself; do not suffer evil for my sake because of this pity of yours; and you shall have a return of my gratitude." She spoke, and having already suffered much before, she went to the islands of the sea; but they did not receive her as she came, neither the Echinades, having a bright harbor for ships, nor Corcyra, which is the most hospitable of others.
§157Ἶρις ἐπεὶ πάσῃσιν ἐφʼ ὑψηλοῖο Μίμαντος §158σπερχομένη μάλα πολλὸν ἀπέτραπεν· αἱ δʼ ὑπʼ ὁμοκλῆς §159πανσυδίῃ φοβέοντο κατὰ ῥόον ἥντινα τέτμοι.
For Iris from high Mimas, hastening, turned them all away with great vehemence; and they under her threat fled in all haste along whatever stream they met.
§160ὠγυγίην δἤπειτα Κόων, Μεροπηίδα νῆσον, §161ἵκετο, Χαλκιόπης ἱερὸν μυχὸν ἡρωίνης.
Then she came to primeval Cos, the island of the Meropes, the sacred retreat of the heroine Chalciope.

Notes

  1. 81ἥλικος ... δρυός — Meaning 'of her coeval oak'. This reflects the Greek mythological belief in hamadryads, nymphs whose lives are bound to their resident trees, dying when the trees perish. This serves as an introduction to Callimachus' poetic inquiry in line 83 regarding whether nymphs and oaks indeed came into being at the same moment.
  2. 86ταῖς — Feminine plural dative of the demonstrative pronoun. It refers to the nymphs (including Melia) weeping in the preceding lines, or more broadly to all those who have fled and refused to welcome Leto, pointing out the target of the unborn Apollo's wrath.
  3. 88τὸν αὐτίκα πότμον ἐλέγχεις — Literally 'why do you test (or hasten) your immediate fate?' The verb ἐλέγχω, besides meaning 'to refute' or 'to expose', is used here with the implication of hastening one's own ruin, reproaching Thebes for bringing upon itself the harsh destiny that Apollo's future birth will entail.
  4. 112ἵππον ἀέθλιον ἀμφιβέβηκας — Meaning 'you are bestriding a prize-winning horse'. A highly stylized metaphorical expression typical of Callimachus, comparing the rapid and violent flow of the river Peneus to a rider spurring a swift racehorse, as Leto questions why the river is fleeing from her so rapidly.
  5. 133ἠρώησε μέμαν ῥόον — The verb ἠρώησε (third-person singular aorist of ἡρωέω) here means 'stayed' or 'held back'. It describes the moment of Peneus' self-sacrificing and brave decision to halt his own rushing current (μέμαν ῥόον) in order to provide a place for Leto.

Cite this passage

Callimachus, Hymn to Delos §81-161. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0533.tlg018.humanitext-grc3:81-161

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