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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 0, lines 6–9 · From pure Persephone to Dionysus the dancer
0.6
The Orphic Hymns 0.6 · From pure Persephone to Dionysus the dancer
Next come the gods of the harvest and the hunt, Apollo at Delphi, and Dionysus.
· · ·
θʼ1
th’
and
ἁγνὴ2
hagnḕ
pure
Φερσεφόνη3
Phersephónē
Persephone
, τʼ4
t’
and
Δημήτηρ5
Dēmḗtēr
Demeter
, ἀγλαόκαρπε6
aglaókarpe
giver of fine cropsbright-fruited
, τʼ7
t’
and
Ἄρτεμί8
Ártemí
Artemis
, ἰοχέαιρα9
iochéaira
archerarrow-pourer
, κόρη10
kórē
maiden
, καὶ11
kaì
and
Φοῖβε12
Phoîbe
Phoebusthe Bright One
ἤιε13
ḗie
of the cryhailed with the cry iē
, ὃς14
hòs
who
ναίεις15
naíeis
live on
ἱερὸν16
hieròn
the holy
πέδον17
pédon
ground
Δελφῶν18
Delphôn
of Delphi
; τε19
te
and
ὅς20
hós
you who
ἔχεις21
écheis
hold
μεγίστας22
megístas
the greatest
τιμὰς23
timàs
honors
ἐν24
en
among
μακάρεσσιν25
makáressin
the blessed
, Διόνυσε26
Diónyse
Dionysus
χορευτά27
choreutá
dancerone of the chorus
; and pure Persephone, and Demeter, giver of fine crops, and Artemis, archer, maiden, and Phoebus of the cry, who live on the holy ground of Delphi; and you who hold the greatest honors among the blessed, Dionysus, dancer;
and pure Persephone, and Demeter, giver of fine crops, and Artemis, archer, maiden, and Phoebus of the cry, who live on the holy ground of Delphi; and you who hold the greatest honors among the blessed, Dionysus, dancer;
Interpretation
and pure Persephone, and Demeter, giver of fine crops, and Artemis, archer, maiden, and Phoebus of the cry, who live on the holy ground of Delphi; and you who hold the greatest honors among the blessed, Dionysus the dancer;
Apollo is called by two old names. Phoibos means "bright," and ēios is an epithet Homer already gives him, probably taken from the cry iē, iē that worshippers raised to him. Dionysus gets one title, choreutēs, the word for a member of a dancing chorus. The book that follows gives Dionysus more hymns than any other god.
0.10
The Orphic Hymns 0.10 · Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, the king below
Next come Ares, Hephaestus and Aphrodite, then the king of the dead; after him come Hebe and Eileithyia with mighty Heracles.
· · ·
and Ares, strong of spirit, and the holy might of Hephaestus, and the foam-born goddess, who received glorious gifts; and you, king of those under the earth, greatly exalted god; Hebe and Eileithyia, and the noble strength of Heracles,