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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 53, lines 1–4 · Asleep in Persephone's halls
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Hymn 53 · Bacchus Amphietes
ΑΜΦΙΕΤΟΥΣ, θυμίαμα πάντα πλὴν λιβάνου, καὶ σπένδε γάλα
Of Amphietes · incense: all kinds except frankincense; and pour a libation of milk
53.1
The Orphic Hymns 53.1 · Asleep in Persephone's halls
A hymn to Dionysus as the god who sleeps and wakes. The heading allows every incense except frankincense and asks for a libation of milk.
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ΑΜΦΙΕΤΟΥΣ1
Amphietoûs
Of Amphietesgod of the yearly feast
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
: πάντα3
pánta
all kinds
πλὴν4
plḕn
except
λιβάνου5
libánou
frankincense
; καὶ6
kaì
and
σπένδε7
spénde
pour a libation of
γάλα8
gála
milk
. καλέω9
kaléō
I call
Βάκχον10
Bákchon
Bacchus
Ἀμφιετῆ11
Amphietê
Amphietes
, Διόνυσον12
Diónyson
Dionysus
χθόνιον13
chthónion
of the underworldunder the earth
, ἐγρόμενον14
egrómenon
who wakesroused from sleep
ἅμα15
háma
together with
the
εὐπλοκάμοισιν16
euplokámoisin
lovely-haired
κούραις17
koúrais
maiden
νύμφαις18
nýmphais
nymphs
; ὃς19
hòs
who
, ἰαύων20
iaúōn
sleeping
in the
ἱεροῖσι21
hieroîsi
holy
δόμοισιν22
dómoisin
halls
παρὰ23
parà
beside
Φερσεφόνης24
Phersephónēs
Persephone
, κοιμίζει25
koimízei
lays to restputs to sleep
the
τριετῆρα26
trietêra
three-year
χρόνον27
chrónon
time
, Βακχήιον28
Bakchḗion
Bacchic
ἁγνόν29
hagnón
holy
. Of Amphietes. Incense: all kinds except frankincense; and pour a libation of milk. I call Bacchus Amphietes, Dionysus of the underworld, who wakes together with the lovely-haired maiden nymphs; who, sleeping in the holy halls beside Persephone, lays to rest the three-year time, Bacchic, holy.
Of Amphietes. Incense: all kinds except frankincense; and pour a libation of milk. I call Bacchus Amphietes, Dionysus of the underworld, who wakes together with the lovely-haired maiden nymphs; who, sleeping in the holy halls beside Persephone, lays to rest the three-year time, Bacchic, holy.
Interpretation
Of Amphietes. Incense: all kinds except frankincense; and pour a libation of milk. I call Bacchus Amphietes, Dionysus of the underworld, who wakes together with the lovely-haired maiden nymphs; who sleeps in the holy halls beside Persephone and lays to rest the three-year time, holy and Bacchic.
Amphietēs is built from amphi, "around," and etos, "year": the god whose festival comes round with the year. The hymn itself speaks of the trietēris, the three-year feast. Greeks counted both ends of a span, so a festival held "every third year" in fact came round every other year, and the rites of Dionysus in many Greek cities kept this rhythm. Between the festivals, as the hymn tells it, the god sleeps below in the house of Persephone, and the festival time sleeps with him.
The heading is unusual. It allows every incense except frankincense, and it is the only heading in the book that also asks for a libation: milk, poured for the god of wine.
53.5
The Orphic Hymns 53.5 · Crying euoi in the circling seasons
When the feast comes round again, the god wakes, sings with his nurses and leads the dances.
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And you yourself, when you rouse the three-year revel again, you turn to song with your well-girdled nurses, crying euoi and stirring the dances in the circling seasons.