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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 70, lines 4–5 · Avengers of the unjust
70.4
The Orphic Hymns 70.4 · Avengers of the unjust
The Eumenides watch the lives of the impious and punish the unjust.
· · ·
αἳ1
haì
you who
καθορᾶτε2
kathorâte
look down on
βίον3
bíon
the life
πάντων4
pántōn
of all
θνητῶν5
thnētôn
mortals
ἀσεβούντων6
aseboúntōn
who are impiouswho commit sacrilege
, τιμωροί7
timōroí
avengers
of
τῶν8
tôn
the
ἀδίκων9
adíkōn
unjust
, ἐφεστηκυῖαι10
ephestēkyîai
presiding overset over
ἀνάγκῃ11
anánkēi
Necessity
, you who look down on the life of all mortals who are impious, avengers of the unjust, presiding over Necessity,
you who look down on the life of all mortals who are impious, avengers of the unjust, presiding over Necessity,
Interpretation
you who look down on the life of all impious mortals, avengers of the unjust, presiding over Necessity,
These two lines repeat the hymn to Justice (62) almost word for word. There Dike "looks down from heaven on the life of mortals" and is the "avenger" of the unjust; here the Eumenides do Justice's work from below. They also stand over Anankē, Necessity, the power that in the hymn to Night (3) "rules all things."
70.6
The Orphic Hymns 70.6 · Light that eats the flesh
Their look: dark-skinned queens whose eyes flash a terrible, burning light.
· · ·
dark-skinned queens, flashing from your eyes a dread, reflected gleam of light that eats the flesh;