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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 72, lines 1–2 · Come, Tyche
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Hymn 72 · Tyche, Fortune
ΤΥΧΗΣ, θυμίαμα λίβανον
Of Tyche · incense: frankincense
72.1
The Orphic Hymns 72.1 · Come, Tyche
The hymn to Tyche, Fortune, calls her to come and fulfil prayers for prosperity.
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ΤΥΧΗΣ1
Týchēs
Of TycheFortune
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
λίβανον3
líbanon
frankincense
. Δεῦρο4
Deûro
Come here
Τύχη5
Týchē
Tyche
; καλέω6
kaléō
I call
σʼ7
s’
you
, ἀγαθὴν8
agathḕn
good
κράντειραν9
kránteiran
fulfillerone who accomplishes
ἐπʼ10
ep’
of
εὐχαῖς11
euchaîs
prayers
, μειλιχίην12
meilichíēn
gentle
, ἐνοδῖτιν13
enodîtin
of the roads
, ἐπʼ14
ep’
for
εὐόλβοις15
euólbois
rich
κτεάτεσσιν16
kteátessin
possessions
, Of Tyche. Incense: frankincense. Come here, Tyche; I call you, good fulfiller of prayers, gentle, of the roads, for rich possessions,
Of Tyche. Incense: frankincense. Come here, Tyche; I call you, good fulfiller of prayers, gentle, of the roads, for rich possessions,
Interpretation
Of Tyche. Incense: frankincense. Come here, Tyche: I call you, good fulfiller of prayers, gentle goddess of the roads, for rich possessions,
Tychē is the everyday Greek word for what befalls a person: chance, luck, good or bad. In the cities of the Hellenistic and Roman world she became a great goddess, and many cities honored their own Tyche, shown wearing a crown in the shape of city walls. This hymn asks for her good side, the "good fulfiller of prayers," and gives her the title enoditis, "of the roads," which belongs to Hekate, called "of the roads" in the first hymn of the book.
72.3
The Orphic Hymns 72.3 · Born of the blood of Eubouleus
Tyche is called Artemis, given a strange birth, and named with a string of Hekate's titles.
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Artemis the guide, of great name, born from the blood of Eubouleus, with an irresistible form, of the tombs, wide-wandering, sung of by people.