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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 72, lines 3–5 · Born of the blood of Eubouleus
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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Ἄρτεμιν1
Ártemin
Artemis
ἡγεμόνην2
hēgemónēn
the guideleader
, μεγαλώνυμον3
megalṓnymon
of great name
, ἐκγεγαῶσαν4
ekgegaôsan
born
αἵματος5
haímatos
from the blood
Εὐβουλῆος6
Euboulêos
of Eubouleushe of good counsel
, ἔχουσαν7
échousan
withhaving
ἀπρόσμαχον8
aprósmachon
an irresistible
εἶδος9
eîdos
form
, τυμβιδίην10
tymbidíēn
of the tombs
, πολύπλαγκτον11
polýplankton
wide-wandering
, ἀοίδιμον12
aoídimon
sung offamous in song
ἀνθρώποισιν13
anthrṓpoisin
by people
. 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.
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.
Interpretation
Artemis the guide, of great name, born from the blood of Eubouleus, with a form no one can resist, goddess of the tombs, wide-wandering, sung of by all people.
Three of these titles come from the first hymn in the book, the hymn to Hekate: "guide," "of the tombs," and, in this edition's text, the whole phrase "with a form no one can resist." Tyche, Artemis and Hekate run together here; Artemis and Hekate in particular were often treated as one goddess. Her birth "from the blood of Eubouleus" is left unexplained. Eubouleus, "he of good counsel," is a name this book gives both to Plouton (18) and to Dionysus (30), so Tyche is the child either of the king of the dead or of the god of the mysteries; the hymn does not say which.
72.6
The Orphic Hymns 72.6 · To some wealth, to others poverty
Why Tyche matters: she makes one person rich and another poor, as her mood decides.
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For in you the life of mortals is many-colored; for to some you make a rich abundance of possessions, and to others cruel poverty, brooding on anger in your heart.