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    Contents:
  • To Dionysus
  • To Demeter
  • To Hermes
  • To Aphrodite
  • To Aphrodite
  • To Dionysus
  • To Ares
  • To Artemis
  • To Aphrodite
  • To Athena
  • To Hera
  • To Demeter
  • To the Mother of the Gods
  • To Heracles the Lion-Hearted
  • To Asclepius
  • To the Dioscuri
  • To Hermes
  • To Pan
  • To Hephaestus
  • to Apollo
  • To Poseidon
  • To the Son of Cronos, Most High
  • To Hestia
  • To the Muses and Apollo
  • To Dionysus
  • To Artemis
  • To Athena
  • To Hestia
  • To Earth the Mother of All
  • To Helios
  • To Selene
  • To the Dioscuri
    		•

    Homeric Hymns (ed. Hugh G. Evelyn-White)

    To Demeter

    Editions and translations: Greek (ed. Hugh G. Evelyn-White) | English (ed. Hugh G. Evelyn-White)
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    hymn=1:line=5 hymn=2:line=1 hymn=2:line=30 hymn=2:line=50 hymn=2:line=80 hymn=2:line=100 hymn=2:line=118 hymn=2:line=140 hymn=2:line=160 hymn=2:line=184 hymn=2:line=210 hymn=2:line=230 hymn=2:line=245 hymn=2:line=270 hymn=2:line=292 hymn=2:line=320 hymn=2:line=345 hymn=2:line=370 hymn=2:line=395 hymn=2:line=410 hymn=2:line=440 hymn=2:line=460 hymn=2:line=490 hymn=3:line=5 hymn=3:line=30 hymn=3:line=50 hymn=3:line=80 hymn=3:line=95 hymn=3:line=125 hymn=3:line=145 hymn=3:line=170 hymn=3:line=1 hymn=3:line=205 hymn=3:line=225 hymn=3:line=255 hymn=3:line=275 hymn=3:line=300 hymn=3:line=317a hymn=3:line=340 hymn=3:line=360 hymn=3:line=390 hymn=3:line=405 hymn=3:line=430 hymn=3:line=450 hymn=3:line=480 hymn=3:line=500 hymn=3:line=530 hymn=3:line=540 hymn=4:line=5 hymn=4:line=30 hymn=4:line=55 hymn=4:line=75 hymn=4:line=94 hymn=4:line=120 hymn=4:line=135 hymn=4:line=165 hymn=4:line=185 hymn=4:line=210 hymn=4:line=235 hymn=4:line=256 hymn=4:line=280 hymn=4:line=300 hymn=4:line=330 hymn=4:line=350 hymn=4:line=380 hymn=4:line=400 hymn=4:line=409b hymn=4:line=435 hymn=4:line=455 hymn=4:line=485 hymn=4:line=505 hymn=4:line=525 hymn=4:line=545 hymn=4:line=565 hymn=5 hymn=5:line=20 hymn=5:line=40 hymn=5:line=70 hymn=5:line=85 hymn=5:line=95 hymn=5:line=115 hymn=5:line=140 hymn=5:line=165 hymn=5:line=185 hymn=5:line=210 hymn=5:line=230 hymn=5:line=250 hymn=5:line=280 hymn=6:line=5 hymn=7:line=1 hymn=7:line=25 hymn=7:line=45 hymn=8:line=5 hymn=9:line=5 hymn=11 hymn=12:line=5 hymn=14 hymn=15:line=5 hymn=17 hymn=18:line=5 hymn=19:line=10 hymn=19:line=40 hymn=20:line=5 hymn=22 hymn=24 hymn=25:line=1 hymn=26:line=10 hymn=27:line=15 hymn=28:line=5 hymn=29:line=5 hymn=30:line=1 hymn=31:line=1 hymn=32 hymn=33

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    All night long they sought to appease the glorious goddess, quaking with fear. But, as soon as dawn began to show, they told powerful Celeus all things without fail, [295] as the lovely-crowned goddess Demeter charged them. So Celeus called the countless people to an assembly and bade them make a goodly temple for rich-haired Demeter and an altar upon the rising hillock. And they obeyed him right speedily and harkened to his voice, [300] doing as he commanded. As for the child, he grew like an immortal being.

    Now when they had finished building and had drawn back from their toil, they went every man to his house. But golden-haired Demeter sat there apart from all the blessed gods and stayed, wasting with yearning for her deep-bosomed daughter. [305] Then she caused a most dreadful and cruel year for mankind over the all-nourishing earth: the ground would not make the seed sprout, for rich-crowned Demeter kept it hid. In the fields the oxen drew many a curved plough in vain, and much white barley was cast upon the land without avail. [310] So she would have destroyed the whole race of man with cruel famine and have robbed them who dwell on Olympus of their glorious right of gifts and sacrifices, had not Zeus perceived and marked this in his heart. First he sent golden-winged Iris to call [315] rich-haired Demeter, lovely in form. So he commanded. And she obeyed the dark-clouded Son of Cronos, and sped with swift feet across the space between. She came to the stronghold of fragrant Eleusis, and there finding dark-cloaked Demeter in her temple, [320] spake to her and uttered winged words:

    “Demeter, father Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, calls you to come join the tribes of the eternal gods: come therefore, and let not the message I bring from Zeus pass unobeyed.”

    Thus said Iris imploring her. But Demeter's heart was not moved. [325] Then again the father sent forth all the blessed and eternal gods besides: and they came, one after the other, and kept calling her and offering many very beautiful gifts and whatever rights she might be pleased to choose among the deathless gods. Yet no one was able to persuade her mind and will, [330] so wroth was she in her heart; but she stubbornly rejected all their words: for she vowed that she would never set foot on fragrant Olympus nor let fruit spring out of the ground, until she beheld with her eyes her own fair-faced daughter.

    Now when all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer heard this, [335] he sent the Slayer of Argus whose wand is of gold to Erebus, so that having won over Hades with soft words, he might lead forth chaste Persephone to the light from the misty gloom to join the gods, and that her mother might see her with her eyes and cease from her anger. [340] And Hermes obeyed, and leaving the house of Olympus, straightway sprang down with speed to the hidden places of the earth. And he found the lord Hades in his house seated upon a couch, and his shy mate with him, much reluctant, because she yearned for her mother. But she was afar off, [345] brooding on her fell design because of the deeds of the blessed gods. And the strong Slayer of Argus drew near and said:


    There are a total of 8 comments on and cross references to this page.

    Further comments from Thomas W. Allen, E. E. Sikes, Commentary on the Homeric Hymns:
    line 292: PanNuchiai
    line 305: ePi chthona
    line 310 (general note)
    line 315: Poluêraton . . . echousan
    line 325 (general note)

    Cross references from Thomas W. Allen, E. E. Sikes, Commentary on the Homeric Hymns:
    * [BIBLIOGRAPHY]
    * [HYMN TO THE MUSES AND APOLLO]
    * [HYMN TO APOLLO]

    Preferred URL for linking to this page: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=HH+2+292

    The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text.

    This text is based on the following book(s):
    Anonymous. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Homeric Hymns. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.
    OCLC: 41785942
    ISBN: 0674990633

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