Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
learn whatever you please; but since, as it seems, your heart is so
strongly set on playing the lyre, chant, and play upon it, and give
yourself to merriment, taking this as a gift from me, and do you, my
friend, bestow glory on me. Sing well with this clear-voiced companion
in your hands; for you are skilled in good, well-ordered utterance.
From now on bring it confidently to the rich feast and lovely dance and
glorious revel, a joy by night and by day. Whoso with wit and wisdom
enquires of it cunningly, him it teaches through its sound all manner
of things that delight the mind, being easily played with gentle
familiarities, for it abhors toilsome drudgery; but whoso in ignorance
enquires of it violently, to him it chatters mere vanity and
foolishness. But you are able to learn whatever you please. So then, I
will give you this lyre, glorious son of Zeus, while I for my part will
graze down with wild-roving cattle the pastures on hill and
horse-feeding plain: so shall the cows covered by the bulls calve
abundantly both males and females. And now there is no need for you,
bargainer though you are, to be furiously angry.’
(ll. 496-502) When Hermes had said this, he held out the lyre: and
Phoebus Apollo took it, and readily put his shining whip in Hermes’
hand, and ordained him keeper of herds. The son of Maia received it
joyfully, while the glorious son of Leto, the lord far-working Apollo,
took the lyre upon his left arm and tried each string with the key.
Awesomely it sounded at the touch of the god, while he sang sweetly to
its note.
(ll. 503-512) Afterwards they two, the all-glorious sons of Zeus turned
the cows back towards the sacred meadow, but themselves hastened back
to snowy Olympus, delighting in the lyre. Then wise Zeus was glad and
made them both friends. And Hermes loved the son of Leto continually,
even as he does now, when he had given the lyre as token to the
Far-shooter, who played it skilfully, holding it upon his arm. But for
himself Hermes found out another cunning art and made himself the pipes
whose sound is heard afar.
(ll. 513-520) Then the son of Leto said to Hermes: ‘Son of Maia, guide
and cunning one, I fear you may steal form me the lyre and my curved
bow together; for you have an office from Zeus, to establish deeds of
barter amongst men throughout the fruitful earth. Now if you would only
swear me the great oath of the gods, either by nodding your head, or by
the potent water of Styx, you would do all that can please and ease my
heart.’
(ll. 521-549) Then Maia’s son nodded his head and promised that he
would never steal anything of all the Far-shooter possessed, and would
never go near his strong house; but Apollo, son of Leto, swore to be
fellow and friend to Hermes, vowing that he would love no other among
the immortals, neither god nor man sprung from Zeus, better than
Hermes: and the Father sent forth an eagle in confirmation. And Apollo
sware also: ‘Verily I will make you only to be an omen for the
immortals and all alike, trusted and honoured by my heart. Moreover, I
will give you a splendid staff of riches and wealth: it is of gold,
with three branches, and will keep you scatheless, accomplishing every
task, whether of words or deeds that are good, which I claim to know
through the utterance of Zeus. But as for sooth-saying, noble,
heaven-born child, of which you ask, it is not lawful for you to learn
it, nor for any other of the deathless gods: only the mind of Zeus
knows that. I am pledged and have vowed and sworn a strong oath that no
other of the eternal gods save I should know the wise-hearted counsel
of Zeus. And do not you, my brother, bearer of the golden wand, bid me
tell those decrees which all-seeing Zeus intends. As for men, I will
harm one and profit another, sorely perplexing the tribes of unenviable
men. Whosoever shall come guided by the call and flight of birds of
sure omen, that man shall have advantage through my voice, and I will
not deceive him. But whoso shall trust to idly-chattering birds and
shall seek to invoke my prophetic art contrary to my will, and to
understand more than the eternal gods, I declare that he shall come on
an idle journey; yet his gifts I would take.
(ll. 550-568) ‘But I will tell you another thing, Son of all-glorious
Maia and Zeus who holds the aegis, luck-bringing genius of the gods.
There are certain holy ones, sisters born—three virgins 2523 gifted
with wings: their heads are besprinkled with white meal, and they dwell
under a ridge of Parnassus. These are teachers of divination apart from
me, the art which I practised while yet a boy following herds, though
my father paid no heed to it. From their home they fly now here, now
there, feeding on honey-comb and bringing all things to pass. And when
they are inspired through eating yellow honey, they are willing to
speak truth; but if they be deprived of the gods’ sweet food, then they
speak falsely, as they swarm in and out together. These, then, I give
you; enquire of them strictly and delight your heart: and if you should
teach any mortal so to do, often will he hear your response—if he have
good fortune. Take these, Son of Maia, and tend the wild roving, horned
oxen and horses and patient mules.’
(ll. 568a-573) So he spake. And from heaven father Zeus himself gave
confirmation to his words, and commanded that glorious Hermes should be
lord over all birds of omen and grim-eyed lions, and boars with
gleaming tusks, and over dogs and all flocks that the wide earth
nourishes, and over all sheep; also that he only should be the
appointed messenger to Hades, who, though he takes no gift, shall give
him no mean prize.
(ll. 574-578) Thus the lord Apollo showed his kindness for the Son of
Maia by all manner of friendship: and the Son of Cronos gave him grace
besides. He consorts with all mortals and immortals: a little he
profits, but continually throughout the dark night he cozens the tribes
of mortal men.
(ll. 579-580) And so, farewell, Son of Zeus and Maia; but I will
remember you and another song also.
V. TO APHRODITE
(ll. 1-6) Muse, tell me the deeds of golden Aphrodite the Cyprian, who
stirs up sweet passion in the gods and subdues the tribes of mortal men
and birds that fly in air and all the many creatures that the dry land
rears, and all the sea: all these love the deeds of rich-crowned
Cytherea.
(ll. 7-32) Yet there are three hearts that she cannot bend nor yet
ensnare. First is the daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis, bright-eyed
Athene; for she has no pleasure in the deeds of golden Aphrodite, but
delights in wars and in the work of Ares, in strifes and battles and in
preparing famous crafts. She first taught earthly craftsmen to make
chariots of war and cars variously wrought with bronze, and she, too,
teaches tender maidens in the house and puts knowledge of goodly arts
in each one’s mind. Nor does laughter-loving Aphrodite ever tame in
love Artemis, the huntress with shafts of gold; for she loves archery
and the slaying of wild beasts in the mountains, the lyre also and
dancing and thrilling cries and shady woods and the cities of upright
men. Nor yet does the pure maiden Hestia love Aphrodite’s works. She
was the first-born child of wily Cronos and youngest too 2524, by will
of Zeus who holds the aegis,—a queenly maid whom both Poseidon and
Apollo sought to wed. But she was wholly unwilling, nay, stubbornly
refused; and touching the head of father Zeus who holds the aegis, she,
that fair goddess, sware a great oath which has in truth been
fulfilled, that she would be a maiden all her days. So Zeus the Father
gave her an high honour instead of marriage, and she has her place in
the midst of the house and has the richest portion. In all the temples
of the gods she has a share of honour, and among all mortal men she is
chief of the goddesses.
(ll. 33-44) Of these three Aphrodite cannot bend or ensnare the hearts.
But of all others there is nothing among the blessed gods or among
mortal men that has escaped Aphrodite. Even the heart of Zeus, who
delights in thunder, is led astray by her; though he is greatest of all
and has the lot of highest majesty, she beguiles even his wise heart
whensoever she pleases, and mates him with mortal women, unknown to
Hera, his sister and his wife, the grandest far in beauty among the
deathless goddesses—most glorious is she whom wily Cronos with her
mother Rhea did beget: and Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, made her
his chaste and careful wife.
(ll. 45-52) But upon Aphrodite herself Zeus cast sweet desire to be
joined in love with a mortal man, to the end that, very soon, not even
she should be innocent of a mortal’s love; lest laughter-loving
Aphrodite should one day softly smile and say mockingly among all the
gods that she had joined the gods in love with mortal women who bare
sons of death to the deathless gods, and had mated the goddesses with
mortal men.
(ll. 53-74) And so he put in her heart sweet desire for Anchises who
was tending cattle at that time among the steep hills of
many-fountained Ida, and in shape was like the immortal gods.
Therefore, when laughter-loving Aphrodite saw him, she loved him, and
terribly desire seized her in her heart. She went to Cyprus, to Paphos,
where her precinct is and fragrant altar, and passed into her
sweet-smelling temple. There she went in and put to the glittering
doors, and there the Graces bathed her with heavenly oil such as blooms
upon the bodies of the eternal gods—oil divinely sweet, which she had
by her, filled with fragrance. And laughter-loving Aphrodite put on all
her rich clothes, and when she had decked herself with gold, she left
sweet-smelling Cyprus and went in haste towards Troy, swiftly
travelling high up among the clouds. So she came to many-fountained
Ida, the mother of wild creatures and went straight to the homestead
across the mountains. After her came grey wolves, fawning on her, and
grim-eyed lions, and bears, and fleet leopards, ravenous for deer: and
she was glad in heart to see them, and put desire in their breasts, so
that they all mated, two together, about the shadowy coombes.
(ll. 75-88) 2525 But she herself came to the neat-built shelters, and
him she found left quite alone in the homestead—the hero Anchises who
was comely as the gods. All the others were following the herds over
the grassy pastures, and he, left quite alone in the homestead, was
roaming hither and thither and playing thrillingly upon the lyre. And
Aphrodite, the daughter of Zeus stood before him, being like a pure
maiden in height and mien, that he should not be frightened when he
took heed of her with his eyes. Now when Anchises saw her, he marked
her well and wondered at her mien and height and shining garments. For
she was clad in a robe out-shining the brightness of fire, a splendid
robe of gold, enriched with all manner of needlework, which shimmered
like the moon over her tender breasts, a marvel to see.
Also she wore twisted brooches and shining earrings in the form of
flowers; and round her soft throat were lovely necklaces.
(ll. 91-105) And Anchises was seized with love, and said to her: ‘Hail,
lady, whoever of the blessed ones you are that are come to this house,
whether Artemis, or Leto, or golden Aphrodite, or high-born Themis, or
bright-eyed Athene. Or, maybe, you are one of the Graces come hither,
who bear the gods company and are called immortal, or else one of those
who inhabit this lovely mountain and the springs of rivers and grassy
meads. I will make you an altar upon a high peak in a far seen place,
and will sacrifice rich offerings to you at all seasons. And do you
feel kindly towards me and grant that I may become a man very eminent
among the Trojans, and give me strong offspring for the time to come.