HYMN TO DEMETER
[Note: This Homeric Hymn, composed in approximately the
seventh century BCE, served for centuries thereafter as the canonical hymn
of the Eleusinian
Mysteries. The text below was translated from the Greek by Hugh G.
Evelyn-White and first published by the Loeb Classical Library in 1914.
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[Line 275] When she had so said, the goddess changed her
stature and her looks, thrusting old age away from her: beauty
spread round about her and a lovely fragrance was wafted from
her sweet-smelling robes, and from the divine body of the goddess
a light shone afar, while golden tresses spread down over her
shoulders, so that the strong house was filled with brightness
as with lightning. And so she went out from the palace.
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And straightway Metaneira's knees were loosed and she remained
speechless for a long while and did not remember to take up her
late-born son from the ground. But his sisters heard his pitiful
wailing and sprang down from their well-spread beds: one of them
took up the child in her arms and laid him in her bosom, while
another revived the fire, and a third rushed with soft feet to
bring their mother from her fragrant chamber. And they gathered
about the struggling child and washed him, embracing him lovingly;
but he was not comforted, because nurses and handmaids much less
skillful were holding him now.
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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, 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, doing as he commanded.
As for the child, he grew like an immortal being.
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[Line 301] 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.
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. 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 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,
spake to her and uttered winged words:
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"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."
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Thus said Iris imploring her. But Demeter's heart was not moved.
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, 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.
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[Line 334] Now when all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer
heard this, 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. 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, brooding on
her fell design because of the deeds of the blessed gods. And
the strong Slayer of Argus drew near and said:
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"Dark-haired Hades, ruler over the departed, father Zeus
bids me bring noble Persephone forth from Erebus unto the gods,
that her mother may see her with her eyes and cease from her dread
anger with the immortals; for now she plans an awful deed, to
destroy the weakly tribes of earthborn men by keeping seed hidden
beneath the earth, and so she makes an end of the honours of the
undying gods. For she keeps fearful anger and does not consort
with the gods, but sits aloof in her fragrant temple, dwelling
in the rocky hold of Eleusis."
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So he said. And Aidoneus, ruler over the dead, smiled grimly and
obeyed the behest of Zeus the king. For he straightway urged wise
Persephone, saying:
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[Line 360] "Go now, Persephone, to your dark-robed
mother, go, and feel kindly in your heart towards me: be not so
exceedingly cast down; for I shall be no unfitting husband for
you among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus.
And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves
and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those
who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings,
reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished
for evermore."
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When he said this, wise Persephone was filled with joy and hastily
sprang up for gladness. But he on his part secretly gave her sweet
pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might
not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter. Then Aidoneus
the Ruler of Many openly got ready his deathless horses beneath
the golden chariots And she mounted on the chariot and the strong
Slayer of Argus took reins and whip in his dear hands and drove
forth from the hall, the horses speeding readily. Swiftly they
traversed their long course, and neither the sea nor river-waters
nor grassy glens nor mountain-peaks checked the career of the
immortal horses, but they clave the deep air above them as they
went. And Hermes brought them to the place where rich-crowned
Demeter was staying and checked them before her fragrant temple.
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[Line 384] And when Demeter saw them, she rushed forth
as does a Maenad down some thick-wooded mountain, while Persephone
on the other side, when she saw her mother's sweet eyes, left
the chariot and horses, and leaped down to run to her, and falling
upon her neck, embraced her. But while Demeter was still holding
her dear child in her arms, her heart suddenly misgave her for
some snare, so that she feared greatly and ceased fondling her
daughter and asked of her at once: "My child, tell me, surely
you have not tasted any food while you were below? Speak out and
hide nothing, but let us both know. For if you have not, you shall
come back from loathly Hades and live with me and your father,
the dark-clouded Son of Cronos and be honoured by all the deathless
gods; but if you have tasted food, you must go back again beneath
the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a third part of
the seasons every year: yet for the two parts you shall be with
me and the other deathless gods. But when the earth shall bloom
with the fragrant flowers of spring in every kind, then from the
realm of darkness and gloom thou shalt come up once more to be
a wonder for gods and mortal men. And now tell me how he rapt
you away to the realm of darkness and gloom, and by what trick
did the strong Host of Many beguile you?"
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[Line 405] Then beautiful Persephone answered her thus:
"Mother, I will tell you all without error. When luck-bringing
Hermes came, swift messenger from my father the Son of Cronos
and the other Sons of Heaven, bidding me come back from Erebus
that you might see me with your eyes and so cease from your anger
and fearful wrath against the gods, I sprang up at once for joy;
but he secretly put in my mouth sweet food, a pomegranate seed,
and forced me to taste against my will. Also I will tell how he
rapt me away by the deep plan of my father the Son of Cronos and
carried me off beneath the depths of the earth, and will relate
the whole matter as you ask. All we were playing in a lovely meadow,
Leucippe and Phaeno and Electra and Ianthe, Melita also and Iache
with Rhodea and Callirhoe and Melobosis and Tyche and Ocyrhoe,
fair as a flower, Chryseis, Ianeira, Acaste and Admete and Rhodope
and Pluto and charming Calypso; Styx too was there and Urania
and lovely Galaxaura with Pallas who rouses battles and Artemis
delighting in arrows.[5] We were playing
and gathering sweet flowers in our hands, soft crocuses mingled
with irises and hyacinths, and rose-blooms and lilies, marvellous
to see, and the narcissus which the wide earth caused to grow
yellow as a crocus. That I plucked in my joy; but the earth parted
beneath, and there the strong lord, the Host of Many, sprang forth
and in his golden chariot he bore me away, all unwilling, beneath
the earth: then I cried with a shrill cry. All this is true, sore
though it grieves me to tell the tale."
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[Line 434] So did they then, with hearts at one, greatly
cheer each the other's soul and spirit with many an embrace: their
hearts had relief from their griefs while each took and gave back
joyousness.
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Then bright-coiffed Hecate came near to them, and often did she
embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady
Hecate was minister and companion to Persephone.
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And all-seeing Zeus sent a messenger to them, rich-haired Rhea,
to bring dark-cloaked Demeter to join the families of the gods:
and he promised to give her what rights she should choose among
the deathless gods and agreed that her daughter should go down
for the third part of the circling year to darkness and gloom,
but for the two parts should live with her mother and the other
deathless gods. Thus he commanded. And the goddess did not disobey
the message of Zeus; swiftly she rushed down from the peaks of
Olympus and came to the plain of Rharus, rich, fertile corn-land
once, but then in nowise fruitful, for it lay idle and utterly
leafless, because the white grain was hidden by design of trim-ankled
Demeter. But afterwards, as spring-time waxed, it was soon to
be waving with long ears of corn, and its rich furrows to be loaded
with grain upon the ground, while others would already be bound
in sheaves. There first she landed from the fruitless upper air:
and glad were the goddesses to see each other and cheered in heart.
Then bright-coiffed Rhea said to Demeter:
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[Line 459] "Come, my daughter; for far-seeing Zeus
the loud-thunderer calls you to join the families of the gods,
and has promised to give you what rights you please among the
deathless gods, and has agreed that for a third part of the circling
year your daughter shall go down to darkness and gloom, but for
the two parts shall be with you and the other deathless gods:
so has he declared it shall be and has bowed his head in token.
But come, my child, obey, and be not too angry unrelentingly with
the dark-clouded Son of Cronos; but rather increase forthwith
for men the fruit that gives them life."
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So spake Rhea. And rich-crowned Demeter did not refuse but straightway
made fruit to spring up from the rich lands, so that the whole
wide earth was laden with leaves and flowers. Then she went, and
to the kings who deal justice, Triptolemus and Diocles, the horse-driver,
and to doughty Eumolpus and Celeus, leader of the people, she
showed the conduct of her rites and taught them all her mysteries,
to Triptolemus and Polyxeinus and Diocles also, -- awful mysteries
which no one may in any way transgress or pry into or utter, for
deep awe of the gods checks the voice. Happy is he among men upon
earth who has seen these mysteries; but he who is uninitiate and
who has no part in them, never has lot of like good things once
he is dead, down in the darkness and gloom.
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[Line 483] But when the bright goddess had taught them
all, they went to Olympus to the gathering of the other gods.
And there they dwell beside Zeus who delights in thunder, awful
and reverend goddesses. Right blessed is he among men on earth
whom they freely love: soon they do send Plutus as guest to his
great house, Plutus who gives wealth to mortal men.
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And now, queen of the land of sweet Eleusis and sea-girt Paros
and rocky Antron, lady, giver of good gifts, bringer of seasons,
queen Deo, be gracious, you and your daughter all beauteous Persephone,
and for my song grant me heart-cheering substance. And now I will
remember you and another song also.
Notes
[1] The Greeks feared to name Pluto directly
and mentioned him by one of many descriptive titles, such as "Host
of Many": compare the Christian use of diabolos or
our "Evil One."
[2] Demeter chooses the lowlier seat, supposedly
as being more suitable to her assumed condition, but really because
in her sorrow she refuses all comforts.
[3] An act of communion -- the drinking of
the potion (kykeon) here described -- was one of the most
important pieces of ritual in the Eleusinian mysteries, as commemorating
the sorrows of the goddess.
[4] Undercutter and Woodcutter are probably
popular names (after the style of Hesiod's "Boneless One")
for the worm thought to be the cause of teething and toothache.
[5] The list of names is taken -- with five
additions -- from Hesiod, Theogony 349 ff.