Translated by Catherine Proppe, August 20, 2016​

7. Ἄστρων, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Astron, the Night Sky
Divine medium: aromatics
 
Ἄστρων οὐρανίων ἱερὸν σέλας ἐκπροκαλοῦμαι
Starry, heavenly, holy light I call forth,
 
εὐιέροις φωναῖσι κικλήσκων δαίμονας ἁγ(ν)ούς.
Sacred sounds call forth divinities pure.
 
Ἀστέρες οὐράνιοι, Νυκτὸς φίλα τέκνα μελαίνης,
Starry heavens, dark Night’s beloved children,
 
ἐγκυκλίοις δίναισι περιθρόνια κυκλέοντες.
Circling, whirling ‘round Her throne,
 
ἀνταυγεῖς, πυρόεντες, ἀεὶ γενετῆρες ἁπάντων,
Glittering light, fired within, eternally giving birth to all
 
μοιρίδιοι, πάσης μοίρης σημάντορες ὄντες,
Destinies, all fates’ signaling source,
 
θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων θείαν διέποντες ἀταρπόν,
Mortal humans’ divine director of paths,
 
ἑπταφαεῖς ζώνας ἐφορώμενοι, ἠερόπλαγκτοι,
Seven illuminated zones tend aerial planets,
 
οὐράνιοι χθόνιοί τε, πυρίδρομοι, αἰὲν ἀτειρεῖς,
Heavenly; earthly, too; fiery paths eternally give rise to portents.
 
αὐγάζοντες ἀεὶ νυκτὸς ζοφοειδέα πέπλον,
Shining zones of eternal Night’s dark peplos,
 
μαρμαρυγαῖς στίλβοντες, ἐύφρονες ἐννύχιοί τε
Sparkling, glittering, gladdening the night,
 
ἔλθετ' ἐπ' εὐιέρου τελετῆς πολυΐστορας ἄθλους
Bring holy fulfillment to many challenging inquiries,
 
ἐσθλὸν ἐπ' εὐδόξοις ἔργοις δρόμον ἐκτελέοντες
May noble, honorable works’ paths come to completion.
 
 
NOTES
 
Studying the night sky was a favorite pastime in ancient times when the moon and stars provided the only natural sources of light at night. Sailors steered by the stars; the seasons and months were defined by the position of the sun, moon, and stars; and the destinies of children and societies were thought to be influenced by the position of the moon, stars, and planets.
 
Aristotle’s seven classical planetary zones and the time to complete their cycles are:
 
1. Helios (Ήλιος) (Sun), daily
 
2. Io (Ίώ) (Moon), monthly
 
3. Aphrodite (Άφροδίτη) (Venus), the so-called Morning Star, annually
 
4. Hermes (Έρμῆς) (Mercury), the Fiery Star, annually
 
5. Ares (Ἅρης) (Mars), every two years,
 
6. Zeus (Ζεύς) (Jupiter), every 12 years
 
7. Kronos (Κρόνος) (Saturn), every thirty years.[1]
 
The planets (πλάνητες), including the moon, follow wandering, irregular (πλαγκτοι) paths compared to the steady, predictable positions of the more distant stars.
 
The immortal Goddess of Night, mother of the stars, was the third deity to emerge from Chaos at creation, after Earth and Darkness.[2]
 
A peplos (πέπλος) usually refers to a woman’s robe but can be any woven cloth used for a covering, such as a sheet, curtain, or veil.
 
The night sky appears to be carpeted or covered with stars. Stro- (στρῶ-) is a prefix meaning spread, covering. Astro- (ἄστρω-) means “above (Ἄ) + spread (στρω-).”


[1] Sir Thomas L. Heath, Greek Astronomy, quoting De Mundo (from Aristotelian corpus cc. 5-6) (New York: Dover Publications, 1991) 159-160.
 

[2] Hesiod Theogony (123-124) (trans. Evelyn-White).  

Translated by Catherine Proppe,  August 30, 2016

​67. Ἀσκληπιοῦ,
θυμίαμα μάνναν.
 
To Asklepios, God of Healing
Divine medium: manna
 
Ἰητὴρ πάντων, Ἀσκληπιέ, δέσποτα Παιάν,
Healer of all, Asklepios, all-powerful physician,
 
θέλγων ἀνθρώπων πολυαλγέα πήματα νούσων,
Soothing humanity’s many ailments, miseries, and disease,
 
ἠπιόδωρε, κραταιέ, μόλοις κατάγων ὑγίειαν
Gently giving powerful means for Hygieia to prevail,
 
καὶ παύων νούσους, χαλεπὰς κῆρας θανάτοιο,
Ending nauseous agonies of mortal hearts,
 
αὐξιθαλής, ἐπίκουρ’, ἀπαλεξίκακ’, ὀλβιόμοιρε,
Increasing well-being and youthfulness, staving off evil, and giving a whole life fate.
 
Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος κρατερὸν θάλος ἀγλαότιμον,
O bright Apollo’s mighty scion, gloriously honored
 
ἐχθρὲ νόσων, Ὑγίειαν ἔχων σύλλεκτρον ἀμεμφῆ,
Enemy of illness, Hygieia’s firm partner above reproach,
 
ἐλθέ, μάκαρ, σωτήρ, βιοτῆς τέλος ἐσθλὸν ὀπάζων.
Come, blessed savior, life-completing and welcome companion.
 
 
NOTES:

Asklepios (Ἀσκληπιός)  is the immortal God of healing and medicine.
 
According to a choral ode by Pindar, Asklepios was the mortal son of Apollo who was so skilled at healing that he was able to bring a dead man back to life. Zeus, enraged, immediately struck down both Asklepios and the man, Hippolytos, with a bolt of lightning. In the late 400 BCE’s Asklepios began to be worshipped as a God, rivalling Apollo’s healing powers.[1] Pindar describes Asklepios’ healing skills:
 
“All then who came to him, some plagued with sores
Of festering growths, some wounded by the strokes
Of weapons of bright bronze,
Or by the slinger's shot of stone, others with limbs
Ravaged by summer's fiery heat or by the winter's cold,
To each for every various ill
He made the remedy,
And gave deliverance from pain,
Some with the gentle songs of incantation
Others he cured with soothing draughts of medicines,
Or wrapped their limbs around with doctored salves,
And some he made whole with the surgeon's knife.”
 
Diodorus of Sicily also writes of Asklepios’ reputation as a healer:
 
“To Apollo and Coronis was born Asclepius, who learned from his father many matters which pertain to the healing art, and then went on to discover the art of surgery and the preparations of drugs and the strength to be found in roots, and, speaking generally, he introduced such advances into the healing art that he is honoured as if he were its source and founder."[2]
 
“…he healed many sick whose lives had been despaired of, and for this reason it was believed that he had brought back to life many who had died.”[3]
 
Asklepios’ sanctuary at Epidauros became a healing center where people flocked for recovery from illness. A special day, the Epidauria, was set aside to honor him during the Eleusinian Mysteries. This was a “festival within a festival” marking his arrival in Athens with his daughter, Hygieia (Ὑγίεια), the immortal Goddess of health.[4]
 
Asklepios’ (Ἀσκληπιός) name may mean: arising above; raising (Ἀ) + skeletons (σκελετός)/hardness (σκληρωσις). Skleero (σκληρόω) means to harden; skleeros (σκληρός) means hard, stiff, unyielding. Skleema (σκλῆμα) means dryness, hardness, sclerosis.



[1] Pindar, Pythian 3.46, trans. Conway.

[2] Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 5.74.6 (trans. Oldfather).
 
[3] Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 4.71.3 (trans. Oldfather).
 
[4] Kevin Clinton, "The Epidauria and the Arrival of Asclepius in Athens," in Ancient Greek Cult Practice from the Epigraphical Evidence, edited by R. Hägg (Stockholm, 1994).

Translated by Catherine Proppe  August 29, 2016

36. Ἀρτέμιδος
θυμίαμα μάνναν
To Artemis, Goddess of Independence
Divine medium: manna
 
Κλῦθί μου, ὦ βασίλεια, Διὸς πολυώνυμε κούρη,
I call Basileia, Dios’ many-named Daughter,
 
Τιτανίς, βρομία, μεγαλώνυμε, τοξότι, σεμνή,
Resounding Titan, mighty-named revered archer,
 
πασιφαής, δαιδοῦχε, θεά Δίκτυννα, λοχείη,
All-illuminating torch-bearer, Goddess Diktynna, in childbirth’s
 
ὠδίνων ἐπαρωγὲ καὶ ὠδίνων ἀμύητε,
Travail you aid and in travail cause to open,
 
λυσίζωνε, φίλοιστρε, κυνηγέτι, λυσιμέριμνε,
Releasing the zone to favor history’s web, O Huntress, release distress,
 
εὔδρομε, ἰοχέαιρα, φιλαγρότι, νυκτερόφοιτε,
Swift-coursing archer, lover of the wilds, night-roamer,
 
κληισία, εὐάντητε, λυτηρία, ἀρσενόμορφε,
Unlock opposition, deliver a manly form,
 
Ὀρθίη, ὠκυλόχεια, βροτῶν κουροτρόφε δαῖμον,
Bring a straight, swift birth, humanity’s child-nurturing deity,
 
ἀμβροτέρα, χθονία, θηροκτόνε, ὀλβιόμοιρε,
Immortal earthly Lady, beast-slayer, grant a whole-life fate,
 
ἣ κατέχεις ὀρέων δρυμούς, ἐλαφηβόλε, σεμνή,
Rain your favor upon mountain forests and the deer-hunt, Solemn
 
πότνια, παμβασίλεια, καλὸν θάλος αἰὲν ἐοῦσα,
Potnia, Queen of All, beautiful bloom of eternal youth,
 
δρυμονία, σκυλακῖτι, Κυδωνιάς, αἰολόμορφε·
Forest-dweller, pup-nurturing Kydonian, eternally changing form.
 
ἐλθέ, θεὰ σώτειρα, φίλη, μύστηισιν ἅπασιν
Come, Goddess Savior, beloved Lady, every mystae
 
εὐάντητος, ἄγουσα καλοὺς καρποὺς ἀπὸ γαίης
Greet kindly, bring-forth the bloom of fruits from Gaia,
 
εἰρήνην τ' ἐρατὴν καλλιπλόκαμόν θ' ὑγίειαν·
Eirene, too, and lovely beautifully-crowned Goddess Hygiea.
 
πέμποις δ' εἰς ὀρέων κεφαλὰς νούσους τε καὶ ἄλγη.
Cast to the highest mountain peaks disease and distress.
 
 
 
NOTES
 
Artemis (Ἄρτεμις, Ἄρταμις) is the immortal Goddess of independence as exemplified by her hunting skills and virginity which enable a lifestyle free from societal obligations. In addition to her skill in hunting, she is known to tame wild animals, further extending her power in the wilds.
 
Artemis is often depicted as a warrior and is closely associated with the female Amazon warriors who lived in a society independent of men. Like her twin brother, Apollo, sudden deaths, particularly of women, were attributed to her far-shooting arrows that seem to come out of nowhere.
 
Artemis’ role in aiding the process of childbirth enables the independent existence of the child and the mother. She is also a Goddess called on to protect the young. In this hymn, she is called upon to release the “zone” of pregnancy, that is, open the cervix. The plant artemesia (ἀρτεμισία), also known as wormwood or mugwort, is known to stimulate uterine contractions to aid in menstruation, parturition, or abortion.
 
Artemis is closely associated with the moon, a heavenly body that uniquely waxes and wanes and travels alone in a realm of the sky separate from that of the sun, planets, and stars. Artemis’ twin brother, Apollo, is in some traditions associated with the sun.
 
Artemis is called “torchbearer” perhaps because of her association with the moon which gives light at night. Like Artemis, the moon is linked to procreation and childbirth because its 28- day cycles correspond with women’s 28-day menses (moon) periods. The moon is also associated with agricultural cycles of growth, decline, and harvest.
 
Diktynna is the immortal Goddess of hunting and fishing nets, a regional name for Artemis. Dikt- (Δίκτ-) means net. The association here of Diktynna with childbirth and Artemis may be a metaphor for the net of life that is woven and portioned out by the immortal Goddesses of Fate, the Moirai (Μοῖραι).
 
Kydonia (Κυδωνία) is a town on the island of Crete. In Fasti 3.81 Ovid says that Artemis is the patron deity of Minoan Crete. Kyeo (κῠέω) means to bear in the womb, be pregnant; dona (δωνα) mean to give freely, “donate.”
 
Dios (Διὸς) refers here to Zeus, Artemis’ father, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life.
 
Artemis’ mother, Leto, is a Titan while her father is an Olympian. The Titans reside in Tartaros, in the depths of the Earth, as contrasted with the Olympians, who reside at the heights of Mount Olympus. Titan means stretch/extend.
 
The Ephesian Artemis was an ancient Mother Goddess associated with the castration of bulls for agricultural purposes and with priests who practiced self-castration. The Greeks called the Ephesian Goddess Artemis, but she is distinct from the Greek Goddess.
 
Basileia means Queen; basis of rule. Potnia is a title of honor meaning revered, august, Queen.
 
Aristee (Ἀρίστη) is an epithet of Artemis meaning the very best, most honored. Aristeia (ἀριστεία) means excellence, prowess.
 
Mystae are initiates in the Mysteries.
 
Gaia (Γαιά) is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
 
Eirene (Εἰρήνη) is the immortal Goddess of peace.
 
Hygiea (Ὑγίεια) is the immortal Goddess of health.
 
The meaning of the name Artemis (Ἄρτεμις, Ἄρταμις) is not clear based on similar words. Art- (άρτ-) is a prefix meaning fresh, new, young. Artemees (ἀρτεμής) means safe and sound. Artimelees (ἀρτιμελής) means sound of limb. Artamos (ἄρτᾰμος) means butcher, slaughter, cut in pieces. (Temo (τέμω, τέμνω) means cut or prune.) Artao (ἀρτάω) means to fasten or hang one thing upon another.

Translated by Catherine Proppe  August 26, 2016

65. Ἄρεος, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To Ares, God of Destruction
Divine medium: libanon (frankincense)
 
Ἄρρηκτ’, ὀμβριμόθυμε, μεγασθενές, ἄλκιμε δαῖμον,
Arising above the wreckage; torrential, impassioned, majestic, mighty Deity,
 
ὁπλοχαρής, ἀδάμαστε, βροτοκτόνε, τειχεσιπλῆτα,
Armor-rejoicing, untamed, mortal-slaying stormer of walls,
 
Ἆρες ἄναξ, ὁπλόδουπε, φόνοις πεπαλαγμένος αἰεί,
Ares! Commander of clashing armor who slaughters ripening strength forevermore.
 
αἵματι ἀνδροφόνωι χαίρων, πολεμόκλονε, φρικτέ,
Gory man-slayer, rejoicing in polemic turmoil’s frisson,
 
ὃς ποθέεις ξίφεσίν τε καὶ ἔγχεσι δῆριν ἄμουσον·
Thou longs for sword ravaging and finds hand-to-hand combat amusing.
 
στῆσον ἔριν λυσσῶσαν, ἄνες πόνον ἀλγεσίθυμον,
Bring on strife’s release! Relax grievous painful passions!
 
εἰς δὲ πόθον νεῦσον Κύπριδος κώμους τε Λυαίου
Incline yearnings toward the Kyprian’s revels, then, too, release an
 
ἀλλάξας ἀλκὴν ὅπλων εἰς ἔργα τὰ Δηοῦς,
Exchange of prowess in weapons for the work of Deos,
 
εἰρήνην ποθέων κουροτρόφον, ὀλβιοδῶτιν.
Eirene’s peaceful yearning to nurture children, and whole life blessings.
 

NOTES
 
Ares (Ἄρης, Ἄρεος, Ἄρεως) is the immortal God of destructive war, slaughter, plague, and ruin.  His female counterpart, Ara (Ἀρά) is the Goddess of destruction.
 
The Kyprian (Κυπρίδος) is Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη), the immortal Goddess of love and sexual desire.
 
Deos (Δηοῦς) is Demeter (Δημήτηρ, Δαμάτηρ, Δημήτρα) the immortal Goddess of agriculture.
 
Eirene (Εἰρήνη) is the immortal Goddess of peace.

Translated by Catherine Proppe  August 26, 2016

34. Ἀπόλλωνος, θυμίαμα μάνναν.
To Apollo
Divine-medium/incense: manna[1]
 
 
Ἐλθέ, μάκαρ Παιάν, Τιτυοκτόνε, Φοῖβε Λυκωρεῦ,
Come, Blessed Healer, slayer of Tityos, Phoibe’s Lycian flow,
 
Μεμφῖτ', ἀγλαότιμε, ἰήιε, ὀλβιοδῶτα,
Gloriously honored in Memphis, whole life-giving,
 
χρυσολύρη, σπερμεῖε, ἀρότριε, Πύθιε, Τιτάν,
Golden-lyred, seed-ploughing Pythian Titan,
 
Γρύνειε,  Σμινθεῦ, Πυθοκτόνε, Δελφικέ, μάντι,
Grynion, Smintheion, and Delphic mantic python-slayer,
 
ἄγριε, φωσφόρε δαῖμον, ἐράσμιε, κύδιμε κοῦρε,
Agrarian light-bearer, divine beloved celebrated son,
 
Μουσαγέτα, χαροποιέ, ἑκηβόλε, τοξοβέλεμνε,
The Muses’ charming archer, bow launcher,
 
Βράγχιε καὶ Διδυμεῦ, ἑκάεργε, Λοξία, ἁγνέ,
From the Branchidae of Didyma, out of stillness, oblique, pure
 
Δήλι' ἄναξ, πανδερκὲς ἔχων φαεσίμβροτον ὄμμα,
Delian Commander, all-seeing foundation, mortal light’s eye,
 
χρυσοκόμα, καθαρὰς φήμας χρησμούς τ' ἀναφαίνων·
Gold-crowned, whose pure, prophetic prophecies bring light.
 
κλῦθί μευ εὐχομένου λαῶν ὕπερ εὔφρονι θυμῶι·
Call forth with these prayers, release from above your kindly-disposed spirit,
 
τόνδε σὺ γὰρ λεύσσεις τὸν ἀπείριτον αἰθέρα πάντα
Reach out, look upon us, extend unbroken and aetherial over all of
 
γαῖάν τ' ὀλβιόμοιρον ὕπερθέ τε καὶ δι' ἀμολγοῦ,
Gaia, the blessed Fates above, too, and from starry
 
νυκτὸς ἐν ἡσυχίαισιν ὑπ' ἀστεροόμματον ὄρφνην
Night within the silence above, astral Mother’s darkness,
 
ῥίζας νέρθε δέδορκας, ἔχεις δέ τε πείρατα κόσμου
The root of Earth’s sight, foundation of the pierced cosmos
 
παντός· σοὶ δ' ἀρχή τε τελευτή τ' ἐστὶ μέλουσα,
Over all. Together from origin to completion let festal melodies
 
παντοθαλής, σὺ δὲ πάντα πόλον κιθάρηι πολυκρέκτωι
Gladden all, synchronizing all poles, your kitharas’ many-strummed
 
ἁρμόζεις, ὁτὲ μὲν νεάτης ἐπὶ τέρματα βαίνων,
Harmonies, when the lowest string turns the dance,
 
ἄλλοτε δ' αὖθ' ὑπάτην, ποτὲ Δώριιον εἰς διάκοσμον
And then, alone, the highest, bestowed throughout the cosmos,
 
πάντα πόλον κιρνὰς κρίνεις βιοθρέμμονα φῦλα,
Over all poles mixing separate life-nurtured tribes.
 
ἁρμονίηι κεράσας τὴν παγκόσμιον ἀνδράσι μοῖραν,
Harmonically mix, then, all of the cosmos’ human fate,
 
μίξας χειμῶνος θέρεός τ' ἴσον ἀμφοτέροισιν,
Mix winter, summer, too, then, equally both of the two,
 
εἰς ὑπάτας χειμῶνα, θέρος νεάταις διακρίνας,
The height of winter, summer’s depth through separation,
 
Δώριον εἰς ἔαρος πολυηράτου ὥριον ἄνθος.
Give early Spring’s much-loved season of blooms.
 
ἔνθεν ἐπωνυμίην σε βροτοὶ κλήιζουσιν ἄνακτα,
Thence with your name, mortals herald the revival of
 
Πᾶνα, θεὸν δικέρωτ', ἀνέμων συρίγμαθ' ἱέντα·
Pan, divine Dike’s rotation, the winds’ piping tune.
 
οὕνεκα παντὸς ἔχεις κόσμου σφραγῖδα τυπῶτιν.
All, on your account, the foundation of the cosmos consigns its forms.
 
κλῦθι μάκαρ, σώζων μύστας ἱκετηρίδι φωνῆι.
Be open, Blessed Savior, to the mystic suppliants’ voices.
 
 
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) is the immortal God of inspiration. He is often depicted as playing the seven-stringed lyre/kithara in the company of the Muses (Μοῦσαι), the Goddesses of inspiration. As the far-shooting archer, Apollo inspires, heals, and causes malady seemingly out of nowhere. Apollo was also associated with the establishment of new colonies, perhaps the provenance of his epithet “seed-ploughing.”
 
Apollo’s sanctuaries were located throughout the Hellenic world, most notably in Delphi (Δελφοί), considered in antiquity to be the navel (ὀμφαλός) of the earth. Delphi means “womb.”  In ancient times Delphi was called Pytho (Πῡθώ) which means the first, most essential root foundation. Apollo slayed the serpent-Python at Delphi when he took control of its “oracle.”
 
Apollo inherited his dominion over Delphi through a succession of Goddesses on his mother’s side of the family tree. This is consistent with Apollo’s heritage because he was born in Lycia, a society where people traced their lineage maternally, through mothers and grandmothers, as described by Herodotus:
 
“They (the Lycians) name themselves after their mothers and not their fathers. If one person asks another who he is, he will recite his maternal lineage, recounting his mother and grandmother and the mothers before her.”[2]
 
In the play The Eumenides the priestess of Delphi professes the heritage of deities channeled through Delphi:
“First, in this prayer of mine,
 I give the place of chiefest honour 
among the [Goddesses and G]ods to the first prophet, Earth;
 and after her to Themis; 
for she, as is told, took this oracular seat of her mother. And third in succession,
with Themis’ consent and by constraint of none,
 another Titan, Phoebe, child of Earth, took here her seat. She bestowed it, as birth-gift, upon Phoebus, who has his name from Phoebe.”[3]

Phoibe (φοίβη) means prophesy; inspire. 
 
The chreestees (χρήστης, χρείστης) is the inspired priestess or “oracle” whose spoken prophecies were known as chreesmos (χρησμός). People came from all over the Hellenic world to seek the priestess’ counsel on matters ranging from the personal to the geopolitical. Mantic (μαντικός) means capable of channeling divinity.
 
Sanctuaries of Apollo in modern Turkey included locations in Didyma near Miletus, Sminthe near Troy, and Grynion near Myrina.
 
Didyma (Διδύμη) means “twin.” Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis’ major sanctuaries in Didyma were connected by a Sacred Road.[4] The Branchidae[5] family of priests and priestesses administered these sanctuaries.  
Sminth- (Σμινθ-) means mouse, an animal associated with Apollo.
 
Grynion (Γρύνιον) means torch.
 
This hymn says that Apollo is honored in Memphis, a major capital of ancient Egypt that occupied a strategic position along the Nile River adjacent to Alexandria. The Egyptian God Horus was regarded by some writers as identical to Apollo.[6]
 
Apollo’s mother Leto (Λητώ) reputedly gave birth to Apollo on Delos Island in Lycia. Delos (Δῆλος, Δᾶλος) means “disclose, make manifest.”
 
The Xanthos (Ξανθός) River of Lycia is so-named because of its yellow-tinged water, said to have arisen from Leto's birth travail, perhaps her divine amniotic fluid.  Quintus Smyrnaeus says that the Xanthos river formed “when Lycia's stony plain was by [Leto’s] hands uptorn mid agonies of travail-throes wherein she brought to light mid bitter pangs those babes of birth divine (Apollo and Artemis)."[7]
 
Tityos (Τῐτῠός) is a Giant who tried to attack Leto in Delphi. He was slain by either Apollo or Artemis and is stretched out for eternal punishment in Tartaros (Τάρτᾰρος), the deepest realm beneath the earth. The Titans (Τῑτᾶνες, Τῑτῆνες) reside in Tartaros, while the Olympians reside at the heights of Mount Olympus. Apollo’s mother, Leto, is a Titan. His father, Zeus, is an Olympian. Titan (Τιτάν) means stretch, extend.
 
Gaia (Γαιά) is the immortal Goddess of generative Earth and, according to Hesiod, the mother of the Heavens and the Stars.[8]
 
The Moirai (Μοῒραι) are the immortal Goddesses who determine a person’s fate or “portion” of life.
 
Night (Νύξ) is the immortal Goddess of Night.   
 
Pan (Πάν) is the immortal God of All, depicted as a musical, comical, rural, dancing figure. The syrinx (σῦριγξ) is a flute, a “Pan-pipe” made of reeds.
 
Dike (Δίκη) is the all-seeing immortal Goddess of justice who controls the “wheel” of justice.
 
Anemones (ἀνεμώνη) are scarlet, spring-blooming flowers associated with Aphrodite, Goddess of love, and Adonis, God of rebirth.  The prefix anem- (ἀνέμ-) means “wind, winds, windy.”
 
Some traditions equate Apollo with Helios (Ἥλιος), the God of the sun, who is also referred to as “golden-lyred.” The references in this hymn to day and night and the seasons seem in keeping with this.
 
The name “Apollo” can be interpreted in a few ways.
 
Apo (ἀπό) means “from, away from, departure from, far from, alien from, free from, finishing off, ceasing from, leaving off.”
 
Lo (λῶ) means wish, desire.
 
Combining these syllables suggests that the name Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) could be broken down to mean: “coming from (Ἀπό) + a wish, desire (λω).”
 
Other words that begin with the prefix apo- (άπό-) convey the sense of something coming off from (άπό-) the base word:
 
- apolampo (ἀπολάμπω), to shine or beam from;
- apokueesis (ἀποκῠησις) bringing forth birth;
- apokineo (ἀποκῑνέω) move off;
- apoikeo (ἀποικέω) go away from home;
- apothrayo (ἀποθραύω) break off;
- apothlibo (ἀποθλίβω) squeeze out;
- apozeo (ἀποζέω) boil till the scum is thrown off;
- apodoreo (ἀποδωρέω) give away;
- apodrepo (ἀποδρέπω) pluck off;
- apodeemos (ἀπόδημος) away from one’s country, abroad;
- apodermatizo (ἀποδερμᾰτίζω) flay, strip skin;
- apographo (ἀπογρᾰ́φω) write off, copy;
- apogonos (ἀπόγονος) born or descended from;
- apogeios (ἀπόγειος) coming off land;
- apogalaktizo (ἀπογᾰλακτίζω) wean from the mother’s milk;
- apobolee (ἀποβολή) throwing away, jettison;
- apoblyzo (ἀποβλύζω) spirt out;
- apoblastano (ἀποβλαστάνω) shoot forth from, spring from;
- apobiosis (ἀποβιωσις) ceasing to live, death;
- apobasis (ἀπόβᾰσις) stepping off, disembarking;
- apoballo (ἀποβάλλω) throw off;
- apobaino (ἀποβαίνω) step off from a place, disembark.
 
 
Another interpretation of the name “Apollo” is as the God who transcends political boundaries: “transcending (Ἀ) + the polis (πόλ) + λων.” In this aspect, Apollo had sanctuaries all over the Greek world and the prophecies of his priestesses were held in highest regard.


[1] The Manna ash tree, Fraxinus Ornus.

[2] Herodotus, The Histories 1.173, trans. Purvis.

[3] Aeschylus (circa 450 BCE), Eumenides (1-10).

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didyma

[5] Herodotus (1.46.2, 1.92.2); H.W. Parke, “The Massacre of the Branchidae, The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 105 (1985), pp. 59-68, http://www.jstor.org/stable/631522?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
“Oracular responses were given by a priestess esconced above a sacred spring.” http://www.jstor.org/stable/639826?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
 
[6] Herod. ii. 144, 156 ; Diod. i. 25; Plut. de Is. et Os. 12, 61; Aelian, Hist. An. x. 14.

[7] Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 11. 21 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic c350 CE) 

[8] Hesiod, Theogony 123-124.

Translated by Catherine Proppe, August 22, 2016

53. Ἀμφιετοῦς,
θυμίαμα πάντα πλὴν λιβάνου καὶ σπένδε γάλα.
 
To Amphietous, The Perennial God of Wine
Divine medium: All except libanon (frankincense) and libations of milk
 
Ἀμφιετῆ καλέω Βάκχον, χθόνιον Διόνυσον,
Each year we call on Bacchos, subterranean Dionysos,
 
ἐγρόμενον κούραις ἅμα νύμφαις εὐπλοκάμοισιν,
To awaken from pruning, as one with fair-haired Nymphs
 
ὃς παρὰ Περσεφόνης ἱεροῖσι δόμοισιν ἰαύων
Who slumber alongside Persephone’s sacred home,
 
κοιμίζει τριετῆρα χρόνον, Βακχήιον ἁγνόν.
Put to sleep in triennial time, Bacchians pure.
 
αὐτὸς δ' ἡνίκα τὸν τριετῆ πάλι κῶμον ἐγείρηι,
Only when triennially all who sleep awaken
 
εἰς ὕμνον τρέπεται σὺν ἐυζώνοισι τιθήναις
To hymns, turning with fair-girdled nursemaids
 
εὐνάζων κινῶν τε χρόνους ἐνὶ κυκλάσιν ὥραις.
Lulled to sleep with motion, then in time with the cycling Horai.
 
ἀλλά, μάκαρ, χλοόκαρπε, κερασφόρε, κάρπιμε Βάκχε,
Now, blessed green fruit, horn-borne fruit of Bacchos,
 
βαῖν' ἐπὶ πάνθειον τελετὴν γανόωντι προσώπωι
Dance upon the pantheon of sacred rites with rejoicing faces,
 
εὐιέροις καρποῖσι τελεσσιγόνοισι βρυάζων.
Holy fruits, perfect offspring, flourish in abundance.
 
 
NOTES:

Dionysos (Δῐόνῡσος, Διώνῡσος, Διώνουσος, Δεύνυσος, Δίνυσος, Διένυσος, Δινύσο) and Bacchos (Βάκχος) are names for the God of wine and its effects.
 
The imagery of this hymn suggests that it may be in concert with the Great Dionysia (Δῐονῡσια) which celebrated the reawakening of grapevines in the Spring after their annual pruning in the dormant, “sleeping,” season. Grapevine pruning consists of removing old wood each year, usually in late winter or a month or two before Spring, to encourage the growth of new wood. Vines produce the most fruit on the shoots that grow off one-year-old canes.
 
The art and literature of ancient Greece is rich with depictions of women who were devotees of the God of wine. They are depicted as dancing and singing without inhibition. Bacchian triennial revelers are described by one writer as “…bright-eyed women, wine-drinking, carriers of the vine branch, celebrators of the triennial festival, flower-crowned, nurses of frenzied Bacchus who rouses the dance.”[1] Mount Parnassus was known as a site for women’s Bacchic revels.[2]
 
“Drunkenness, and the boisterous music of flutes, cymbals, and drums, were…common to all Dionysiac festivals…women also took part…adorned with garlands of ivy, and bearing the thyrsus in their hands…so that the whole train represented a population inspired…” (“Dionysia,” Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, ed. William Smith, Harper & Bros., New York, 1843  p. 363.)
 
Nymphs (Νύμφαι) are beautiful young Goddesses who prevail over particular locations in nature. Nymphs are often depicted as dancing. Young women are often referred to as nymphs.
 
Persephone (Περσεφόνη, Περσεφόνεια, Φερσεφόνᾱ, Φερσοπόνη, Φερσεφονείη, Φερσεφόνεια, Περσέφασσα, Φερσέφασσα, Φερσέφαττα, Φερρέφαττα, Φερρεφάττιον, Φερρεφαττεῖον) is the immortal Goddess of the afterlife and new life in Spring. Persephone’s joyful return to life each Spring is the reason for blooms, blossoms, and budding new growth.
 
The Horai (Ὠραι), the “Hours," are the immortal Goddesses of the hour for something to occur in nature, such as the moment a sprout emerges or the moment a seed falls to earth. They are often equated with the agricultural Seasons.
 
The “horn-born fruit” may refer to using the horns of animals as wine goblets.[3]
 
Triennial means every third year, but most translators and the Lexicon say that triennial means “every third year inclusive,” that is, every other year or biennial. It’s not clear as to why they make this distinction.    
 
It is interesting to note that modern winegrowing events are held triennially in France, Germany, and Australia. In France, the 350-year old Vevey Brotherhood of Winegrowers inspects vineyards three times a year: in April/May to observe pruning, in July to examine care of vines, and in September to monitor the harvest. Every third year awards are given during a solemn ceremony called the Triennial. Germany celebrates the triennial Internationales Riesling Symposium in the Rheingau wine region. Australia holds a triennial Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference.
 
Although “triennial” literally means every third year, it is possible that in this hymn “triennial” may refer to the three annual feasts of Bacchos/Dionysos:
 
-The Anthesteria (Ἀνθεσφόρια), during the month of Anthesterion (February-March), when the new wine is first tasted;  
           
-The Great Dionysia (Δῐονῡσια), during the month of Elaphebolion (March-April), when the buds first form;  

-The Lenaea (Λήναια), during the month of Gamelion (January-February), when the vines are pruned.
 

[1] Oppian, Cynegetica (p.180), (Oppian, Colluthus, Tryphiodorus (trans. A.W. Mair)Loeb,1928.  http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Oppian/Cynegetica/4*.html#230
 

[2] “Ino was on Parnassus, where she had gone for the Bacchic revels.” 
The Myths of Hyginus (4), translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies, no. 34. Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1960. http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html  
 

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_horn
 http://www.thebriedefamilyvineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_3922.JPG-1-e1400192309803.jpeg

Translated by Catherine R. Proppe,  August 17, 2016

Αἰθέρος,
θυμίαμα κρόκον.
 
To Aither, God of the Stratosphere
Divine-medium: saffron
 
Ὦ Διὸς ὑψιμέλαθρον ἔχων κράτος αἰὲν ἀτειρές,
O Great Dios of the o’er arching-firmament: mighty, eternal, indestructible,
 
ἄστρων ἠελίου τε σεληναίης τε μέρισμα,
Starry home of the Sun and Moon,
 
πανδαμάτωρ, πυρίπνου, πᾶσι ζωοῖσιν ἔναυσμα,
All-Dominator whose fiery breath kindles all lives,
 
ὑψιφανὴς Αἰθήρ, κόσμου στοιχεῖον ἄριστον,
O’er-arching Light of Aither, the Cosmos’ element supreme,
 
ἀγλαὸν ὦ βλάστημα, σελασφόρον, ἀστεροφεγγές,
Gloriously bringing-forth budding offspring with your light-bearing, starry flame,
 
κικλήσκων λίτομαί σε κεκραμένον εὔδιον εἶναι.
I entreat with this prayer your gentle commingling of the nine heavenly realms.

Translated by Catherine R. Proppe, August 12, 2016

32. Ἀθηνᾶς, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Athena
Divine medium: Aromatics
 
Παλλὰς μουνογενής, μεγάλου Διὸς ἔκγονε σεμνή,
Great Uniter, born only of majestic Dios, noble grand-daughter,
 
δῖα μάκαιρα θεά, πολεμόκλονε, ὀμβριμόθυμε,
Blessed Goddess who presides in battles polemic, mighty, impassioned,
 
ἄρρητε, ῥητή, μεγαλώνυμε, ἀντροδίαιτε,
The unspoken covenant: your majestic name. Cave-dwelling,
 
ἣ διέπεις ὄχθους ὑψαύχενας ἀκρωρείους
Demolishing hills, mountain passes, pinnacle fortresses,
 
ἠδ' ὄρεα σκιόεντα, νάπαισί τε σὴν φρένα τέρπεις,
And mountainous shady woodland vales to your heart’s delight,
 
ὁπλοχαρής, οἰστροῦσα βροτῶν ψυχὰς μανίαισι,
Bestowing weapons, spurring human souls to frenzy,
 
γυμνάζουσα κόρη, φρικώδη θυμὸν ἔχουσα,
Disciplined, trained Daughter, frisson’s impassioned foundation,
 
Γοργοφόνη, φυγόλεκτρε, τεχνῶν μῆτερ πολύολβε,
Gorgon-Slayer, skillfully shunning marriage, Mother of many blessings,
 
ὁρμάστειρα, φίλοιστρε κακοῖς, ἀγαθοῖς δὲ φρόνησις·
Inciter drawn to troubled histories, valiant through prudence.
 
ἄρσην μὲν καὶ θῆλυς ἔφυς, πολεμήτοκε μῆτι,
Manly in power and feminine in nature, warrior born of skillful wisdom,
 
αἰολόμορφε, δράκαινα, φιλένθεε, ἀγλαότιμε,
Variously-formed dragoness, drawn by enthusiasm, gloriously-honored,
 
Φλεγραίων ὀλέτειρα Γιγάντων, ἱππελάτειρα,
Destroyer of volcanic Giants, Charioteer,
 
Τριτογένεια, λύτειρα κακῶν, νικηφόρε δαῖμον,
Tritogeneia, Deliverer from Evil, Nike-Bearing Divinity,
 
ἤματα καὶ νύκτας αἰεὶ νεάταισιν ἐν ὥραις,
By day and by night, eternally, ‘til the final Hour.
 
κλῦθί μευ εὐχομένου, δὸς δ' εἰρήνην πολύολβον
I call with my prayer, bestow Eirene’s many blessings
 
καὶ κόρην ἠδ' ὑγίειαν ἐπ' εὐόλβοισιν ἐν ὥραις,
On our children, and, Hygiea’s blessings in season,
 
γλαυκῶφ', εὑρεσίτεχνε, πολυλλίστη βασίλεια.
O, fierce-eyed, masterful, much-entreated Basileia.

All about Adonis

by Catherine Proppe 
August 9, 2016

Adonis (Ἀδωνις) is the God of tragic, untimely death and the joyful promise of life’s renewal. It was not uncommon in ancient Greece to lose loved ones in the prime of life, when child and maternal mortality rates were high and a culture of warfare frequently took young lives.

In ancient Greek religion, each person’s life is metaphorically a lamplight or torch (ἑλένη) of life. It is possible that this is why Greeks call themselves Hellenic (Ἑλληνικός), because, like the Olympic torches that are derived from the light of the sun, each Greek carries the ancestral spark of fire, the essence of life. The light of the sun is also present in the plants that grow in the sun’s light.

The Horai are the immortal Goddesses who determine the hour for something to occur in nature, such as the moment a sprout emerges or the moment a seed falls to earth.
Adonis, as the story goes, was the son of princess Smyrna (Σμύρνα), who became pregnant by her father. The disgraced Smyrna was magically transformed into a myrrh (σμύρνα) tree[1]. Eileithyia, the Goddess of childbirth, split open the tree so that Adonis could be born[2]. When the myrrh tree is wounded it appears to weep tears of resin. Myrrh resin was used for embalming in ancient Egypt. Myrrh was also used as incense, ointment, and medicine. 
 
Aphrodite, the immortal Goddess of passionate love, became greatly enamored of Adonis from the moment of his birth. Aphrodite is called the Paphian and the Kyprian because of her famous temple in the city of Paphos on the island of Kypros (Cyprus). She is also called Cythera because of a legend that she was born on the island of Kythera (Κύθηρα). She is often accompanied by the immortal Gods of romantic love, the Erotes, depicted as winged children.  
 
Aphrodite entrusted the infant Adonis for safekeeping to Persephone, the Goddess of afterlife and spring renewal, also known as Phersephone. Later, Persephone refused to relinquish Adonis and it was decided by a divine mediator[3] that he should spend part of the year above ground with Aphrodite and the Olympians and part of the year with Persephone and the Titans in Tartaros, the deepest realm beneath the earth.[4]  
  
One day the youthful Adonis was out hunting and was attacked and gored to death by a wild boar. A poem by Bion beautifully conveys the grief of Aphrodite as she beholds Adonis’ dying body:
 
“(Aphrodite) saw, she marked his irresistible wound, she
saw his thigh fading in a welter of blood, she lift her
hands and put up the voice of lamentation saying
‘Stay, Adonis mine, stay . . .
                        Awake Adonis, awake for a
little while, and give me one latest kiss; kiss me all
so long as ever the kiss be alive, till thou give up
thy breath into my mouth and thy spirit pass into
my heart, till I have . . .
                        drunk up all thy love . . .
                                                O Persephone,
take thou my husband, take him if thou wilt; for
thou art far stronger than I . . .’
The Paphian weeps and Adonis bleeds, drop for
drop, and the blood and tears become flowers upon
the ground. Of the blood comes the rose, and of
the tears the windflower.
   ‘I cry woe for Adonis, the beauteous Adonis is dead.’”[5]
 
Ovid[6] gives a stirring account of Aphrodite’s grief, her declaration that Adonis would be mourned each year, and her resolve to transform Adonis’ blood into the quick-growing, short-lived scarlet wind-flower, the anemone (ἀνεμώνη). The word wind, anemos (ἂνεμος), refers to the wind outside as well as to the wind of the body, and therefore the breath that “animates” life.
 
“She saw him lifeless, writhing in his blood,
She rent her garments, tore her lovely hair,
And bitterly beat her breast, and springing down
Reproached the Fates: ‘Even so, not everything
Shall own your sway. Memorials of my sorrow,
Adonis, shall endure; each passing year
Your death repeated in the hearts of men (sic)
Shall re-enact my grief and my lament.
But now your blood shall change into a flower:
Persephone of old was given grace
To change a woman’s form to fragrant mint[7],
And shall I then be grudged the right to change
My prince?’ And with these words she sprinkled nectar,
Sweet-scented, on his blood, which at the touch
Swelled up, as on a pond when showers fall
Clear bubbles form; and ere an hour had passed
A blood-red flower arose, like the rich bloom
Of pomegranates which in a stubborn rind
Conceal their seeds; yet is its beauty brief,
So lightly cling its petals, fall so soon,
When the winds blow that give the flower its name."
 
Adonis was worshipped annually in Adonia (Ἀδωνια) rituals that mourned the tragedy of young life coming into the world only to be taken, too soon, by death. The Adonia ritual included germinating quick-growing plants and mourning figurines representing the deceased. The mourners may have ritually watered the Adonis gardens with their tears and perhaps anointed them with myrrh, the “tears” of Adonis’ mother, the myrrh tree.
A month at Seleucia, Adonisios (Ἀδωνίσιος), and a month at Iasos, Adonion (Ἀδωνιών), were named for the ritual.
 
Plutarch says that at the Adonia women brought little images of the deceased to be viewed and mourned:
 
“… the Adonia. This fell at that time, and little images like dead folk carried forth to burial were in many places exposed to view by the women, who mimicked burial rites, beat their breasts, and sang dirges.”[8]
 
“The women were celebrating at that time the festival of Adonis, and in many places throughout the city little images of the [G]od were laid out for burial, and funeral rites were held about them, with wailing cries of women…”[9] 
 
Some accounts say that Aphrodite laid out the lifeless body of Adonis on a bed of lettuce.[10]
 
In the play The Festival of Adonis[11], a song sung at the Adonia describes an image of Adonis laid out alongside apples and aromatics and cakes made of flowers and honey. The song’s lyrics say that the Adonia will bring blessings to “all below,” that is, the deceased. It also speaks of Acheron (Ἀχέρων), the river which souls must cross on their way to the afterlife. The word achos (ἄχος) means pain, distress, “ache,” which is a threshold many must pass on their way to death:
 
“GORGO.
‘Hush, dear. The Argive's daughter's going to sing
The Adonis…’
 
Song:
‘… Aphrodite radiant-eyed;
The stealthy-footed Hours from Acheron's rill
Brought once again Adonis to thy side
How changed in twelve short months! They travel slow,
Those precious Hours: we hail their advent still,
For blessings do they bring to all below…
 
That's fair, Adonis. On his right are piled
Ripe apples fallen from the oak-tree tall;
And silver caskets at his left support
Toy-gardens, Syrian scents enshrined in gold
And alabaster, cakes of every sort
That in their ovens the pastrywomen mould,
When with white meal they mix all flowers that bloom,
Oil-cakes and honey-cakes…
 
But sweet Adonis hath his own sweet bed:
Next Aphroditè sleeps the roseate-armed,
A bridegroom of eighteen or nineteen years.
Kiss the smooth boyish lip—there's no sting there!
The bride hath found her own: all bliss be hers!
And him at dewy dawn we'll troop to bear
Down where the breakers hiss against the shore:
There, with dishevelled dress and unbound hair,
Bare-bosomed all, our descant wild we'll pour…
 
Adonis, now: pour new-year's blessings down!
Right welcome dost thou come, Adonis dear:
Come when thou wilt, thou'lt find a welcome here."
 
Sappho, the famous Greek poetess, wrote a lament for Adonis in the form of a conversation with Aphrodite:
“‘Gentle Adonis is dying, O Cythera, what shall we do?’
‘Beat your breasts, O maidens, and rend your garments.’”[12]
The Greek poetess Praxilla’s Hymn to Adonis represents Adonis being asked in the afterlife what beautiful things he missed the most. His response is a reminder to pay attention to the beauty in nature:
“The most beautiful thing I leave behind is
the sun’s light;
second, the shining stars
and the moon’s face;
also, ripe cucumbers
and apples
and pears.”[13]
 
Walter Burkert describes the worship of Adonis as a rite “confined to women which is celebrated on flat roof-tops on which shards sown with quickly germinating green salading are placed, Adonis gardens. The atmosphere of the festival is infused with the sweet aroma of incense, but the climax is loud lamentation for the dead [G]od. The dead Adonis was then laid out on his bier in the form of a statuette and borne to his grave: the effigy and the little garden were thrown into the sea.”[14] 
 
A later verse in The Greek Bucolic Poets describes how Aphrodite forgave the boar who killed Adonis because the boar explained in its defense that it was overcome with passion and was only intent on kissing Adonis on the thigh:
 
“When the Cytherean (Aphrodite) saw Adonis dead, his hair dishevelled and his cheeks wan and pale, she bade the Loves (Erotes) go fetch her the boar, and they forthwith flew away and scoured the woods till they found the sullen boar. Then they shackled him both before and behind, and one did put a noose about the prisoner’s neck and so drag him, and another belaboured him with his bow and so did drive, and the craven beast went along in abject dread of the Cytherean. Then upspake Aphrodite saying, “Vilest of all beasts, can it be thou that didst despite to this fair thigh, and thou that didst strike my husband?” To which the beast “I swear to thee, Cytherean,” answered he, “by thyself and by thy husband, and by these my bonds and these thy huntsmen, never would I have smitten thy pretty husband but that I saw him there beautiful as a statue, and could not withstand the burning mad desire to give his naked thigh a kiss. And now I pray thee make good havoc of me; pray take and cut off these tusks, pray take and punish them – for why should I possess teeth so passionate? And if they suffice thee not, then take my chaps also – for why durst they kiss?” Then had Cypris compassion and bade the Loves loose his bonds; and he went not to the woods, but from that day forth followed her, and more, went to the fire and burnt away those his tusks.”[15] 
 
Many scholars attribute the name “Adonis” (Ἀδωνις) to the Phoenician word for Lord: Adon.
 
It may be worth considering other origins of the name “Adonis.” For example, the word adona (ἁδονά) is Doric for hedonee (ἡδονή), which means enjoyment, pleasure, hedonism. Ancient Adonis gardens (Ἀδώνιδος κῆποι) consisted of quickly germinating plants which soon withered and died, a metaphor for any short-lived joy. In addition, the word deenaios (δηναιός) means long-lived, and it could be argued that Ἀδωνις means “not long-lived.”
There is also reason to connect the name Adonis with the name of the God of the afterlife. The names Aidoneus (Άιδωνεύς) and Aidoneeos (Ἀ̄ῐδονῆος, Ᾱἰδωνῆος) are the poetic forms of Aidees (Ἅιδης, Ἅδης, Ἄιδη , Ἀΐδας, Ἀΐδα, Ἄϊος, Ἅιδην), aka “Hades.” The God of the afterlife is also called Plouton (Πλούτων) (wealth-giver) in addition to having numerous other epithets, including Ἀγήσανδρος (leader of men), Ἀγησίλᾱος (leader of the people), Ἀκάκης (transcending evil), Ἀναπομπός (one who sends up or back souls), Εὐκλῆς (of good report, famed), Εὐχαίτης (with beautiful hair), and Πανδοκος (all-receiving).
It is worth noting that Ἅιδης’ spouse, Persephone, and Adonis were both snatched by death in their youth and subsequently return to life above ground each year in Spring renewal. 
A literal translation of the name Adonis (Ἀδωνις), the immortal God of tragic early death and subsequent renewal, is “Arising (Ἄ) + direction (δ) + brings-forth (ω) + prevailing (ν) + divine power (ι) + ς.”
 
Many scholars contend that the annual mourning of Adonis was a fertility ritual to engender a good harvest. That being said, it seems likely that worshippers of Adonis were motivated by their need to mourn deceased loved ones and to derive comfort from burying seeds and seeing them come back to life in the hope that just as buried seeds come back to life, deceased loved ones would also be afforded new life in the afterlife.     


[1] Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 34; Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 58.

[2] Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.522.

[3] Apollodorus 3.14.4; Hyginus, Astronomia Ii.6.

[4] Hesiod (Theogony 715 and  807 f).

[5] Theocritus. The Greek Bucolic Poets, “The Poems and Fragments of Bion: I. The Lament for Adonis,” translated by J.M. Edmonds, Loeb Classical Library (London: William Heinemann; New York: MacMillan Co, 1912) 389-391. http://books.google.com/books?id=IMrCpKxmgCUC&q=adonis#v=snippet&q=adonis&f=false
 
[6] Metamorphoses 10.723 ff (trans. Melville)

[7] Persephone transformed Mintha (Μίνθᾰ) into the plant that bears her name, mint (μίνθᾰ) (Strabo 8.3.14).
 
[8] Plutarch, The Parallel Lives, Alcibiades 18.2,  Vol. IV of the Loeb Classical Library edition, 1916) http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/home.html
 
[9] Plutarch, Nicias 13.7

[10] Athenaeus, Scholars at Dinner p. 193; Eubulus, The Impotent Men.
 
[11] Theocritus’ Idyll 15, The Festival of Adonis (trans. C.S. Calverley). https://ia600307.us.archive.org/4/items/theocritustransl11533gut/11533-h/11533-h.htm#IDYLL_XV

[12] "The Poems of Sappho, with Historical and Critical Notes, Translations, and a Bibliography" by Edwin Marion Cox, Published 1925. The translations are in the public domain in the United States due to the lack of copyright notice in the 1925 edition. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/usappho/sph60.htm
Κατθνάσκει Κυθέρἠ, ἄβροσ Ἄδωνισ, τί κε θεῖμεν,
Καττύπτεσθε κόραι καὶ κατερείκεσθε χίτωνασ. 
The transliteration and additional editorial material are Copyright © 2000 J.B. Hare, All Right Reserved. All uses other than Academic Fair Use (as defined by U.S. copyright law) require permission of the copyright holder.

[13] P. 375 Greek Lyric IV Bacchylides, Corinna, and Others (trans. David A. Campbell) Harvard University Press, 1992, Cambridge, MA and London, England

[14] Walter Burkert (p. 177) in Greek Religion “Foreign Gods” https://books.google.com/books/p/harvard?q=Adonia&vid=ISBN9780674362819&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#v=snippet&q=notes&f=false
Burkert references Aristophanes, lys 289-98, Plut. Alc. 18; Menander Sam. 39-46; Eust. 1701.45; Theocr. 15 Adoniazousai
 
[15] The Greek Bucolic Poets. Translated by Edmonds, J M. Loeb Classical Library Volume 28. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1912. (This piece of Anacreontean verse is shown both by style and metre to be of late date, and was probably incorporated in the Bucolic Collection only because of its connexion in subject with the Lament for Adonis.)

Translated by Catherine Proppe, August 5, 2016​

56. Ἀδώνιδος, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Adonidos[1]
Divine medium: aromatics
 
Κλῦθί μου εὐχομένου, πολυώνυμε, δαῖμον ἄριστε,
Hear my prayer, O many-named, princely God,
 
ἁβροκόμη, φιλέρημε, βρύων ὠιδαῖσι ποθειναῖς,
Whose delicate foliage kisses empty land, bursting forth amidst songs of longing,
 
Εὐβουλεῦ, πολύμορφε, τροφεῦ πάντων ἀρίδηλε,
Cultivating many-shaped nutrients for all to see,
 
κούρη καὶ κόρε, σὺ πᾶσιν θάλος αἰέν, Ἄδωνι,
Both Daughter and Son together, each eternal blossom, Adonis,
 
σβεννύμενε λάμπων τε καλαῖς ἐν κυκλάσιν ὥραις,
Extinguished lamps become green stalks in the cycling Seasons[2]
 
αὐξιθαλής, δίκερως, πολυήρατε, δακρυότιμε,
Arising in blossoms with the power of Dike[3], profusely invoked, tear-honored,
 
ἀγλαόμορφε, κυναγεσίοις χαίρων, βαθυχαῖτα,
Glorious in form, genesis of the hunt, benevolent gifts deeply-rooted,
 
ἱμερόνους, Κύπριδος γλυκερὸν θάλος, ἔρνος Ἔρωτος,
From the yearning Kyprian’s[4] sweet blooming seedlings of desire[5],
 
Φερσεφόνης ἐρασιπλοκάμου λέκτροισι λοχευθεῖς,
Lovely-tressed Phersephone’s[6] bed gives birth,
 
ὃς ποτὲ μὲν ναίεις ὑπὸ Τάρταρον ἠερόεντα,
When after dwelling below in Tartarian[7] air,
 
ἠδὲ πάλιν πρὸς Ὄλυμπον ἄγεις δέμας ὡριόκαρπον·
And then back before the Olympians[8] grows a body of seasonal fruit.
 
ἐλθέ, μάκαρ, μύσταισι φέρων καρποὺς ἀπὸ γαίης.
Come, blessed, mysterious, bear fruit upon Gaia[9].


[1] Adonis is the immortal God of renewal and untimely death.

[2] The Horais are the immortal Goddesses who determine the hour for something to occur in nature.

[3] Dike is the immortal Goddess of justice.

[4] The Kyprian is Aphrodite, the immortal Goddess of sexual desire.

[5] The Erotes are the immortal Gods of romantic love, often depicted as winged children.

[6] Phersephone is the immortal Goddess of spring renewal and the afterlife.

[7] Tartaros is the deepest realm beneath the earth, the cosmic inverse of heaven. Hesiod (Theogony 715).

[8] The Olympic deities reside on Mt. Olympos, the highest known point on earth.

[9] Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.