Translated by Catherine Proppe
December 16, 2014
This hymn includes a mish-mash of epithets, including:
- Thesmophoron/Law-Bearer (Demeter)
- Dionysos
- Euboulos/Good Counselor (Pluto)
- Kyprian/Kythera (Aphrodite)
- Phrygian Mother (Rhea/Kybele)
- Isis.
This may be a hymn invoking numerous deities to bring blessings to the athletes, who, perhaps, represent many different regions and presumably their respective local temples. It seems to suggest that such a conglomeration of deities is both male and female.
42. Μίσης, θυμίαμα στύρακα.
To the Medium of Divine Power Synchronized[1]
Divine medium: styrax, storax
Θεσμοφόρον καλέω ναρθηκοφόρον Διόνυσον,
Law-bearer[2] I call, fennel-stalk bearing Dionysian[3],
σπέρμα πολύμνηστον, πολυώνυμον Εὐβουλῆος,
Seed of many memories, many-realmed Euboulos[4]
ἁγνήν εὐίερόν τε Μίσην ἄρρητον ἄνασσαν,
Pure holy then unspoken Anassan[5]
ἄρσενα καὶ θῆλυν, διφυῆ, λύσειον Ἴακχον·
Male and female, of two natures, releasing shouting
εἴτ' ἐν Ἐλευσῖνος τέρπηι νηωι θυόεντι,
Whether in Eleusis[6] joyfully dwelling divine
εἴτε καὶ ἐν Φρυγίηι σὺν Μητέρι μυστιπολεύεις,
Whether in Phrygia[7] with the Mother of many mysteries
ἢ Κύπρωι τέρπηι σὺν ἐυστεφάνωι Κυθερείηι,
Or Kypros[8] rejoicing with well-crowned Kytheria[9]
ἢ καὶ πυροφόροις πεδίοις ἐπαγάλλεαι ἁγνοῖς
Or the wheat-bearing[10] plain upon proclamations pure
σὺν σῆι μητρὶ θεᾶι μελανηφόρωι Ἴσιδι σεμνῆι,
With thou Mother divine, black-bearing Isis-directed[11] revered
Αἰγύπτου παρὰ χεῦμα σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι τιθήναις·
Egyptian stream[12] together the amphipolis[13] nursing
εὐμενέουσ' ἔλθοις ἀγαθοῖς τελεουσ' ἐπ' ἀέθλοις.
Graciously come good, complete, upon the athletes.
[1] Although Μίσης is often translated as “hate,” that translation makes no sense in the context of this hymn. A more likely homonym may be “moon” (μείς). Literally, the name Μίσης translates as “medium of (Μ) + divine-power (ί) + synchronized (σης).”
[2] Thesmosphoros means law-bearer, an epithet of the immortal Goddess Demeter.
[3] Dionysos is the immortal God of wine and its effects. Wine is a medium of union with the divine.
[4] Euboulos means “Good Counselor,” an epithet of Pluto, the immortal God of the afterlife.
[5] Anassa means Queen, Lady; addressed to Goddesses.
[6] Eleusis is a holy city on the Rarian Plain of Greece, home of the Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter and her daughter, Kore.
[7] Phrygia is in modern day Turkey.
[8] Kypros (Cyprus) is a Greek island sacred to the immortal Goddess of love, Aphrodite.
[9] Kythera (Cythera) is also a Greek island sacred to Aphrodite.
[10] Interestingly, the word for fire and root are identical: puro (πυρο).
[11] Isis is the celebrated immortal Goddess of Egypt.
[12] The Egyptian stream is presumably the Nile River.
[13] Amphipolis means “surrounding the city.”