Translated by Catherine Proppe December 14, 2016
47. Περικιονίου, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
To the Surrounding Pillars of Bacchos
Divine medium: aromatics
Κικλήσκω Βάκχον περικιόνιον, μεθυδώτην,
I call wine-bestowing Bacchos of the surrounding pillars,
Καδμείοισι δόμοις ὃς ἑλισσόμενος πέρι πάντη
Kadmean-dwelling whirling power, surrounding all,
ἔστησε κρατερῶς βρασμοὺς γαίης ἀποπέμψας,
Upstanding mighty power; sending violent earthquakes
ἡνίκα πυρφόρος αὐγὴ ἐκίνησε χθόνα πᾶσαν
When fire-bearing Dawn sets in motion all the earth,
πρηστῆρος ῥοίζοις· ὃ δ' ἀνέδραμε δεσμὸς ἁπάντων.
And roaring hurricanes give rise to drama despotic over all.
ἐλθέ, μάκαρ, βακχευτά, γεγηθυίαις πραπίδεσσιν.
Come, blessed Bacchian, with mindful rejoicing.
NOTES
Kionion (κῑονιον) is the diminutive of kion (κίων), pillar. Kio (κίω) means “go.” The “pillars” are markers of where Dionysos/Bacchos went.
Dionysos is said to have conquered the farthest inhabited places on earth and erected pillars (hermai) to stake his territorial claim.
“The most famous part of his wanderings in Asia is his expedition to India, which is said to have lasted three, or, according to some, even 52 years…Dionysus and the host of Pans, Satyrs, and Bacchic women, by whom he was accompanied, conquered his enemies, taught the Indians the cultivation of the vine and of various fruits, and the worship of the [Goddesses and G]ods; he also founded towns among them, gave them laws, and left behind him pillars and monuments in the happy land which he had thus conquered and civilized, and the inhabitants worshipped him as a [G]od.” [1]
“Having traversed Thrace and the whole of India and set up pillars there, he (Dionysos) came to Thebes…”[2]
This hymn suggests that Dionysos’ powers extend beyond wine to include control over earthquakes and hurricanes. In Euripides Bacchae (630-635) Dionysos knocks Pentheus’ house to the ground and shatters it to pieces because Pentheus, the Theban king, refuses to worship him.
Kadmeia was the citadel of Greek Thebes.
Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
Auge is the immortal Goddess of dawn.
[1] Schmitz, L. (1870). DIONY′SUS (Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 1047). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[2] Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.5.2. https://books.google.com/books?id=eFmQCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT157&lpg=PT157&dq=Having+traversed+Thrace+and+the+whole+of+India+and+set+up+pillars+there,+he+(Dionysos)+came+to+Thebes&source=bl&ots=c_B8QnjROu&sig=mEPzTLxmUMl6sLqSDGiTOGdBVRg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjow_6hi_TQAhVC6oMKHbJ7AQQQ6AEIKzAC#v=onepage&q=Having%20traversed%20Thrace%20and%20the%20whole%20of%20India%20and%20set%20up%20pillars%20there%2C%20he%20(Dionysos)%20came%20to%20Thebes&f=false
47. Περικιονίου, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
To the Surrounding Pillars of Bacchos
Divine medium: aromatics
Κικλήσκω Βάκχον περικιόνιον, μεθυδώτην,
I call wine-bestowing Bacchos of the surrounding pillars,
Καδμείοισι δόμοις ὃς ἑλισσόμενος πέρι πάντη
Kadmean-dwelling whirling power, surrounding all,
ἔστησε κρατερῶς βρασμοὺς γαίης ἀποπέμψας,
Upstanding mighty power; sending violent earthquakes
ἡνίκα πυρφόρος αὐγὴ ἐκίνησε χθόνα πᾶσαν
When fire-bearing Dawn sets in motion all the earth,
πρηστῆρος ῥοίζοις· ὃ δ' ἀνέδραμε δεσμὸς ἁπάντων.
And roaring hurricanes give rise to drama despotic over all.
ἐλθέ, μάκαρ, βακχευτά, γεγηθυίαις πραπίδεσσιν.
Come, blessed Bacchian, with mindful rejoicing.
NOTES
Kionion (κῑονιον) is the diminutive of kion (κίων), pillar. Kio (κίω) means “go.” The “pillars” are markers of where Dionysos/Bacchos went.
Dionysos is said to have conquered the farthest inhabited places on earth and erected pillars (hermai) to stake his territorial claim.
“The most famous part of his wanderings in Asia is his expedition to India, which is said to have lasted three, or, according to some, even 52 years…Dionysus and the host of Pans, Satyrs, and Bacchic women, by whom he was accompanied, conquered his enemies, taught the Indians the cultivation of the vine and of various fruits, and the worship of the [Goddesses and G]ods; he also founded towns among them, gave them laws, and left behind him pillars and monuments in the happy land which he had thus conquered and civilized, and the inhabitants worshipped him as a [G]od.” [1]
“Having traversed Thrace and the whole of India and set up pillars there, he (Dionysos) came to Thebes…”[2]
This hymn suggests that Dionysos’ powers extend beyond wine to include control over earthquakes and hurricanes. In Euripides Bacchae (630-635) Dionysos knocks Pentheus’ house to the ground and shatters it to pieces because Pentheus, the Theban king, refuses to worship him.
Kadmeia was the citadel of Greek Thebes.
Gaia is the immortal Goddess of generative earth.
Auge is the immortal Goddess of dawn.
[1] Schmitz, L. (1870). DIONY′SUS (Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 1047). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[2] Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.5.2. https://books.google.com/books?id=eFmQCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT157&lpg=PT157&dq=Having+traversed+Thrace+and+the+whole+of+India+and+set+up+pillars+there,+he+(Dionysos)+came+to+Thebes&source=bl&ots=c_B8QnjROu&sig=mEPzTLxmUMl6sLqSDGiTOGdBVRg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjow_6hi_TQAhVC6oMKHbJ7AQQQ6AEIKzAC#v=onepage&q=Having%20traversed%20Thrace%20and%20the%20whole%20of%20India%20and%20set%20up%20pillars%20there%2C%20he%20(Dionysos)%20came%20to%20Thebes&f=false
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