Hymn 1 to DionysusὝμνος εἰς Διόνυσον
Hymnic Collection Anonymous Hymn 1 to Dionysus PDF
Hymn 1 to Dionysus is the opening poem in the collection known as the Homeric Hymns. Composed anonymously in the epic dialect and dactylic hexameter verse, it dates likely from the 7th or 6th century BCE. This 21-line hymn serves as an invocation to the god Dionysus, blending praise with a narrative of divine epiphany. It opens by cataloguing the conflicting traditions of the god's birthplace, asserting his true origin as the son of Zeus, born far from humanity to conceal him from Hera. The hymn then situates his nurturing on the remote, wooded peak of Nysa, near the streams of Egypt, where mortals will erect many statues in his temples.
The core of the poem recounts the failure of mortals to recognize the god. Pirates capture Dionysus, mistaking him for a prince, but their bonds fall away magically. A helmsman perceives his divinity and warns the crew, yet the captain dismisses him. In response, Dionysus manifests his power: wine flows through the ship, a vine laden with grapes climbs the mast, and the god transforms into a roaring lion. Terrified, the impious pirates leap into the sea and are metamorphosed into dolphins, while the pious helmsman is spared. The hymn concludes with a direct appeal for the god's favor, noting that singers remember him at the start and end of their performances.
Transmitted through medieval manuscripts, most notably a 13th-century codex, hymns of this type were likely used as preludes to longer epic recitations, serving to invoke a deity's blessing. The geographical references to Phoenicia and Egypt reflect the syncretic and widespread nature of Dionysiac worship in the archaic period. The poem emphasizes central themes of divine recognition, the severe punishment of impiety, and the god's transformative power over nature and human fate.
| unit_1 | οἱ μὲν γὰρ Δρακάνῳ ς’, οἱ δ’ Ἰκάρῳ ἠνεμοέσσῃ φάς’, οἱ δ’ ἐν Νάξῳ, δῖον γένος εἰραφιῶτα, οἱ δέ ς’ ἐπ’ Ἀλφειῷ ποταμῷ βαθυδινήεντι κυσαμένην Σεμέλην τεκέειν Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ, ἄλλοι δ’ ἐν Θήβῃσιν ἄναξ σε λέγουσι γενέσθαι ψευδόμενοι· σὲ δ’ ἔτικτε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε πολλὸν ἀπ’ ἀνθρώπων κρύπτων λευκώλενον Ἥρην. ἔστι δέ τις Νύση ὕπατον ὄρος ἀνθέον ὕλῃ τηλοῦ Φοινίκης σχεδὸν Αἰγύπτοιο ῥοάων καί οἱ ἀναστήσουσιν ἀγάλματα πόλλ’ ἐνὶ νηοῖς. ὡς δὲ τάμεν τρία, σοὶ πάντως τριετηρίσιν αἰεὶ ἄνθρωποι ῥέξουσι τεληέσσας ἑκατόμβας. ἦ καὶ κυανέῃσιν ἐπ’ ὀφρύσι νεῦσε Κρονίων· ἀμβρόσιαι δ’ ἄρα χαῖται ἐπερρώσαντο ἄνακτος κρατὸς ἀπ’ ἀθανάτοιο, μέγαν δ’ ἐλέλιξεν Ὄλυμπον. ὣς εἰπὼν ἐκέλευσε καρήατι μητίετα Ζεύς. ἵληθ’ εἰραφιῶτα γυναιμανές· οἱ δέ ς’ ἀοιδοὶ |
| unit_2 | ᾄδομεν ἀρχόμενοι λήγοντές τ’, οὐδέ πῃ ἔστι σεῖ’ ἐπιληθομένῳ ἱερῆς μεμνῆσθαι ἀοιδῆς. καὶ σὺ μὲν οὕτω χαῖρε Διώνυς’ εἰραφιῶτα, σὺν μητρὶ Σεμέλῃ ἥν περ καλέουσι Θυώνην. |