An Exercise in Homeric Hymnody

When a rhapsode sat down in Classical Hellas to recite epic poetry — either an entire short epic or an episode from a much longer one like the Iliad or the Odyssey — he would begin with an introduction, or prohoimion. These introductions had for their theme a god or a goddess, whom the rhapsode would invoke, praise by means of a narrative that concerns the deity, and salute before moving on to the recitation he had prepared for the occasion.

Despite being called “Homeric,” these prohoimia (later called hymnoi) are definitely not the work of the Poet, but rather “various authors in various places, at dates ranging probably from the second half of the seventh century BC to at least the fifth century, possibly later” (Loeb Classical Library, vol. 496, p. 5). The title “Homeric” can be justified for several reasons, but the reason most salient for my present purpose is the fact that the Homeric hymns share the Homeric dialect and the dactylic hexameter characteristic of Ancient Greek epic.

Taking the Christmas season (current at the writing of this post) as inspiration, I decided to write a Homeric hymn to the Christ child as an exercise. I enjoyed the challenge of learning a vocabulary specific to Epic Greek, as well as the challenge of working that vocabulary into its dactylic hexameter. What follows is the product of that exercise as well as my own commentary.

εἰς τὸ ἅγιον τεκνίον

παῖδα θεοῦ πολυεύχετον ἀσπάσιόν τε [1] ἀείσω· [2]

τόν γε τέκεν μήτηρ χαρίεσσα ἐπουρανίη περ

πότνια ἐσσομένη καὶ ἁγνή. [3] ἡ δὲ κύησε

πνεύμαθ’ ὑφ’ ἱρῷ [4] υἷα [5] θεοῖο [6] καὶ ἀνθρώποιο

λυσόμενον κόσμον [7] τε θεῷ καὶ συμβιβάσοντα·

ὃς δὲ λαβὼν ἡμῶν εἶδος γένετ’ ἀνδρόμεος φώς,

ὡς καὶ ἐγγενόμεσθα [8] φύσει [9] θεϊκῇ ἄνθρωποι. [10]

καὶ σὺ μὲν οὕτω χαῖρε, [11] θεοῦ νημερτέος υἱέ,

καὶ εἰρήνην δὸς θνητοῖσί τε παντί τε κόσμῳ.

[1] I found this phrase in the Homeric hymn to Demeter, specifically hymn 2.165. It was the inspiration for the topic of this exercise.

[2] It is a common formula in Homeric hymns to name the deity being hymned in the first line, specifically using the verb ἀείδω, which is a lengthened formed of the more common ᾄδω.

[3] As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I felt I needed to include something specific about the Theotokos.

[4] A contracted form of ἱερός common in poetry and the Ionic dialect.

[5] An alternate form of the singular accusative case of the noun υἱός.

[6] An alternate form of the second-declension genitive singular specific to the Epic dialect. In fact, this is the original form of the second-declension genitive singular; the much more common -ου is a contraction of -οιο that came about after the iota dropped out. The more you know… (see Smyth 230)

[7] An uncommon word in Homer and never used with the sense “world,” but I thought it would be appropriate to use some technical theological language. Also, I figured the context would be enough to tip off the reader to the fact that this word is to be taken in its technical theological sense, and not in the sense common to the Homeric epics.

[8] In the Epic dialect the subjunctive can take an omicron instead of the usual omega for the sake of the meter. It is more common for a final clause to take the optative when the main clause has a verb in a secondary tense, but the subjunctive may be used in its stead occasionally (see Smyth 2197), take Iliad 6.357-8 for example.

[9] φύσις like κόσμος is uncommon in Homer, but I chose it for the same reason I chose κόσμος earlier. I wanted to include the participatory vision of salvation so common in Eastern Orthodox theology, and did so by means of a reference to 2 Peter 1:4. For this reason I thought it acceptable to introduce more technical theological language.

[10] Statistically, the fifth dactyl of the dactylic hexameter characteristic of Epic poetry is not usually substituted for a spondee (even though such a substitution is common anywhere else in the line), but I thought an exception was justifiable here so that I could fit in the reference to the Christological title υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

[11] This phrase is a formulaic salutation found in many Homeric hymns. It is also common (though not ubiquitous) to end the hymn with a request to the deity.

Translation

To the holy child

I shall sing of the Son of God, much-prayed-for, gladly welcomed.

His graceful mother gave him birth; she would become the heavenly pure Lady.

She conceived him by the power of the Holy Spirit, him who would ransom the world,

Reconcile it to God. And he, taking our form, became a human man,

So that we, humanity, would take part in the divine nature.

Thus I salute you, Son of the true God,

grant peace to us mortals and to the world.