Commentary on the Homeric HymnsMachine readable text


Commentary on the Homeric Hymns
By Thomas W. Allen
London Macmillan 1904



Perseus Documents Collection Table of Contents



THE HOMERIC HYMNS IN ANTIQUITY
   FIFTH CENTURY B.C.
   THIRD CENTURY B.C.
   FIRST CENTURY B.C.6
   SECOND CENTURY A.D.

THE NATURE OF THE HOMERIC HYMNS

HYMN TO DIONYSUS

HYMN TO DEMETER

HYMN TO APOLLO

HYMN TO HERMES

HYMN TO APHRODITE

HYMN TO APHRODITE

HYMN TO DIONYSUS

HYMN TO ARES

HYMN TO ARTEMIS

HYMN TO APHRODITE

HYMN TO ATHENA

HYMN TO HERA

HYMN TO DEMETER

HYMN TO THE MOTHER OF THE GODS

HYMN TO HERACLES THE LION-HEARTED

HYMN TO ASCLEPIUS

HYMN TO THE DIOSCURI

HYMN TO HERMES

HYMN TO PAN

HYMN TO HEPHAESTUS

HYMN TO APOLLO

HYMN TO POSEIDON

HYMN TO ZEUS

HYMN TO HESTIA

HYMN TO THE MUSES AND APOLLO

HYMN TO DIONYSUS

HYMN TO ARTEMIS

HYMN TO ATHENA

HYMN TO HESTIA

HYMN TO EARTH THE MOTHER OF ALL

HYMN TO HELIOS

HYMN TO SELENE

HYMN TO THE DIOSCURI

THE HOMERIC HYMNS IN ANTIQUITY
   FIFTH CENTURY B.C.
   THIRD CENTURY B.C.
   FIRST CENTURY B.C.6
   SECOND CENTURY A.D.

THE NATURE OF THE HOMERIC HYMNS

HYMN TO DIONYSUS

HYMN TO DEMETER

HYMN TO APOLLO

HYMN TO HERMES

HYMN TO APHRODITE

HYMN TO APHRODITE

HYMN TO DIONYSUS

HYMN TO ARES

HYMN TO ARTEMIS

HYMN TO APHRODITE

HYMN TO ATHENA

HYMN TO HERA

HYMN TO DEMETER

HYMN TO THE MOTHER OF THE GODS

HYMN TO HERACLES THE LION-HEARTED

HYMN TO ASCLEPIUS

HYMN TO THE DIOSCURI

HYMN TO HERMES

HYMN TO PAN

HYMN TO HEPHAESTUS

HYMN TO APOLLO

HYMN TO POSEIDON

HYMN TO ZEUS

HYMN TO HESTIA

HYMN TO THE MUSES AND APOLLO

HYMN TO DIONYSUS

HYMN TO ARTEMIS

HYMN TO ATHENA

HYMN TO HESTIA

HYMN TO EARTH THE MOTHER OF ALL

HYMN TO HELIOS

HYMN TO SELENE

HYMN TO THE DIOSCURI


Funded by The Annenberg CPB/Project

THE HOMERIC HYMNS IN ANTIQUITY

  [sect. 3]

FIRST CENTURY B.C.6

3. Diodorus Siculus i. 15. 7. (ed. Vogel 1888) μεμνῆσθαι δὲ τῆς Νύσης καὶ τὸν ποιητὴν [φασι] ἐν τοῖς ὕμνοις, ὅτι περὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον γέγονεν, ἐν οἷς λέγει
ἔστι δέ τις Νύση, ὕπατον ὄρος, ἀνθέον ὕλῃ,
τηλοῦ Φοινίκης, σχεδὸν Αἰγύπτοιο ῥοάων
. = h. Dion. 1.8, 9.

4. Id. iii. 65. 3 μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τοῖς ὑφ' ἡμῶν λεγομένοις καὶ ποιητὴς ἐν τοῖς ὕμνοις
οἱ μὲν γὰρ Δρακάνῳ σ̓ οἱ δ̓ Ἰκάρῳ ἠνεμοέσσῃ
φάσ̓, οἱ δ' ἐν Νάξῳ, δῖον γένος, εἰραφιῶτα,
οἱ δέ σ' ἐπ' Ἀλφειᾷ ποταμῷ βαθυδινήεντι
κυσαμένην Σεμέλην τεκέειν Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ,
ἄλλοι δ' ἐν Θήβῃσιν, ἄναξ, σε λέγουσι γενέσθαι,
ψευδόμενοι: σὲ δ̓ 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
. =h. Dion. 1.1-9; verses 4 and 8, which are strictly dispensable, are only found in three MSS.

5. Id. iv. 2. 4 καὶ τὸν Ὅμηρον δὲ τούτοις μαρτυρῆσαι ἐν τοῖς ὕμνοις ἐν οἷς λέγει
ἔστι δέ κτλ. =h. Dion. 1.8, 9, as above.

The fact that two out of Diodorus' quotations are in the indirect narrative (in long paragraphs introduced by φασί), and are of the identical two lines, which also are quoted by the scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius (below no. 12) in apparent connexion with the mythographer Herodorus, suggest that in both places Diodorus took the quotation from his sources. Of these he mentions by name only Dionysius (iii. 66 Διονυσίῳ τῷ συνταξαμένῳ τὰς παλαιὰς μυθοποιίας, οὗτος γὰρ τά τε περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον καὶ τὰς Ἀμαζόνας ἔτι δὲ τοὺς Ἀργοναύτας καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰλιακὸν πόλεμον πραχθέντα καὶ πόλλ' ἕτερα συντέτακται, παρατιθεὶς τὰ ποιήματα τῶν ἀρχαίων, τῶν τε μυθολόγων καὶ τῶν ποιητῶν), who is apparently the same as the Dionysius of Mitylene, whose Ἀργόναυται are as frequently utilised as those of Herodorus in the scholia on Apollonius (cf. Suidas s.v., Mller F. H. G. ii. 6 f., Susemihl l.c. ii. 45 f.). Without denying Diodorus the credit of possible original quotation, especially at iii. 65, it seems likely that the Hymns were excerpted and utilised by both Herodorus and Dionysius, antiquaries.

6. Philodemus περὶ εὐσεβείας (ed. Gomperz Herkulanische Studien ii. 1866), p. 42, tab. 91, v. 12 f.

κα[ὶ τ]ὴν ἑ[κάτην]
ὀπαδ[ὸν Ἀρ]τέ[μιδος]
εἶναι Δήμη[τρος]
δὲ λάτριν Εὐρι[πίδης]
Ὅμηρος δ̓ ἐν [τοῖς]
[ὕμ]νοις πρόπ[ολον]
καὶ [ὀπ]αονα =h. Dem. 440.

There is perhaps another reference, p. 29, col. 57a.

έν δὲ τοῖς [γαπ ιν τεχτ]
[γαπ ιν τεχτ] ὁ]μηρος
]νθαιυ ̣ αθαν[ατοις
ονεα[ρ καὶ
τσκειν ̣ ̂ τυκται
κα]λλιμα[χος
ταραντι

cf. perhaps Dem. 269 f.