Hymn 28 to Athena

Halloween special: Athena terrifies the cosmos

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Παλλάδ᾽ Ἀθηναίην, κυδρὴν θεόν, ἄρχομ᾽ ἀείδειν

γλαυκῶπιν, πολύμητιν, ἀμείλιχον ἦτορ ἔχουσαν,

παρθένον αἰδοίην, ἐρυσίπτολιν, ἀλκήεσσαν,

Τριτογενῆ, τὴν αὐτὸς ἐγείνατο μητίετα Ζεὺς

σεμνῆς ἐκ κεφαλῆς, πολεμήια τεύχε᾽ ἔχουσαν, 5

χρύσεα, παμφανόωντα: σέβας δ᾽ ἔχε πάντας ὁρῶντας

ἀθανάτους: ἣ δὲ πρόσθεν Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο

ἐσσυμένως ὤρουσεν ἀπ᾽ ἀθανάτοιο καρήνου,

σείσασ᾽ ὀξὺν ἄκοντα: μέγας δ᾽ ἐλελίζετ᾽ Ὄλυμπος

δεινὸν ὑπὸ βρίμης γλαυκώπιδος: ἀμφὶ δὲ γαῖα 10

σμερδαλέον ἰάχησεν: ἐκινήθη δ᾽ ἄρα πόντος,

κύμασι πορφυρέοισι κυκώμενος: ἔκχυτο δ᾽ ἅλμη

ἐξαπίνης: στῆσεν δ᾽ Ὑπερίονος ἀγλαὸς υἱὸς

ἵππους ὠκύποδας δηρὸν χρόνον, εἰσότε κούρη

εἵλετ᾽ ἀπ᾽ ἀθανάτων ὤμων θεοείκελα τεύχη 15

Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη: γήθησε δὲ μητίετα Ζεύς.

καὶ σὺ μὲν οὕτω χαῖρε, Διὸς τέκος αἰγιόχοιο:

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ σεῖο καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομ᾽ ἀοιδῆς.

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I begin to sing of Pallas Athena, the glorious goddess,

bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart,

pure virgin, saviour of cities, courageous,

Tritogeneia. Wise Zeus himself bare her

from his awful head, arrayed in warlike arms [5]

of flashing gold, and awe seized all the gods

as they gazed. But Athena sprang quickly

from the immortal head and stood before Zeus who holds the aegis,

shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly

at the might of the bright-eyed goddess, and earth round about [10]

cried fearfully, and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves,

while foam burst forth suddenly:

the bright Son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses

a long while, until the maiden Pallas Athena

had stripped the heavenly armour [15]

from her immortal shoulders. And wise Zeus was glad.

And so hail to you, daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis!

Now I will remember you and another song as well.

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Anonymous. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.