HYMN 3 TO (PYTHIAN) APOLLO 388-501.

Apollo, in the shape of a dolphin, recruits some Cretan sailors to be the priests of his new temple.

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καὶ τότε δὴ κατὰ θυμὸν ἐφράζετο Φοῖβος Απόλλων,

οὕστινας ἀνθρώπους ὀργείονας εἰσαγάγοιτο,

 οἳ θεραπεύσονται Πυθοῖ ἔνι πετρηέσσῃ:                          390

ταῦτ᾽ ἄρα ὁρμαίνων ἐνόησ᾽ ἐπὶ οἴνοπι πόντῳ

νῆα θοήν: ἐν δ᾽ ἄνδρες ἔσαν πολέες τε καὶ ἐσθλοί,

Κρῆτες ἀπὸ Κνωσοῦ Μινωίου, οἵ ῥα ἄνακτι

ἱερά τε ῥέζουσι καὶ ἀγγέλλουσι θέμιστας

φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος χρυσαόρου, ὅττι κεν εἴπῃ                 395

χρείων ἐκ δάφνης γυάλων ὕπο Παρνησοῖο.

οἳ μὲν ἐπὶ πρῆξιν καὶ χρήματα νηὶ μελαίνῃ

ἐς Πύλον ἠμαθόεντα Πυλοιγενέας τ᾽ ἀνθρώπους

ἔπλεον: αὐτὰρ ὃ τοῖσι συνήντετο Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων:

ἐν πόντῳ δ᾽ ἐπόρουσε δέμας δελφῖνι ἐοικὼς                   400

νηὶ θοῇ καὶ κεῖτο πέλωρ μέγα τε δεινόν τε:

τῶν δ᾽ οὔτις κατὰ θυμὸν ἐπεφράσαθ᾽ ὥστε νοῆσαι

[ἐκβάλλειν δ᾽ ἔθελον δελφῖν᾽: ὁ δὲ νῆα μέλαιναν]

πάντοσ᾽ ἀνασσείσασκε, τίνασσε δὲ νήια δοῦρα.

οἳ δ᾽ ἀκέων ἐνὶ νηὶ καθήατο δειμαίνοντες:

οὐδ᾽ οἵ γ᾽ ὅπλ᾽ ἔλυον κοίλην ἀνὰ νῆα μέλαιναν,              405

οὐδ᾽ ἔλυον λαῖφος νηὸς κυανοπρώροιο,

ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τὰ πρώτιστα κατεστήσαντο βοεῦσιν,

ὣς ἔπλεον: κραιπνὸς δὲ Νότος κατόπισθεν ἔπειγε

νῆα θοήν: πρῶτον δὲ παρημείβοντο Μάλειαν,

πὰρ δὲ Λακωνίδα γαῖαν ἁλιστέφανον πτολίεθρον          410

ἷξον καὶ χῶρον τερψιμβρότου Ἠελίοιο,

Ταίναρον, ἔνθα τε μῆλα βαθύτριχα βόσκεται αἰεὶ          

Ἠελίοιο ἄνακτος, ἔχει δ᾽ ἐπιτερπέα χῶρον.

οἳ μὲν ἄρ᾽ ἔνθ᾽ ἔθελον νῆα σχεῖν ἠδ᾽ ἀποβάντες

φράσσασθαι μέγα θαῦμα καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδέσθαι,     415

εἰ μενέει νηὸς γλαφυρῆς δαπέδοισι πέλωρον

ἢ εἰς οἶδμ᾽ ἅλιον πολυΐχθυον αὖτις ὀρούσει.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πηδαλίοισιν ἐπείθετο νηῦς εὐεργής,

ἀλλὰ παρὲκ Πελοπόννησον πίειραν ἔχουσα

ἤι᾽ ὁδόν: πνοιῇ δὲ ἄναξ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων                      420

ῥηιδίως ἴθυν᾽: ἣ δὲ πρήσσουσα κέλευθον

Ἀρήνην ἵκανε καὶ Ἀργυφέην ἐρατεινὴν

καὶ Θρύον, Ἀλφειοῖο πόρον, καὶ ἐύκτιτον Αἶπυ

καὶ Πύλον ἠμαθόεντα Πυλοιγενέας τ᾽ ἀνθρώπους.

βῆ δὲ παρὰ Κπουνοὺς καὶ Χαλκίδα καὶ παρὰ Δύμην                     425

ἠδὲ παρ᾽ Ἤλιδα δῖαν, ὅθι κρατέουσιν Ἐπειοί.

εὖτε Φερὰς ἐπέβαλλεν, ἀγαλλομένη Διὸς οὔρῳ,

καί σφιν ὑπὲκ νεφέων Ἰθάκης τ᾽ ὄρος αἰπὺ πέφαντο

Δουλίχιόν τε Σάμη τε καὶ ὑλήεσσα Ζάκυνθος.

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ Πελοπόννησον παρενίσατο πᾶσαν                430

καὶ δὴ ἐπὶ Κρίσης κατεφαίνετο κόλπος ἀπείρων,

ὅστε διὲκ Πελοπόννησον πίειραν ἐέργει:

ἦλθ᾽ ἄνεμος Ζέφυρος μέγας, αἴθριος, ἐκ Διὸς αἴσης,

λάβρος ἐπαιγίζων ἐξ αἰθέρος, ὄφρα τάχιστα

νηῦς ἀνύσειε θέουσα θαλάσσης ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ.                          435

ἄψορροι δὴ ἔπειτα πρὸς ἠῶ τ᾽ ἠέλιόν τε

ἔπλεον: ἡγεμόνευε δ᾽ ἄναξ Διὸς υἱὸς Ἀπόλλων:

ἷξον δ᾽ ἐς Κρίσην εὐδείελον, ἀμπελόεσσαν,

ἐς λιμέν᾽: ἣ δ᾽ ἀμάθοισιν ἐχρίμψατο ποντοπόρος νηῦς.

ἔνθ᾽ ἐκ νηὸς ὄρουσε ἄναξ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων,                               440

ἀστέρι εἰδόμενος μέσῳ ἤματι: τοῦ δ᾽ ἀπὸ πολλαὶ

σπινθαρίδες πωτῶντο, σέλας δ᾽ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἷκεν:

ἐς δ᾽ ἄδυτον κατέδυσε διὰ τριπόδων ἐριτίμων.

ἔνθ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὅ γε φλόγα δαῖε πιφαυσκόμενος τὰ ἃ κῆλα:

πᾶσαν δὲ Κρίσην κάτεχεν σέλας: αἳ δ᾽ ὀλόλυξαν                           445

Κρισαίων ἄλοχοι καλλίζωνοί τε θύγατρες

Φοίβου ὑπὸ ῥιπῆς: μέγα γὰρ δέος ἔμβαλ᾽ ἑκάστῳ.

ἔνθεν δ᾽ αὖτ᾽ ἐπὶ νῆα νόημ᾽ ὣς ἆλτο πέτεσθαι,

ἀνέρι εἰδόμενος αἰζηῷ τε κρατερῷ τε,

πρωθήβῃ, χαίτῃς εἰλυμένος εὐρέας ὤμους:                                   450

καί σφεας φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα:

ὦ ξεῖνοι, τίνες ἐστέ; πόθεν πλεῖθ᾽ ὑγρὰ κέλευθα;

ἤ τι κατὰ πρῆξιν ἢ μαψιδίως ἀλάλησθε

οἷά τε ληιστῆρες ὑπεὶρ ἅλα, τοί τ᾽ ἀλόωνται

ψυχὰς παρθέμενοι, κακὸν ἀλλοδαποῖσι φέροντες;                       455

τίφθ᾽ οὕτως ἧσθον τετιηότες, οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ γαῖαν

ἐκβῆτ᾽, οὐδὲ καθ᾽ ὅπλα μελαίνης νηὸς ἔθεσθε;

αὕτη μέν γε δίκη πέλει ἀνδρῶν ἀλφηστάων,

ὁππότ᾽ ἂν ἐκ πόντοιο ποτὶ χθονὶ νηὶ μελαίνῃ

ἔλθωσιν καμάτῳ ἀδηκότες, αὐτίκα δέ σφεας                                 460

σίτοιο γλυκεροῖο περὶ φρένας ἵμερος αἱρεῖ.

ὣς φάτο καί σφιν θάρσος ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔθηκε.

τὸν καὶ ἀμειβόμενος Κρητῶν ἀγὸς ἀντίον ηὔδα:

ξεῖν᾽, ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν γάρ τι καταθνητοῖσι ἔοικας,

οὐ δέμας οὐδὲ φυήν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν,                             465

οὖλέ τε καὶ μέγα χαῖρε, θεοὶ δέ τοι ὄλβια δοῖεν.

καί μοι τοῦτ᾽ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρ᾽ εὖ εἰδῶ:

τίς δῆμος; τίς γαῖα; τίνες βροτοὶ ἐγγεγάασιν;

ἄλλῃ γὰρ φρονέοντες ἐπεπλέομεν μέγα λαῖτμα

ἐς Πύλον ἐκ Κρήτης, ἔνθεν γένος εὐχόμεθ᾽ εἶναι:                          470

νῦν δ᾽ ὧδε ξὺν νηὶ κατήλθομεν οὔ τι ἑκόντες,

νόστου ἱέμενοι, ἄλλην ὁδόν, ἄλλα κέλευθα:

ἀλλά τις ἀθανάτων δεῦρ᾽ ἤγαγεν οὐκ ἐθέλοντας.

τοὺς δ᾽ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων: ‘

ξεῖνοι, τοὶ Κνωσὸν πολυδένδρεον ἀμφενεμεσθε                           475

τὸ πρίν, ἀτὰρ νῦν οὐκ ἔθ᾽ ὑπότροποι αὖτις ἔσεσθε

ἔς τε πόλιν ἐρατὴν καὶ δώματα καλὰ ἕκαστος

ἔς τε φίλας ἀλόχους: ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδε πίονα νηὸν

ἕξετ᾽ ἐμὸν πολλοῖσι τετιμένον ἀνθρώποισιν.

εἰμὶ δ᾽ ἐγὼ Διὸς υἱός, Ἀπόλλων δ᾽ εὔχομαι εἶναι:                           480

ὑμέας δ᾽ ἤγαγον ἐνθάδ᾽ ὑπὲρ μέγα λαῖμα θαλάσσης,

οὔ τι κακὰ φρονέων, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδε πίονα νηὸν

ἕξετ᾽ ἐμὸν πᾶσιν μάλα τίμιον ἀνθρώποισι,

βουλάς τ᾽ ἀθανάτων εἰδήσετε, τῶν ἰότητι

αἰεὶ τιμήσεσθε διαμπερὲς ἤματα πάντα.                                         485

ἀλλ᾽ ἄγεθ᾽, ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω, πείθεσθε τάχιστα:

ἱστία μὲν πρῶτον κάθετον λύσαντε βοείας,

νῆα δ᾽ ἔπειτα θοὴν μὲν ἐπ᾽ ἠπείρου ἐρύσασθε,

ἐκ δὲ κτήμαθ᾽ ἕλεσθε καὶ ἔντεα νηὸς ἐίσης

καὶ βωμὸν ποιήσατ᾽ ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης:                                    490

πῦρ δ᾽ ἐπικαίοντες ἐπί τ᾽ ἄλφιτα λευκὰ θύοντες

εὔχεσθαι δὴ ἔπειτα παριστάμενοι περὶ βωμόν.

ὡς μὲν ἐγὼ τὸ πρῶτον ἐν ἠεροειδέι πόντῳ

εἰδόμενος δελφῖνι θοῆς ἐπὶ νηὸς ὄρουσα,

ὣς ἐμοὶ εὔχεσθαι Δελφινίῳ: αὐτὰρ ὁ βωμὸς                                  495

αὐτὸς Δελφίνιος καὶ ἐπόψιος ἔσσεται αἰεί.

δειπνῆσαί τ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔπειτα θοῇ παρὰ νηὶ μελαίνῃ

καὶ σπεῖσαι μακάρεσσι θεοῖς, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν σίτοιο μελίφρονος ἐξ ἔρον ἧσθε,

ἔρχεσθαί θ᾽ ἅμ᾽ ἐμοὶ καὶ ἰηπαιήον᾽ ἀείδειν,                                    500

εἰς ὅ κε χῶρον ἵκησθον, ἵν᾽ ἕξετε πίονα νηόν. ’

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Then Phoebus Apollo pondered in his heart

what men he should bring in

to be his ministers in sacrifice and to serve him in rocky Pytho.               [390]

And while he considered this, he became aware of a swift ship

upon the wine-like sea in which were many men and goodly,

Cretans from Cnossos,¹ the city of Minos, they who do sacrifice to the prince

and announce his decrees,

whatsoever Phoebus Apollo, bearer of the golden blade, speaks in answer [395]

from his laurel tree below the dells of Parnassus.

These men were sailing in their black ship for traffic and for profit

to sandy Pylos and to the men of Pylos.

But Phoebus Apollo met them:

   in the open sea he sprang upon their swift ship, like a dolphin in shape,               [400]

and lay there, a great and awesome monster,

and none of them gave heed so as to understand;²

but they sought to cast the dolphin overboard.                                           [402a]

But he kept shaking the black ship every way and making the timbers quiver.

So they sat silent in their craft for fear,

and did not loose the sheets throughout the black, hollow ship,               [405]

nor lowered the sail of their dark-prowed vessel,

but as they had set it first of all with oxhide ropes,

so they kept sailing on; for a rushing south wind hurried

on the swift ship from behind. First they passed by Malea,

and then along the Laconian coast                                                    [410]

they came to Taenarum, sea-garlanded town and country

of Helios who gladdens men, where the thick-fleeced sheep of the lord Helios

feed continually and occupy a gladsome country.

There they wished to put their ship to shore, and land

and comprehend the great marvel and see with their eyes                       [415]

whether the monster would remain upon the deck of the hollow ship,

or spring back into the briny deep where fishes shoal.

But the well-built ship would not obey the helm,

but went on its way all along Peloponnesus:     

and the lord, far-working Apollo, guided it easily                                         [420]

with the breath of the breeze. So the ship ran on its course

and cameto Arena and lovely Argyphea

and Thryon, the ford of Alpheus,

and well-placed Aepy and sandy Pylos and the men of Pylos;

past Cruni it went and Chalcis and past Dyme                                               [425]

and fair Elis, where the Epei rule.

And at the time when she was making for Pherae, exulting in the breeze from Zeus,

there appeared to them below the clouds the steep mountain of Ithaca,

and Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus.

But when they were passed by all the coast of Peloponnesus,                  [430]

then, towards Crisa, that vast gulf began to heave in sight

which through all its length cuts off the rich isle of Pelops.

There came on them a strong, clear west-wind by ordinance of Zeus

and blew from heaven vehemently, that with all speed

the ship might finish coursing over the briny water of the sea.                 [435]

So they began again to voyage back towards the dawn and the sun:

and the lord Apollo, son of Zeus, led them on

until they reached far-seen Crisa, land of vines, and into haven:

there the sea-coursing ship grounded on the sands.

Then, like a star at noonday, the lord, far-working Apollo,                        [440]

leaped from the ship: flashes of fire flew from him thick

and their brightness reached to heaven.

 He entered into his shrine between priceless tripods,

and there made a flame to flare up bright, showing forth the splendor of his shafts, so that their radiance

 filled all Crisa, and the wives and well-girded daughters                             [445]

of the Crisaeans raised a cry at that outburst of Phoebus;

for he cast great fear upon them all.

From his shrine he sprang forth again, swift as a thought, to speed again to the ship,

bearing the form of a man, brisk and sturdy,

in the prime of his youth, while his broad shoulders were covered with his hair:    [450]

and he spoke to the Cretans, uttering winged words:

“Strangers, who are you? Whence come you sailing along the paths of the sea?

Are you for traffic, or do you wander at random

over the sea as pirates do who put

their own lives to hazard and bring mischief to men of foreign parts as they roam?[455]

Why rest you so and are afraid, and do not go ashore

nor stow the gear of your black ship?

For that is the custom of men who live by bread,

whenever they come to land in their dark ships from the main,

spent with toil: at once desire for sweet food catches them about the heart.”          [460]

So speaking, he put courage in their hearts,

and the master of the Cretans answered him and said:

“Stranger —though you are nothing like mortal men

in shape or stature, but are as the deathless gods —                                  [465]

hail and all happiness to you, and may the gods give you good.

Now tell me truly that I may surely know it:

what country is this, and what land, and what men live herein?

As for us, with thoughts set otherwards, we were sailing over the great sea

to Pylos from Crete (for from there we declare that we are sprung),                    [470]

but now are come on shipboard to this place by no means willingly —

another way and other paths —and gladly would we return.

But one of the deathless gods brought us here against our will.”

Then far-working Apollo answered them and said:

“Strangers who once dwelt about wooded Cnossos                                    [475]

but now shall return no more each

to his loved city and fair house and dear wife;

here shall you keep my rich temple that is honored by many men.

I am the son of Zeus; Apollo is my name:                                         [480]

but you I brought here over the wide gulf of the sea,

meaning you no hurt; nay, here you shall keep

my rich temple that is greatly honored among men,

and you shall know the plans of the deathless gods, and by their will

you shall be honored continually for all time.                                 [485]

And now come, make haste and do as I say.

First loose the sheets and lower the sail,

and then draw the swift ship up upon the land.

Take out your goods and the gear of the straight ship,

              and make an altar upon the beach of the sea:                                [490]

light fire upon it and make an offering of white meal.

Next, stand side by side around the altar and pray:

and in as much as at the first on the hazy sea

I sprang upon the swift ship in the form of a dolphin,

pray to me as Apollo Delphinius;                                                       [495]

also the altar itself shall be called Delphinius and overlooking³ for ever.

Afterwards, sup beside your dark ship

and pour an offering to the blessed gods who dwell on Olympus.

But when you have put away craving for sweet food,

come with me singing the hymn Ie Paean (Hail, Healer!),                           [500]

until you come to the place where you shall keep my rich temple.”

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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.

1. Inscriptions show that there was a temple of Apollo Delphinius at Cnossus and a Cretan month bearing the same name.

2. sc. that the dolphin was really Apollo.

3. The epithets are transferred from the god to his altar “Overlooking” is especially an epithet of Zeus, as in Apollonius Rhodius Argon. II.1124.