HYMN 5 TO APHRODITE 191-293.

Aphrodite foretells Aeneas’ birth.

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τὸν δ᾽ ἠμείβετ᾽ ἔπειτα Διὸς θυγάτηρ Ἀφροδίτη:

Ἀγχίση, κύδιστε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων,

θάρσει, μηδέ τι σῇσι μετὰ φρεσὶ δείδιθι λίην:

οὐ γάρ τοί τι δέος παθέειν κακὸν ἐξ ἐμέθεν γε,

οὐδ᾽ ἄλλων μακάρων: ἐπεὶ ἦ φίλος ἐσσὶ θεοῖσι.                            195

σοὶ δ᾽ ἔσται φίλος υἱός, ὃς ἐν Τρώεσσιν ἀνάξει

καὶ παῖδες παίδεσσι διαμπερὲς ἐκγεγάοντες:

τῷ δὲ καὶ Αἰνείας ὄνομ᾽ ἔσσεται, οὕνεκα μ᾽ αἰνὸν

ἔσχεν ἄχος, ἕνεκα βροτοῦ ἀνέρος ἔμπεσον εὐνῇ:

ἀγχίθεοι δὲ μάλιστα καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων                                 200

αἰεὶ ἀφ᾽ ὑμετέρης γενεῆς εἶδός τε φυήν τε.

ἦ τοι μὲν ξανθὸν Γανυμήδεα μητιέτα Ζεὺς

ἥρπασε ὃν διὰ κάλλος, ἵν᾽ ἀθανάτοισι μετείη

καί τε Διὸς κατὰ δῶμα θεοῖς ἐπιοινοχοεύοι,

θαῦμα ἰδεῖν, πάντεσσι τετιμένος ἀθανάτοισι,                               205

χρυσέου ἐκ κρητῆρος ἀφύσσων νέκταρ ἐρυθρόν.

Τρῶα δὲ πένθος ἄλαστον ἔχε φρένας, οὐδέ τι ᾔδει,

ὅππη οἱ φίλον υἱὸν ἀνήρπασε θέσπις ἄελλα:

τὸν δὴ ἔπειτα γόασκε διαμπερὲς ἤματα πάντα

καί μιν Ζεὺς ἐλέησε, δίδου δέ οἱ υἷος ἄποινα,                 210

ἵππους ἀρσίποδας, τοί τ᾽ ἀθανάτους φορέουσι.

τούς οἱ δῶρον ἔδωκεν ἔχειν: εἶπεν δὲ ἕκαστα

Ζηνὸς ἐφημοσύνῃσι διάκτορος Ἀργειφόντης,

ὡς ἔοι ἀθάνατος καὶ ἀγήρως ἶσα θεοῖσιν.

αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ Ζηνὸς ὅ γ᾽ ἔκλυεν ἀγγελιάων,                     215

οὐκέτ᾽ ἔπειτα γόασκε, γεγήθει δὲ φρένας ἔνδον,

γηθόσυνος δ᾽ ἵπποισιν ἀελλοπόδεσσιν ὀχεῖτο.

ὣς δ᾽ αὖ Τιθωνὸν χρυσόθρονος ἥρπασεν Ἠώς,

ὑμετέρης γενεῆς, ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισι.

Βῆ δ᾽ ἴμεν αἰτήσουσα κελαινεφέα Κρονίωνα,                   220

ἀθάνατόν τ᾽ εἶναι καὶ ζώειν ἤματα πάντα:

τῇ δὲ Ζεὺς ἐπένευσε καὶ ἐκρήηνεν ἐέλδωρ.

νηπίη, οὐδ᾽ ἐνόησε μετὰ φρεσὶ πότνια Ἠὼς

ἥβην αἰτῆσαι ξῦσαί τ᾽ ἄπο γῆρας ὀλοιόν.

τὸν δ᾽ ἦ τοι εἵως μὲν ἔχεν πολυήρατος ἥβη,                     225

Ἠοῖ τερπόμενος χρυσοθρόνῳ, ἠριγενείῃ

ναῖε παρ᾽ Ὠκεανοῖο ῥοῇς ἐπὶ πείρασι γαίης:

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πρῶται πολιαὶ κατέχυντο ἔθειραι

καλῆς ἐκ κεφαλῆς εὐηγενέος τε γενείου,

τοῦ δ᾽ ἦ τοι εὐνῆς μὲν ἀπείχετο πότνια Ἠώς,                    230

αὐτὸν δ᾽ αὖτ᾽ ἀτίταλλεν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔχουσα,

σίτῳ τ᾽ ἀμβροσίῃ τε καὶ εἵματα καλὰ διδοῦσα.

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ πάμπαν στυγερὸν κατὰ γῆρας ἔπειγεν,

οὐδέ τι κινῆσαι μελέων δύνατ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἀναεῖραι,

ἥδε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή:                  235

ἐν θαλάμῳ κατέθηκε, θύρας δ᾽ ἐπέθηκε φαεινάς.

τοῦ δ᾽ ἦ τοι φωνὴ ῥέει ἄσπετος, οὐδέ τι κῖκυς

ἔσθ᾽, οἵη πάρος ἔσκεν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσιν.

οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ γε σὲ τοῖον ἐν ἀθανάτοισιν ἑλοίμην

ἀθάνατόν τ᾽ εἶναι καὶ ζώειν ἤματα πάντα.                        240

ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν τοιοῦτος ἐὼν εἶδός τε δέμας τε

ζώοις ἡμέτερός τε πόσις κεκλημένος εἴης,

οὐκ ἂν ἔπειτά μ᾽ ἄχος πυκινὰς φρένας ἀμφικαλύπτοι.

νῦν δέ σε μὲν τάχα γῆρας ὁμοίιον ἀμφικαλύψει

νηλειές, τό τ᾽ ἔπειτα παρίσταται ἀνθρώποισιν,                245

οὐλόμενον, καματηρόν, ὅτε στυγέουσι θεοί περ.

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ μέγ᾽ ὄνειδος ἐν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν

ἔσσεται ἤματα πάντα διαμπερὲς εἵνεκα σεῖο,

οἳ πρὶν ἐμοὺς ὀάρους καὶ μήτιας, αἷς ποτε πάντας

ἀθανάτους συνέμιξα καταθνητῇσι γυναιξί,                      250

τάρβεσκον: πάντας γὰρ ἐμὸν δάμνασκε νόημα.

νῦν δὲ δὴ οὐκέτι μοι στόμα χείσεται ἐξονομῆναι

τοῦτο μετ᾽ ἀθανάτοισιν, ἐπεὶ μάλα πολλὸν ἀάσθην,

σχέτλιον, οὐκ ὀνοταστόν, ἀπεπλάγχθην δὲ νόοιο,

παῖδα δ᾽ ὑπὸ ζώνῃ ἐθέμην βροτῷ εὐνηθεῖσα.                 255

τὸν μέν, ἐπὴν δὴ πρῶτον ἴδῃ φάος ἠελίοιο,

Νύμφαι μιν θρέψουσιν ὀρεσκῷοι βαθύκολποι,

αἳ τόδε ναιετάουσιν ὄρος μέγα τε ζάθεόν τε:

αἵ ῥ᾽ οὔτε θνητοῖς οὔτ᾽ ἀθανάτοισιν ἕπονται.

δηρὸν μὲν ζώουσι καὶ ἄμβροτον εἶδαρ ἔδουσι                260

καί τε μετ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι καλὸν χορὸν ἐρρώσαντο.

τῇσι δὲ Σειληνοὶ καὶ ἐύσκοπος Ἀργειφόντης

μίσγοντ᾽ ἐν φιλότητι μυχῷ σπείων ἐροέντων.

τῇσι δ᾽ ἅμ᾽ ἢ ἐλάται ἠὲ δρύες ὑψικάρηνοι

γεινομένῃσιν ἔφυσαν ἐπὶ χθονὶ βωτιανείρῃ,                    265

καλαί, τηλεθάουσαι, ἐν οὔρεσιν ὑψηλοῖσιν.

ἑστᾶσ᾽ ἠλίβατοι, τεμένη δέ ἑ κικλήσκουσιν

ἀθανάτων: τὰς δ᾽ οὔ τι βροτοὶ κείρουσι σιδήρῳ:

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε κεν δὴ μοῖρα παρεστήκῃ θανάτοιο,

ἀζάνεται μὲν πρῶτον ἐπὶ χθονὶ δένδρεα καλά,                270

φλοιὸς δ᾽ ἀμφιπεριφθινύθει, πίπτουσι δ᾽ ἄπ᾽ ὄζοι,

τῶν δέ θ᾽ ὁμοῦ ψυχὴ λείπει φάος ἠελίοιο.

αἳ μὲν ἐμὸν θρέψουσι παρὰ σφίσιν υἱὸν ἔχουσαι.

τὸν μὲν ἐπὴν δὴ πρῶτον ἕλῃ πολυήρατος ἥβη,

ἄξουσίν σοι δεῦρο θεαὶ δείξουσί τε παῖδα.                      275

σοὶ δ᾽ ἐγώ, ὄφρα κε ταῦτα μετὰ φρεσὶ πάντα διέλθω,

ἐς πέμπτον ἔτος αὖτις ἐλεύσομαι υἱὸν ἄγουσα.

τὸν μὲν ἐπὴν δὴ πρῶτον ἴδῃς θάλος ὀφθαλμοῖσι,

γηθήσεις ὁρόων: μάλα γὰρ θεοείκελος ἔσται:

ἄξεις δ᾽ αὐτίκα νιν ποτὶ Ἴλιον ἠνεμόεσσαν.                       280

ἢν δέ τις εἴρηταί σε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων,

ἥ τις σοι φίλον υἱὸν ὑπὸ ζώνῃ θέτο μήτηρ,

τῷ δὲ σὺ μυθεῖσθαι μεμνημένος, ὥς σε κελεύω:

φάσθαι τοι Νύμφης καλυκώπιδος ἔκγονον εἶναι,

αἳ τόδε ναιετάουσιν ὄρος καταειμένον ὕλῃ.                     285

εἰ δέ κεν ἐξείπῃς καὶ ἐπεύξεαι ἄφρονι θυμῷ

ἐν φιλότητι μιγῆναι ἐυστεφάνῳ Κυθερείῃ,

Ζεύς σε χολωσάμενος βαλέει ψολόεντι κεραυνῷ.

εἴρηταί τοι πάντα: σὺ δὲ φρεσὶ σῇσι νοήσας,

ἴσχεο μηδ᾽ ὀνόμαινε, θεῶν δ᾽ ἐποπίζεο μῆνιν.                 290

ὣς εἰποῦσ᾽ ἤιξε πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἠνεμόεντα.

χαῖρε, θεά, Κύπροιο ἐυκτιμένης μεδέουσα:

σεῦ δ᾽ ἐγὼ ἀρξάμενος μεταβήσομαι ἄλλον ἐς ὕμνον.

---

Then Aphrodite the daughter of Zeus answered him:

“Anchises, most glorious of mortal men, take courage

and be not too fearful in your heart.

You need fear no harm from me

nor from the other blessed ones, for you are dear to the gods:               [195]

and you shall have a dear son who shall reign among the Trojans,

and children's children after him, springing up continually.

 His name shall be Aeneas,¹ because I felt awful grief

in that I laid me in the bed of a mortal man:

yet are those of your race always the most like to gods                [200]

of all mortal men in beauty and in stature.²

Verily wise Zeus carried off golden-haired Ganymedes

because of his beauty, to be amongst the Deathless Ones

and pour drink for the gods in the house of Zeus —

a wonder to see—,honored by all the immortals                           [205]

as he draws the red nectar from the golden bowl.

But grief that could not be soothed filled the heart of Tros;

for he knew not whither the heaven-sent whirlwind had caught up

his dear son, so that he mourned him always, unceasingly,

until Zeus pitied him and gave him high-stepping horses                           [210]

such as carry the immortals as recompense for his son.

These he gave him as a gift. And at the command of Zeus,

the Guide, the slayer of Argus, told him all,

and how his son would be deathless and unageing, even as the gods.

So when Tros heard these tidings from Zeus, he no longer                        [215]

kept mourning but rejoiced in his heart

and rode joyfully with his storm-footed horses.

So also golden-throned Eos rapt away Tithonus

who was of your race and like the deathless gods.

And she went to ask the dark-clouded Son of Cronos                                 [220]

that he should be deathless and live eternally;

and Zeus bowed his head to her prayer and fulfilled her desire.

Too simple was queenly Eos: she thought not in her heart

to ask youth for him and to strip him of the slough of deadly age.

So while he enjoyed the sweet flower of life he lived                                  [225]

rapturously with golden-throned Eos, the early-born,

by the streams of Ocean, at the ends of the earth;

but when the first grey hairs began to ripple

from his comely head and noble chin,

queenly Eos kept away from his bed,                                                              [230]

though she cherished him in her house

and nourished him with food and ambrosia and gave him rich clothing.

But when loathsome old age pressed full upon him,

and he could not move nor lift his limbs,

this seemed to her in her heart the best counsel:                                        [235]

she laid him in a room and put to the shining doors.

There he babbles endlessly, and no more has strength at all,

such as once he had in his supple limbs.

I would not have you be deathless among the deathless gods

and live continually after such sort. Yet if you could live on                       [240]

such as now you are in look and in form,

and be called my husband,

sorrow would not then enfold my careful heart.

But, as it is, harsh old age will soon enshroud you —

ruthless age which stands someday at the side of every man,                   [245]

deadly, wearying, dreaded even by the gods.

And now because of you I shall have great shame

among the deathless gods henceforth, continually.

For until now they feared my jibes and the wiles

by which, or soon or late,

I mated all the immortals with mortal women,                                             [250]

making them all subject to my will.

But now my mouth shall no more have this power among the gods;

for very great has been my madness, my miserable

and dreadful madness, and I went astray out of my mind

who have gotten a child beneath my girdle, mating with a mortal man.               [255]

As for the child, as soon as he sees the light of the sun,

the deep-breasted mountain Nymphs who inhabit

this great and holy mountain shall bring him up.

They rank neither with mortals nor with immortals:

long indeed do they live, eating heavenly food                                            [260]

and treading the lovely dance among the immortals,

and with them the Sileni and the sharp-eyed Slayer of Argus

mate in the depths of pleasant caves;

but at their birth pines or high-topped oaks

spring up with them upon the fruitful earth,                                                 [265]

beautiful, flourishing trees, towering high upon the lofty mountains

and men call them holy places of the immortals,

and never mortal lops them with the axe);

but when the fate of death is near at hand,

first those lovely trees wither where they stand,                                         [270]

and the bark shrivels away about them, and the twigs fall down,

and at last the life of the Nymph and of the tree leave the light of the sun together.

These Nymphs shall keep my son with them and rear him,

and as soon as he is come to lovely boyhood,

the goddesses will bring him here to you and show you your child.                       [275]

But, that I may tell you all that I have in mind,

I will come here again towards the fifth year and bring you my son.

So soon as ever you have seen him —a scion to delight the eyes —,

you will rejoice in beholding him; for he shall be most godlike:

them bring him at once to windy Ilion. And if any mortal man ask you                  [280]

who got your dear son beneath her girdle,

remember to tell him as I bid you:

say he is the offspring of one of the flower-like Nymphs

who inhabit this forest-clad hill. But if you tell all                                         [285]

and foolishly boast that you lay with rich-crowned Aphrodite,

Zeus will smite you in his anger with a smoking thunderbolt.

Now I have told you all. Take heed:

refrain and name me not, but have regard to the anger of the gods.”              [290]

When the goddess had so spoken, she soared up to windy heaven.

Hail, goddess, queen of well-builded Cyprus!

with you have I begun; now I will turn me to another hymn.

---

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. The name Aeneas is here connected with the epithet ainos (awful): similarly the name Odysseus is derived (in Od. i. 62) from ὀδυσσομαι (I grieve).

2. Aphrodite extenuates her disgrace by claiming that the race of Anchises is almost divine, as is shown in the persons of Ganymedes and Tithonus.