---
title: "The Homeric Hymns · Ὁμηρικοὶ ὕμνοι"
author: "Homer"
translator: "Hugh G. Evelyn-White"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
section: 20 of 35
url: https://scriptura.si/works/homeric-hymns/20/
cite: "Homer, tr. Hugh G. Evelyn-White, The Homeric Hymns · Ὁμηρικοὶ ὕμνοι, section 20. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/homeric-hymns/20/"
---

# The Homeric Hymns · Ὁμηρικοὶ ὕμνοι

*Homer, tr. Hugh G. Evelyn-White*

Thirty-three hymns to the gods in Homer’s metre: Demeter searching for Persephone, the birth of Apollo on Delos, the infant Hermes stealing Apollo’s cattle and inventing the lyre, Aphrodite and Anchises, and short preludes to many more.

> Greek: ed. Hugh G. Evelyn-White, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0013.tlg001–tlg033, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Hugh G. Evelyn-White, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0013.tlg001–tlg033, perseus-eng2). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (line numbers), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## 20. Hymn 18 · To Hermes

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/homeric-hymns/20/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/homeric-hymns/20/#p-N

[¶0] I sing of Cyllenian Hermes, the Slayer of Argus, lord of Cyllene and Arcadia rich in flocks, luck-bringing messenger of the deathless gods. He was born of Maia, the daughter of Atlas, when she had mated with Zeus,— a shy goddess she.

> Greek: Ἑρμῆν ἀείδω Κυλλήνιον, Ἀργειφόντην,
Κυλλήνης μεδέοντα καὶ Ἀρκαδίης πολυμήλου,
ἄγγελον ἀθανάτων ἐριούνιον, ὃν τέκε Μαῖα,
Ατλαντος Ἄτλαντος θυγάτηρ, Διὸς ἐν φιλότητι μιγεῖσα, αἰδοίη·

[¶1] Ever she avoided the throng of the blessed gods and lived in a shadowy cave, and there the Son of Cronos used to lie with the rich-tressed nymph at dead of night, while white-armed Hera lay bound in sweet sleep: and neither deathless god nor mortal man knew it.

> Greek: μακάρων δὲ θεῶν ἀλέεινεν ὅμιλον,
ἄντρῳ ναιετάουσα παλισκίῳ· ἔνθα Κρονίων
νύμφῃ ἐυπλοκάμῳ μισγέσκετο νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ,
εὖτε κατὰ γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἔχοι λευκώλενον Ἥρην·
λάνθανε δ’ ἀθανάτους τε θεοὺς θνητούς τ’ ἀνθρώπους.

[¶2] And so hail to you, Son of Zeus and Maia; with you I have begun: now I will turn to another song! Hail, Hermes, giver of grace, guide, and giver of good things!

> Greek: καὶ σὺ μὲν οὕτω χαῖρε, Διὸς καὶ Μαιάδος υἱέ·
σεῦ δ’ ἐγὼ ἀρξάμενος μεταβήσομαι ἄλλον ἐς ὕμνον.
[χαῖρ’. Ἑρμῆ χαριδῶτα, διάκτορε, δῶτορ ἐάων.]