Homeric Hymn 18: To Hermes

About the Poem

The eighteenth Homeric Hymn is a complete 12-line invocation to Hermes, a short companion piece to the great narrative Hymn 4 (580 lines). Where Hymn 4 tells the full story of Hermes’ birth, the invention of the lyre, and the cattle raid, Hymn 18 is a prooemial condensation: it identifies the god (son of Maia and Zeus, born in a shadowy cave on Cyllene in Arcadia), notes the secrecy of his birth (while Hera slept, unknown to gods and mortals), and closes with an elegant double greeting — “Hail, Son of Zeus and Maia; with you I have begun… Hail, Hermes, giver of grace, guide, and giver of good things!”

Complete Text

Greek (Homeric)

Ἑρμῆν ἀείδω Κυλλήνιον Ἀργεϊφόντην, Κυλλήνης μεδέοντα καὶ Ἀρκαδίης πολυμήλου, Ἄγγελον ἀθανάτων ἐριούνιον, ὃν τέκε Μαῖα, Ἄτλαντος θυγάτηρ, Διὶ μιχθεῖσ’ ἐν φιλότητι, αἰδοίη· μακάρων δὲ θεῶν ἤλευαθ’ ὅμιλον, ἄντρον ἔσω ναίουσα παλίσκιον, ἔνθα Κρονίων νύμφῃ ἐϋπλοκάμῳ μίσγεσκε νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ, εὖτε κατεῖχεν Ἥραν λευκώλενον ἡδὺς ὕπνος· οὐδέ τε τὸν γε θεοὶ μάκαρες οὐδέ τε θνητοὶ ᾔδεσαν. χαῖρ’ υἱὲ Διὸς καὶ Μαίας· σοὶ δ’ ἐγὼ ἀρξάμενος μεταβήσομ’ ἀοιδῆς ἄλλης· χαῖρε Ἑρμεῖα, χαριδῶτα, ἡγήτορ, δωτὴρ ἐάων.

(Full Greek text at Perseus Digital Library, link below.)

English (Hugh G. Evelyn-White, 1914 — public domain)

[1] 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 made with Zeus, — a shy goddess she. 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.

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!

The Epithets of Hermes

The hymn packs several of Hermes’ most important epithets into 12 lines:

• Κυλλήνιος (Kullēnios): “Cyllenian” — from Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, his birthplace
• Ἀργεϊφόντης (Argeiphontēs): “Slayer of Argus” — referring to his killing of the hundred-eyed giant Argus who guarded Io; an ancient epithet whose meaning was already debated in antiquity
• ἐριούνιος (erioúnios): “luck-bringing,” a Homeric epithet connoting abundance and good fortune
• χαριδῶτα (charidōta): “giver of grace/charm”
• ἡγήτορ (hēgētōr): “guide, leader” — referring to his role as psychopomp, guide of souls to the underworld
• δωτὴρ ἐάων (dōtēr eāōn): “giver of good things” — the beneficent aspect of the god of exchange and commerce

The image of Zeus and Maia meeting at dead of night while Hera slept parallels the similar description in Hymn 4 and emphasizes the secrecy and transgressive energy of Hermes’ divine conception.

Citations

• Evelyn-White, H. G. (trans.). Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns and Homerica. Loeb Classical Library 57. Harvard University Press, 1914. Public domain. https://www.theoi.com/Text/HomericHymns3.html
• Johnston, Sarah Iles. “Hermes.” In The Oxford Classical Dictionary. 4th ed. Oxford, 2012.
• Brown, Norman O. Hermes the Thief. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1947.
• See also Homeric Hymn 4 (the long narrative hymn to Hermes).
• Perseus Digital Library, Homeric Hymns (Greek text): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0137:hymn=18