The Orphic Hymns
eBook - ePub

The Orphic Hymns

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Orphic Hymns

About this book

The best-selling English translation of the mysterious and cosmic Greek poetry known as the Orphic Hymns.

At the very beginnings of the Archaic Age, the great singer Orpheus taught a new religion that centered around the immortality of the human soul and its journey after death. He felt that achieving purity by avoiding meat and refraining from committing harm further promoted the pursuit of a peaceful life. Elements of the worship of Dionysus, such as shape-shifting and ritualistic ecstasy, were fused with Orphic beliefs to produce a powerful and illuminating new religion that found expression in the mystery cults. Practitioners of this new religion composed a great body of poetry, much of which is translated in The Orphic Hymns.

The hymns presented in this book were anonymously composed somewhere in Asia Minor, most likely in the middle of the third century AD. At this turbulent time, the Hellenic past was fighting for its survival, while the new Christian faith was spreading everywhere. The Orphic Hymns thus reflect a pious spirituality in the form of traditional literary conventions. The hymns themselves are devoted to specific divinities as well as to cosmic elements. Prefaced with offerings, strings of epithets invoke the various attributes of the divinity and prayers ask for peace and health to the initiate. Apostolos N. Athanassakis and Benjamin M. Wolkow have produced an accurate and elegant translation accompanied by rich commentary.

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Yes, you can access The Orphic Hymns by Apostolos N. Athanassakis,Benjamin M. Wolkow in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Greek Ancient History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Preface
  6. Introduction
  7. The Orphic Hymns
  8. Orpheus to Mousaios
  9. 1. To Hekate
  10. 2. To Prothyraia
  11. 3. To Night
  12. 4. To Sky
  13. 5. To Ether
  14. 6. To Protogonos
  15. 7. To the Stars
  16. 8. To the Sun
  17. 9. To Selene
  18. 10. To Physis
  19. 11. To Pan
  20. 12. To Herakles
  21. 13. To Kronos
  22. 14. To Rhea
  23. 15. To Zeus
  24. 16. To Hera
  25. 17. To Poseidon
  26. 18. To Plouton
  27. 19. To Zeus the Thunderbolt
  28. 20. To Astrapaios Zeus
  29. 21. To the Clouds
  30. 22. To the Sea
  31. 23. To Nereus
  32. 24. To the Nereids
  33. 25. To Proteus
  34. 26. To Earth
  35. 27. To the Mother of the Gods
  36. 28. To Hermes
  37. 29. Hymn to Persephone
  38. 30. To Dionysos
  39. 31. Hymn to the Kouretes
  40. 32. To Athene
  41. 33. To Nike
  42. 34. To Apollon
  43. 35. To Leto
  44. 36. To Artemis
  45. 37. To the Titans
  46. 38. To the Kouretes
  47. 39. To Korybas
  48. 40 To Eleusinian Demeter
  49. 41. To Mother Antaia
  50. 42. To Mise
  51. 43. To the Seasons
  52. 44 To Semele
  53. 45. Hymn to Dionysos Bassareus and Triennial
  54. 46. To Liknites
  55. 47. To Perikionios
  56. 48. To Sabazios
  57. 49. To Hipta
  58. 50. To Lysios Lenaios
  59. 51. To the Nymphs
  60. 52. To the God of Triennial Feasts
  61. 53. To the God of Annual Feasts
  62. 54. To Silenos Satyros and the Bacchae
  63. 55. To Aphrodite
  64. 56. To Adonis
  65. 57. To Chthonic Hermes
  66. 58. To Eros
  67. 59. To the Fates
  68. 60. To the Graces
  69. 61. Hymn to Nemesis
  70. 62. To Dike
  71. 63. To Justice
  72. 64. Hymn to Nomos
  73. 65. To Ares
  74. 66. To Hephaistos
  75. 67. To Asklepios
  76. 68. To Hygeia
  77. 69. To the Erinyes
  78. 70. To the Eumenides
  79. 71. To Melinoe
  80. 72. To Tyche
  81. 73. To Daimon
  82. 74. To Leukothea
  83. 75. To Palaimon
  84. 76. To the Muses
  85. 77. To Mnemosyne
  86. 78. To Dawn
  87. 79. To Themis
  88. 80. To Boreas
  89. 81. To Zephyros
  90. 82. To Notos
  91. 83. To Okeanos
  92. 84. To Hestia
  93. 85. To Sleep
  94. 86. To Dream
  95. 87. To Death
  96. Notes
  97. Select Bibliography
  98. Index Nominum
  99. Index Locorum