Homeric Hymn to Demeter

I begin to sing of lovely-haired Demeter, the awesome goddess,
Of her and her slender-ankled daughter whom Zeus,
far-seeing and loud-thundering, gave to Aidoneus to abduct.
Away from her mother of the golden sword and the splendid fruit
she played with the full-bosomed daughters of Okeanos,
gathering flowers, roses, crocuses, and beautiful violets
all over a soft meadow; irises, too, and hyacinths she picked,
and narcissus, which Gaia, pleasing the All-receiver,
made blossom there, by the will of Zeus, for a girl with a flower's beauty.
A lure it was, wondrous and radiant, and a marvel to be seen
By immortal gods and mortal men.
 A hundred stems of sweet-smelling blossoms
grew from its roots. The wide sky above
and the whole earth and the briny swell of the sea laughed.

She was dazzled and reached out with both hands at once
to take the lovely delight; Earth with its wide roads gaped
and then over the Nysian field the lord and All-receiver,
the many-named son of Kronos, sprang out upon her with his immortal horses .
Against her will he seized her and on his golden chariot
carried her away as she wailed; and she raised a shrill cry,
calling upon father Kronides, the highest and the best.
None of the immortals or of mortal men heard
her voice,
not even the olive trees bearing splendid fruit.
Only the gentle-tempered daughter of Persaios,
Hekate of the shining headband, heard from her cave,
and lord Helios, the splendid son of Hyperion, heard
the maiden calling father Kronides; he sat
apart from the gods away in the temple of prayers,
accepting beautiful sacrifices from mortal men.

By Zeus's counsels, his brother, the All-receiver
and Ruler of Many, Kronos's son of many names,
was carrying her away with his immortal horses, against her will.
So while the goddess looked upon the earth and the starry sky
and upon the swift-flowing sea teeming with fish
and the rays of the sun and still hoped to see
her loving mother and the races of gods immortal,
hope charmed her great mind, despite her grief.
The peaks of the mountains and the depths of the sea resounded
with her immortal voice, and her mighty mother heard her.
A sharp pain gripped her heart, and she tore
the headband round her divine hair with her own hands.
From both of her shoulders she cast down her dark veil
and rushed like a bird over the nourishing land and the sea,
searching; but none of the gods or mortal men
wanted to tell her the truth and none
of the birds of omen came to her as truthful messenger.

For nine days then all over the earth mighty Deo
roamed about with bright torches in her hands,
and in her sorrow never tasted ambrosia
or nectar sweet to drink, and never bathed her skin.
But when the tenth light-bringing Dawn came to her,
Hekate carrying a light in her hands, met her,
and with loud voice spoke to her and told her the news:

"Mighty Demeter, bringer of seasons and splendid gifts,
which of the heavenly gods or of mortal men
seized Persephone and pierced with sorrow your dear heart?
For I heard a voice but did not see with my eyes
who it was; I am quickly telling you the whole truth.”

Thus spoke Hekate. And to her the daughter of lovely-haired Rhea
answered not a word, but with her she sped away
swiftly, holding the bright torches in her hands.

They came to Helios, watcher of gods and men,
and stood near his horses, and the illustrious goddess made a plea:

"Helios, do have respect for me as a goddess, if I ever
cheered your heart and soul by word or deed.
Through the barren ether I heard the shrieking voice
of my daughter famous for her beauty, a sweet flower at birth,
as if she were being overcome by force, but I saw nothing.
And since you do gaze down upon the whole earth
and sea and cast your rays through the bright ether,
tell me truly if you have seen anywhere
what god or even mortal man in my absence
seized by force my dear child and went away"

Thus she spoke and Hyperionides gave her an answer:
"Lady Demeter, daughter of lovely-haired Rhea,
you shall know; for I greatly reverence and pity you
in your grief for your slender-ankled child; no other immortal
is to be blamed save cloud-gathering Zeus
who gave her to Hades, his own brother, to become
his buxom bride. He seized her and with his horses
carried her crying loud down to misty darkness.
But, goddess, stop your great wailing; you mustn't give
yourself to grief so great and fruitless. Not an unseemly
bridegroom among immortals is Aidoneus, lord of many,
your own brother from the same seed; to his share fell
honor when in the beginning a triple division was made,
and he dwells among those over whom his lot made him lord."

With these words, he called upon his horses, and at his command speedily, like long-winged birds, they drew the swift chariot,
as a pain more awful and savage reached Demeter's soul.
Afterwards, angered with Kronion, lord of black clouds,
she withdrew from the assembly of the gods and from lofty Olympos
and went through the cities of men and the wealth of their labors,
tearing at her fair form for a long time; no man
or deep-girded woman looking at her knew who she was
before she reached the house of prudent Keleos,
who then was lord of Eleusis, a town rich in sacrifices.

Grieving in her dear heart, she sat near the road,
at Parthenion, the well from which the citizens drew water,
in the shade of a bushy olive tree which grew above it.
She looked like an old woman born a long time ago
and barred from childbearing and the gifts of wreath-loving Aphrodite,
even as are nurses for the children of law-tending
kings and keepers of the storerooms in their bustling mansions.
The daughters of Keleos Eleusinides saw her
as they were coming to fetch easily-drawn water
in copper vessels to their father's dear halls,
four of them in their maidenly bloom, like goddesses,
Kallidike, Kleisidike, and Demo the lovely,
and Kallithoe, who was the eldest of them all.
They did not know who she was; it is hard for mortals to see divinity.

Standing near they addressed her with winged words:
"Old woman, whence and from what older generation do you come?
Why have you wandered away from the city and not approached
our house? There in the shadowy halls live
women of your age and even younger ones
who will treat you kindly in both word and deed."

After these words, the mighty goddess answered:
"Dear children, whoever of ladylike women you are,
I greet you and will explain; indeed it is fitting
to tell you the truth, since you are asking.
Dos is the name which my mighty mother gave me.
And now from Crete on the broad back of the sea
I came unwillingly; marauding men by brute force
carried me off against my will, and later
they landed their swift ship at Thorikos, where the women
came out in a body and the men themselves
prepared a meal by the stern-cables of the ship.
But my heart had no desire for the evening's sweet meal;
I eluded them and, rushing through the black land,
I fled my reckless masters, so that they might not enjoy
the benefit of my price, since, like thieves, they carried me across the sea.
So I have wandered to this place and know not at all
what land this is and what men live in it.
But may all who dwell in the Olympian halls
grant you men to wed and bear children
as your parents wish; and now have mercy on me, maidens,
and, dear children, kindly let me go to someone's house,
a man's and a woman's, to work for them
in such tasks as befit a woman past her prime.
I shall be a good nurse to a newborn child,
holding him in my arms; I shall take care of the house,
and make the master's bed in the innermost part
of the well-built chamber and mind his wife's work."

So said the goddess, and forthwith Kallidike, still a pure virgin
and the most beautiful of Keleos's daughters, replied:
"Good mother, men must take the gifts of the gods
even when they bring them pain, since gods are truly much stronger.
I shall advise you clearly and give you the names
of the men who have great power and honor in this place;
these are the leaders of the people who defend the towers
of the city by their counsels and straight judgments.
They are Triptolemos, shrewd in counsel, and Dioklos,
Polyxeinos, and Eumolpos, untainted by blame,
Dolichos and our manly father,
and everyone has a wife managing his mansion.
No woman there, when she first looks upon you,
will dishonor your appearance and remove you from the mansion,
but each will receive you, for indeed you look like a goddess.
If you wish, wait here for us to go to the mansion
of our father and tell our deep-girded mother, Metaneira,
all these things from beginning to end, hoping that
she will bid you come to our mansion and not search for another's.
A growing son is being reared in the well-built mansion,
born late in her life, much wished for and welcome.
If you should bring him up to reach puberty,
some tender woman seeing you could easily
be envious;
such rewards for rearing him she'll give you."

So she spoke, and the goddess nodded her head in assent,
and they proudly carried their shining vessels filled with water.
Swiftly they reached their father's great mansion and quickly told
their mother what they had seen and heard. And she commanded them
to go forthwith and invite her to come for generous wages.
And they, as deer or heifers in the season of spring
sated in their hearts with pasture frisk over a meadow,
held up the folds of their lovely robes
and darted along the hollow wagon-road, as their flowing hair
tossed about their shoulders, like the flowers of the crocus.
They met the glorious goddess near the road where
they had left her before; and then they led her to their father's
house. And the goddess walked behind them, brooding
in her dark heart, with her head covered, while a dark
cloak swirled about her tender feet.

Soon they reached the house of Zeus-cherished Keleos
and through the portico they went where their lady mother
sat by a pillar, which supported the close-fitted roof,
holding a young child, a young blossom, on her lap;
they ran
near her, and the goddess stepped on the threshold and touched
the roof with her head and filled the doorway with divine radiance.
Awe, reverence, and pale fear seized the mother;
and she yielded her seat to the goddess and asked her to sit.
But Demeter, the bringer of seasons and splendid gifts,
did not want to sit on the lustrous seat;
she kept silent and cast down her beautiful eyes
until Iambe, knowing her duties, placed in front of her
a well-fitted seat and over it she threw a white fleece.
Demeter sat on it and held, in front of her, a veil,
remaining on the seat for long, speechless and brooding,
doing nothing and speaking to nobody.
And without laughing or tasting food and drink
she sat pining with longing for her deep-girded daughter
until Iambe, knowing her duties, with her jokes
and many jests induced the pure and mighty one
to smile and laugh and have a gracious temper.
At later times, too, Iambe was able to please her moods.

Metaneira now filled a cup with wine and gave it
to her, but she refused it; it was not right for her, she said,
to drink red wine. She asked them to give her a drink of
barley-meal and water mixed with tender pennyroyal.
She mixed the drink and gave it to the goddess, as she had asked,
and mighty Deo accepted it, complying with holy custom.
Then among them fair-girded Metaneira started speaking.

"I salute you, lady, because I think you were born to noble
and not to lowly parents. Modesty and grace show
in your eyes, as if you were the child of lawgiving kings.
But man must take the gifts of the gods even when they are
grieved by them, for on their necks there is a yoke.
And now since you have come here, what is mine will be yours.
Nurture this child of mine, unexpected and late-born,
a gift of the gods, in answer to my many prayers.
If you should bring him up to reach the age of puberty,
some tender woman may look upon you with envy;
such rewards for rearing him I will give you.”

Fair-wreathed Demeter addressed her in turn:
"I salute you too, lady; may the gods grant you good
things. I will gladly accept the child as you ask me.
I will nurture him and I don't think that for his nurse's foolishness
either a spell or the Undercutter will harm him.
I know a remedy by far mightier than the tree-felling creature,
and for harmful bewitching I know a noble antidote."

With these words she received him to her fragrant bosom
and immortal arms, and the mother rejoiced in her heart.
Thus the fine son of prudent Keleos,
Demophoon, to whom fair-girded Metaneira gave birth,
was nurtured by her in the palace; and he grew up like a god,
not eating food or nursing at his mother's breast.
As if he were the child of a god, Demeter anointed him with ambrosia,
holding him to her bosom and breathing on him sweetly:
At night she hid him like a firebrand in the blazing fire,
secretly from his dear parents. To them it was a miracle
how he blossomed forth and looked like the gods.
And she would have made him ageless and immortal,
if fair-girded Metaneira, thinking foolish thoughts
and keeping watch by night from her fragrant chamber,
had not seen her; she raised a cry, then struck her thighs
in fear for her child, and blindness entered her mind.
She wept and spoke winged words:

"Demophoon, my child, this stranger hides you
in a great fire, bringing me grief and painful care."

Thus she spoke wailing, and the splendid goddess heard her.
The shafts ofterrible anger shot through Demeter,
the fair-wreathed, who then with her immortal hands
took from the blazing fire and placed on the ground
the dear child born in the queen's mansion,
and at the same time addressed fair-girded Metaneira:

"Men are too foolish to know ahead of time
the measure of good and evil which is yet to come.
You too were greatly blinded by your foolishness.
The relentless water of the Styx by which gods swear
be my witness. I would have made your dear son
ageless and immortal, honored forever,
but now he cannot escape the fate of death.
Yet honor everlasting shall be his because
he climbed on my knees and slept in my arms.
In due time and as the years revolve for him,
the sons of the Eleusinians will join in war
and dreadful battle against each other forever.
I am Demeter the honored, the greatest
benefit and joy to undying gods and to mortals.
But come now, let all the people build me
a great temple and beneath it an altar under the steep walls
of the city, above Kallichoron, on the rising hill.
I myself shall introduce rites so that later
you may propitiate my mind by their right performance."

With these words the goddess changed her size and form
and sloughed off old age, as beauty was wafted about her.
From her fragrant veils a lovely smell
emanated, and from the immortal skin of the goddess a light
shone afar, as her blond hair streamed down over her shoulders,
and the sturdy mansion was filled with radiance as if from lightning. Out she went through the mansion. The queen staggered,
and she remained speechless for a long time, forgetting
to pick her growing child up from the floor.
His sisters heard his pitiful voice,
and they ran from their well-spread beds; and then one
took up the child in her arms and held him to her bosom.
Another revived the fire and yet a third rushed
with her tender feet to rouse her mother from her fragrant chamber.
They gathered round the squirming child, bathed him,
and fondled him, but his heart was not soothed,
for surely lesser nurses and governesses held him now.

All night long they propitiated the glorious goddess,
quaking with fear, and as soon as dawn appeared
they told the truth to Keleos, whose power reached far,
as the fair-wreathed goddess Demeter had ordered them.
He then called to assembly the people of every district
and bade them build a lavish temple to lovely-haired Demeter
and make an altar on the rising hill.
They listened to his speech, obeyed it forthwith, and built
the temple according to divine decree and royal order.
Now when they finished the temple and refrained from labor,
each man went to his home, but blond Demeter,
sitting there apart from all the blessed ones,
kept on wasting with longing for her deep-girded daughter.

On to the much-nourishing earth she brought a year
most dreadful and harsh for men; no seed
in the earth sprouted, for fair-wreathed Demeter concealed it.
In vain the oxen drew many curved plows over the fields,
and in vain did much white barley fall into the furrows.
And she would have destroyed the whole race of mortal men
with painful famine and would have deprived
the Olympians of the glorious honor of gifts and sacrifices,
if Zeus had not perceived this and pondered in his mind.

First he sent golden-winged Iris to invite
the lovely-haired Demeter of the fair form.
He spoke to her and she obeyed Zeus, the son of Kronos and lord
of dark clouds, and ran swiftly midway between earth and heaven.
She reached the town of Eleusis rich in sacrifices,
found the dark-veiled Demeter in the temple
and spoke, uttering winged words to her:

"Demeter, Zeus the father, whose wisdom never wanes,
invites you to come among the tribes of the immortal gods.
But come and let not the word of Zeus be unaccomplished."

Thus she spoke begging her, but her mind was not persuaded.
So then again the father sent forth all the blessed
immortal gods. They ran to her, and each in his turn
summoned her and gave her many beautiful gifts
and whatever honors she might want to choose among the immortals.
But no one could persuade the mind and thought
of the angry goddess who stubbornly spurned their offers.
She said she would never set foot on fragrant Olympos
and never allow the grain in the earth to sprout forth
before seeing with her eyes her daughter's lovely face.

So when loud-thundering, far-seeing Zeus heard this,
he sent Argeiphontes of the golden wand to Erebos.
His mission was to win Hades over with gentle words,
and bring Persephone out of misty darkness
to light and among the gods, so that her mother
might see her with her own eyes and desist from anger.
Hermes did not disobey and, leaving his Olympian seat,
with eager speed he plunged deep into the earth.

He found the lord inside his dwelling,
sitting on his bed with his revered spouse; she was
in many ways reluctant and missed her mother, who now
had a plan apart from the blessed gods and their deeds.
Mighty Argeiphontes stood near and addressed him:

"Hades, dark-haired lord of those who have perished,
Zeus the father bids you bring noble Persephone
out of Erebos and among the gods, so that her mother
may see her with her own eyes and desist from anger
and dreadful wrath against the gods; because she is plotting
greatly to destroy the feeble races of earth-born men.
The seed will be hidden under the earth and the immortals will lose
their honors. Her anger is dreadful, and she does not mingle
with the gods, but apart from them in a fragrant temple
she sits, dwelling in the rocky town of Eleusis."

Thus he spoke and Aidoneus, lord of the netherworld,
with smiling brows obeyed the behests of Zeus the king
and speedily gave his command to prudent-minded Persephone:

"Persephone, go to your dark-robed mother,
with a gentle spirit and temper in your breast,
and in no way be more dispirited than the other gods.
I shall not be an unfitting husband among the immortals,
as I am father Zeus's own brother. When you are here
you shall be mistress of everything which lives and moves;
your honors among the immortals shall be the greatest,
and those who wrong you shall always be punished,
if they do not appease your spirit with sacrifices,
performing sacred rites and making due offerings."

Thus he spoke and wise Persephone rejoiced
and swiftly sprang up for joy, but he himself
gave her to eat a honey-sweet pomegranate seed,
contriving secretly about her, so that she might not spend
all her days again with dark-robed, revered Demeter.
Aidoneus, ruler of many, harnessed nearby
the immortal horses to the golden chariot.
She mounted the chariot, and next to her mighty Argeiphontes
took the reins and the whip in his own hands
and sped out of the halls, as the horses flew readily.

Soon they reached the end of the long path, and neither
the sea nor the water of rivers nor the grassy glens
and mountain-peaks checked the onrush of the immortal horses,
but they went over all these, traversing the lofty air.
He drove them and then halted near the fragrant temple
where fair-wreathed Demeter stayed. When she saw them,
she rushed like a maenad in a shady woodland on the mountains.
Persephone on her part, when she saw the beautiful eyes
Of her mother, leaving chariot and horses, leaped down
to run and to throw her arms round her mother's neck.
And as Demeter still held her dear child in her arms,
her mind suspected trickery, and in awful fear she withdrew
from fondling her and forthwith asked her a question:

"Child, when you were below, did you perchance partake
of food? Speak out, that we both may know.
If your answer is no, coming up from loathsome Hades,
you shall dwell both with me and with father Kronion,
lord of dark clouds, honored by all the immortals.
Otherwise, you shall fly and go to the depths of the earth
to dwell there a third of the seasons in the year,
spending two seasons with me and the other immortals.
Whenever the earth blooms with every kind of sweet-smelling
springflower, you shall come up again from misty darkness,
a great wonder for gods and mortal men.
With what trick did the mighty All-receiver deceive you?"

Facing her now, beautiful Persephone replied:
"Surely, Mother, I shall tell you the whole truth.
When Hermes, the helpful swift messenger, came
from father Zeus and the other heavenly dwellers
to fetch me from Erebos, so that seeing me with your own eyes
you might desist from your anger and dreadful wrath against the immortals,
I myself sprang up for joy, but Aidoneus slyly placed
in my hands a pomegranate seed, sweet as honey to eat.
Against my will and by force he made me taste of it.
How he abducted me through the shrewd scheming of Kronides,
my father, and rode away carrying me to the depths of the earth
I shall explain and rehearse every point as you are asking.
All of us maidens in a delightful meadow,
Leukippe, Phaino, Electra, Ianthe,
Melite, Iache, Rhodeia, Kallirhoe,
Melobosis, Tyche, Okyrhoe with a face like a flower,
Chryseis, Ianeira, Akaste, Admete,
Rhodope, Plouto, lovely Kalypso,
Styx, Ourania, charming Galaxaura,
battle-stirring Pallas, and arrow-pouring Artemis,
were playing and picking lovely flowers with our hands,
mingling soft crocuses and irises with hyacinths
and the flowers of the rose and lilies, a wonder to the eye,
and the narcissus which the wide earth grows crocus-colored.
So I myself was picking them with joy, but the earth beneath
gave way and from it the mighty lord and All-receiver
leaped out. He carried me under the earth in his golden chariot,
though I resisted and shouted with shrill voice.
I am telling you the whole truth, even though it grieves me."

So then all day long, being one in spirit,
they warmed each other's hearts and minds in many ways
with loving embraces, and an end to sorrow came for their hearts,
as they took joys from each other and gave in return.
Hekate of the shining headband came near them
and many times lovingly touched the daughter of pure Demeter.
From then on this lady became her attendant and follower.

Far-seeing, loud-thundering Zeus sent them a messenger,
lovely-haired Rhea, to bring her dark-veiled mother
among the races of the gods, promising to give her
whatever honors she might choose among the immortal gods.
With a nod of his head he promised that, as the year revolved,
her daughter could spend one portion of it in the misty darkness
and the other two with her mother and the other immortals.
He spoke and the goddess did not disobey the behests of Zeus.
Speedily she rushed down from the peaks of Olympos
and came to Rharion, life-giving udder of the earth
in the past, and then no longer life-giving but lying idle
without a leaf. It was now hiding the white barley
according to the plan of fair-ankled Demeter, but later
the fields would be plumed with long ears of grain,
as the spring waxed, and the rich furrows on the ground
would teem with ears to be bound into sheaves by withes.
There she first landed from the unharvested ether.
Joyfully they beheld each other and rejoiced in their hearts;
and Rhea of the shining headband addressed her thus:

"Come, child! Far-seeing, loud-thundering Zeus invites you
to come among the races of the gods and promises to give you
whatever honors you wish among the immortal gods.
With a nod ofhis head he promised you that, as the year revolves,
your daughter could spend one portion of it in the misty darkness
and the other two with you and the other immortals.
With a nod of his head he said it would thus be brought to pass.
But obey me, my child! Come and do not nurse
unrelenting anger against Kronion, lord of dark clouds;
soon make the life-giving seed grow for men."

Thus she spoke and fair-wreathed Demeter did not disobey,
but swiftly made the seed sprout out of the fertile fields.
The whole broad earth teemed with leaves and flowers;
and she went to the kings who administer the laws,
Triptolemos and Diokles, smiter of horses, and mighty Eumolpos
and Keleos, leader of the people, and showed them
the celebration of holy rites, and explained to all,
to Triptolemos, to Polyxeinos, and also to Diokles,
the awful mysteries not to be transgressed, violated,
or divulged, because the tongue is restrained by reverence for the gods.
Whoever on this earth has seen these is blessed,
but he who has no part in the holy rites has
another lot as he wastes away in dank darkness.

After splendid Demeter had counseled the kings in everything,
she and her daughter went to Olympos to be with the other gods.
There they dwell beside Zeus who delights in thunder,
commanding awe and reverence; thrice blessed is he
of men on this earth whom they gladly love.
Soon to his great house they send as guest
Ploutos, who brings wealth to mortal men.
But come now, you who dwell in the fragrant town of Eleusis,
sea-girt Paras and rocky Antron,
mighty mistress Deo, bringer of seasons and splendid gifts,
both you and your daughter, beauteous Persephone,
for my song kindly grant me possessions pleasing the heart,
and I shall remember you and another song, too.