Homeric Hymn to Hestia, 29
Hestia, you who have attained by lot an eternal seat,
The highest honor, in the lofty halls of everyone (2):
Both the immortal gods and men who walk on earth,
You have a fair gift and honor: for without you
There is no feast for mortals, where the leader (3) doesn’t
Pour out honey-sweet wine, first and last, for Hestia.
And you, Argos-killer, son of Zeus and Maia,
Messenger of the blessed ones (4), who carries a golden staff,
Giver of blessings, be gracious and come to my (5) aid
Along with she who is revered and dear.
Dwell in [these (6)] beautiful halls, having come to know friendship
In each other’s hearts: both of you, since you know the good deeds of
Earth-walking men, attend (7) to their wisdom and vitality.
Hail, daughter of Cronus, and you too, golden-staffed Hermes:
I will remember you and another song (8) as well.
Ἑστίη, ἣ πάντων ἐν δώμασιν ὑψηλοῖσιν
ἀθανάτων τε θεῶν χαμαὶ ἐρχομένων τ᾽ ἀνθρώπων
ἕδρην ἀίδιον ἔλαχες, πρεσβηίδα τιμήν,
καλὸν ἔχουσα γέρας καὶ τίμιον: οὐ γὰρ ἄτερ σοῦ
εἰλαπίναι θνητοῖσιν, ἵν᾽ οὐ πρώτῃ πυμάτῃ τε
Ἑστίῃ ἀρχόμενος σπένδει μελιηδέα οἶνον:
καὶ σύ μοι, Ἀργειφόντα, Διὸς καὶ Μαιάδος υἱέ,
ἄγγελε τῶν μακάρων, χρυσόρραπι, δῶτορ ἐάων,
ἵλαος ὢν ἐπάρηγε σὺν αἰδοίῃ τε φίλῃ τε.
ναίετε δώματα καλά, φίλα φρεσὶν ἀλλήλοισιν
εἰδότες: ἀμφότεροι γὰρ ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων
εἰδότες (1) ἔργματα καλὰ νόῳ θ᾽ ἕσπεσθε καὶ ἥβῃ.
χαῖρε, Κρόνου θύγατερ, σύ τε καὶ χρυσόρραπις Ἑρμῆς:
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ὑμέων τε καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομ᾽ ἀοιδῆς.
Notes:
I love the repetition of this word, with a slight alteration in meaning. The poet is having fun with us here.
Hestia lives both on the earth and in Olympus. She’s welcomed by everyone as a symbol of continued well-being and good fortune in domestic spaces.
I went back and forth with this (ἀρχόμενος) and settled on “leader,” but I don’t love it. It’s most likely referring to whoever presides over the feast; there’s some evidence of this word in association with religious preparations.
μακάρων is simply an adjective meaning “blessed.” It most likely means the “blessed gods,” since Hermes is known as the gods’ messenger. However, the word is used as a euphemism for the dead, to which Hermes is also connected as psychopomp, and for this reason I’ve left it ambiguous.
Picking up on the μοι in line 7.
I’m assuming this is the implication.
Not sure about this one…
A teaser for the next Homeric Hymn.
