The ancient Greek hymnic tradition translated beautifully and accessibly.
The hymn—as poetry, as craft, as a tool for worship and philosophy—was a vital art form throughout antiquity. Although the Homeric Hymns have long been popular, other equally important collections have not been readily accessible to students eager to learn about ancient poetry. In reading hymns, we also gain valuable insight into life in the classical world. In this collection, early Homeric Hymns of uncertain authorship appear along with the carefully wrought hymns of the great Hellenistic poet and courtier Callimachus; the mystical writings attributed to the legendary poet Orpheus, written as Christianity was taking over the ancient world; and finally, the hymns of Proclus, the last great pagan philosopher of antiquity, from the fifth century AD, whose intellectual influence throughout western culture has been profound.
Greek Poems to the Gods distills over a thousand years of the ancient Greek hymnic tradition into a single volume. Acclaimed translator Barry B. Powell brings these fabulous texts to life in English, hewing closely to the poetic beauty of the original Greek. His superb introductions and notes give readers essential context, making the hymns as accessible to a beginner approaching them for the first time as to an advanced student continuing to explore their secrets. Brilliant illustrations from ancient art enliven and enrichen the experience of reading these poems.
By:
Barry B. Powell
Imprint: California Uni Pr Trade
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 197mm,
Width: 127mm,
Spine: 23mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9780520302877
ISBN 10: 0520302877
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 30 April 2021
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Illustrations List of Maps Introduction Meter and Performance Annotation; the Spelling of Ancient Names and Places; Greek Texts The Homeric Hymns The Hymns of Callimachus The Orphic Hymns The Hymns of Proclus 1. Zeus Homeric Hymn 23: To Zeus Callimachus Hymn 1: To Zeus Orphic Hymn 15: To Zeus Orphic Hymn 19: To Zeus the Thunderbolt Orphic Hymn 20: To Astrapaios Zeus 2. Hera Homeric Hymn 12: To Hera Orphic Hymn 16: To Hera 3. Poseidon Homeric Hymn 22: To Poseidon Orphic Hymn 17: To Poseidon 4. Athena Homeric Hymn 11: To Athena Homeric Hymn 28: To Athena Callimachus Hymn 5: To Athena; On the Baths of Pallas Orphic Hymn 32: To Athena Proclus Hymn 7: To Wise Athena 5. Demeter, Persephone, and Hades Homeric Hymn 2: To Demeter Homeric Hymn 13: To Demeter Callimachus Hymn 6: To Demeter Orphic Hymn 40: To Eleusinian Demeter Orphic Hymn 41: To Mother Antaia Orphic Hymn 29: To Persephone Orphic Hymn 18: To Plouton 6. Aphrodite Homeric Hymn 5: To Aphrodite Homeric Hymn 6: To Aphrodite Homeric Hymn 10: To Aphrodite Orphic Hymn 55: To Aphrodite Proclus Hymn 2: To Aphrodite Proclus Hymn 5: To the Lycian Aphrodite 7. Hephaistos Homeric Hymn 20: To Hephaistos Orphic Hymn 66: To Hephaistos 8. Apollo and the Muses Homeric Hymn 3: To Apollo Homeric Hymn 21: To Apollo Homeric Hymn 25: To The Muses and Apollo Callimachus Hymn 2: To Apollo Callimachus Hymn 4: To Delos Orphic Hymn 34: To Apollo Orphic Hymn 35: To Leto Orphic Hymn 76: To the Muses Proclus Hymn 3: To the Muses 9. Artemis Homeric Hymn 9: To Artemis Homeric Hymn 27: To Artemis Callimachus Hymn 3: To Artemis Orphic Hymn 36: To Artemis 10. Hermes and Pan Homeric Hymn 4: To Hermes Homeric Hymn 18: To Hermes Orphic Hymn 28: To Hermes Orphic Hymn 57: To Chthonic Hermes Homeric Hymn 19: To Pan Orphic Hymn 11: To Pan 11. Dionysos Homeric Hymn 1: To Dionysos Homeric Hymn 7: To Dionysos Homeric Hymn 26: To Dionysos Orphic Hymn 30: To Dionysos Orphic Hymn 45: To Dionysos Bassareus and Triennial Orphic Hymn 46: To Dionysos Liknites Orphic Hymn 47: To Dionysos Perikonios Orphic Hymn 50: To Dionysos Lysios Lenaios Orphic Hymn 52: To Dionysos, God of the Triennial Feasts Orphic Hymn 53: To Dionysos, God of Annual Feasts Orphic Hymn 44: To Semelê 12. Ares Homeric Hymn 8: To Ares Orphic Hymn 65: To Ares 13. Hestia Homeric Hymn 24: To Hestia Homeric Hymn 29: To Hestia Orphic Hymn 84: To Hestia 14. Sun, Moon, Earth, Hekatê, and All the Gods Homeric Hymns 31 and 32: To the Sun and the Moon Orphic Hymn 8: To the Sun Orphic Hymn 9: To the Moon Proclus Hymn 1: To Helios Homeric Hymn 30: To Earth Mother of All Orphic Hymn 26: To Earth Orphic Hymn 1: To Hekatê Proclus Hymn 6: To the Mother of the Gods, Hekatê, and Janus/Zeus Proclus Hymn 4: To All the Gods Bibliography Glossary/Index
Barry B. Powell is Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of Classical Myth, Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet, Writing and the Origins of Greek Literature; and translations of the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid; and many other books.
Reviews for Greek Poems to the Gods: Hymns from Homer to Proclus
A gem of a book. . . . Powell, who wears his learning as lightly as seersucker . . . is always sensitive to the Greek, and brings it across into clear, natural English, at the pitch-perfect register for the solemn or the ludic hymn. * Spectator * An impressive volume that we think lovers of poetry and of classical antiquity will appreciate. * Coffee with the Poets *
