Sacred Poetry: A hymn for Hygeia

Posted by Nikolaos Markoulakis

We are now at the middle of the writing project of the Epidaurian hymns (see previous: ‘to all the Gods’, ‘to Pan’ and ‘to Athena Pallas’). The hymn to Hygeia (Hygea, Hygia, Hygieia), the Goddess of health, is available without any comments or additional supplements (IG IV²,1 132). If you wish to provide a commentary or even a translation please do not hesitate to contact us.

[ὥρᾳ πρώτηι].


[Ὑγίεια, πρεσβίστα μακάρων, | μετ]ὰ σεῦ

[ναίοιμι τὸ λειπόμενον βίου, | σὺ δέ μοι πρ]όφρων

[ξυνείης. | εἰ γάρ τις ἢ πλούτου χάρις ἢ τεκ]έων |


[ἢ τᾶς ἰσοδαίμονος ἀνθρώποις βασιλ]ηΐδος

[ἀρχᾶς | ἢ πόθων, οὓς κρυφίοισ’ Ἀφροδίτ]α̣ς | ἄρκυσι

[θηρεύομεν, | ἢ εἴ τις ἄλλα θεόθεν ἀνθρώ]π̣οις

[τέρψις | ἢ πόνων ἀμπνοὰ πέφανται, | με]τὰ σεῖο,

[μάκαιρ’ Ὑγίεια, | τέθαλε πάντα καὶ λάμπ]ει Χαρίτων

5

[ὀάροις. | σέθεν δὲ χωρὶς οὔ τις εὐδαίμω]ν ἔφυ. #⁹⁰⁰ Ὑγείᾳ.

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