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Three Millennia of Greek Literature
 

R. W. Livingstone 
On the Ancient Greek Literature

From, R. W. Livingstone, Literature,
in R.W. Livingstone (ed.), The Legacy of Greece, Oxford University Press, 1921.

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Page 27

The following extract from the hymn of Demeter may illustrate this beauty, though it is not one of the greatest passages of Greek literature and its writer is unknown. It is the story of the Earth Mother and her daughter Persephone:

ἡν Αιδωνευς ἡρπαξεν, δωκεν δε βαρυκτυπος ευρυοπα Ζευς, παιζουσαν κουρησι συν Ωκεανου βαθυκολποις ανθεα τ' αινυμενην, ῥοδα και κροκον ηδ' ια καλα λειμων' αμ μαλακον και αγαλλιδας ηδ' ὑακινθον ναρκισσον θ', ὁν φυσε δολον καλυκωπιδι κουρη Γαια Διος βουλησι χαριζομενη Πολυδεκτη, θαυμαστον γανοωντα· σεβας το γε πασιν ιδεσθαι αθανατοις τε θεοις ηδε θνητοις ανθρωποις· του και απο ῥιζης ἑκατον καρα εξεπεφυκει, κωζ' ἡδιστ' οδμη, πας δ' ουρανος ευρυς ὑπερθε γαια τε πας' εγελασσε και ἁλμυρον οιδμα θαλασσης. ἡ δ' αρα θαμβησας' ωρεξατο χερσιν ἁμ' αμφω καλον αθυρμα λαβειν· χανε δε χθων ευρυαγυια Νυσιον αμ πεδιον, τη ορουσεν αναξ Πολυδεγμων ἱπποις αθανατοισι[123]

[123] Hymn to Demeter, l. 2 ff. The translation is mainly from Pater, Greek Studies. 'Whom, by the consent of far-seeing, deep-thundering Zeus, Aidoneus carried away, as she played with the deep-bosomed daughters of Ocean, gathering flowers in a meadow of soft grass and roses and crocus and fair violets and iris and hyacinths and the strange glory of the narcissus which the Earth, favouring the desire of Aidoneus, brought forth to snare the flower-like girl. A wonder it was to all, immortal gods and mortal men. A hundred blossoms grew up from the roots of it, and very sweet was its scent, and the broad sky above, and all the earth and the salt wave of the sea laughed to see it. She in wonder stretched out her two hands to take the lovely plaything: thereupon the wide-wayed earth opened in the Nysian plain and the king of the great nation of the dead sprang out with his immortal horses.'


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Cf. Elpenor's Bilingual Anthology of Greek Literature * Greek History Resources
A History of Greek Philosophy * A Sketch of the history of Greek literature
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome

Three Millennia of Greek Literature


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