through Smyrna into vine-bearing Clarus, where silver-bowed Apollo sits awaiting the far-darting [maid] who rejoices in arrows. And do thou thus hail—and with thee all the goddesses—in song! But I indeed will both first begin from thee[1] to sing, and, having began from thee will pass on to another hymn.
VIII. TO VENUS.
I will sing Cyprus-sprung Cytherea, who both gives pleasant gifts[2] to mortals, and with pleasant visage is ever smiling, and bears a lovely flower [of beauty]. Hail! goddess, ruling over well-built Salamis and all Cyprus,[3] and grant [me] pleasant song, but I will be mindful of thee, and of another song.
IX. TO MINERVA.
I begin to sing Pallas Minerva, the dread guardian of cities, to whom, in company with Mars, warlike deeds are a care, and cities overthrown, and the din of wars.[4] †And she also guards the people both on going and returning.†[5] Hail! goddess, and grant to us fortune and prosperity.
X. TO JUNO.
I sing golden-throned Juno, whom Rhea brought forth, the immortal queen, possessing surpassing beauty, both sister and glorious wife[6] of loud-resounding Jove, whom all the gods through long Olympus venerating honour equally with thunder-rejoicing Jove.
- ↑ See my note on the Battle of the Frogs and Mice, vs. 1.
- ↑ Cf. Pindar, Ol. i. 120, φίλια δώρα κυπρίας. Hesiod, Scut. Herc. τερπόμενος δῶροισι πολυχρύσου Ἀφροδίτης. See int. pp. on Virg. Æn. iv. 33.
- ↑ In the cod. Mosc. there are evidently two versions of this hymn mixed up together, the following lines being added in Hermann's ed.:
χαῖρε μάκαιρα, κυθήρης ἐϋκτιμένης μεδέουσα,
Ἐιναλίης τε κύπρου· δὸς δ' ἰμερόεσσαν ἀοιδήν. - ↑ Observe the hendiadys.
- ↑ Evidently an interpolation: νίσσομαι cannot bear such a meaning.
- ↑ Cf. Il. xvii. 356, with my note.
