Prayers and hymns Cleanthes

Hymn to Zeus

Hymn to Zeus, lines 1–39

Original text

Greek

The ancient words

Κύδιστ᾽ ἀθανάτων, πολυώνυμε, παγκρατὲς ἀεὶ Ζεῦ, φύσεως ἀρχηγέ, νόμου μέτα πάντα κυβερνῶν, χαῖρε· σὲ γὰρ πάντεσσι θέμις θνητοῖσι προσαυδᾶν. ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ γένος ἐσμέν, ἑνὸς μίμημα λαχόντες μοῦνον, ὅσα ζώει τε καὶ ἕρπει θνήτ᾽ ἐπὶ γαῖαν. τῷ σε καθυμνήσω, καὶ σὸν κράτος αἰὲν ἀείσω. σοὶ δὴ πᾶς ὅδε κόσμος ἑλισσόμενος περὶ γαῖαν πείθεται, ᾗ κεν ἄγῃς, καὶ ἑκὼν ὑπὸ σεῖο κρατεῖται· τοῖον ἔχεις ὑποεργὸν ἀνικήτοις ἐνὶ χερσὶν ἀμφήκη, πυρόεντα, ἀειζώοντα κεραυνόν. τοῦ γὰρ ὑπὸ πληγῆς φύσεως πάντ᾽ ἐρρίγασιν, ᾧ σὺ κατευθύνεις κοινὸν λόγον ὃς διὰ πάντων φοιτᾷ, μιγνύμενος μεγάλους μικροῖς τε φάεσσιν, ὡς τόσσος γεγαὼς, ὕπατος βασιλεὺς διὰ παντός. οὐδέ τι γίγνεται ἔργον ἐπὶ χθανὶ σοῦ δίχα, δαῖμον, οὔτε κατ᾽ αἰθέριον θεῖον πόλον οὔτ᾽ ἐνὶ πόντῳ, πλὴν ὁπόσα ῥέζουσι κακοὶ σφετέρῃσιν ἀνοίαις. ἀλλὰ σὺ καὶ τὰ περισσὰ ἐπίστασαι ἄρτια θεῖναι, καὶ κοσμεῖν τὰ ἄκοσμα, καὶ οὐ φίλα σοὶ φίλα ἐστίν. ὧδε γὰρ εἰς ἓν ἅπαντα συνήρμοκας ἐσθλὰ κακοῖσιν, ὥσθ᾽ ἕνα γίγνεσθαι πάντων λόγον αἰὲν ἐόντα, ὃν φεύγοντες ἐῶσιν ὅσοι θνητῶν κακοί εἰσι δύσμοροι, οἵ τ᾽ ἀγαθῶν μὲν ἀεὶ κτῆσιν ποθέοντες οὔτ᾽ ἐσορῶσι θεοῦ κοινὸν νόμον, οὔτε κλύουσιν, ᾧ κεν πειθόμενοι σὺν νῷ βίον ἐσθλὸν ἔχοιεν, αὐτοὶ δ᾽ αὖθ᾽ ὁρμῶσιν ἄνευ καλοῦ ἄλλος ἐπ᾽ ἄλλα. οἱ μὲν ὑπὲρ δόξης σπουδὴν δυσέριστον ἔχοντες, οἱ δ᾽ ἐπὶ κερδοσύνας τετραμμένοι οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ, ἄλλοι δ᾽ εἰς ἄνεσιν καὶ σώματος ἡδέα ἔργα, σπεύδοντες μάλα πάμπαν ἐναντία τῶνδε γενέσθαι. ἀλλὰ Ζεῦ πάνδωρε, κελαινεφές, ἀρχικέραυνε, ἀνθρώπους ῥύσιο ἀπειροσύνης ἀπὸ λυγρῆς, ἣν σύ, πάτερ, σκέδασον ψυχῆς ἄπο, δὸς δὲ κυρῆσαι γνώμης, ᾗ πίσυνος σὺ δίκης μέτα πάντα κυβερνᾷς, ὄφρ᾽ ἂν τιμηθέντες ἀμειβώμεσθά σε τιμῇ ὑμνοῦντες τὰ σὰ ἔργα διηνεκές, ὡς ἐπέοικε θνητὸν ἐόντ᾽, ἐπεὶ οὔτε βροτοῖς γέρας ἄλλο τι μεῖζον, οὔτε θεοῖς, ἢ κοινὸν ἀεὶ νόμον ἐν δίκῃ ὑμνεῖν.

Modern rendering

Close to the words

Literal English · editorial draft

Most honored of the immortals, many-named, ever almighty Zeus, originator of nature, steering all things by law: hail. For it is right for every mortal to address you. From you we have our birth, alone receiving an image of the One among all mortal things that live and move upon the earth. Therefore I shall hymn you and sing of your power always. This whole ordered world, wheeling about the earth, obeys you wherever you lead, and willingly submits to your rule. Such is the servant you hold in your unconquerable hands: the two-edged, fiery, ever-living thunderbolt. Under its stroke all nature shudders. With it you direct the common Reason that moves through all things, mingling with the great lights and the small. So great are you, supreme ruler through all. No deed occurs on earth apart from you, divine power, nor in the heavenly sphere nor in the sea—except what bad people do through their own foolishness. Yet you know how to make the excessive measured, to order the disorderly; even what is unloved is loved by you. For so you have joined all things into one, the good with the bad, that there comes to be one everlasting Reason of them all. Bad mortals flee it and abandon it: unfortunate people who always desire to possess good things, yet neither see nor hear the common law of God. If they obeyed it intelligently, they would have a good life. Instead, without the good, each rushes toward something different: some into contentious striving for fame, some turned toward gain without any order, others toward ease and the pleasant activities of the body—hurrying headlong into outcomes opposite to these. But Zeus, giver of all, dark-clouded lord of the thunderbolt: rescue human beings from ruinous ignorance. Father, scatter it from the soul, and grant us to attain the understanding on which you rely as you steer all things with justice, so that, honored by you, we may repay you with honor, hymning your works continually, as is fitting for a mortal; for neither mortals nor gods have any greater privilege than always to hymn the common law in justice.

An editorial aid to reading, not a substitute for the original. About this rendering

Historical translation

1881 · Source edition ↗

Most glorious of the Immortals, many named, Almighty forever. Zeus, ruler of nature, that governest all things with law, Hail! for lawful it is that all mortals should address Thee. For we are Thy offspring, taking the image only of Thy voice, as many mortal things as live and move upon the earth. Therefore will I hymn Thee, and sing Thy might forever. For Thee doth all this universe that circles round the earth obey, moving whithersoever Thou leadest, and is gladly swayed by Thee. Such a minister hast Thou in Thine invincible hands;—the two-edged, blazing, imperishable thunderbolt. For under its stroke all Nature shuddereth, and by it Thou guidest aright the Universal Reason, that roams through all things, mingling itself with the greater and the lesser lights, till it have grown so great, and become supreme king over all. Nor is aught done on the earth without Thee, O God, nor in the divine sphere of the heavens, nor in the sea, Save the works that evil men do in their folly— Yea, but Thou knowest even to find a place for superfluous things, and to order that which is disorderly, and things not dear to men are dear to Thee. Thus dost Thou harmonize into One all good and evil things, that there should be one everlasting Reason of them all. And this the evil among mortal men avoid and heed not; wretched, ever desiring to possess the good, yet they nor see nor hear the universal Law of God, which obeying with all their heart, their life would be well. But they rush graceless each to his own aim, Some cherishing lust for fame, the nurse of evil strife, Some bent on monstrous gain, Some turned to folly and the sweet works of the flesh, Hastening, indeed, to bring the very contrary of these things to pass. But thou, O Zeus, the All-giver, Dweller in the darkness of cloud, Lord of thunder, save Thou men from their unhappy folly, Which do Thou, O Father, scatter from their souls; and give them to discover the wisdom, in whose assurance Thou governest all things with justice; So that being honored, they may pay Thee honor, Hymning Thy works continually, as it beseems a mortal man. Since there can be no greater glory for men or Gods than this. Duly to praise forever the Universal Law.

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Sources & notes

The Greek follows the text printed with Blakeney’s 1921 edition. Line 4 is textually disputed: “an image of the One” reflects this edition’s reading, not an uncontested original.

Historical editions may include surrounding context or use different phrasing. Parallel columns compare passages; their lines are not word-for-word alignments.

Greek text and Blakeney’s translation ↗

The source review is selective. Additional prototype transcriptions are preserved in the repository pending verification. Editorial method →