PohlmannWest 21 Hymn to Apollo by Limenios at Delphi

Hymn to Apollo by Limenios at Delphi

Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music 21 Date: 128/7-106/5 BC (128/7 BC ?)

[Πα]ι̣ὰν δὲ καὶ π[ροσό]δ̣ιον εἰς τ[ὸν θεὸν ὃ ἐπό]η̣σε[ν καὶ προσεκιθάρισε]ν Λιμήνι[ος Θ]ο̣ίνο[υ Ἀθηναῖος.]

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Ἴ̣τ’ ἐπὶ τηλέσκοπον ταάνδ̣ε Παρ̣[νασί]αν [φιλόχορον] δικόρυφον κλειειτύν, ὕμνωων κα[τάρ]χ̣[ετε δ’ ἐμῶν], Πιερίδες, αἳ νιφοβόλους π̣έτρας ναίεθ’ [Ἑλι]κωνίδ̣[ας·] μέλπετε δὲ Πύθιον Χ[ρ]υ̣σεοχαίταν, ἕ[κα]τ̣ον, εὐλύραν (5) Φοῖβον, ὃν ἔτικτε Λα̣τὼ μάκαιρα πα[ρὰ λίμναι] κ̣λυτᾶι, χερσὶ γλαυκα[ᾶ]ς ἐλαίας θιγουοῦσ’ [ὄζον ἐν ἀγωνίαι]ς ἐριθα[λῆ.] Παᾶ̣[ς δὲ γ]άθησε πόλος οὐράνιος̣ [ἀννέφελος, αἀγλαός·] [νη]νέμους δ’ ἔσχεν αἰθηὴρ ἀε̣[λλωῶν ταχυπετ]εῖς (10) [δρ]ό̣μους· λῆξε δὲ βαρύβρομον Νηη̣[ρέως ζαμενὲς ὀ]εῖ- δμ’ ἠδὲ μέγας Ὠκεανός, ὃς πέριξ γ[αᾶν ὑγραεῖς ἀγ]κά- λαις ἀαμπέχει. Τότε λιπὼγ Κυυνθίαν ναᾶσον ἐπ̣[έβα Θεὸ]ς πρω[τό]- κα⟨α⟩ρπογ κλυτὰν Ἀτ[θ]ίδ’ ἐπὶ γ`α´αλ[όφωι πρωῶνι] Τριτωωνίδ̣ος· (15) μελίπνοον δὲ Λίβυς αὐδὰγ χέω[ν λωωτὸς ἀνέμελ]πεν [ἁ]- δειεῖαν ὄπα μειγνύμενος αἰειόλ[οις κιθάριος μέλεσιν·] [ἅ]μα δ’ ἴαχεμ πετροκατοίκητος Ἀχ[ὼ παιὰν ἰὲ παιάν·] ὃ̣ δ̣ὲ̣ γ̣έ̣γ̣α̣- θ’ ὅτι νόωι δεξάμενος ἀαμβρότα`ν´ Δι̣[ὸς ἐπέγνω φρέ]ν̣’ · ἀνθ’ ὡῶν ἐκείνας ἀπ’ ἀρχᾶς Παιήονα κικλήισκ[ομεν ἅπας] λ̣αὸς αὐ̣τ̣[ο]- (20) χθόνων ἠδὲ Βάκχου μέγας θυρσοπλὴ[ξ ἑσμὸς ἱ]ερὸς τεχνι- τωῶν ἔνοικοος πόλει Κεκροπίαι. Ἀλ̣[λὰ χρηησμ]ωιδὸν ὃς ἔχειεις τρίποδα, βαῖν’ ἐπὶ θεοστιβ[έα ταάνδε Π]αρναα̣- σίαν δειράδα φιλένθεον. Ἀμφὶ πλόκ[αμον σὺ δ’ οἰ]νωῶ̣[πα] δάφνας κλάδον πλεξάμενος ἀαπ[λέτους θεμελίους τ’] (25) ἀαμβρόται χειρὶ σύρων, ἄναξ, Γ[ᾶς πελώρωι συναντᾶις] κόραι. Ἀλλὰ Λαατοῦς ἐρατογλ̣[έφαρον ἔρνος ἀγρ]- [ία]μ παῖδα Γα[ᾶς] τ̣’ ἔπεφνες ἰοῖς ὁ[μοίως τε Τιτυὸν, ὅτι]

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π̣όθον ἔσχε ματ̣ρὸς [- - -] θ̣η̣ῆρ’ ἇ⟨ι⟩ κατέκτ[α]ς ΟΣ[- - -] (30) [σ]υ̣ύριγμ’ ἀπ’ε[ὐνω]ῶν [- - -] [ὅτ’] ἐ̣π̣εφρούρε[ιει]ς δὲ Γαᾶ[ς ἱερόν, ὦναξ, παρ’ ὀμφαλόν, ὁ βάρ]- βαρος̣ Ἄρης ὅτε [τε]ὸμ μαντόσυ̣[νον οὐ σεβίζων ἕδος πολυκυ]- θὲς λη⟨ι⟩ζόμενος ὤλεθ’ ὑγρᾶι χι̣[όνος ἐν ζάλαι. Ἀλλ’, ὦ Φοῖβε], σῶιζε θεόκτισ̣{κ}τον Παλλάδος [ἄστυ καὶ λαὸν κλεινόν, σύν] (35) τε θεά, τόξων δεσπότι Κρησίω[ν κυνῶν τ’ Ἄρτεμις, ἠδὲ Λατὼ] κυδίστα̣ · [κ]αὶ ναέτας Δελφῶν τ̣[ημελεῖθ’ ἅμα τέκνοις συμ]- βίοις, δώμα̣σ̣ιν ἀπταίστους, Βάκχου [θ’ ἱερονίκαισιν εὐμε]- νεῖς μόλ[ε]τε πορσπόλοισ⟨ι⟩, τάν τε δ̣ορίσ̣[τεπτον κάρτει] Ῥωμαίω[ν] ἀρχὰν αὔξετ’ ἀγηράτωι θάλλ̣[ουσαν φερε]- (40) νίκαν.

Previous - Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music 20
Translated text

References:

Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music 21 (Translated text) (AIO)

F.Delphes III 2 138 (PHI)

CID III 2 (PHI)

Furley and Bremer, Greek Hymns 2.6.2

Le Guen 84-88

Choix de Delphes 203B

Translation by: Tobias Hirsch, Caroline Albert

Images: Archimage - (1)
Wikimedia Commons - (1, 2)

Monument type: Block (wall)

Inscription type: Hymn (Apollo), Metrical

Fr. a - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 489)
Fr. b - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 1461)
Fr. c - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 1591)
Fr. d - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 212)
Fr. e - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum)
Fr. f - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 226a+b)
Fr. g - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 224)
Fr. h - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 225)
Fr. i - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 214)
Fr. j - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum 226)
Fr. k-n - Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, on site) (Delphi Museum)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This hymn by Limenios and the hymn by Athenaios (Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20) are a pair of Athenian hymns inscribed at Delphi. They are the best-preserved and longest texts with musical notation from anywhere in the ancient Greek world and the only inscriptions with musical notation found at Delphi (on Greek musical texts and musical notation, see Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20 with notes). Both hymns were inscribed close to one another on the southern wall of the Athenian Treasury (on which see F.Delphes III 2, 3), facing the Sacred Way at an important stopping point during the Hellenistic Pythais procession (on which see also F.Delphes III 2, 3), at which they were originally performed. The hymns also share linguistic, poetic, and musical elements (cf. E. Pöhlmann, Denkmäler altgriechischer Musik, 1960, 65-70, S. Hagel, Ancient Greek Music, 2010, 283).

The heading (l. 0) gives the genre of the hymn as “paian and approach” (cf. “paian and dance” in Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20, with notes on the paian as a genre). The “approach” (prosodion, restored by CID III and widely accepted) has been understood either as a processional song (D'Alessio, ZPE 118, 1997, 30) or as a spiritual approach to the god (W. D. Furley and J. M. Bremer, Greek Hymns, vol. 1, 2001, 131f.). Ll. 1-33 are the Paian and ll. 33-40 the prosodion. The transition between the two is marked by a change of rhythm (see CID III, pp. 142-48). As in Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20, the text has a tripartite structure that is typical for hymns: invocation, argument, and petitions. The invocation of the Pierides (i.e., the Muses, ll. 1-8) is followed by the argument, recounting Apollo's birth on Delos and arrival at Delphi (ll. 8-33), and the text ends with an epilogue consisting of petitions to Apollo, Artemis, and Leto to protect Athens, Delphi, the Dionysian artists, and Rome (ll. 33-40). The hymn was probably sung by a few soloists and accompanied only by the cithara (cf. Hagel, 2010, 55). The melody is separated into four verses, closely related to the text. The composition employs sixteen musical tones, following the Lydian and Hypolydian scales (further on the musical aspect of the hymn, see Hagel, 2010, 283-85 and cf. Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20 with notes).

The exact date is uncertain. Pythais processions took place in 138/7, 128/7, 106/5, and 97/6 BC. The cutter of both hymns seems to be the same one who carved the Pythais inscriptions of 138/7 and 128/7 BC, so it is likely that the hymn was inscribed (and first performed?) in connection with one of them (see S. Tracy, BCH 99, 1975, 212f.; and ALC, 170-72; the presence of serifs suggests that he was an Athenian). Most date the inscription to the second Pythais procession at Delphi (128/7 BC), neither a Paian sung by men nor any technitai are attested in connection with the first procession. In this case, the hymn may have been performed immediately after Athenaios' hymn (cf. G. Daux, Delphes au II^e at au I^er siècle, 1936, 722-29; CID III, pp. 133-42; Le Guen, Les associations, vol. 1, 2001, pp. 82-84; Choix de Delphes, pp. 379-81. Others date the hymn to the third Pythais procession (106/5 BC), arguing that the two hymns were performed independently of each other (cf. I. Rutherford in P. Murray and P. Wilson eds., Music and the Muses, 2004, 79; E. Pöhlmann and I. Spiliopoulou, Würzburger Jahrbücher 34, 2010, 19). F.Delphes III 2, 48, l. 12, a Delphic honorific decree praising the artists of the fourth Pythais (98/7 BC) mentions a “traditional paian” which might be this hymn and/or that of Athenaios.

Limenios son of Thoinos is mentioned as a cithara-player in F.Delphes III 2, 47, l. 22, a Delphian honorific decree commemorating the second Pythais procession (128/27 BC), but is otherwise unknown. Another cithara-player, Thoinos son of Thoinos, mentioned in that inscription (l. 21) was probably Limenios’ brother. [2] Delphi is located on the slopes of Mount Parnassos. The Pierides are the Muses, who traditionally dwelt on Mount Helikon in Boeotia. The “famous lake” is the sacred lake, a circular pool near the sanctuary of Apollo on Delos. Limenios “athenianizes” the myth of Apollo’s birth by having Leto lean on an olive tree, symbol of Athena and Athens, rather than the traditional palm (contrast Homeric Hymn to Apollo 18; Call. Hymn to Apollo 4; Hymn to Delos 210). This version appears earlier in Euripides (Iph. Taur. 1101-2). [3] Nereus and Okeanos (“Ocean”) are primordial sea gods. [4] Kynthia was a poetic name for Delos, referring to Mount Kynthos, the main hill on the island, whereas the “earthen peak of Tritonis” is the Acropolis of Athens (Tritonis is an epithet of Athena, see Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20 with note). Apollo’s stop at Athens on his journey from Delos to Delphi is not mentioned in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, but appears in Aeschylus Eum. 9-11 and may have been depicted on the eastern façade of the sixth-century Temple of Apollo at Delphi, which was sponsored by the exiled Alkmaionids (Hdt. 5.62, cf. Scott, Delphi, 2014, 102). Apollo’s route thus presages the journey of the Pythais procession from Athens to Delphi (cf. Kühn, Pythais-Prozession, 181). The “first fruits” were offered to Demeter and Kore at Eleusis, in accordance with a Delphic prophecy (see I Eleusis 28a with notes). [5] On the use of the term lotos for flute, see Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20, l. 14 with note. The exclamation “Paian, ie Paian!” was the characteristic feature of the paian. Limenios is the only poet who links the invention of the paian to Athens. In doing so, he creates a closer connection between Apollo and the Athenians (cf. Kühn, Pythais-Prozession, 181). [6] The reference to the Athenians as “earthborn” is linked to their claim to autochthony, on which see M. Barbato, Ideology of Democratic Athens, 2020, 82-114. It also helps to forge a link from the acclamation of Apollo by the heavens, waters, and Earth (ll. 8-17) to the Athenian celebration of Apollo with this hymn and the Pythais. [7] The “swarm of artists” refers to the association (synodos) of artists (technitai) of Dionysos at Athens, a corporation who organised and performed in dramatic festivals from the third century BC onwards (see IG II² 1320 with notes). For the reference to them as a swarm of bees, see Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20, l. 17 with note. Bacchos is another name for Dionysos. The “Kekropian city” is a poetic term for Athens, recalling the mythical Athenian king, Kekrops. [8] Ll. 31-33 refer to the Gauls who invaded northern Greece and, while heading towards Delphi, were eventually defeated by a Greek coalition under the leadership of the Aitolian League in 279 BC (Diod. 22.9.5; Just. 24.7.6–7; Paus. 10.23.1; C. Champion, Historia 45, 1996, 315-28; J. B. Scholten, Politics of Plunder, 2000, 31-45). A festival, the Soteria, was established to commemorate the event (see IG II³ 1, 1005 and F.Delphes III 2, 140 with notes). However, Limenios depicts Apollo as the only defender of his own sanctuary, as in Pöhlmann and West, Greek Music no. 20 The exclusion has a political dimension, since in the third century the Aitolians had based their claim to control of Delphi on their role in the defence of the sanctuary. After they opposed the Romans in the War against Antiochos (192-188 BC), the sanctuary was taken away from them (Rousset, Le territoire de Delphes, no. 3, with notes). The motif of Apollo as defender of his sanctuary recurs in Greek historiography, particularly in relation to the Persian wars (e.g., Hdt. 8.35-39, see K. Trampedach in K. Freitag and M. Haake, Griechische Heiligtümer als Handlungsorte, 2019, 157-62). Apollo's murder of Tityos, a giant who attempted to rape his mother Leto (Pind. P. 4.90-92 and Apoll. Rhod. 1.759-762), serves as a mythical precursor for his defence of the sanctuary, while the warlike and barbarous Gauls are a counterpoint for the pious and autochthonous Athenians. [9] Pallas is an epithet of Athena, “her” city is Athens. [10] While the first three parties mentioned in the petition (Athens, Delphi, and the Athenian technitai) already appeared in the argument (ll. 13-14; 19-21; 22-25), the fourth party, the Romans, is mentioned here for the first time. Athens allied with the Romans in the Second Macedonian War (200-197 BC, see IG II³ 1, 1256 and 1292, with notes), received Delos from them as a tax-free port in 167/6 BC (see AIUK 3 (Fitzwilliam), no. 7, with note), and maintained good relations with the Romans until abruptly turning against them during the First Mithridatic War in 88 BC (see Agora XVI 333, with note). During this period, the Athenians also incorporated prayers for the Romans into official sacrifices (e.g., IG II³ 1, 1295 and I Délos 1499) and greeted official Roman visitors with processions of the ephebes (IG II² 1006+1031+2485).

Added: 3 Dec 2023
Updated: 17 Jul 2025
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