Athenaeus: Paeon
“Come forth, you (Muses) that were allotted deep-forested Helicon, Loud-booming Zeus’ fair-armed daughters: Come to celebrate your brother in songs, Phoebus of the golden hair,
That over the twin peaks of this crag of Parnassus, Accompanied by the famous maidens of Delphi, Comes to the waters of the fair-flowing Castalian spring As he attends to the mountain oracle.
Lo, famous Attica of the great city is here at prayer, Whose home is Athena’s invincible ground; And on the sacred altars Hephaestus is burning the thighs of young bulls.
At the same time Arabian incense-smoke spreads up to heaven, And the clear-braying pipe weaves shimmering tunes into the singing, While the sweet-voiced golden kithara takes its part in the song of praise.
The whole company of artists of Attica glorifies you, The son of mighty Zeus, Who granted you this snow-capped crag, Where you show forth immortal oracles for all men.
[We sing] how you took possession of the prophetic tripod That a fearsome serpent guarded, When you removed the earth-born, shimmering, coiling creature, And with charmless hissings it expired.
In this way the Gauls’ war-fury, that impiously crossed into this land…”
Source: Delphi Museum, inv. 517, 526, 494, 499: Athenaeus: Paean. Substantial fragments of a choral work performed at Delphi in 127 BCE by the Athenian Technitai, a company of professional musicians, and inscribed on an external wall of the Athenian Treasury at Delphi. Discovered in 1893.
Recording: Musique de la Greece Antique Band 3 (plucked string instruments / male chorus and soloists) Limenius: Paeon and Processional
Come to this far-visible, twin-peaked Parnassian mountain-side and begin my hymn, Pierian Muses that dwell on the snow-covered crags of Helicon.
Sing of the golden-haired Pythian god, the far-shooter with the fine lyre, Phoebus, whom blest Leto bore beside the famous lake, Clasping in her labor the gray olive’s vigorous stem.
The whole vault of heaven rejoiced, The air held the tempests’ swift courses in windless calm, And Nereus’ thunderous swell abated, And mighty Ocean that surrounds the earth with his watery embrace.
Then the god left the island of Mount Cynthus And went up to the famed land that first grew cereals, Attica, on the jutting hill of Athena.
Pouring forth its honey-breathed voice, the Libyan pipe sang sweetly, Blending with the shimmering tunes of the kithara, While Echo who lives among the rocks joined in the holy song.
And he was glad, because his mind took in the immortal thinking of Zeus. Therefore, since that beginning, we called him Paieon, The aboriginal Attic people and Bacchus’ great inspired company of artists That dwells in the city of Cecrops.
So, you that possesses the oracular tripod, Come to this Parnassian ridge where the gods walk, Where the inspired are favored.
Plaiting a bay-stem about your hair And trailing your bow (?) in your immortal hand, lord…
But, lovely-eyed son of Leto, You did slay the child of Earth with your arrows, And likewise Tityos who conceived a desire for your mother… You did kill the creature…hissing from its lair…
Again you did guard the shrine at the earth’s navel When the barbarian war-fury, Making to plunder your oracular seat, Perished in wintry storm.
O Phoebus, preserve Pallas’ divinely-founded city and glorious people, And you, too, goddess, mistress of Cretan archery and hunting hounds, Artemis and august Leto. And keep the Delphians secure in house, family, and livelihood. And come in favoring mood for Bacchus’ servant musicians; And increase the Romans’ spear-crowned rule with age-long power, So that it thrives victorious.
Source: Delphi Museum, inv. 489, 1461, 1591, 209, 212, 226, 225, 224, 215, 214. Limenius: Paean and processional. Performed at the same time as and inscribed next to Athenaeus: Paean. Discovered in 1893. Recording: Musique de la Grece Antique Band 21 (speaking / orchestra / Invocation of the Muse
Sing for me, dear Muse, Begin my tuneful strain; A breeze blow from your groves, To stir my listless brain.
Source: Transmitted in MSS with songs of Mesomedes, but differing from them in dialect and in musical style. The MSS give no indication of authorship; the dialect points to Ionian origin. Published without musical transcription in 1581 by Vincenzo Galileo in his Dialogo della musica antica.
Recording: Musique de la Grece Antique Band 7a (female solo)
Mesomedes: Invocation of Calliope and Apollo
Skillful Calliope, leader of the delightsome Muses, And skillful instructor, son of Leto, Delian Paian, Favor and be with me.
Source: Transmitted in MSS. Published without musical transcription in 1581 by Vincenzo Galileo in his Dialogo della musica antica.
Recording: Musique de la Grece Antique Band 7b (female solo)
Mesomedes: Hymn to Helios
1) Father of snow-eyed Dawn, 2) That drives your rosy chariot 3) In your steeds’ soaring steps, 4) Glorying in your golden hair, 5) Twining your ever-circling beam 6) About the limitless back of the sky, 7) Winding the thread of radiance 8) Round the whole earth, 9) While the rivers of your immortal fire 10) Bring the lovely daylight to birth. 11) For you the serene chorus of stars 12) Dances on Lord Olympus, 13) Ever singing a happy song, 14) Delighting in Phoebus’ lyre, 15) And the pale Moon in front 16) Leads time and season on 17) With her white heifers’ drawing;
18) A nd your benevolent heart is glad 19) As it keeps the richly arrayed universe revolving 24)
Source: Transmitted in MSS. Published without musical transcription in 1581 by Vincenzo Galileo in his Dialogo della musica antica.
Recording: Musique de la Grece Antique Band 6 (monotone)
Mesomedes: Hymn to Nemesis
1) Nemesis, winged one that tilts life’s balance, / 2) Dark-eyed goddess, daughter of Justice, / 3) That curbs the vain neighings of mortals / 4) With your adamant bit, / 5) And in your hatred of their pernicious insolence / 6) Drives out black resentment:/ 7) Under your wheel that neither stands still nor follows a fixed track / 8) Men’s gleaming fortune turns about. / 9) Unobserved, you tread at their heel; / 10)The haughty neck you bend; 11)Under your forearm you measure off life, / 12) And ever you turn your frowning gaze into men’s hearts, / 13) With the scales in your hands. / 14) Be gracious, blest dispenser of justice, / 15) Nemesis, winged one that tilts life’s balance. / 16) Of Nemesis we sing, undying goddess, / 17) Stern Victory with spreading wings, / 18) Infallible, seated by the throne of Justice: / 19) Of you that resent man’s arrogance / 20) And sweeps it down to Tartarus. Commentary:
Source: Transmitted in MSS. Published without musical transcription in 1581 by Vincenzo Galileo in his Dialogo della musica antica.
Recording: Musique de la Grece Antique Band 8 (instrumental)