Oh Pallas Athena... In my personal practice, She is chief amongst the Gods. All my life, she has been protectress and as I am preparing to move houses, I call upon Her to fortify its walls and make them impenetrable to everything and all. We all know the Homeric and Orphic hymns to Athena but there are a few lesser known ones you might not be familiar with. I'd like to share those today.
Solon, fr. 4.4-5 (6th Century BCE)
Solon, fr. 4.4-5 (6th Century BCE)
“This sort of a great-hearted overseer, a daughter of a strong-father
Holds her hands above our city, Pallas Athena”
Holds her hands above our city, Pallas Athena”
(τοίη γὰρ μεγάθυμος ἐπίσκοπος ὀβριμοπάτρη
Παλλὰς ᾿Αθηναίη χεῖρας ὕπερθεν ἔχει)
Παλλὰς ᾿Αθηναίη χεῖρας ὕπερθεν ἔχει)
Euripides, Heracleidae 770-72 (5th Century BCE)
“Queen, the foundation of the land
and the city is yours, you are its mother,
mistress and guardian..”
and the city is yours, you are its mother,
mistress and guardian..”
(ἀλλ’, ὦ πότνια, σὸν γὰρ οὖ-
δας γᾶς καὶ πόλις, ἆς σὺ μά-
τηρ δέσποινά τε καὶ φύλαξ…)
δας γᾶς καὶ πόλις, ἆς σὺ μά-
τηρ δέσποινά τε καὶ φύλαξ…)
Aristophanes, Knights 581-585 (5th Century BCE)
“O Pallas, protector of the city,
The most sacred city-
and defender of a land
that surpasses all others
in war and poetry.”
The most sacred city-
and defender of a land
that surpasses all others
in war and poetry.”
(῏Ω πολιοῦχε Παλλάς, ὦ
τῆς ἱερωτάτης ἁπα-
σῶν πολέμῳ τε καὶ ποη-
ταῖς δυνάμει θ’ ὑπερφερού-
σης μεδέουσα χώρας)
τῆς ἱερωτάτης ἁπα-
σῶν πολέμῳ τε καὶ ποη-
ταῖς δυνάμει θ’ ὑπερφερού-
σης μεδέουσα χώρας)
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