Hymns to the Gods from the Anthologia Palatina

The Anthologia Palatina (or Palatine Anthology) is a collection of Hellenic poems and epigrams discovered in 1606 in the Palatine Library in Heidelberg. It is based on the lost collection of the 10th century Constantine Cephalas, which was composed using older anthologies. It contains material from the 7th century BC until 600 AD. There are some beautiful hymns in the text and I'd like to share a selection with you today to use in your own rites.

A Lover’s Lyre for Aphrodite
Author and date unknown

Leontis stayed awake until the lovely Dawn-star rose,
Taking her delight in golden Sthenius. From her
This lyre, which was tuned with the Muses’ aid, has been hung up
For Cypris, ever since that all-night revel came to an end. [5.201]

~~~

Sailors’ Appeal to Poseidon
Alpheius of Mytilene (1st cent. CE)

O Lord of Horses, you who hold sway over
Swift-traveling ships and over Euboea’s mighty
Overhanging crags, please grant to us,
Who pray to you, a voyage with favoring breeze
All the way to Ares’ city, now that
We have loosed our stern-hawsers from the Syrian shore. [9.90]

~~~

In Praise of Aphrodite
Philip of Thessalonica (1st cent. CE)

Hail, Paphian goddess!  For all mortals,
Whose lives are but a day, pay honor always
To your power, your immortal beauty,
And your majesty which breeds desire,
In all their beauteous words and beauteous works.
For you make known the honor you possess
To everyone, and everywhere on Earth. [13.1]

~~~

Pan, Guardian of Mountain Springs
Author and date unknown

We revere Pan-
Pan, who climbs the precipices-
Pan, who bears two horns-
Pan, leader of the Nymphs-
Pan, who cares for this house carved from rock;
We pray that he be gracious to all of us
Who have come to this spring of ever-flowing water
And driven our thirst away. [9.142]

~~~

A Plea to Artemis
Nossis, date unknown

O Artemis, holder of Delos and lovely Ortygia,
entrust your holy bow to the laps of the Graces,
bathe your pure skin in the Inopos, and come to Lokris
to free Alketis from painful labor-pangs. [6.273]