RACE, WILLIAM H., Aspects of Rhetoric and Form in Greek Hymns , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 23:1 (1982:Spring) p.5 Aspects of Rhetoric and Form in Greek Hymns William H Race T HIS ARTICLE will explore certain formal and rhetorical features in the corpus of Greek hymns-in both poetry and prose. The word 'rhetorical' is used in the broad sense to include both generic and stylistic commonplaces, and the word 'hymn' is also used in the larger sense of any sustained address to divinity, whether a separate entity (as in the Homeric Hymns, or those of Callimachus, Theocritus, Aristides, etc.) or embedded in longer works. I focus on three aspects of Greek hymns which make rhetorical demands on the hymnist and which demonstrate the continuity of the entire tradition. These include (1) finding the apX-rl, (2) establishing xaplS, and (3) elements of the request. Although some of the topoi in these cate­ gories enter the tradition only in the Hellenistic period or later, most make their appearance in our earliest authors, and the later hymns often help to clarify procedures only adumbrated in the earlier ones. Of particular value for illuminating certain features of earlier hymns is the treatise of Menander the Rhetor TIepL L, .. U,V(JWKOV. 1 I. The apx--IJ As a general rule, hymns open in one of two ways. Either the god is addressed in the vocative (often with an imperative- 'du-Stil') or his name (or title) is given in an oblique case ('er-Stil'). For ex- I For basic and comprehensive surveys of Greek hymns see K. Keyssner, Gottesvor­ stellung und Lebensauffassung im griechischen Hymnus (Stuttgart 1932); H. Meyer, Hym­ nische Stilelemente in derfriihgriechischen Dichtung (Diss. Koln 1933); E. Norden, Agnos­ tos Theos (Leipzig 1923) 143-76; E. von Severus, ReallexAntChr 8 (1972) 1134-52 s. v. "Gebet"; and R. WUnsch, RE 9 (1916) 140-83 s.v. "Hymnos." Of particular impor­ tance for the interpretation of Callimachus' hymns is E. L. Bundy, "The 'Quarrel between Kallimachos and Apollonios', Part I, The Epilogue of Kallimachos's Hymn to Apollo," CSCA 5 (I972) 39-94. For Menander the Rhetor there is the new text and commentary of D. A. Russell and N. Wilson, Menander Rhetor (Oxford 1981), which conveniently maintains the pagination of L. Spengel, R.hetores Graeci III (Leipzig 1856) 437-46. 5 RACE, WILLIAM H., Aspects of Rhetoric and Form in Greek Hymns , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 23:1 (1982:Spring) p.5 6 RHETORIC AND FORM IN GREEK HYMNS ample, Theognis opens his collection with a version of the former (1-2): "'., A ,... ~ I A'" ,I ,.., W ava l1TOV~ VLE, LlLO~ TEKO~, OV7TOTE (TELO \.. ' " ,~, ' , 1\11(ToJ..UXL apX0j.J.,EvO~ OVo a7T07TaVOj.J.,EVO~ .... Hesiod begins the Theogony with an example of the latter (1): M ' 'E). , ~ • , f}"'~ ovuawv I\LKWVLaoWV apxwj.J.,E aELoELV, ai' f}' .... Regardless of the type of opening, both poets address the issue of the apx-ry of the hymn {apxoj.J.,Evo~ Theog., apxwj.J.,Ef}' aELSELV Hes.)2 by positing the god himself as the starting point or subject of the hymn. But there is a second type of apx-ry in Greek hymns, which occurs when the hymnist begins telling about the god after having introduced him as the subject of his song.3 The hymnist can, of course, begin his narrative directly (usually with a simple relative clause), but frequent­ ly he pauses at this point in hesitation (a7Topia, dubitatio) and pre­ tends not to know how or where to begin. Such hesitation, often in the form of priamels, can occur in many places in hymns to amplify the coming theme and engage the sympathy of the audience, but its occurrence here is so frequent that it constitutes a separate topos. The first clear use of the topic occurs in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo (19-25).4 ,.., , ,~, , ." , 7TW~ yap u Vj.J.,Vl1(TW 7TaVTW~ EVVj.J.,VOV EOVTa; 7TCIVT[I yap TOL, -iJ<; Kat Ell ovpEaLIl etP..aaa(JaL, apXJ.UlloL We; OTE .... In the first three verses the poet establishes the subject of his hymn, but he must then make a new beginning in order to start his narrative. This scheme is apparent in the proems to the Iliad and Odyssey, where the Muse is invoked to provide the starting­ point: E~ oil o-iJ TO: 7rPWTa (IJ. 1.6) and TWIl ciJ..Lci(JEIl yE (Od. 1.10). An interesting fea­ ture is presented in Theogony 1-36. Hesiod opens the hymn with the Muses as his apx..q, but because of the long digression of verses 22-35, he must make a fresh begin­ ning: n'wTJ, Movaawll apxwJ.U(Ja (36). For a brief discussion of this digression and return to the main theme, see "Some Digressions and Returns in Greek Authors," CJ 76 (980) 1-8. 4 The exact relationship of the hesitatory priamel at Hymn. Hom. 1.1-7 to the begin­ ning of the hymn is not clear, but it probably did not involve the topic under discussion. RACE, WILLIAM H., Aspects of Rhetoric and Form in Greek Hymns , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 23:1 (1982:Spring) p.5 WILLIAM H. RACE r,/-LEV (Xv' 7j7TEtpOV 7TOpTtTPO$OV r,S' avO: v-Ijuove;. mxuat Se uKomai TOt aSov Kat 7TPWOV~S UKPOt •• 1, ," , , , ()' ", ~ , , V'P'T/""WV OpEWV 7TOTaJ..l.,Ot a,,"a uE 7TpOpEOVTEe;, , "" ~\ \' \' () , ' aKTat T Ete; a,,"a KEK,,"t/-LEVat f\L/-LEVEe; TE af\aUUYje;. " " "A \" ,.., 71 we; UE 7TPWTOV 71TW TEKE Xap/-LU {3POTOtUt .... 7 As in all the other examples, the hesitation begins with a question. Here the problem is how to sing of a god who is so famous (7T(XvTWe; €VV/-LVOV, 19), and after sketching in verses 20-24 the extent of Apollo's worship (7TCXvrn, 20) and sway (7TCxuaL, 22), the poet pro­ poses (tentatively with 7j, 25)5 the subject with which he will begin­ appropriately enough, the birth of the god.6 The word 7TPWTOV (25) serves to mark the apx-lj itself.7 The same form is adapted by Hellenistic authors. At the beginning of his Hymn to Delos (an imitation of the Homeric Hymn to Apollo), Callimachus duly introduces and amplifies Delos as the subject of his song (I -27), and then pauses before beginning his narrative (28-30): €i SE Ai71v 7ToAEEe; U€ 7T€PLTPOXOWUtv aOLSai, " 'i:. '(}"'" 7TOtY1 EVL7TAE",W UE; Tt TOt V/-L71pEe; aKovuaL; .,\ e " I ()' " ()' 8 71 we; Ta 7TpWTtUTa /-Leyae; €Oe; Ovp€a EtvWV ... At the same point in his hymn to the Dioscuri, Theocritus raises the question, with which god should he begin? (22.23-26): '!' " ,1..,., () "{3 ()' '!' ,1..', " ,1..,., W a/-L'JAV VT/TOUTt 071 001" W 0/1,1\01, a/-L'JAV, t7T7T71€e; Kt(}apLuTai a€(}A T/T71PEC; aOLSoi, K ' ", TI' ~, " l: ,,'~ aUTOpOe; 71 7TPWTOV O,,"Vu€VK€OC; ap",o/-L a€tuetV; a/-L$OTEpOV~ V/-LVEWV TIoAVS€VK€a 7TPWTOV aeLuw. 5 As will become clear, disjunctive Ti is correct. It is a mannerism of this tapas to present the final choice as a disjunctive question whether or not other options precede (as at Hymn Ham.Ap. 208-15). The practice continues in prose even as late as Aris­ tides, TIS OVV oTj YfVOLT' tiv apx-q; 1/ WII'Trf.p ... (39.4 Keit) , and Julian, Tic; OVV a TPCl7roC; tcrrm TWV hraLvwv; T/ Oy/AOV OTt . .. (Helios 132b). 6 For a sensitive analysis of the rhetoric of this passage see A. M. Miller, "The 'Address to the Delian Maidens' in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo: Epilogue or Transi­ tion?" TAPA 109 (1979) 184-86. 7 CI TO 7TPWTOV in the parallel passsage at line 214. The use of 7TPWTOV to indicate the apx-q begins with II. 1.6 (supra n.3) and still finds its traditional place in the proem to Herodotus' Histories (7TpWTOV, 1.5.3). There is a perfect adaptation of this topic to prose encomia in Pericles' Funeral Oration, ap~oJ.UXL oE a7To TWV 7TPOYovwv 7TPWTOV (Thuc. 2.36.1); (f also Hyperides Epitaph. 6 and esp. 9, apl;oJ.UXL oE 7TPWTOV a7To TOU IITpaTTjYov. 8 This adaptation is very masterful. 7T£lVTWC; d;vl-/-vov becomes ALTjV 7ToAfec; ... aOLoai. Gone is the grand scope of the geographical amplification, but Callimachus has instead chosen the verb 7TepLTpoXOWIILV to indicate the abundance (to the point of vulgarity?) of song. 7Toin is the equivalent of 7TWC;, while the following question TL TOL (}vl-/-y/pec; reflects the concern with the god's pleasure hinted at with aoov (Hymn. Hom.Ap. 22). RACE, WILLIAM H., Aspects of Rhetoric and Form in Greek Hymns , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 23:1 (1982:Spring) p.5 8 RHETORIC AND FORM IN GREEK HYMNS Since there is such equality between both gods (lX.JJ4>w), the poet does not wish to give any real precedence in his apxT" so he will sing of both (aJ.l4>oTEp0V<;) but will begin with Polydeuces.9 The topic also occurs in prose hymns. At 43.6 (a hymn to Zeus), Aristides calls upon the Muses to help him find an apxT, for his vast subject: a-y' 6J 1TalJT' EWVUU, 1T()8ElJ apxwl-'E8a; Ti TOAI-'T,U'OI-'ElJ et1TEtlJ 1TEpi atO~; And in his model hymn to Sminthian Apollo, Menander the Rhetor elaborates on the topic: Ei JLElJ O~lJ -fJPWwlJ TtlJO~ EI-'EAAOlJ AE'YEtv E'YKWI-'tOlJ, OVK alJ Bt'rl1TOP'rla-a 1TEpi Tii~ apxii~, ovB' 08ElJ BEt 1TPWTOlJ Tr,lJ apxr,lJ TOV AO'YOV 1TotT,U'aa-8at (437.27-30). After his (supposed) consultations with the Pythia failed to provide an answer, the orator decides to follow Pindar's lead10 in posing his question: • i: A,.}. ., '8 "., , 8 ~ " alJar"t~pl-'t'Y'YE~ Vl-'lJOt, 1TO ElJ I-'E XP'rI T'rIlJ apX'rllJ 1TOt'rlU'aa- at; uOKEt ~, l' ,...." '#"_' I '" tI ",', u OVlJ!-'Ot 1TPWTOlJ a~l-'ElJqJ TEW~ TOV 'YElJOV<; Vl-'lJOlJ Et~ aVTOlJ alJa- cP8E'Y~aU'8at (438.6-9). Thus the orator decides to make his begin­ ning with the god himself (el~ aVTOlJ).l1 II. xapL~ If there is one dominant concern common to all Greek hymns, it is surely the notion of xapt~. No other word epitomizes so well the rela­ tionship which the hymnist tries to establish with the god-one of reciprocal pleasure and goodwill. For that reason, many hymns begin and end with XatPE, which, as Bundy reminds us, is much stronger than just 'hail' or 'farewell', and is part of the general concern of the hymnist to please the god.12 As Plato says, since we do not know the real names of the gods, we customarily use names that please them (OiTtlJE~ TE Kat 01To8ElJ XaiPOva-tv OlJO~'Ol-'ElJOt, era. 400E; cf Aesch. 9 The phrase ap{o/-t' aEi8ELv·(25), which usually occurs at the opening of the hymn, here indicates the beginning of the narrative, adding further justification to the distinc­ tion between two apxai argued above. There is an adaptation of this topic at Aristides 38.1-5, where the orator does not know which of the two Asclepiadae to praise first; he finally decides to make Apollo the apxT, (5). It is apparent from Aristides 38.5, 39.4, 43.6, and Julian Helios 132b that the procedure established by the Homeric Hymn to Apollo became a standard topic to exercise the ingenuity of the orator. There is, I think, already a hint of mannerism in the Theocritean version. 10 This allusion indicates that Pindar's aporetic opening of 01. 2 had come to be a model for the apxai of hymns. II The question with which Callimachus begins his Hymn to Zeus provides a variation of the topic of beginning with the god himself «(JEOV atiTov, 2). Both in Callimachus and in Menander the topic of naming the god immediately follows. 12 Cf Bundy (supra n.O 49-52. For xapLe;, xal.pELII, and Xapl-tU in Greek hymns see Keyssner (supra n.O 170 s. v. and esp. 132. RACE, WILLIAM H., Aspects of Rhetoric and Form in Greek Hymns , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 23:1 (1982:Spring) p.5 WILLIAM H. RACE 9 Ag. 160ft). Even the xa'iP€ in the formulaic endings of the Homeric hymns is sometimes ambiguous. The frequent Kat aV IJ.-EIl OVTW Xa'iP€ (1.20, 3.545, 4.579, etc.) "And so, farewell" (H. G. Evelyn-White, LCL), can become, with a slight addition (9.7, 14.6, etc.), Kai uV IJ.-Ell OVTW xa'iP€ {J€at {J' alJ.-a 1T'aU'at aotBij. Although the traditional transla­ tion of this verse is "farewell ... in this song," surely aot<>n could just as well be taken as the usual dative with Xaipw, meaning "take plea­ sure in the song." This interpretation would be consonant with the other formulaic endings: LAalJ.-at BE u"' aotBij, "I seek your favor with my song" (19.48, 21.5)~ Bo~ B' iIJ.-€pO€U'U'all aOtB7}ll, "Grant a pleasing song" (10.5, Hes. Theog. 104)~ and Xaptll B' aIJ.-' 01T'aU'U"oll aOtBij, "And also make the song pleasing" (24.5). The dual nature of Xaipw is also evident at 26.11-12: , \ \ r:I '" , ,J... ,,.,. A. ' Kat (J'l) IJ.-€ll OVTW Xatp€ 1T'OAVU'Ta'PVA W aWllVU'E' s:, , s:,' .", ,., '\'. , (J 13 vO~ v 'Y11J.-a~ xatpOIlTa~ €~ wpa~ aVTt~ tK€U" at .... and at Theocritus 15.149: XaLp€, "ABwll aya1T'aTE, Kai E~ xaipollTa~ acptKll€v. In these cases the hymnist's hope is that the god's pleasure (Xa'iP€) will be matched in the human realm (xaipollTa~). Various words related to XaPt') abound in Greek hymns. At the beginning of fr. 2 (L-P) Sappho assures Aphrodite that her grove is "pleasant" (XapL€ll '" aAU"o,)).14 In the Paean to Asclepius (PMG 934) there is the progression xap[lJ.-a] (4). Xatp€ (19), and xaipollTa~ (22). The first and last words of Isidorus' Hymn to Isis 2 are forms of xapL~: xa'iP€ (1), xapLTa~ (22), xaipOllT€~ (24), and xaptTa (34).15 Menander begins his hymn to Sminthian Apollo with the xapt~ which men owe the gods (437.8, 11, cf. 444.19) and ends it with concern for the god's pleasure in his titles (446.8, cf. 440.13) and requests that the 13 The same juxtaposition occurs in the anonymous Paean to Asclepius (PMG 934~ I.E,ythrai 205) 19-22: xa'iPE /-Wt ... 00<; 3' 7}~<; XaiPOIJTa<;. Particularly interesting is the progression at flymn.Hom.Ap. 12-14: XaiPH DE TE 1TOTIJW Ar/Tw, OVI'EKa TO~o1x5POI' Kat KapTEpol' VLOI' ETtKTEI'. XaLPE p}tKmp' W A'l']TOL, E1TE' T€KE<; aYAaa T€KVa .... Leto "is glad" that she bore Apollo, and the poet then tells her to "be glad" because she bore her splendid children. Surely the Xa'iPE at the end (and sQmetimes at the beginning) of hymns also retains a strong sense of 'pleasure'. 14 C,I: IG IF 499.2 (Raubitschek, Dedications 290), TEt 3E (hOt XapiEV (of his dedica­ tion), and xapLEI'T' at /I. 1.39. 15 v. F. Vand~rlip, The Four Hymns of ISiiforus and the Cult of Isis (AmStudPap 12 [1972]) 34-35~ E. Bernand, Inscr. merr. de I'Egypte 175.11. The last occurrence of Xapt<; is in fact a statement by the hymnist that the god indeed heard his prayer and granted him his "favor." C{ the progression at Ar. Thesm. 972-83: XatPE (972), XaPEVTa (981), and xapt/J (983). RACE, WILLIAM H., Aspects of Rhetoric and Form in Greek Hymns , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 23:1 (1982:Spring) p.5 10 RHETORIC AND FORM IN GREEK HYMNS god bestow "grace" on his words (VEVPEULV atutJ,la 7TlXvTa .... Of a similar nature, I believe, is the very frequent formula in which XatPE is followed by an imperative (usually of BiBwJ,.td, as in Hymn. Hom. 15.9: XatPE avag A' ,,~ ,~ ~ ,,' , "\{3 20 atO<; VtE" utuOV u apET71v TE Kat 0", ov. Although the substance of the request can vary greatly from hymn to hymn, there are two general concerns which are continually ex­ pressed, especially in the 'public' hymns: that the hymn (including the dance) succeed in pleasing the god and that the people or city fare well (ef. II. 1.472-74). Prayers for the success of the song are found in the Homeric Hymns 0.l8-19; 6.20, EJ,.t'rw B' EVTVVOV aotB1]v; 7.58-59; 10.5, Bo<; 8' iJ,.tEpoEuaav aotB7]v; 25.6, EJ,.t'rW TLJ,.t7]aaT' aotB7]v) , Cal­ limachus (Dian. 268, EvavT71uov aotBii), Theocritus (22.214-15, YJJ,.tE­ TEPOt<; K'AEO<; VJ,.tVOIS Ea(J'Aov aEL 7TEJ,.t7TOtTE), and Aratus (Phaen. 18, TEKJ,.t7]paTE miuav aOtB1]v).21 Often prayers for the success of the song are coupled with requests for the wellbeing of the community. In the Homeric Hymn to Deme­ ter (490-94) the poet hopes that his song will succeed in eliciting the bounty of Demeter and Persephone: a'A'A' ay' ... 7TPOc/>POVE<; aVT' cbBl1<; {3WTOV f)VJ,.t1]PE' 07Ta'Etv.22 At 24.4-5 the poet requests that Hestia come into his house (that is, bless it with her presence) and grace his song (XaptV B' aJ,.t' o7Taauov aotBii). Hymn 13.3 links both 20 If one compares Hymn. Hom. 20.8, aAA' iATj(J' "HpEva iav8Et", o7Ta~E 8efJ7TO/-L7TOV E(J8l\.wv roxav. 26 alli both breaks off from the preceding material and anticipates the imperative of the request. The vocative serves to reinvoke the god for this critical point in the hymn. For examples see Theogn. 781, Hymn. Hom. Dem. 490, Hymn. Hom. 8.15 and 20.8, Pind. 01. 2.12-15 and 7.87-90, Eur. Hipp. 82-83, Timoth. Pers. 237, Cleanthes' Hymn to Zeus 32, and frequently, especially in the Orphic hymns. 27 For (Jcgw cf /G IV2 129.11-15 (PMG 937), XatpETE ... (Jci;~E'TE T<)V~' ... vaDv, and Macedonius' Paean to Apollo and Asclepius (Powell 139) 23-30, Xa'ipE ... ~ioov RACE, WILLIAM H., Aspects of Rhetoric and Form in Greek Hymns , Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies, 23:1 (1982:Spring) p.5 WILLIAM H. RACE 13 ecp€1roe..;;). Also noteworthy is the frequent ael, which extends the god's goodwill into the indefinite future. And finally (here held for climactic effect) is the recipient, the poet and his community, em­ bodied in ijpiX<;.28 The anonymous Paean to Asclepius (PMG 934) 19-24 provides a variation: ,,' tt,. c;:," , XaI"PE /-We., tl\ao<; u E7TWUTEO Tel II a~ II 7TOAW EVPVXOpO ll, iE IIauXv. So<; S' ijpiX<; xaipOllTa.;; Opall cpao<; '\' c;:,' \, \ " aEI\.WV uOKt/-WV';; (JVll ayaKI\.VT£t.I EoaYEt 'Y YtE~. The god's pleasure is foremost in the hymnist's consideration (xatpE /-Wt, iAao<;) , and the epithet EVPVXOpOll suggests that the poet also intends his song to be in the god's thoughts.29 And as the god is enjoined to visit the city's celebration, he is asked to bring its citizens joy (ijpiX<; XaipollTa<;), fame, and health.30 Two prayers from Pindar will demonstrate the consistency of this formal tradition. The first concludes Pindar's praise of Corinth (01. 13.24-27): ~ "~,' V7TaT EVPV allaa-U'Wll '0\ ' • A..(J , " I\.Vl-t.7Tt.a<;, a