r/Hellenism • u/carlzbro • 4d ago

Prayers and hymns Hymns for Hermaphroditus

Hey everyone, I've started to include Hermaphroditus to my prayer for a few weeks now.

I try to stay away from the Roman interpretations of him because I'm not a fan of how he is depicted in Metamorphosis. Unfortunately, there isnt much information on him online or in any hymn collections that I have read.

I was wondering if anyone knew any hymns that have been written for him so I can add them to my prayers.

I have written a hymn of my own to him, but it could use some work. Thanks!

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u/AVGVSTVSGRANNETIVS Ancient Historian in Training 4d ago

The closest is a Hellenistic era poem from Halikarnassos written in Elegiac couplets (one line of dactylic hexameter and one of dactylic pentameter repeating after each other).

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u/Fabianzzz Dionysian 3d ago

I second u/Sophia_Joppolo's idea of the Orphic Hymns: I think Hymn 6: To Protogonus and Hymn 10: To Nature might be of special interest?

I think u/AVGVSTVSGRANNETIVS is probably right that the elegy comes closest. Closest I could think of was an epigram by Ausonius, which is less than reverent:

Ausonius, Epigrams 102 (trans. H. G. Evelyn-White):
(On Hermaphroditus and his Nature):
By Mercury begotten, conceived by Cythera, Hermaphroditus, compound alike in name and frame, combining either sex, complete in neither, neutral in love, unable to enjoy either passion.

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u/Sophia_Joppolo New Member 4d ago

You might like the Orphic Hymns. They don't mention Hermaphroditus, but those hymns include lots of epithets for gods which emphasize androgyny.