Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 25-44

 Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 25-44

[Hestia], whom Poseidon and Apollo courted. But she refused and swore a great oath, touching Zeus' head, to remain a maiden all her days. Zeus gave her the fine prize instead of marriage, and she sits in the middle of the home, honored in all the gods' temples and a eldress among all mortals.

These women's hearts Aphrodite cannot persuade or trick. But no one else has escaped Aphrodite. She even led Zeus' mind, the greatest, astray. Whenever she wished, she tricked him and easily made him mingle with mortal women, forgetting his sister and wife Hera. Hera is the finest in beauty among the goddess, and Cronus made her the most glorious; and Zeus, in his immortal wisdom, made her his respected wife.

  • the story of Hestia is fun and surprising. Why does she touch Zeus' head? Richardson takes it as what she swears by with her oath, but it rmeinds me more of Thetis' supplication of Zeus in Il. 1, though not a lot of common language. Here Hestia touches his head (κεφαλη), there Thetis touches his chin (ἀνθερων)
  • "Eldress" (πρέσβειρα) is an unusual, surprisingly lofty word for the goddess.
  • Not sure what the relationship is between the praise of Hera and Aphrodite's deception of Zeus -- even though Hera is so beautiful, Aphrodite is strong enough ('easily' ῥηιδίως) to deceive him? 
  • Broadly the description of Hera and Zeus seems to recapitulate some themes (eros as deception, Zeus' mighty mind) from the Iliadic deception of Zeus (apate dios), where Hera is the one to trick Zeus into lovemaking.

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