HYMN TO EARTH THE MOTHER OF ALL
GRODDECK'S theory that this hymn is Orphic has rightly met with no support, except from Crusius (Philolog. xlvii. p. 208, 1889), who compares Orph. h. xxvi. It is a genuine prelude in the Homeric style. There are absolutely no indications of date or place; we may, however, infer that it is of no great antiquity, as the writer seems to have borrowed from the hymn to Demeter; Gemoll compares 7, 12, and 18, 19 (see on h. Dem. 486). The hymn resembles the two following in length, and seems to belong to the same age and perhaps to the same workmanship (Crusius l.c.).Παμμ́ητειραν: a late form for “παμμήτωρ” (of Earth P. V. 90). On the epithet see Roscher Lex. i. 1570 f.
Ἠϋθέμεθλον: only here.[5] The omission of the subject to τελέθουσι is not harder than the omission of “τις” in xxix. 6, where see note. Here “ἄνθρωποι” is to be supplied from 7.
εὔπαιδες: in allusion to “Γῆ κουροτρόφος”; Preller-Rober i.^{2} p. 635 f. εὔκαρποι: cf. the Dodonaean hymn ( Paus.x. 12. 10) “Γᾶ κάρπους ἀνίει, δἰ ὃ κλῄζετε ματέρα Γαῖαν”. ἀφελέσθαι: i.e. as a Chthonian deity.[7] “ὁ δ̓ ὄλβιος κτλ.”: cf. h. Dem. 480, and 486 “μέγ᾽ ὄλβιος ὅν τιν᾽ ἐκεῖναι”
“προφρονέως φίλωνται”.[8] “τῷ τ̓ ἄφθονα κτλ.”: cf. h. Apoll. 536 “τὰ δ᾽ ἄφθονα πάντα πάρεσται”. But the substitution of “δ̓” for “τ̓” is here not required.
[9] σφιν: probably the singular, as in h. Pan 19, where see note.
[10] εὐθηΝεῖ: the subject is “ὁ ὄλβιος”, not “ἄρουρα”, which would not suit “κατ᾽ ἀγρούς” (Gemoll).
[11] καλλιγύναικα has emphasis; men (“αὐτοί”), women, and children (13 f.) are alike blessed.
[12] “ὄλβος κτλ.”: from h. Dem. 489 “Πλοῦτον ὃς ἀνθρώποις ἄφενος θνητοῖσι δίδωσιν”.
[14] φερεσανθέσιν: this correction, though Solmsen (p. 20 n. 1) disapproves, is clearly indicated by x's “περεσανθέσιν”; for the form cf. “φερέσβιος, φερεσσίπονος”, Scut. 13 “φερεσσακέας”, Stesich. fr. 26 “λιπεσάνορας; φερανθής” is also found (Meleager, Anth. Pal. ix. 363. 2), whence Lobeck preferred “φερεανθέσιν”; for this form cf. also “φερεαυγέα” Anth. Pal. ix. 634.
[15] σκαίρουσι: Ruhnken's emendation is brilliant and certain.
[17] θεῶν μ́ητηρ: the confusion, or identification, of Gaea and Rhea as mother of the gods is early; cf. Soph. Phil.391“παμβῶτι Γᾶ μᾶτερ αὐτοῦ Διός”, Solon fr. 36 “μήτηρ μεγίστη δαιμόνων Ὀλυμπίων”. As wife of Uranus she was in strict Hesiodean mythology the mother of the Titans and Cronos; but the simple “θεῶν” is no doubt meant to include all the gods.
[18] βίοτον θυμ́ηρἐ ὄπαζε: cf. Orph. h. xxviii. 11, and lxvii. 8 “βιότου τέλος ἐσθλὸν ὄπαζε”.
18, 19 = h. Dem. 494, 495.