HYMN TO APHRODITE
THE hymn, like its parallel, vi, was a prelude recited at a contest (cf. 5). There is no reason to suppose that it was Cyprian in origin. The MSS. offer several singular variants in the few lines of the hymn.Κυπρογεν̂η: first in Theog. 199, in the older form “Κυπρογενέα”, which need not be read in the hymn; Fick (B. B. ix. 203) reads “Κυπρογένην”. The variations “εὐπρογενῆ” etc. are due to the initial being left to the scribe to paint in red; mistaken attempts were made to fill up the gap.
Κυθέρειαν: Theog. 196, 198 etc., but also in the Odyssey (Od. 8.288 “, ς” 193) as a proper name. See Roscher Lex. ii. 1769 f.[2] μείλιχα δῶρα, “her gracious gifts,” i.e. beauty; cf. “μειλιχόδωρος” (see L. and S. ), of Wine and Health; so “τὰ μείλιχα”, “joys,” of Charis, Pind. Ol.i. 30.Gemoll also suggests a less probable explanation from Mimnerm. i. 3 “κρυπταδίη φιλότης καὶ μείλιχα δῶρα καὶ εὐνή”.
ἐφ̓: here and in 3 in a local sense: “she has ever a smile on her lovely face, and lovely bloom runs thereon.” It seems unnecessary to add a new word “ἐφιμερτός”, although “ἐφιμείρω” is found in late epic.[3] The editors read “φέρει”; if this is original the dative to be supplied is “βροτοῖσι”, although Matthiae and Gemoll understand “φέρει” as=“bears” (on herself). Gemoll thinks that “ἄνθος” is literally a flower, and, objecting to the collective singular, proposes “ἔσθος”. But “ἄνθος” is here “bloom,” “beauty,” as in h. Dem. 107, h. Herm. 375 and often. The reading of M “θέει” is more appropriate than “φέρει” to “ἄνθος”; for the metaphorical use cf. Il. 6.45 “ λευκὴ δ᾽ ἐπιδέδρομεν αἴγλη”.
[4] The alternatives are equal in point of sense, but M's “χαῖρε μάκαιρα Κυθήρης” can hardly be paralleled in metre; Batrach. 287 is similar, where, however, Abel reads “ἀεὶ μαλερόν” (Schmidt) for “δειμαλέον”.
[5] εἰΝαλίης τε Κύπρου: here M's reading is in all respects equal to “καὶ πάσης Κύπρου”. For the short “υ” cf. Empedocles 282, 419, Ibycus fr. v. 2, Pind. Nem.iv. 46 etc. For the worship of Aphrodite in Cyprus and Cythera see Farnell Cults ii. p. 740 f.
