An Assembly of the Gods on Mount Olympus. 1829. illustration from Virgil’s Aeneid. Anne Louis Girodet de Roussy Trioson. French 1767-1824. engraving.[/caption]“Orpheus to Museus
use it happily, my friend
Learn, o Museus, the venerable rite,
the very best prayer.
Zeus the soveraign and the Earth and the sacred celestial flames
of the Sun, and the holy splendour of Mene and of all the Stars;
and You, Poseidon, who supports the earth, deep-blue haired,
and sacred Persephone and Demeter of marvelous fruits
and Artemis who hurls the arrow, maiden, and Phoebus invoked with cries,
You who inhabit the sacred soil of Delphi; and You who have great privileges
among the Blessed ones, dancing Dionysus;
and Ares of valiant soul and the holy force of Hephaistos
and the Goddess born from the foam of the sea, to whom are assigned glorious gifts;
and You, king below the earth, very extraordinary Daimon,
and Youthfulness and Eileithyia and the noble power of Heracles;
and the great benefit of Justice and Piety
I invoke, and the illustrious Nymphs and Pan the greatest
and Hera, flourishing bride of Zeus who holds the aegis,
and amiable Memory and the sacred nine Muses
I call, and the Charites and the Seasons and the Year
and Leto, fair-haired, Thea and venerable Dione
and the armed Curetes and the Korybantes and the Kabeiroi
and together the great Saviour Gods, immortal sons of Zeus,
and the Gods of mount Ida and the Messenger of the Celestials,
Hermes the herald, and Themis, who vaticinates in the behalf of men,
and the most ancient Night I call and the Day bringer of light,
and Faith and Righteousness and the faultless Lawgiver Goddess,
and Rhea and Kronos and Tethis of dark peplos
and the great Oceanus, and together the daughters of Oceanus
and the overwhelming force of Atlas and Aion
and Time who always flows and the beaming water of Styx
and the mild Gods and among them the good Providence
and the good Daimon and the Daimon ruinos for the mortals,
and the Spirits of the sky and of the air and of the water
and of the earth and of the underworld and of those who dwell in the fire,
and Semele and all those taking part in the feasts of Bacchus,
and white Ino Leucotea and Palemon who makes all happy
and Victory of sweet sound and mistress Adrasteia
and the great king Asclepius who gives soothings
and Pallas the maiden who kindles the battle, and all the Winds
and the Thunders and the portions of the ducts of the Cosmos of four pillars;
and the Mother of the Immortals, Attis and Men I invoke
and the Goddess Ourania and together the deathless, sacred Adonis
and Beginning and End - indeed this is for all the greatest -
so that They come, gracious and with a delighted heart
to this sacred rite and to the holy libation.”
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