Greek Poems to the Gods: Hymns from Homer to Proclus

The ancient Greek hymnic tradition translated beautifully and accessibly. The hymn-as poetry, as craft, as a tool for worship and philosophy-was a vital art form throughout antiquity.Although the Homeric Hymns have long been popular, other equally important collections have not been readily accessible to students eager to learn about ancient poetry.In reading hymns, we also gain valuable insight into life in the classical world.In this collection, early Homeric Hymns of uncertain authorship appear along with the carefully wrought hymns of the great Hellenistic poet and courtier Callimachus; the mystical writings attributed to the legendary poet Orpheus, written as Christianity was taking over the ancient world; and finally, the hymns of Proclus, the last great pagan philosopher of antiquity, from the fifth century AD, whose intellectual influence throughout western culture has been profound. Greek Poems to the Gods distills over a thousand years of the ancient Greek hymnic tradition in