Homeric hymn to Herakles
“I will sing of Heracles, the son of
Zeus and much the mightiest of men on earth. Alcmena bare him in
Thebes, the city of lovely dances, when the dark-clouded Son of Cronos
had lain with her. Once he used to wander over unmeasured tracts of
land and sea at the bidding of King Eurystheus, and himself did many
deeds of violence and endured many; but now he lives happily in the
glorious home of snowy Olympus, and has neat-ankled Hebe for his wife.
Hail, lord, son of Zeus! Give me success and prosperity.” – Homeric hymn 15 to Herakles
Orphic hymn to Herakles
The Fumigation from Frankincense.
“Hear, pow'rful, Hercules untam'd and strong, to whom vast hands, and
mighty works belong, Almighty Titan, prudent and benign, of various
forms, eternal and divine,
Father of Time, the theme of gen'ral praise, ineffable, ador'd in
various ways.
Magnanimous, in divination skill'd and in the athletic labours of the
field.
'Tis thine strong archer, all things to devour, supreme, all-helping,
all-producing pow'r; To thee mankind as their deliv'rer pray, whose arm
can chase the savage tribes away:
Uweary'd, earth's best blossom, offspring fair, to whom calm peace, and
peaceful works are dear. Self-born, with primogenial fires you shine,
and various names and strength of heart are thine.
Thy mighty head supports the morning light, and bears untam'd, the
silent gloomy night;
From east to west endu'd with strength divine, twelve glorious labours
to absolve is thine; Supremely skill'd, thou reign'st in heav'n's
abodes, thyself a God amid'st th' immortal Gods.
With arms unshaken, infinite, divine, come, blessed pow'r, and to our
rites incline;
The mitigations of disease convey, and drive disasterous maladies away.
Come, shake the branch with thy almighty arm, dismiss thy darts and
noxious fate disarm.” - Orphic hymn 11 to Herakles
