Homeric Hymns

The hymn presents Ares, god of war and bloodshed, as “Father of Victory” and “King over manliness” (70). The narrator asks Ares to grant him strength in battle. Most of all, he asks for courage to live in peace.

Artemis is the goddess of chastity and Apollo’s twin sister. The hymn depicts a scene of Artemis’s gold chariot racing through Smyrna toward Apollo, who is waiting for his sister. The narrator tells Artemis and the other goddesses to take joy in his praise.

The hymn praises Aphrodite’s generosity toward mortals and describes her as having a “sweet face.” The narrator asks Aphrodite to make his song “charming.”