Homeric Hymn 25 to the Muses and Apollo

Anonymous. Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. Evelyn-White, Hugh G., editor. London: William Heinmann; New York: The Macmillan Co., 1914.

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This work is a short hexameter hymn dedicated to the Muses, Apollo, and Zeus. The narrator declares that the singers and lyre-players on earth originate from the Muses and Apollo, while kings derive their authority from Zeus. Through this genealogy, the poem illustrates that human cultural endeavors and political power possess divine origins. Finally, the narrator offers a greeting to the goddesses, concluding the song and announcing a transition to another lay.