Source edition
Callimachus and Lycophron; Aratus. Mair, A. W., editor. London: William Heinemann; New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1921.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This hymn is set against the backdrop of the sacred bathing ritual of the goddess Athena, depicting the fate of a mortal who inadvertently witnesses a deity and the blend of divine justice and mercy. In the first half, the attendants are called upon to prepare pure oil and a golden comb, accompanied by a solemn warning against the taboo of gazing upon the naked goddess. The narrative then shifts to the story of Tiresias, the son of Athena's beloved nymph Chariclo. After accidentally viewing the goddess bathing, young Tiresias is struck blind as a divine punishment. However, to console his grieving mother, Athena mitigates the penalty by promising that he will become a preeminent seer endowed with prophetic wisdom and great honors. The poem concludes with a celebratory hymn welcoming the arrival of the goddess.