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 poem, composed in honor of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and harvest, addresses the themes of piety toward the gods and the horrific punishment that awaits the impious. The work opens with a vivid description of the worshipers eagerly awaiting the ritual procession of the goddess's sacred basket (*kalathos*). Within this ritualistic framework, the poem introduces the myth of Erysichthon, a reckless youth who insolently attempts to chop down Demeter's sacred grove. Despite a benevolent warning from the goddess, he persists and is cursed with an insatiable, bottomless hunger. The middle portion of the poem details his tragic ruin as he frantically consumes all his family's wealth, livestock, and eventually becomes a beggar. The work concludes by returning to the ritual setting, offering a prayer to Demeter for peace, prosperity, and the preservation of her sacred order.