Paean in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Paean

11 passages from 6 ancient authors that tell of Paean, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Paean was the physician of the gods in Greek mythology. He was mentioned in Homer's Iliad, when the god of war, Ares, was wounded by the hero Diomedes... For the story in one place, read our article on Paean.

Homer (3)

Homer, Iliad 5.793–909Diomedes wounds AresAthena finds Diomedes cooling the wound the arrow made, rebukes him, and takes Sthenelus' place in his car, putting on the helm of Hades. They go against Ares, who is stripping the body of Periphas, and Diomedes drives his spear into the god's belly. Ares bellows like nine thousand men and goes up to Olympus, where Zeus tells him that he is hateful to him, but has Paeon heal him.
Homer, Iliad 11.284–400Hector's advance; Diomedes is woundedHector takes up the fight and kills many Danaans, until Odysseus and Diomedes stand against him. Diomedes' spear strikes Hector's helmet and Hector falls to his knees, but Paris, standing behind a pillar, shoots Diomedes through the foot with an arrow. Diomedes goes off to the ships and Odysseus is left alone.
Homer, The Homeric Hymns 3.440–546Hymn 3 to Apollo (5): the Cretans at DelphiApollo leaps from the ship like a star and enters his shrine, and the Cretans follow him to Pytho, chanting the paean. He reveals himself and tells them that they will keep his temple, instructs them in how to sacrifice at the altar on the shore, and, because he first came to them as a dolphin, names the altar Delphinius.

Euripides (2)

Euripides, Alcestis 213–279First choral song; Alcestis comes out to dieThe Chorus prays to Apollo as Paean to save Admetus, and then sees Alcestis come out of the house, supported by her husband. Alcestis speaks to the sun and the clouds, and sees Charon, the ferryman of the dead, calling her to come. Admetus begs her not to leave him or the children.
Euripides, Ion 82–183Ion sweeps the temple at dawn and drives off the birdsIon greets the sun rising over Delphi and tells how he sweeps and cleans the temple of Phoebus, sprinkling water and carrying laurel boughs, and says that he serves the god who feeds him as an orphan. He sings a hymn to Apollo, calling him his father in all but fact. He then drives the birds from the offerings and the roof with his bow.

Callimachus (1)

Callimachus, Hymns 2.1–113Hymn to ApolloThe laurel and the temple tremble as Apollo approaches, and the profane are told to depart while the young men prepare to sing and dance. The poet praises the god's golden gear, his youth, his healing and music, and the altar of horns he built at the age of four in Ortygia. He tells how Apollo guided Battus to found Cyrene, how the Carneian festival is kept there, and how the god killed the serpent at Pytho. The hymn ends with Apollo spurning Envy with his foot.

Aristophanes (3)

Aristophanes, The Acharnians 1143–1234Exodos: Lamachus wounded, Dicaeopolis victoriousThe Chorus wish the two men well on their different errands and call down two woes on Antimachus. A servant of Lamachus calls for water and bandages, for his master has wrenched his ankle in a ditch, and Lamachus is brought in groaning. Dicaeopolis comes in flushed with wine, having drained the pitcher first, and the play ends with the Chorus following him with the song of Victory.
Aristophanes, Birds 1702–1765Exodos: the wedding of Peisthetaerus and SovereigntyWhile the Chorus sing of a nation that fills its belly with its tongue, a Messenger announces the return of Peisthetaerus with his bride and the thunderbolt of Zeus. The Chorus greet him with a wedding hymn, calling on Hymen and Hymenaeus and recalling the wedding of Hera and Zeus. Peisthetaerus bids the birds follow him to the golden floor of Zeus, and the Chorus end with a cry of victory.
Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 295–371Parodos: the Crieress opens the women's assemblyA Crieress calls for silence and opens the women's assembly with prayers to the Gods and Goddesses for the success of the debate. The chorus join in the prayers and invoke a long list of Gods, and then the Crieress pronounces a curse on those who betray the women, including whoever deals with Euripides or the Medes, and the chorus echo her curses.

Pausanias (1)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.1.1–11Elis: the early kings, Endymion, Pelops, Aetolus and AugeasPausanias opens the book on Elis with the five-fold division of Peloponnese and the peoples that settled it. He gives the line of the early Elean kings from Aethlius and Endymion to Epeus, Aetolus, Eleus and Augeas, with Endymion’s footrace for the throne and Pelops’ seizure of Pisa and Olympia. He tells how Hercules cleansed Augeas’ land of dung, was refused his reward, and so brought war on Elis.

Orpheus (attributed) (1)

Orpheus (attributed), Orphic Hymns 32–36Hymns 32-36: Pallas, Victory, Apollo, Latona, DianaPallas (Athena) is hailed as the fierce daughter of Zeus who roused the Phlegraean giants to flight, and Victory as the goddess whom men desire in battle. The longest hymn of the group invokes Apollo as Paean, the healer and slayer of Tityus, who tunes the music of the universe on his lyre. Latona and Diana follow, the latter as the torch-bearing Dictynna who presides over births.