(Greek: From the Hymn of Callimachus)
He sings how Demeter was the first to cut off wheat, straw, and handfuls of ears, and introduced oxen to tread out the corn. He tells also how she punishes those who are guilty of disrespect to her power. She made the son of Triopus pitiable by hunger. Not yet were the Pelasgians inhabiting the Cnidian land, but sacred Dotium; but to thyself had raised a beautiful enclosure, thickly grown with trees; scarce would an arrow have penetrated it. In it was the pine, in it tall elms, and pear-trees also, and beautiful, sweet apples, whilst the water, like as amber, was bursting forth from springs. Then the son of Triopus hastened forth with twenty servants, all in their prime, all giant men, having armed them in both respects with hatchets and axes, so they rushed without shame into the grove of Demeter.
Now there was a poplar, a large tree reaching to heaven, and under it the nymphs were wont to disport themselves in the noontide, which, stricken first, sounded an evil melody for the rest. Demeter became aware that her sacred grove was in danger, and said in anger, “Who is hewing down my beautiful trees?”
Forthwith she likened herself to Nicippe, whom the state had appointed as her public priestess, and she grasped in her hand the fillets and poppies and kept her key on her shoulders. Then said she, soothing the sad and shameless man: “My son who fellest the sacred trees which are consecrated to gods, stay, my son, child, much beloved by thy parents, forbear and turn away thy servants, lest anywise our Lady Demeter be wroth with thee; Demeter, whose holy precinct thou art pillaging.”
At her then, looking askance more fiercely than a lioness with savage brood: “Give way, lest I fasten this great axe in thy flesh. These trees thou shalt behold my well-roofed house, wherein I shall ever and anon hold pleasant banquets to my heart’s content with my companions.” So spake the youth, and Nemesis recorded the wicked speech.
Demeter was wroth in an unspeakable degree, and she became the goddess. Her steps, indeed, trod the ground, but her head touched Olympus. Then were they half dead, I wot, when they had seen the awful goddess, and on a sudden rushed away, having left the axe among the oaks. The rest she left alone, for by constraint they followed beneath their lord’s hands, but she replied to the king that vexed her: “So, so; build thy hall, thou dog, thou dog, wherein thou mayst hold banquets, for frequent festivals thou shalt have hereafter.” Forthwith she sent upon him a grievous, fierce hunger, burning and violent. So terrible was his appetite that he ate up everything his mother had, causing her to call on Neptune:
“Either remove thou from him his sad disorder or thyself take and maintain him, for my tables have fallen short. Reft are my folds, and my stalls now void of beasts; and at length my cooks have declined the task. Nay, more, they have unyoked the mules from the great wains, and he ate the heifer which his mother was feeding for Vesta, and the prize-gaining steed and war horse, and the cat which lesser animals dread.”
O Demeter, may he be no friend to me who is hated by you.... Sing ye virgins, and ye mothers join the acclaim. All hail, Demeter, many nurturing of many measures. And as the four white-maned steeds carry the basket, so shall the great goddess, wide ruling, come, bringing to us fair spring, fair summer, winter and autumn, and shall keep them for us to another year.
Hail, goddess, and preserve this city in harmony and prosperity, and bring all things home ripe from the fields. Feed our cattle; support our fruit trees; bring forth the ear, produce the harvest; nurse also peace; that he who has sowed, that same may reap. Be propitious at my bidding, O thou, thrice-prayed-for, widely ruling among goddesses.