Homeric Hymn to the Muses and Apollo (25)

Catalogue ID: 02-olympian-gods/116-homeric-hymn-muses-apollo-25

Cycle: Olympian gods — Muses / Apollo / short Homeric Hymn

Version line: Homeric Hymn XXV — from the Muses and Apollo come singers and lyre-players

Sources: Homeric Hymn to the Muses and Apollo (25); cf. Hesiod, *Theogony* 1–115 (Muses)

Source file: /workspace/greek-myth-catalogue/02-olympian-gods/116-homeric-hymn-muses-apollo-25.md

Characters

Artemis — far-shooting partner in the gift of song
Kings — from Zeus, not from the Muses
Muses — with Apollo, source of singers and lyre-players
Singers — mortal beneficiaries

Places

Olympus — where singers and lyre-players walk

Themes

None detected.

Narrative

Homeric Hymn 25 states that from the Muses and far-shooting Apollo come men who are singers and lyre-players on earth, whereas kings are from Zeus; blessed is he whom the Muses love—sweet flows speech from his mouth. Hail, children of Zeus; honor the song. The hymn is a miniature poetics: Apolline–Muse origin of song versus Zeus-origin of kingship. Catalogue it as the Muses-and-Apollo short hymn, distinct from Hesiod’s long Helicon proem and from Apollo’s narrative hymns.