The Homeric Hymn to Hermes

The Homeric Hymn to Hermes is the longest surviving hymn from early Greece, our fullest source for the god Hermes, and an entertaining narrative of theft, invention, cheekiness, and learning to get along. This study contains a new text of the poem, based on advances in our understanding of its transmission, and a commentary which brings together a range of methodologies to address points of linguistic difficulty, poetic technique, and cultural background. The introduction discusses the possible context for the first performance of the hymn, and makes an original argument about the hymnist's remarkable approach to praise and to the epic tradition. This book will therefore be an essential point of reference for students and scholars interested not only in the Hymn to Hermes but in Greek literature and religion.

• Presents a new edition of the text based on a thorough reanalysis of the manuscripts
• Adopts a wide range of interpretative methods throughout the commentary, from politeness theory to cognitive science
• Changes our understanding of how writers in the Greek epic tradition could interact, and of the kinds of relationship between worshippers and a god which were considered appropriate within ancient Greek religion