From the book
The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns
Attributed to Orpheus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →- English renderings
- always; continually; ever
Meaning
The forms ἀεί, αἰεί and αἰέν mark continuing attributes, repeated actions and desired benefits throughout the hymns. Justice’s constant oversight differs from a petition that initiates may always receive help, though the adverb can serve both. “Always” need not mean an argument about eternity: the appended Ares hymn applies it to the steeds' ongoing course at LXXXVIII.8. At X.4 the apparatus attributes the separated phrase τετιμέν’ ἀεί to Koene against fused τετιμενέα. The adopted “always honoured” should not generate a confident meaning for that difficult reported string.
Places to read
- Hymn I · Line 10Read the word in its hymn.
Attested forms
ἀεί; ἀεὶ; αἰεί; αἰεὶ; αἰέν; αἰὲν
Occurrence inventory
49 in total. I.10; II.14; IV.1; V.1; VII.5; VII.9; VII.10; VIII.17; X.4; XIII.10; XIX.23; XXVII.8; XXIX.16; XXXI.7; XXXII.15; XXXIII.9; XXXVI.11; XLIV.11; LII.13; LVI.4; LIX.17; LX.11; LXI.4; LXI.6; LXI.10; LXII.11; LXIII.2; LXIII.4; LXIII.5; LXIII.10; LXIII.13; LXIV.4; LXIV.9; LXV.3; LXVI.11; LXVIII.6; LXVIII.12; LXIX.5; LXIX.10; LXIX.11; LXXV.6; LXXVII.3; LXXVII.7; LXXXIII.1; LXXXIII.8; LXXXVI.8; LXXXVI.12; LXXXVI.17; LXXXVIII.8