From the book
The Orphic Collection, Volume I: The Hymns
Attributed to Orpheus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordἀίδιος attributes enduring or everlasting being.
- In the Orphic HymnsNature, Earth, Nemesis, Hestia and the Eumenides receive the adjective, giving it a range from sustaining cosmic presence to persistent judgement.
- TranslationAt X.21 the apparatus reports ἀιδία κινησιφόρε against the corrected wording with ἀιδίη.
- A place to readEverlasting life paired with immortal providence.
- English renderings
- everlasting; perpetual
Meaning
ἀίδιος attributes enduring or everlasting being. Both the two-termination form and an Ionic feminine ἀιδίη appear in the hymns. Unlike a word for uninterrupted movement or recurrent bloom, it can directly characterize the enduring identity of a divine power.
Use in the book
Nature, Earth, Nemesis, Hestia and the Eumenides receive the adjective, giving it a range from sustaining cosmic presence to persistent judgement. Herakles is everlasting beside “father of time” at XII.3. The juxtaposition encourages attention to duration, but the line does not spell out a philosophical definition of eternity.
At X.27 Nature is “everlasting life and immortal providence.” Here ἀίδιος agrees with ζωή, a feminine noun, despite its -ος ending. The pairing places lasting life beside undying providential activity. It is a particularly useful place to compare ἀίδιος and ἀθάνατος without insisting on an absolute difference that their neighbouring use does not establish.
Places to read
- Hymn X · Line 27Everlasting life paired with immortal providence.
- Hymn XII · Line 3Herakles as father of time and everlasting.
- Hymn LXI · Line 3The enduring presence of Nemesis.
- Hymn LXX · Line 8Everlasting punitive divinities.
Translation
At X.21 the apparatus reports ἀιδία κινησιφόρε against the corrected wording with ἀιδίη. At XII.3 it attributes ἀίδιός τε καὶ to Hermann against ἀίδιέ τε. The printed nominative in direct address is retained, rather than silently regularized to a vocative. The extra accent in ἀίδιός belongs to its position before the enclitic τε.
Attested forms
ἀιδίη; ἀίδιοι; ἀίδιος; ἀίδιός
Occurrence inventory
7 in total. X.21; X.27; XII.3; XXVI.6; LXI.3; LXX.8; LXXXIV.6