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 wordἜρχομαι expresses movement or arrival, with forms built on both ἐρχ- and ἐλθ-.
- In the Orphic HymnsThe repeated imperative ἐλθέ asks for a god’s presence, usually specifying its desired character.
- TranslationThe source’s ἔρχεο, ἐλθέ, ἔλθοις and ἦλθες are all retrievable here.
- A place to readThe requested arrival includes a concrete remedy.
- English renderings
- come, go, arrive
Meaning
Ἔρχομαι expresses movement or arrival, with forms built on both ἐρχ- and ἐλθ-. In invocation its central force is come, but destination and viewpoint can make went or passed into more natural elsewhere. The same verb also describes an approaching event rather than a travelling person.
Use in the book
The repeated imperative ἐλθέ asks for a god’s presence, usually specifying its desired character. Herakles comes bringing remedies (XII.14), Demeter with summer fruits (XL.18), and Nemesis as helper (LXI.10). Plural ἔλθετ’ calls the Horae to the rites (XLIII.10), while optatives such as ἔλθοις express the hoped-for approach of Night or Okeanos (III.14; LXXXIII.8). Arrival is inseparable from benevolence, benefit or acceptance of offerings, not merely a change of location.
Other constructions preserve ordinary movement. Antaia went into Hades (XLI.5); the Kouretes come with light feet that sound the earth (XXXVIII.9). In the difficult continuation XXXVIII.13, the genitive may resume the moving dancers or their feet; the motion itself is clear. The dream hymn speaks of coming pain (LXXXVI.15), an impending experience rather than divine epiphany. Dionysos’s coming to term in XLVIII.3 depends on the accompanying completed participle: completion is not a separate dictionary meaning of come.
Places to read
- Hymn XII · Line 14The requested arrival includes a concrete remedy.
- Hymn XLIII · Line 10A plural imperative summons the Horae to rites.
- Hymn XLI · Line 5The past form describes a narrated journey into Hades.
- Hymn XXXVIII · Line 13Motion is secure although the participle’s attachment is open.
- Hymn LXXXVI · Line 15Pain, not a divine traveller, is approaching.
- Hymn XLVIII · Line 3The neighbouring participle supplies completed development.
Translation
The source’s ἔρχεο, ἐλθέ, ἔλθοις and ἦλθες are all retrievable here. They should not be separated into invented verbs based on their differing stems. Compare βλώσκω for another arrival verb, and δεῦρο for an adverb that can imply an invitation without itself being a verbal form.
Attested forms
ἔλθ’; ἐλθέ; Ἐλθέ; ἐλθεῖν; ἔλθετ’; ἔλθῃς; ἔλθοι; ἔλθοις; ἔλθοιτ’; ἔρχεο; ἐρχόμεναι; ἐρχομένη; ἐρχόμενοι; ἐρχομένοιο; ἐρχομένων; ἦλθές; ἦλθον
Occurrence inventory
48 in total. Prayer.43; III.14; VII.12; IX.11; XI.4; XII.14; XIV.12; XVI.10; XXVII.11; XXVII.14; XXIX.1; XXXI.6; XXXIII.8; XXXIV.1; XXXVI.13; XXXVIII.9; XXXVIII.13; XL.18; XLI.5; XLI.10; XLII.11; XLIII.10; XLV.1; XLV.7; XLVI.8; XLVII.6; XLVIII.3; XLIX.7; LI.17; LII.13; LV.15; LV.21; LV.27; LVI.12; LIX.20; LX.11; LXI.10; LXIII.6; LXVI.11; LXVII.8; LXXIV.7; LXXV.4; LXXIX.11; LXXX.2; LXXXI.5; LXXXII.3; LXXXIII.8; LXXXVI.15