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 wordπαντοδίαιτος describes a comprehensive relation to subsistence or way of life.
- In the Orphic HymnsAt LXVI.5 the epithet follows “all-devouring,” “all-subduing” and “highest of all.” An all-consuming interpretation continues the sequence’s active power over everything.
- TranslationThe aligned English chooses “living in all,” but LSJ gives “all-consuming” for this locus.
- A place to readThe compound between consuming power and the following account of divine presence.
- English renderings
- all-consuming; living in all
Meaning
παντοδίαιτος describes a comprehensive relation to subsistence or way of life. Its single occurrence in the supplied verse addresses Hephaistos, whom the hymn has already called untiring fire. “All-consuming” and “living in all” are materially different orientations: one concerns what fire takes in, the other the breadth of its presence.
Use in the book
At LXVI.5 the epithet follows “all-devouring,” “all-subduing” and “highest of all.” An all-consuming interpretation continues the sequence’s active power over everything. Yet the following lines name aither, sun, stars, moon and light as the god’s limbs, then place him in every house, city, people and mortal body. Those developments make an indwelling interpretation intelligible as well. The ending asks the same fire-power to approach gently and stop its raging madness. The hymn thus holds productive presence and destructive capacity together, rather than forcing the adjective to eliminate one side.
Places to read
- Hymn LXVI · Line 5The compound between consuming power and the following account of divine presence.
Translation
The aligned English chooses “living in all,” but LSJ gives “all-consuming” for this locus. The lexicon retains both, with the immediate “all-devouring” favouring the consuming association and the subsequent dwelling-language supporting the translation’s emphasis. This is a lexical interpretive difference; it should not be misreported as a printed variant replacing παντοδίαιτε.
Attested forms
παντοδίαιτε
Occurrence inventory
1 in total. LXVI.5
Lexical references
Further source
LSJ, παντοδίαιτος. Lexical sense or textual qualification checked in the official Perseus LSJ entry; the supplied Greek remains primary.