Запажања уз орфичку Химну Хекати
Some Remarks on the Orphic Hymn to Hecate

Summary/Abstract: In the Orphic hymn dedicated to the goddess Hecate, among numerous, often compound epithets, which are also ascribed to other deities, notably Artemis, we come across the name Περσεία. In this paper, the author takes into consideration possible meanings of this form in connection with another divine name, Persephone. On the basis of the fact that Hecate shares a lot of her epithets with other Greek deities, the author concludes that the goddess’ role in Greek polytheism is not that of a unique deity, with distinct characteristics. The goddess may rather be recognized as one of the great female divinities, such as Magna Mater or Rhea, and her primary character cannot always be identified with that of a witch.

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