batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l7165-l7180
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l7165-l7180
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
passage_locator:
label: XV. TO HERACLES THE LION-HEARTED / XVI. TO ASCLEPIUS / XVII. TO THE DIOSCURI
/ XVIII. TO HERMES; lines 7165-7180
start: '7165'
end: '7180'
translation: Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The hymn invokes Hermes of Cyllene and Arcadia as Slayer of Argus, messenger
of the deathless gods, son of Zeus and Maia, and giver of grace and good things.
It recounts Maia's secluded cave dwelling and Zeus's secret nighttime visits while
Hera sleeps, unknown to gods or mortals.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Hermes is addressed as Cyllenian, Slayer of Argus, lord of Cyllene and Arcadia,
and luck-bringing messenger of the deathless gods.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Hermes is said to have been born of Maia, daughter of Atlas, and Zeus.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Maia is described as a shy goddess who avoided the throng of the blessed gods.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Maia lived in a shadowy cave.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Zeus visited Maia at dead of night while Hera slept, and neither god nor mortal
knew it.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Hermes is hailed as son of Zeus and Maia, giver of grace, guide, and giver
of good things.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Hermes
description: Cyllenian Hermes, Slayer of Argus, lord of Cyllene and Arcadia, luck-bringing
messenger of the deathless gods, son of Zeus and Maia.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Maia
description: Daughter of Atlas, shy goddess, mother of Hermes, rich-tressed nymph
who lived in a shadowy cave.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Zeus / Son of Cronos
description: Father of Hermes; he lay with Maia at dead of night.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Atlas
description: Named as the father of Maia.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Hera
description: White-armed Hera lay bound in sweet sleep during Zeus's nighttime visits
to Maia.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Deathless gods and mortal men
description: Groups said not to have known of Zeus's visits to Maia.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Argus
description: Named only in Hermes's epithet, Slayer of Argus.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine messenger
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Hermes is called the luck-bringing messenger of the deathless gods.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: guide and giver
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Hermes is hailed as guide, giver of grace, and giver of good things.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: divine child
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Hermes is identified as son of Zeus and Maia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: mother of Hermes
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Hermes is said to have been born of Maia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: secluded goddess or nymph
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Maia avoids the blessed gods and lives in a shadowy cave.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: father of Hermes
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Hermes is identified as son of Zeus and Maia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:7
label: night visitor
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The Son of Cronos is said to lie with Maia at dead of night.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:8
label: father of Maia
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Maia is called daughter of Atlas.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:9
label: sleeping spouse or goddess
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Hera is described as lying in sweet sleep while Zeus visits Maia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:10
label: unaware witnesses
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Neither deathless god nor mortal man knew of Zeus's visits to Maia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:11
label: slain figure in epithet
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Argus appears only in the title Slayer of Argus applied to Hermes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: shadowy cave
literal_form: cave
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: dead of night
literal_form: nighttime setting
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: sweet sleep
literal_form: sleep
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Invocation of Hermes
summary: The speaker sings of Hermes with titles linking him to Cyllene, Arcadia,
Argus, and the gods' messenger role.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Hermes's divine birth and Maia's seclusion
summary: Hermes is introduced as born from Maia, daughter of Atlas, and Zeus; Maia
avoids the gods and lives in a shadowy cave.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Secret nighttime union
summary: Zeus visits Maia at night while Hera sleeps, and the visits are unknown
to gods and mortals.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Closing hail to Hermes
summary: Hermes is hailed as son of Zeus and Maia, giver of grace, guide, and giver
of good things, before the singer turns to another song.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: divine parent and child
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_parent_child
basis: Hermes is repeatedly identified as the son of Zeus and Maia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives genealogy but does not narrate Hermes's childhood or
later familial interactions.
- id: motif:2
label: sacred or divine birth
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_birth
basis: A god, Hermes, is born from the union of Zeus and the goddess Maia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The birth is stated briefly rather than narrated with miraculous details.
- id: motif:3
label: secluded divine beloved in a cave
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
basis: Maia, a shy goddess or nymph, lives apart in a shadowy cave where Zeus visits
her secretly at night.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not explicitly use a beloved formula; the motif label
is inferred from the described relationship.
- id: motif:4
label: divine guide and messenger
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: Hermes is called messenger of the gods and guide.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage supports a boundary-crossing messenger or guide role, but
does not narrate trickster action here.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 7165-7168; Hymn XVIII, ll. 1-4
quote_or_summary: Hermes is invoked as Cyllenian, Slayer of Argus, lord of Cyllene
and Arcadia, and luck-bringing messenger of the deathless gods.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 7168-7170; Hymn XVIII, ll. 4-6
quote_or_summary: Hermes is said to have been born of Maia, daughter of Atlas, and
Zeus.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 7170-7174; Hymn XVIII, ll. 6-9
quote_or_summary: Maia avoids the blessed gods and lives in a shadowy cave; Zeus
lies with her at night while Hera sleeps, and neither gods nor mortals know.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 7176-7180; Hymn XVIII, ll. 10-12
quote_or_summary: The hymn hails Hermes as son of Zeus and Maia, giver of grace,
guide, and giver of good things, then turns to another song.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied lines. Motif labels beyond genealogy
and messenger roles are cautious because the hymn excerpt is brief.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
The supplied passage text contains only Hymn XVIII to Hermes, despite the broader passage label naming Hymns XV-XVIII.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg__l7165-l7180
passage_sha256=582c0f536016050198a5139b6a662c3b0cd1f3733f26ad8e2af835953b49f0ca