0. Zeus
Being-itself (Αὐτοών), One-itself (Αὐτοέν), Supremely One (Ἄκρως
Ἔν), Pure One (Εἰλικρινῶς Ἔν), Unity-itself (Αὐτοενός),
Good-itself (Αὐτοαγαθός), Excess of the Good (Ἀγαθοῦ Ὑπερβολή),
Self-father Father (Αὐτοπάτωρ Πατήρ), First-Father (Προπάτωρ),
Paternal Principle (Πατρικὴ Ἀρχή), Eldest Demiurge (Πρεσβύτατος
Δημιουργός),
Demiurge of Demiurges (Δημιουργός Δημιουργῶν), Uncreated Creator
(Γενητὸς Ἀγένητος), King of Kings, All-powerful and Absolute King
(Αὐτοκράτωρ καὶ Αὐτοτελής Βασιλεύς), pre-eternal (προαιώνιος),
super-essential (ὑπερούσιος).
The supercelestial gods are eternal minds (νόες), existing
outside of time and space, but they are the second rank of gods,
emanated from Zeus, who is therefore pre-eternal. The
supercelestial gods are Platonic Ideas or beings, but Zeus is
Being-itself, their principle and cause, in whom the essences of
the gods exist in a state of unity. In Zeus, essence (οὐσία) and
action (πρᾶξις) are identical. He is the first necessity, which we
call the absolute Good. The supercelestial gods proceed from Zeus
by a process of logical division, separating opposites, producing
the individual gods, who thus form a harmonious community
(κοινωνία). In his own likeness (παραδείγμα), he emanates the most
powerful of the second rank of gods, whom we call Poseidon, and
produces the rest of the supercelestial gods, using each as a
model for the next.
Mode: Hypodorian
Zeus, Father, thou Self-father, eldest Demiurge,
All-father, King, the highest and most great of all,
All-mighty, Unity, Self-being, and the Good Itself,
who everything has caused from all eternity,
the greatest by thyself, the rest by lesser gods,
all with perfection, to the uttermost degree.
Be kind, protect us, lead us, as in everything,
by thine illustrious children. You entrust them with
our destinies, fulfilled as just they ought to be.
Mode: Hypodorian
Great Zeus, Self-father, Ianos, the Progenitor
of everything with being and receiving birth,
in truth created none of these things thoughtlessly,
for he himself exists, and hence do other gods,
whom, never idle, he made mirrors of himself;
and not neglecting his own power, he works well
and properly, because his nature is the Good.
O Zeus, we hail thee, guarding all and reigning; hail,
most blessed; hail thee, gracious giver of all goods.
Mode: Hypodorian
Self-being, Zeus, who is entirely unborn,
All-father, All-preserver, who all things conceals
within himself, in unity and not apart,
he sends forth each of them, completely one and whole,
accomplishing the task as fully beautiful
as can be, all in one, from envy wholly free.
But you, O Zeus, and your illustrious children, lead
us with the Whole, as you have judged, aligning all,
and grant beginnings well begun and tasks well done.
Mode: Hypodorian
Zeus, Father, powerful, strong acting, cause of good,
All-parent, and by thine own mind transcendent good,
we too are born with shares of goodness from the gods.
By force of our mortality we’re fallible
but ever subject to correction once again.
Bestow on us release from misery of mistakes
by means of thine own children to whom it’s assigned,
approaching near to pure ones having a right mind,
so we may follow thee, who art both gentle, kind.
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