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For links to many more fragments: The Orphic Fragments of Otto Kern.

SUMMARY: According to the first fragment, the Titans struck down Dionysus, but Zeus raised him up again and punished the Titans. The second quotation is a euhemeric telling of the story of Zagreus and the Titans.

214. (200) The myth concerning the death of Zagréfs altered and extended: Λόγος 9.4 Ἱμερίου (Himerius, Oratio IX 4) p. 560 Wernsd. p. 66 Duebn.:

ἐθέλω δὲ ὑμῖν, ὦ φίλοι, διήγημά τι πρὸς τὸ συμβὰν ὑπαινίξασθαι. ἦν νέος ἔτι Διόνυσος καὶ κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ τῶν Τελχίνων γένος ἐφύετο· ηὐξάνετο Βάκχος καὶ Τιτάνες πάντες διερρήγνυντο φθόνωι· τέλος δέ, μὴ στέγειν δυνάμενοι, διασπάσαι τοῦτον ἠθέλησαν, τέχνας δ' ἐμελέτων καὶ φάρμακα καὶ κέντρα διαβολῆς καὶ φύσεως μαγγανεύματα. ἐμίσουν δὲ ὡς οἶμαι τὸν Σειληνὸν καὶ τὸν Σάτυρον καὶ γόητας τούτους ἐφθέγξαντο,

ὅτι τῶι Βάκχωι ἠρέσκοντο. τί οὖν ἐπὶ τούτοις Διόνυσος; ἔκειτο μὲν οἶμαι βληθεὶς καὶ τὴν πληγὴν καιρίαν ἐστέναζεν· ἄμπελος δ' ἦν κατηφής καὶ σκυθρωπὸς οἶνος, καὶ βότρυς ὥσπερ δακρύων καὶ Βάκχος οὐκέτι σφυρὸν εἰς τὴν κίνησιν εἶχεν εὐάρμοστον. ἀλλ’ οὐ διὰ τέλους τὸ δάκρυον οὐδὲ πολεμίων τὸ τρόπαιον. ὁ γὰρ Ζεὺς ἐποπτεύων ἑώρα πάντα καὶ τὸν Διόνυσον ἐγείρας, ὡς λόγος, Τιτᾶνας ἐποίει παρὰ τῶν μύθων ἐλαύνεσθαι.

“I wish, friends, to mention a tale which has relevance to what happened. Diónysos was yet young, and the race of Tælkhínæs (Τελχῖνες) sprung forth against the God; Vákkhos (Βάκχος) grew in strength and all the Titánæs (Τιτάνες) were bursting with envy; but finally, unable to endure his daring, they wished to cut him up, and pursued wiles, poisons, daggers of slander, and deceptions of nature against him. They were filled with hatred for Seilînós (Σειληνός) and Sátyros (Σάτυρος), calling them sorcerers, because they delighted Vákkhos. But what indeed became of Diónysos? He lie wounded, I think, being struck, and lamenting the serious blow; the grape-vine became downcast, the wine now full of gloom, the bunches of grapes in tears, and Vákkhos not able to move his ankle well. But weeping did not persevere to the end, nor defeat in war. For Zefs (Ζεὺς), watching and seeing all, raised up Diónysos, thus the saying, that he caused the Titánæs to be expelled, in accordance with the myths.”

(trans. by the author)

Iulius Firmicus Maternus De errore profanarum religionum 6 p. 15, 2 Ziegler:

sed adhuc supersunt aliae superstitiones, quarum secreta pandenda sunt: Liberi et Liberae, quae omnia sacris sensibus vestris specialiter intimanda sunt, ut et in istis profanis religionibus sciatia mortes esse hominum consecratas.

Liber itaque Iovis fuit filius, regis scilicet Cretici (v. fr. 156). hic cum fuisset adultera matre progenitus, nutriebatur apud patrem studiosius quam decebat. uxor Iovis cui Iunoni fuit nomen, novercalis animi furore commota ad necem infantis omnifariam parabat insidias. proficiscens peregre pater quia indignationes tacitas sciebat uxoris, ne quid ab irata muliere dolo fieret, idoneis sicut sibi videbatur custodibus tutelam credidit filii. tunc Iuno opportunum insidiarum nancta tempus, et ex hoc fortius inflammata, quia proficiscens pater et sellam regni puero tradiderat et sceptrum, custodes primum regalibus praemiis muneribusque corrupit, deinde satellites suos qui Titanes vocabantur, in interioribus regiae locat partibus, et crepundiis ac speculo adfabre facto animos ita pueriles inlexit, ut desertis regiis sedibus ad insidiarum locum puerilis animi desiderio duceretur. illic interceptus trucidatur, et ut nullum possit necis inveniri vestigium, particulatim membra concisa satellitum sibi dividit turba. tunc ut huic facinori aliud facinus adderetur, quia vehementer tyranni crudelitas timebatur, decocta variis generibus pueri membra consumunt, ut humani |^{16 Ziegl.} cadaveris inauditis usque in illum diem epulis vescerentur. cor divisum sibi soror servat, --- cui Minerva fuit nomen ---, quia et ipsa sceleris fuit particeps, et ut manifestum delationis esset indicium, et ut haberet unde furentis patris impetum mitigaret. reverso Iovi filia ordinem facinoris exponit. tunc pater funesta calamitate cladis et acerbi luctus atrocitate commotus Titanas quidem vario genere excruciatos necat, nec praetermissum est in ultione filii aut tormentum aliquod aut poena, sed per omnia poenarum genera bacchatus necem qualiscumque filii vindicavit, affectu quidem patris sed tyrannica potestate. tunc quia diutius pater ferre lugentis animi tormenta non poterat, et quia dolor ex orbitate veniens nullis solaciis mitigabatur, imaginem eius ex gypso plastico opere perfecit et cor pueri ex quo facinus fuerat sorore deferente detectum, in ea parte plastes conlocat qua pectoris fuerant liniamenta formata. post haec pro tumulo exstruit templum, et paedagogum pueri constituit sacerdotem. huic Silenus fuit nomen. Cretenses ut furentis tyranni saevitiam mitigarent, festos funeris dies statuunt, et annuum sacrum trieterica consecratione conponunt, omnia per ordinem facientes quae puer moriens aut fecit aut passus est. vivum laniant dentibus taurum, credeles epulas annuis commemorationibus excitantes, et per secreta silvarum clamoribus dissonis eiulantes fingunt animi furentis |^{17 Ziegl.} insaniam ut illud facinus non per fraudem factum, sed per insaniam crederetur. praefertur cista in qua cor soror latenter absconderat, tibiarum cantu et cymbalorum tinnitu crepundia, quibus puer deceptus fuerat mentiuntur. sic in honorem tyranni a serviente plebe deus factus est qui habere non potuit sepulturam.

Outline of the passage by the translator: This quotation comes from Julius Firmicus Maternus, the astrologer and Christian apologist from the reign of Constantine I. There is nothing new here, and, since the passage is long and my Latin is weak, I will simply summarize. Julius is trying to degrade the religion by telling the story of Zagreus and the Titans, but euhemeristically. It is ironic that he describes the Mysteries of Liber (Dionysos) as impious, but actually his words are entirely impious, ugly, and insensitive to all those who practice the religion.

Julius says that Jupiter was actually a king of Crete, whose wife was Juno. The king had a lover by whom he had a son, and Juno was jealous and plotted with her trusted men, who were called the Titans. These men tricked the boy with rattles and a mirror. The child was slain by the Titans and cut up, but they feared the wrath of the king, so they ate the body-parts to conceal the crime, but the boy’s sister, Minerva, kept the heart and revealed everything to the king, to conceal her own involvement in the crime. The king then tortured and killed the Titans. After these events, he had a temple constructed so as to worship the boy, making the boy’s teacher, Silenus, his priest, and honoring him with rites which lasted a year and then commemorated every three years. The submissive people believe that the crime was committed out of madness, and the rites are celebrated with a basket containing the heart, rattles, and music.

Lobeck I 569; for the passage of Himerius compare Dieterich De hymnis Orph. 8 = Kl. Schr. 74 (compare test. nr. 210).

The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Theogony.

We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology.

Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.

Introduction to the Thæí (the Gods): The Nature of the Gods.

How do we know there are Gods? Experiencing Gods.

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We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology.

Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.

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