HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 139

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 139

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony, from the myth of Er at the end of Plato’s Republic, says that Orpheus chose the life of a swan for his next life, out of enmity to womankind, since they had murdered him.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 139

Πολιτεία Πλάτωνος X 620 a:

ἰδεῖν μὲν γὰρ ψυχὴν ἔφη (Er) τήν ποτε Ὀρφέως γενομένην κύκνου βίον αἱρουμένην, μίσει τοῦ γυναικείου γένους διὰ τὸν ὑπ᾽ ἐκείνων θάνατον οὐκ ἐθέλουσαν ἐν γυναικὶ γεννηθεῖσαν γενέσθαι.

“There he (Er) saw the soul which had once been Orpheus choosing the life of a swan out of enmity to the race of women, hating to be born of a woman because they had been his murderers.”

(trans. Benjamin Jowett, 1892)

V. σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Πολιτείας Πλάτωνος II 314, 11 William Kroll and II 102, 28 Kroll:

ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς κολαζομένοις ὁ Ἀρδιαῖος παρείληπται, τῶν τις τυραννικῶς βεβιωκότων, ἐν δὲ |^{103 Kroll} ταῖς αἱρέσεσι τῶν ψυχῶν οἱ Ὀρφεῖς, οἱ Αἴαντες, οἱ Ὀδυσσεῖς.

“For among the punished, Ardiaios was seized, of those who passed their lives as tyrants; but among the choices of souls, the Orpheuses, the Ajaxes, the Odysseuses.”

(trans. by the author)

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.

This logo is the principal symbol of this website. It is called the CESS logo, i.e. the Children of the Earth and the Starry Sky. The Pætilía (Petelia, Πετηλία) and other golden tablets having this phrase are the inspiration for the symbol. The image represents this idea: Earth (divisible substance) and the Sky (continuous substance) are the two kozmogonic substances. The twelve stars represent the Natural Laws, the dominions of the Olympian Gods. In front of these symbols is the seven-stringed kithára (cithara, κιθάρα), the the lyre of Apóllôn (Apollo, Ἀπόλλων). It (here) represents the bond between Gods and mortals and is representative that we are the children of Orphéfs (Orpheus, Ὀρφεύς).

PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the pages of this website, you will find fascinating stories about our Gods. These narratives are known as mythology, the traditional stories of the Gods and Heroes. While these tales are great mystical vehicles containing transcendent truth, they are symbolic and should not be taken literally. A literal reading will frequently yield an erroneous result. The meaning of the myths is concealed in code. To understand them requires a key. For instance, when a God kills someone, this usually means a transformation of the soul to a higher level. Similarly, sexual union with a God is a transformation.

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.

SPELLING: HellenicGods.org uses the Reuchlinian method of pronouncing ancient Greek, the system preferred by scholars from Greece itself. An approach was developed to enable the student to easily approximate the Greek words. Consequently, the way we spell words is unique, as this method of transliteration is exclusive to this website. For more information, visit these three pages:

Pronunciation of Ancient Greek

Transliteration of Ancient Greek

Pronouncing the Names of the Gods in Hellenismos

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