ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 14

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony consists of three quotations which say, in turn, that Orpheus was one of the Seven Sages of antiquity, and the next that in addition to this, Orpheus and Linus were the most ancient of the poets, and the third, that Orpheus was the most ancient of the inspired philosophers.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 14.

Regarded as one of the Seven Wise Men in Βίοι καὶ γνῶμαι τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ εὐδοκιμησάντων Διογένους Λαερτίου I 42 from the compendium of Áreios Dídymos (Ἄρειος Δίδυμος) (Diels II³ 213, 27):

Ἱππόβοτος δὲ ἐν τῆι τῶν Φιλοσόφων ἀναγραφῆι· Ὀρφέα, Λίνον, Σόλωνα, Περίανδρον, Ἀνάχαρσιν, Κλεόβουλον, Μύσωνα, Θαλῆν, Βίαντα, Πιττακόν, Ἐπίχαρμον, Πυθαγόραν.

“But Hippobotus in his Description of the Philosophers enumerates among them Orpheus, Linus, Solon Periander, Anacharsis, Cleobulus, Myson, Thales, Bias, Pittacus, Epicharmus, and Pythagoras.”

(trans. C. D. Yonge, 1853)

The most ancient philosopher in Βίοι καὶ γνῶμαι τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ εὐδοκιμησάντων Διογένους Λαερτίου προοίμιον 5 and Clem. Λόγος Στρώματα Κλήμεντος του Ἀλεξανδρέως I 14, 59, 1 (II 37, 16 Staeh.) is said to be:

Φασὶ δὲ Ἕλληνες μετά γε Ὀρφέα καὶ Λίνον καὶ τοὺς παλαιοτάτους παρὰ σφίσι ποιητὰς ἐπὶ σοφίαι πρώτους θαυμασθῆναι τοὺς ἑπτὰ τοὺς ἐπικληθέντας σοφούς, ὧν τέσσαρες μὲν ἀπὸ Ἀσίας ἦσαν, Θαλῆς τε ὁ Μιλήσιος καὶ Βίας ὁ Πριηνεὺς καὶ Πιττακὸς ὁ Μιτυληναῖος καὶ Κλεόβουλος ὁ Λίνδιος, δύο δὲ ἀπὸ Εὐρώπης, Σόλων τε ὁ Ἀθηναῖος καὶ Χίλων ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος, τὸν δὲ ἕβδομον οἳ μὲν Περίανδρον εἶναι λέγουσιν τὸν Κροίνθιον, οἳ δὲ Ἀνάχαρσιν τὸν Σκύθην, οἳ δὲ Ἐπιμενίδην τὸν Κρῆτα.

“The Greeks say, that after Orpheus and Linus, and the most ancient of the poets that appeared among them, the seven, called wise, were the first that were admired for their wisdom. Of whom four were of Asia — Thales of Miletus, and Bias of Priene, Pittacus of Mitylene, and Cleobulus of Lindos; and two of Europe, Solon the Athenian, and Chilon the Lacedæmonian; and the seventh, some say, was Periander of Corinth; others, Anacharsis the Scythian; others, Epimenides the Cretan.”

(trans. William Wilson, 1885)

All of which seem to depend on Ippóvotos (Ἱππόβοτος) Christ Abhdlgn. bayer. Akad. XXI 1901, 491 n. 2; Howald Herm. LV 1920, 76.

λόγος Ἰουλιανοὺ Αὐτοκράτορος VII Πρὸς Ἠράκλειον κυνικὸν 215 B (I 279, 1 Hertl.):

ἴσως δὲ ἡγεῖται καὶ ταύτης τῆς ἐγχειρήσεως ἐκείνη, ὁποίαι τινὶ φιλοσοφίαι προσῆκον (Cobet] προσῆκεν vulg., προσῆκον Hertl.) ἡ μυθογραφία. φαίνονται γὰρ πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν φιλοσόφων αὐτὸ καὶ τῶν θεολόγων ποιήσαντες, ὥσπερ Ὀρφεὺς μὲν ὁ παλαιότατος ἐνθέως φιλοσοφήσας, οὐκ ὀλίγοι δὲ καὶ τῶν μετ’ ἐκεῖνον.

“But perhaps another inquiry should precede this attempt, I mean to what branch of philosophy the composition of myths is appropriate. For we see that many philosophers and theologians too have employed it, Orpheus for instance, the most ancient of all the inspired philosophers, and many besides of those that came after him.”

(trans. Wilmer Cave Wright, 1913)

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.