ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 147

OTTO KERN

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


DEUS (God)

SUMMARY: This testimony consists of two quotations: the first from the Christian Church-father Tertullian says that Orpheus and other writers were supposed to be Gods; and the second quotation, from the Historia Augusta, says that the Emperor Alexander Severus worshipped Orpheus (and others).

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 147

Quinti Septimi Florentis Tertulliani De Anima 2 p. 301 Reiff.-Wiss.:

plerosque auctores etiam deos existimavit antiquitas, nedum divos, ut Mercurium Aegyptium, cui praecipue Plato adsuevit, ut Silenum Phrygem, cui a pastoribus perducto ingentes aures suas Midas tradidit, ut Hermotimum, cui Clazomenii mortuo templum contulerunt, ut Orpheum, ut Musaeum, ut Pherecydem Pythagorae magistrum.

“because in ancient times most authors were supposed to be (I will not say godlike, but) actually gods: as, for instance, the Egyptian Mercury, to whom Plato paid very great deference; and the Phrygian Silenus, to whom Midas lent his long ears, when the shepherds brought him to him; and Hermotimus, to whom the good people of Clazomenae built a temple after his death; and Orpheus; and Musaeus; and Pherecydes, the master of Pythagoras.”

(trans. Peter Holmes, 1885)

Historia Augusta: Severus Alexander 18.29.2 (SHA rec. Peter I 248):

matutinis horis in larario (solario exc. Palat.) suo, in quo et divos principes sed optimos electos et animas sanctiores, in quis Apollonium et, quantum scriotor suorum temporum dicit, Christum, Abraham et Orpheum et huiuscemodi ceteros (Jordan] huius ceteros BP exc. modi add. ex ., hiusce deos M) habebat ac maiorum effigies, rem divinam faciebat.

“In the early morning hours he would worship in the sanctuary of his Lares, in which he kept statues of the deified emperors — of whom, however, only the best had been selected — and also of certain holy souls, among them Apollonius,​ and, according to a contemporary writer, Christ, Abraham, Orpheus, and others of this same character and, besides, the portraits of his ancestors.”

(trans. David Magie, 1924)

(Geffcken Herm. LV 1920, 282, who supposed that it is used here Ael. Lampridium Firmico Materno Mathes. IV prooem. 5 p. 196, 21 Kroll-Skutsch or in another book of the Neoplatonists.

Find Ὀρφεύς ἡμίθεος “Orpheus demigod” within Δειπνοσοφισταί Ἀθηναίον Ναυκρατίου XIV 632 c (14.32; nr. 46).


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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