ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 15

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony offers several opinions, all from Christian writers, as to exactly what era Orpheus lived, all with the aim of trying to prove that the Jewish tradition is older than the Greek tradition.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 15.

Ὁ Λόγος πρὸς Ἕλληνας Τατιανοῦ Ἀσσυρίου (ὁ Χριστιανός πρεσβύτερος) 41 p. 41, 14 Schw. ~ Λόγος Στρώματα Κλήμεντος του Ἀλεξανδρέως I 21, 128, 4 (II 81, 3 Staeh., v. Christ Abhdlgn. bayer. Akad. XXI 1901, 501) ~ Εὑαγγελικὴ προπαρασκευὴ Εὐσεβίου X 11, 27-30 (I 574, 24 Dind. v. nr. 183):

τὸ δὲ νῦν συνέχον, σπευστέον μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας σαφηνίζειν, ὡς οὐχ Ὁμήρου μόνον πρεσβύτερός ἐστιν ὁ Μωυσῆς, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ συγγραφέων, Λίνου Φιλάμμωνος Θαμύριδος Ἀμφίονος Ὀρφέως Μουσαίου Δημοδόκου Φημίου Σιβύλλης Ἐπιμενίδου τοῦ Κρητός, ὅστις εἰς τὴν Σπάρτην ἀφίκετο, <καὶ> Ἀρισταίου τοῦ Προκοννησίου τοῦ τὰ Ἀριμάσπια συγγράψαντος Ἀσβόλου τε τοῦ Κενταύρου καὶ Βάκιδος Δρύμωνός τε καὶ Εὔκλου τοῦ Κυπρίου καὶ Ὥρου τοῦ Σαμίου καὶ Προναπίδου τοῦ Ἀθηναίου. Λίνος |^{42 Schw.} μὲν γὰρ Ἡρακλέους ἐστὶ διδάσκαλος, ὁ δὲ Ἡρακλῆς μιᾶι τῶν Τρωϊκῶν προγενέστερος πέφηνε γενεᾶι· τοῦτο δέ ἐστι φανερὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ Τληπολέμου στρατεύσαντος ἐπὶ Ἴλιον. Ὀρφεὺς δὲ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον Ἡρακλεῖ γέγονεν ἄλλως τε καὶ τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπιφερόμενά φασιν ὑπὸ Ὀνομακρίτου τοῦ Ἀθηναίου συντετάχθαι γενομένου κατὰ τὴν Πεισιστρατιδῶν ἀρχὴν περὶ τὴν πεντηκοστὴν Ὀλυμπιάδα. τοῦ δὲ Ὀρφέως Μουσαῖος (Ὀρφέως Μουσαῖου Eus.] μουσαῖου ὀρφέως MPV) μαθητής (nr. 166).

“But the matter of principal importance is to endeavour with all accuracy to make it clear that Moses is not only older than Homer, but than all the writers that were before him--older than Linus, Philammon, Thamyris, Amphion, Musaeus, Orpheus, Demodocus, Phemius, Sibylla, Epimenides of Crete, who came to Sparta, Aristaeus of Proconnesus, who wrote the Arimaspia, Asbolus the Centaur, Isatis, Drymon, Euclus the Cyprian, Horus the Samian, and Pronapis the Athenian. Now, Linus was the teacher of Hercules, but Hercules preceded the Trojan war by one generation; and this is manifest from his son Tlepolemus, who served in the army against Troy. And Orpheus lived at the same time as Hercules; moreover, it is said that all the works attributed to him were composed by Onomacritus the Athenian, who lived during the reign of the Pisistratids, about the fiftieth Olympiad. Musaeus was a disciple of Orpheus.”

(trans. J. E. Ryland, 1885)

Ἑλληνικών Θεραπευτική Παθημάτων Θεοδωρήτου τοῦ Κύρρου II 47 p. 50, 5 Raed.:

Ὀρφεὺς δέ, τῶν ποιητῶν ὁ πρῶτος, μιᾶι γενεᾶι πρεσβύτερος τῶν Τρωϊκῶν.

“But Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς), the first of the poets, older than the times of the Troy by one generation.”

(trans. by the author)

v. also 49 p. 50, 17:

ὡς Ὀρφεὺς γενεᾶι μιᾶι πρεσβύτερος ἐγεγόνει τῶν Τρωϊκῶν.

“Thus Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς) had been older than the times of Troy by one generation.”

(trans. by the author)

Λόγος Στρώματα Κλήμεντος του Ἀλεξανδρέως 1.21.131.1 had said incorrectly:

Ὀρφεὺς δὲ ὁ συμπλεύσας Ἡρακλεῖ, Μουσαίου μαθητής.

“But Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς), who sailed together with Iraklís (Ἡρακλῆς), was a pupil of Mousaios (Μουσαῖος).”

(trans. by the author)

Where with Lobeck I 353 either Μουσαίου διδάσκαλος “was the teacher of Mousaios” or with Potter it must be read Μουσαίου μαθητής “was a pupil of Mousaios.”

v. also Christ l. l. 501 n. 1; compare nr. 16. With regard to this catalog of poets previous to Homer see Kalkmann Rhein. Mus. XLII 1887, 509.

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.