HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 162

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 162

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony consists of two quotations from Ovid which show that Eumolpus was a disciple of Orpheus.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 162

Publii Ovidii Nasonis Epistulae ex Ponto III 3. 39:

pro quibus exilium misero est mihi reddita merces,

id quoque (idque et Ries.) in extremis et sine pace locis.

at non Chionides Eumolpus in Orphea talis,

in Phryga nec Satyrum talis Olympus erat,

praemia nec Chiron ab Achille talia cepit,

Pythagoraeque ferunt non nocuisse Numam.

nomina neu referam longum collecta per aevum,

discipulo perii solus ab ipse meo.

“For this the reward of exile was meted out to wretched me, and that too in a land far away and never at peace. Not so did Chionian Eumolpus treat Orpheus, nor Olympus treat the Phrygian Satyr, nor did Chiron receive such a reward from Achilles, and they say that Numa did no harm to Pythagoras. Not to repeat the names amassed through the long ages – I am the only one who has been ruined by his own pupil.”

(trans. Arthur Leslie Wheeler, 1924)

V. also in Publii Ovidii Nasonis Metamorphoses XI 92 nr. 160:

titubantem annisque meroque ruricolae cepere Phryges vinctumque coronis ad regem duxere Midan, cui Thracius Orpheus orgia tradiderat cum Cecropio Eumolpo.

“The Phrygian folk had captured him, as he was staggering, faint with palsied age and wine. And after they bound him in garlands, they led him to their king Midas, to whom with the Cecropian Eumolpus, Thracian Orpheus had shown all the Bacchic rites.”

(trans. Brookes More, 1922)

Otto Kern RE² VI 1119.

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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