HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 165

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 165

OTTO KERN

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

MUSAEUS*

SUMMARY: This testimony, from the Byzantine grammarian Tzetzes (1110-1180 CE), says that Orpheus became the teacher of Musaeus.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 165

ἐξήγησις ἐπὶ Ἰλιὰς Ὁμήρου τοῦ Ἰωάννου Τζέτζου 17, 9 Gottfried Hermann; Linus teaches:

προσέτι δὲ Ὀρφέα καὶ Προναπίδην (v. see also 14, 12 Gottfried Hermann). ὧν ὁ μὲν Ὀρφεύς Μουσαίου διδάσκαλος γίνεται· ὁ δὲ Προναπίδης τὸν Ὅμηρον ἐξεπαίδευσεν· ὃς οὐκ ἀρεσθεὶς τοῖς τούτου διδάγμασι, εξεδήμησεν καὶ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ὡς συγγένοιτο καὶ τοῖς ἐκεῖσε σοφοῖς ἐπὶ παιδείαι· ὥσπερ καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ Ὀρφεὺς καὶ μετ’ αὐτὸν ὕστερον ὁ Πυθαγόρας καὶ ἕτεροι. ἐκεῖσε δὲ παιδευόμενος οὐκ ἔστιν ἣν οὐκ ἐντέχνως λογικὴν τέχνην καὶ ἐπιστήμην μεμάθηκεν· οἷον ἰατρικήν, φυσικήν, μουσικήν, γεωμετρίαν, ἀστρονομίαν, οἰωνοσκοπίαν καὶ τὴν παρὰ τῶι Ὀρφεῖ μεγαλεγκωμίαστον μαγικήν (Λιθικά? Christian Lobeck Aglao. I 751) καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, ὅσα ἡ τούτου ποίησις αὐτὸν ἡμῖν εἰδέναι ὑποδεικνύει. v. nr. 86.

“And also Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς) and Pronapídîs (Προναπίδης) [v. see also 14, 12 Gottfried Hermann]. Of these, Orphéfs became the teacher of Mousaios (Μουσαίος). But Pronapídîs educated Ómiros (Ὅμηρος); he, not satisfied with his studies, also went abroad to Egypt, as he wished to hold converse with the wise men of that place for his education, like Orphéfs did before him and Pythagóras (Πυθαγόρας) afterwards, and others. And while being educated in that place, there is no intellectual skill and knowledge within the province of art that he did not learn: such as medicine, physics, music, geometry, astronomy, augury, and magic, highly praised by Orphéfs, and (he learned) to speak in a straightforward manner; the same (knowledge) such as his poetry indicates to us that he knew.”

(trans. by the author)

See v. nr. 86.

*Kern places this testimony in the previous section, about Thamyris and Linus, but there is no mention of these two personages in this quotation, while there is mention of Musaeus.

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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