HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 190

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 190

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony shows how it is believed that Onomacritus added some lines into the Odyssey of Homer.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 190

To Ὀδύσσεια Ὁμήρου λ (Rhapsody 11) 602-604 (on Heracles):

εἴδωλον· αὐτὸς δὲ μετ’ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν

τέρπεται ἐν θαλίηις καὶ ἔχει καλλίσφυρον Ἥβην

παῖδα Διὸς μεγάλοιο καὶ Ἥρης χρυσοπεδίλου.

“– his phantom; for he himself among the immortal Gods

takes his joy in the feast, and has to wife Hebe, of the fair ankles,

daughter of great Zeus and of Here, of the golden sandals.”

(trans. A. T. Murray, 1919)

Scholiast Y ² (Ludwich) remarks:

ἀθετοῦνται καὶ λέγονται Ὀνομακρίτου εἶναι.

“They (ed. lines 602-604) are rejected as spurious and it is said they are from Onomákritos.”

(trans. by the author)

About line 604 (= Θεογονία Ἡσιόδου 952) scholiast H ²:

τοῦτον ὑπὸ Ὀνομακρίτου ἐμπεποιῆσθαί φασιν. ἠθέτηται δὲ.

“They say this line was put in by Onomákritos. But spurious.”

(trans. by the author)

Wilamowitz Hom. Unters. 199.

About Onomákritos see Christian Lobeck Aglaophamus I 332; C. O. Mueller Prolegomena 390 ss.; Ritschl Ersch and Gruber III (1833) 4 = Opusc. philol. I 1866, 238 and nr. 189; C. Eichhoff De Onomacrito comm. I Progr. Elberfeld 1840; Bergk Griech. Literaturgesch. II 85; Erwin Rohde Psyche II⁶ 111; Malten Arch. f. Religionsw. XII 1908, 427; v. also Kinkelium (before nr. 191) p. 240.

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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