ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 219

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony, from the geographer Pausanias, talks of the relationship between beans and the Mysteries.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 219

Ἑλλάδος Περιήγησις Παυσανίου 1.37.4 (Αττική):

ὠικοδόμηται δὲ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ναὸς οὐ μέγας καλούμενος Κυαμίτου· σαφὲς δὲ οὐδὲν ἔχω λέγειν εἴτε πρῶτος κυάμους ἔσπειρεν οὗτος εἴτε τινὰ ἐπεφήμισαν (ἐπεφήμισαν Hemsterhuis] ἐπεφήμησαν [ἐπευφήμησαν y] ) ἥρωα, ὅτι τῶν κυάμων ἀνενεγκεῖν οὐκ ἔστι σφίσιν ἐς Δήμητρα τὴν εὕρεσιν. ὅστις δὲ ἤδη τελετὴν Ἐλευσῖνι εἶδεν ἢ τὰ καλούμενα Ὀρφικὰ (v. nr. 216 τοῖσι καλεομένοισι καὶ Βακχικοῖσι) ἐπελέξατο, οἶδεν ὃ λέγω.

“On the road stands a small temple called that of Cyamites (ed. “Bean”). I cannot state for certain whether he was the first to sow beans, or whether they gave this name to a hero because they may not attribute to Demeter the discovery of beans. Whoever has been initiated at Eleusis or has read what are called the Orphica knows what I mean.”

(trans. W. H. S. Jones, 1918)

Before ὕμνος Ὀρφέως 26 Γῆς these words can be observed:

θυμίαμα*, πᾶν σπέρμα, πλὴν κυάμων καὶ ἀρωμάτων.

“Incense*: all seeds, except beans and aromatic herbs.”

*For those unfamiliar with the Orphic hymns, immediately before the first line of most of the hymns, there is a suggestion as to which incense to offer.

On the religious obligation concerning beans see Christian Lobeck Aglaophamus I 251, Richard Wuensch Frühlingsfest der Insel Malta 32 and P. II s. Καθαρμοὶ “Purifications.”

On the temples of the Mysteries (ἱεροὶ οἶκοι “sacred temples”) see v. Otto Kern Orpheus 25 n. 3.

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.