ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 225

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony, from the Greek grammarian Constantine Lascaris, a student of Gemistus Plethon, enumerates and supplies the titles of many poems attributed to Orpheus; there is also a list of various ancient individuals who were called Orpheus. This testimony includes an additional quotation from Origen of Alexandria, the Christian Church-father, who comments that the philosopher Celsus said that the opinions of Orpheus (amongst others) were preserved in books which were extant in the lifetime of Origin.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 225

Προλεγόμενα τοῦ σοφοῦ Ὀρφέως τοῦ Κωνσταντίνου Λάσκαρη in Marmora Taurinensia Augustae Taurinorum 1743, 98 (Christian Lobeck Aglaophamus I 356; Ab. p. 140) v. Souda nr. 22 d:

κατέλιπε (Ὀρφεύς) συγγράμματα μετρικὰ καὶ ὅσα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν Ἀργοναυτικοῖς (vs. 7-46, nr. 224) κατ’ ἐπανάληψιν ἀριθμεῖ, καὶ τὰ πλείω μυθικῶς κατὰ τὸν ποιητικὸν όπον περὶ Θεῶν καὶ Κοσμογενείας, Ὑμνους διαφόρους ς Θεούς, Γεωργικά, Φυσικά, Ἀργολικά (an Ἀστρολογικά?), Μετέωρα, Λιθικά, Μυστήρια διάφορα, περὶ τῶν φυτῶν, βοτανῶν, Χωρογραφίας, Ἰατρικῆς, Νόμων καὶ ἁπλῶς εἴπω, περὶ παντὸς πράγματος παρ’ Αἰγυπτίων τὰ πλείω μετενέγκων. Τελευταῖα τὰ Ἀργοναυττκά, ἐν οἷς διηγεῖται ὅσα ἔπραξαν καὶ ἔπαθον οἱ Ἀργοναῦται καὶ πῶς ἁρπάξαντες τὴν Μήδειαν καὶ τὸ χρυσοῦν δέρας ἐπανῆκον πολλάκις <κιν>δυνεύοντες

“(Ὀρφεύς) left behind metrical compositions, and, also, as many as those which he enumerated by repetition (ἐπανάληψιν) in the (Orphic) Argonaftiká (Ἀργοναυτικά; vs. 7-46, see testimony 224). And the greater number are mythical (in character), according to each one’s poetical nature:

On the Gods and Cosmogony (περὶ Θεῶν καὶ Κοσμογενείας),

Different Hymns to the Gods (Ὑμνους διαφόρους ς Θεούς),

Agricultural texts (Γεωργικά),

Physics (Φυσικά),

Argolic (Ἀργολικά On things concerning Argo; or Astronomy?),

Celestial Matters (Μετέωρα),

the Lithiká (Λιθικά, On Gems),

Various Mysteries (Μυστήρια διάφορα),

On Plants (περὶ τῶν φυτῶν),

Of Herbs (βοτανῶν),

Chorography (Χωρογραφίας),

Of Medicine (Ἰατρικῆς),

Of Laws (Νόμων),

...and I would simply say that he transferred the greater number of them from Egyptian ideas on every matter. Finally, the Argonaftiká, in which he describes how much was accomplished and suffered by the Argonauts, and how, having carried off Mídeia (Μήδεια) and the Golden Fleece, they returned, often in dire peril.”

(trans. by the author)

Continuing with Προλεγόμενα τοῦ σοφοῦ Ὀρφέως τοῦ Κωνσταντίνου Λάσκαρη in Marmora Taurinensia Augustae Taurinorum 1743, 98:

γεγόνασι δὲ Ὀρφεῖς ἕξ· πρῶτος οὗτος ἀρχαῖος ποιητὴς ἐκ Λειβήθρων τῆς Θράικης· δεύτερος Κικοναῖος ἐκ Βισαλτίας τῆς Θράικης ἐποποιὸς πρὸ τῶν (ἐποποιῶς πένθων Marmora Taurinensia) Τρωϊκῶν καὶ αὐτὸς ὃς συνέγραψε Μυθοποιίαν, Ἐπιγράμματα Ὕμνους· τρίτος Ὀδρύσης Ἐποποιίαν τινὰ ποιήσας· τέταρτος Κροτωνιάτης Ἰταλιώτης ὃς συνῦν Πεισιστράτωι τῶι τυράννωι, συνέγραψε δὲ Δεκαετερίαν, Ἀργοναυτικά καὶ ἄλλα· πέμπτος Καμαριναῖος Σικελιώτης ἐποποιός, οὗ φασιν εἶναι τὴν εἰς Ἅιδην κατάβασιν· ἕκτος καὶ τελευταῖος βασιλεὺς Θαικῶν, ἐφ’ οὗ Ἀμάζονες ἐδασμόλογησαν Φρύγας. 100 καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκ πολλοῦ περὶ τοῦ σοφοῦ Ὀρφέως, ὃν ἔνιοι ἀλόγως ὧδε γεγονέναι φασίν, ὅπερ ἀδύνατον δοκεῖ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ ἱστορικοὶ καὶ χωρογραφεῖς αὐτὸν γεγονέναι φασὶ καὶ ποιητὴν καὶ μουσικὸν καὶ συμπλεῖν Ἀργοναύταις.

“But there were six Orpheuses:

the first was this ancient poet from Leivîthra (Λείβηθρα) in Thrace;

the second, a Kikonian (Κικοναῖος) from Visaltía (Βισαλτία) in Thrace, an epic poet from the time of the Trojan War, and the same one who wrote The Ancient Legend (Μυθοποιία), the Epigrams (Ἐπιγράμματα) and the Hymns (Ὕμνοι);

the third, an Odrysian (Ὀδρύσης) who composed epic poetry;

the fourth an Italian from Krótôn (Κρότων) who was attached to the court of Peisístratos (Πεισίστρατος) the tyrant, and composed the Decade (Δεκαετερίς), the Argonaftiká (Ἀργοναυτικά) and other poems;

the fifth the Camarinian from Sicily (Καμαριναῖος Σικελιώτης), an epic poet, who, they say, is the composer of the Descent to the Underworld (Εἰς Ἅιδου κατάβασιν);

the sixth and last a king of Thrace, at the time when the Amazons imposed tribute on the Phrygians.

100 And these things have been said by many people about wise Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς), who, thus, some say never existed, which seems impossible, since even poets and historians and chorographers say that he was a poet and a musician, and that he sailed with the Argonáftai (Ἀργοναῦται).”

(trans. by the author)

225 a. Λόγος Ἀληθής Κέλσου (The True Word by Celsus) as quoted in Κατὰ Κέλσου τοῦ Ωριγένες (Against Celsus by Origen of Alexandria) I 16 (I 68, 33 Koetsch.):

Λίνον δὲ καὶ Μουσαῖον καὶ Ὀρφέα καὶ τὸν Φερεκύδην καὶ τὸν Πέρσην Ζωροάστρην καὶ Πυθαγόραν φήσας περὶ τῶνδε διειληφέναι, καὶ ἐἰς βίβλους κατατεθεῖσθαι τὰ ἑαυτῶν δόγματα καὶ πεφυλάχθαι αὐτὰ μέχρι δεῦρο. καὶ ἑκὼν μὲν ἐπελάθετο τοῦ περὶ τῶν νομιζομένων θεῶν μύθου ὡς ἀνθρωποπαθῶν, ἀναγεγραμμένου μάλιστα ὑπὸ Ὀρφέως.

“(Celsus) asserting that Linus, and Musæus, and Orpheus, and Pherecydes, and the Persian Zoroaster, and Pythagoras, discussed these topics, and that their opinions were deposited in books, and have thus been preserved down to the present time. And it is intentionally also that he (Celsus) has omitted to take notice of the myth, embellished chiefly by Orpheus, in which the gods are described as affected by human weaknesses and passions.”

(trans. Frederick Crombie, 1885)

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.