ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 31
OTTO KERN
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For links to many more fragments: The Orphic Fragments of Otto Kern.
SUMMARY: This testimony gives us two quotations, the first says that Orpheus was a Thracian and a cultivator of music, the second says that he was a bard and that he made the Bistonian (Thracian) land proud.
ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 31.
Γεωγραφικὰ Στράβωνος X 471 [elsewhere numbered 10.3.17] (from Apollódoros in opposition to [the grammarian] Dîmítrios of Skípsios [Δημήτριος ὁ Σκήψιος] ? v. Ed. Schwartz RE2 I 2865):
οἵ τ’ ἐπιμεληθέντες τῆς ἀρχαίας μουσικῆς Θρᾶικες λέγονται, Ὀρφεύς τε καὶ Μουσαῖος καὶ Θάμυρις, καὶ τῶι Εὐμόλπωι δὲ τοὔνομα ἐνθένδε, καὶ οἱ τῶι Διονύσωι τὴν Ἀσίαν ὅλην καθιερώσαντες μέχρι τῆς Ἰνδικῆς ἐκεῖθεν καὶ τὴν πολλὴν μουσικὴν μεταφέρουσι.
“The cultivators of ancient music are said to have been Thracians, as Orpheus, Musaeus, Thamyris; hence also Eumolpus had his name. Those who regard the whole of Asia as far as India as consecrated to Bacchus, refer to that country as the origin of a great portion of the present music.”
(trans. H.C. Hamilton, W. Falconer, M.A., 1903)
Publius Ovidius Naso Epistulae ex Ponto II 9, 53:
neve sub hoc tractu vates foret unicus Orpheus,
Bistonis ingenio terra superba tuo est.
“and that beneath this sky Orpheus might not be the only bard,
by thy talent is the Bistonian (ed. Thracian) land made proud.”
(trans. Arthur Leslie Wheeler, 1924)
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.
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Pronunciation of Ancient Greek
Transliteration of Ancient Greek
Pronouncing the Names of the Gods in Hellenismos
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