ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 35

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony states that Orpheus was living in Thrace, charming the wild beasts with his singing, and that he conquered men’s hearts, not by violent means, but, rather by his daily intercourse with man.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 35.

λόγος Θεμιστίου 16.209 c. d p. 255, 5 Dind.:

ἦν ἄρα πάλαι τῆι Θράικηι ἡ τῆς μουσικῆς δύναμις ἐπιχώριος μᾶλλον τῶν ὅπλων, καὶ ἀπιστεῖν οὐκέτι προσῆκε τοῖς κρούμασι τοῖς Ὀρφέως ἕπεσθαι μὲν κάπρους, συνἁκολουθεῖν δὲ καὶ δένδρα καὶ πέτρας, ὅπη ἂν ἐκεῖνος τοῖς μέλεσιν ἄγοι. ἀλλ’ Ὀρφεὺς μέν, ὡς ἔοικε, θηρία κηλεῖν ἱκανὸς ἦν, ἀνθρώπων δὲ χαλεπότητα θέλγειν οὐκ εἶχεν, ἀλλ’ ἢ διήλεγξαν αὐτοῦ τὴν μουσικὴν Θρᾶισσαι γυναῖκες, οὐχ ὅπως ἁλοῦσαι τοῖς μέλεσιν, ἀλλ’ ἐξαγριωθεῖσαι προσέτι καὶ δράσασαι τὸν μελωιδὸν αὐτὸν ἅπερ καὶ ἔδρασαν. γλύκιον μέλιτος ῥέουσιν, οἵοις ἐστάλη παρὰ τοῦ πέμψαντος ἐσκευασμένος, τούτοις ἐπάιδων, τούτοις κηλῶν, τούτοις παραινῶν, τὰς ἀγαθὰς ὑποτιθεὶς ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδας, ἀφαιρούμενος τῆς ἐφ’ οἷς ἠδίκησαν ὑποψίας, προσείων (Ruhnken] προσσείων A) ὥσπερ θαλλὸν τὴν βασιλέως φιλανθρωπίαν, (210a) ἦγε τιθασοὺς καὶ χειροήθεις, μονονοὺ τὼ χεῖρε περιαγαγὼν εἰς τοὐπίσω· ὥστε ἀμφισβητήσιμον εἶναι,

πότερον κατεπολέμησε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἢ καθωμίλησε.

“I was saying then, that long ago in Thrace, the native power of music was greater than that of arms, and it is no longer befitting to disbelieve that the wild boars certainly followed the melodies of Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς), and the trees and the rocks also followed along with him, wherever he would wish to lead them with songs. But Orphéfs, as it seems, was able to charm the wild beasts, but he did not have the ability to charm the harshness of man, for indeed, the Thracian women reproached his music, and were not taken in by his songs, but they were made more savage despite them, when doing what they did to the singer*. Having made himself ready, by (words) flowing with the sweetness of honey such as he let fall when he spoke them, to sing to them (ed. all those he exhorted), to charm them, to exhort them, offering them good hopes for the future, rescinding the anxiety of guilt for those who did wrong, as if waving an olive branch of kindliness to a king, he was leading them to things gentle and civilized, as if having turned his hands behind him (ed. making him defenseless); consequently, it is debatable whether he conquered men by argument, or that he conciliated them by his daily intercourse.”

(trans. by the author)

*The myth says that the Thracian women killed and tore apart Orpheus in a Vakkhic revel.

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.