ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 43
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 a student of Linus.
ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 43.
Βιβλιοθήκη ἱστορικὴ Διοδώρου Σικελιώτου III 67, 2 (ἐξήγησις ἐπὶ Ἰλιὰς Ὁμήρου τοῦ Ἰωάννου Τζέτζου 14, 11 Herm.):
τὸν δὲ Λίνον ἐπὶ ποιητικῆι καὶ μελωιδίαι θαυμασθέντα μαθητὰς σχεῖν πολλούς, ἐπιφανεστάτους δὲ τρεῖς, Ἡρακλέα, Θαμύραν (Θάμυριν CF) [καὶ del. Vog.] Ὀρφέα.
“Linus also, who was admired because of his poetry and singing, had many pupils and three of greatest renown, Heracles, Thamyras, and Orpheus.”
(trans. Charles Henry Oldfather, 1935 but in the Public Domain)
Βιβλιοθήκη ἱστορικὴ Διοδώρου Σικελιώτου III 67, 4:
τὸν δ᾽ οὖν Λίνον φασὶ τοῖς Πελασγικοῖς γράμμασι συνταξάμενον τὰς τοῦ πρώτου Διονύσου πράξεις καὶ τὰς ἄλλας μυθολογίας ἀπολιπεῖν ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνήμασιν. ὁμοίως δὲ τούτοις χρήσασθαι τοῖς Πελασγικοῖς γράμμασι τὸν Ὀρφέα καὶ Προναπίδην τὸν Ὁμήρου διδάσκαλον, εὐφυῆ γεγονότα μελοποιόν. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Θυμοίτην τὸν Θυμοίτου τοῦ Λαομέδοντος, κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν γεγονότα τὴν (D] τοῦ vulg.) Ὀρφέως, πλανηθῆναι κατὰ πολλοὺς τόπους τῆς οἰκουμένης.
“Now Linus, they say, composed an account in the Pelasgic letters of the deeds of the first Dionysus and of the other mythical legends and left them among his memoirs. (67, 5) And in the same manner use was made of these Pelasgic letters by Orpheus and Pronapides who was the teacher of Homer and a gifted writer of songs; and also by Thymoetes, the son of Thymoetes, the son of Laomedon, who lived at the same time as Orpheus, wandered over many regions of the inhabited world.”
(trans. Charles Henry Oldfather, 1935 but in the Public Domain)
Σοῦδα nr. 223 d.
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.
