HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 45

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 3

OTTO KERN

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

APOLLINIS ET SOLIS CULTOR (The Worshipper of Apollo and the Sun)

SUMMARY: This testimony mentions the Bassarae, a lost play of Aeschylus, in which Orpheus is said to rise every morning and worship Apollo as the rising sun.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 45.

Βασσάραι Αἰσχύλου* (Jessen RE² III 104) the second play of the Lycurgian tetralogy Nauck FTG² p. 9; G. Haupt Comment. archaeol. on Aeschylus (Diss. Hal. XIII 1896) 146; Kern Orpheus 6; Robert Heldens. I 402; v. nr. 113.

*Translator’s note: The Vassárai (Βασσάραι or sometimes called the Βασσαρίδες) is a lost play of Aishýlos (Αἰσχύλος), but the general story of the play is known (from Καταστερισμοί ψευδούς Ἐρατοσθένους): Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς) descends to the underworld to retrieve his beloved wife, but fails at this task. He comes back to the land of the living, but now he worships Apollo as the greatest of Gods and he calls him the Sun. Every day Orphéfs would rise before daybreak and go to Mount Pangaion (Παγγαῖον) to await the rise of Helios. Because of this, Dionysos was angry with him and caused the Maenads (Βασσαρίδες, they who wore fox-skins) to turn against him, and they tore apart his body, scattering the parts about. But the Mousai (Μοῦσαι) gathered the pieces of Orpheus together again and buried them at Leivîthra (Λείβηθρα), at the foot of Mount Ólymbos (Όλυμπος) in Macedonia.

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.

SPELLING: HellenicGods.org uses the Reuchlinian method of pronouncing ancient Greek, the system preferred by scholars from Greece itself. An approach was developed to enable the student to easily approximate the Greek words. Consequently, the way we spell words is unique, as this method of transliteration is exclusive to this website. For more information, visit these three pages:

Pronunciation of Ancient Greek

Transliteration of Ancient Greek

Pronouncing the Names of the Gods in Hellenismos

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