HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 50

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 50

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony states that Orpheus could charm any person, even Persephone and Pluto, and that he could even cause rocks to follow him.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 50.

Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Αὐλίδι Εὐριπίδου 1211:

εἰ μὲν τὸν Ὀρφέως εἶχον, ὦ πάτερ, λόγον

πείθειν ἐπάιδουσ᾽ ὥσθ᾽ ὁμαρτεῖν μοι πέτρας,

κηλεῖν τε τοῖς λόγοισιν οὓς ἐβουλόμην,

ἐνταῦθ᾽ ἂν ἦλθον· νῦν δέ, τἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ σοφά,

δάκρυα παρέξω.

“If I had the eloquence of Orpheus, my father, to move the rocks by chanted spells to follow me, or to charm by speaking anyone I wished, I would have resorted to it. But as it is, I'll bring my tears—the only art I know.”

(trans. E. P. Coleridge, 1891)

v. Ἄλκηστις Εὐριπίδου 357 nr. 59:

εἰ δ᾽ Ὀρφέως μοι γλῶσσα καὶ μέλος παρῆν,

ὥστ᾽ ἢ κόρην Δήμητρος ἢ κείνης πόσιν

ὕμνοισι κηλήσαντά σ᾽ ἐξ Ἅιδου λαβεῖν,

κατῆλθον ἄν, καί μ᾽ οὔθ᾽ ὁ Πλούτωνος κύων

οὔθ᾽ οὑπὶ κώπηι ψυχοπομπὸς ἂν Χάρων

ἔσχον, πρὶν ἐς φῶς σὸν καταστῆσαι βίον.

“Ah! If I had the tongue and song of Orpheus so that I might charm Demeter’s Daughter or her Lord, and snatch you back from Hades, I would go down to hell; and neither Pluto’s dog nor Charon, Leader of the Dead, should hinder me until I had brought your life back to the light!”

(trans. Richard Aldington, 1930, but in the Public Domain)

Stemplinger Plagiat in der griech. Literatur 254.

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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