ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 91

OTTO KERN

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


SUMMARY: This testimony, from Rhesus by Euripides, says that Orpheus revealed the Mysteries to the people of Troy. The quotation refers to “those dark Mysteries with their torch processions;” by “torches” it would seem that the text is implying the Eleusinian Mysteries.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 91.

Ῥῆσος Εὐριπίδου 941*:

Μοῦσα·

καίτοι πόλιν σὴν σύγγονοι πρεσβεύομεν

Μοῦσαι μάλιστα κἀπιχρώμεθα χθονί,

μυστηρίων τε τῶν ἀπορρήτων φανὰς

ἔδειξεν Ὀρφεύς, αὐτανέψιος νεκροῦ (sc. Rhesi)

τοῦδ᾽ ὃν κατακτείνεις σύ Μουσαῖόν τε, σὸν

σεμνὸν πολίτην κἀπὶ πλεῖστον ἄνδρ᾽ ἕνα

ἐλθόντα Φοῖβος σύγγονοί τ᾽ ἠσκήσαμεν.

καὶ τῶνδε μισθὸν παῖδ᾽ ἔχουσ᾽ ἐν ἀγκάλαις

θρηνῶ.

“And yet we sister Muses do special honor to your city, your land we chiefly haunt; and those dark mysteries with their torch processions were revealed by Orpheus, cousin of this dead man (that is, Ῥῆσος) whom you have slain. Musaeus, too, your holy citizen, of all men most advanced in lore, was trained by Phoebus and us, the nine sisters. And here is your reward for this; in my arms I hold my child and mourn for him.”

(trans. E. P. Coleridge, 1891)

*Translator’s note: I’ve included a little bit more before and after what Kern cited to put the quotation in context.

Both.] τοῦδ’ οὖν κατακτείνασα take your choice τοῦδ’ οὕνεκα κτείνασα codd., τοῦδ’ οὗ γελᾶις κτείνασα Reisk.

Herman Diels II3 166 n. 10.


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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