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

SUMMARY: These fragments speak of Night and the stars.

100. Ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις περὶ τῶν πρώτων ἀρχῶν εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Παρμενίδην Δαμασκίου 213 (II 95, 6 Rue.):

διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ὀρφεὺς Νύκτα αὐτὴν (sc. τήνδε τὴν διακόσμησιν) προσηγόρευσεν ὡς ὑπὲρ (ὑπὸ ? Rue.) τὴν ἐμφανῆ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐκείνου μαρμαρυγήν. ἴσως δὲ καὶ ὅτι τῆς νυκτὸς ὁ κῶνος εἰς ὀξὺ λήγει, καθάπερ καὶ αὕτη εἰς τὸ ἀμερέστατον ἀποκορυφοῦται τῆς νοερᾶς οὐσίας.

“Through this also, Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς) called it Night (that is to say, this arrangement), and thus it is displayed above in the gleaming of that sky. And in like manner also, wherefore the cone of night concludes in a point, just so it is brought into the indivisible point of the noetic essence.” (trans. by the author)

μαρμαρυγή is the Orphic cry? Compare ὕμνος Ὀρφέως 7.10 Ἄστρων (on the stars):

αὐγάξοντες ἀεὶ νυκτὸς ζοφοειδέα πέπλον, μαρμαρυγαῖς στίλβοντες.

“ever brightening the gloomy veil of night; all of you are glittering with sparkling (light)!” (trans. by the author)

Diels warned that the word cone is to be understood in the sense of astronomy in Kern Herm. XXIII 1888, 485 n. XII Κυκλικὴ θεωρία μετεώρων τοῦ Κλεομήδους p. 139 Bake:

ἡ οὖν γῆ φωτιζομένη ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ (sc. ἡλίου) σκιὰν ἀποπέμπει ἀναγκαίως καθάπερ καὶ ἄλλα ὁπόσα φωτίζεται τῶν στερεῶν σωμάτων· αὕτη τοίνυν κωνοειδῶς σχηματιζομένη ὅλον μὲν οὐκ ἐπιλαμβάνει τὸν ζωιδιακὸν οὐδὲ παντὶ τῶι πλάτει αὐτοῦ συμπαρεκτείνεται διὰ τὸ εἰς ὀξὺ ἀποκορυφοῦσθαι.

“Therefore the earth, illumined by it (the sun), reflects the shadow by necessity, accordingly also as well as the other solid bodies that it shines upon; accordingly, assuming a conical form, it does not attain to the whole path of the sun (the zodiac); it is stretched out side by side (along its width), ending in a point.” (trans. by the author)

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.

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Pronunciation of Ancient Greek

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