ORPHIC FRAGMENT 113
OTTO KERN
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For links to many more fragments: The Orphic Fragments of Otto Kern.
SUMMARY: This group of fragments discuss the etymology of Uranus.
113. (90) Ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις περὶ τῶν πρώτων ἀρχῶν εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Παρμενίδην Δαμασκίου 257 (II 125, 24 Rue.):
καὶ ὁ τοῦ Ὀρφέως Οὐρανὸς
‘οὖρος πάντων καὶ φύλαξ’
εἶναι βούλεται· | 125 Rue. καὶ Φοίνικες δὲ καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι τῆιδε τῆι τάξει τὸ φρουρητικὸν ἐγκατοικίζουσιν.
“And the Ouranós of Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς) wants to be
‘the limit (οὖρος*) and guardian of everything’
“And the Phoenicians and the Egyptians establish guardianship in this category.”
(trans. by the author)
*οὖρος could also be translated as “guardian” or “protector.”
Lobeck I 503 qui Damascii locum falso Tatio in Arat. p. 85 (v. infra) attribuit; Holwerda 313; Kern Herm. XXIII 1888, 486 n. XV.
Compare fragment 96 on the Sun.
ὕμνος Ὀρφέως IV Οὐρανοῦ vs. 5:
αἰθέριος χθόνιός τε φύλαξ πάντων περιβληθείς.
“Aithîrial earthly guardian of all things (which) you have encircled.”
(trans. by the author)
Ἐπιδρομή τοῦ Κορνοῦτου 1,4 Lang (οὐρανὸς):
οὖρος ὢν ἄνω πάντων καὶ ὁρίζων τὴν φύσιν· | 2 L. ἔνιοι δέ φασιν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὠρεῖν ἢ ὠρεύειν τὰ ὄντα, ὅ ἐστι φυλάττειν, οὐρανὸν κεκλῆσθαι.
(Note: this is Kornoutos’ etymology of the name Oὐρανός): “Being the limit (οὖρος; see * above for this word) on high of all things and marking out (ὁρίζων) the order of nature. But some declare (his name is derived) from ὠρεῖν or ὠρεύειν (“to care for”) existing things, that is to keep guard; (thus, therefore,) he is called Oὐρανός.”
(trans. by the author)
Εἰσαγωγὴ εἰς τὰ Ἀράτου φαινόμενα τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως Τατίου 36, 13 Μααβ:
οὐρανός δὲ ἠτυμολόγηται, ἤτοι ἐπεὶ ὅρος παλαιός ἐστιν ἢ ἐπεὶ σφαιροειδὴς ὢν ἔνδοθεν αὑτοῦ ἡμᾶς οὐρεῖ, ὅ ἐστι φυλάσσειν.
“οὐρανός etymologies: To be sure, you find the ancient (word) ὅρος (“boundary”) or you find that being spherical from within itself, οὐρεῖ ἡμᾶς (“it watches over us”), that is, it guards us.”
(trans. by the author)
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).
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