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

SUMMARY: This fragment consists of several quotations, primarily about Athena and her weaving.

178. (135) σχόλιον Πρόκλου επί Κρατύλου Πλάτωνος 389 b. c (21, 13 Pasqu.):

εἰ δέ τις αὐτὰς τὰς ποιητικὰς, καὶ γονίμους δυνάμεις τῶν θεῶν, ἃς εἰς τὸ πᾶν προάγουσι, τέχνας προσαγορεύοι δημιουργικὰς καὶ νοερὰς καὶ γεννητικὰς καὶ τελεσιουργούς, οὐκ ἂν οὐδ᾽ ἡμεῖς ἀποδοκιμάσαιμεν τὴν τοιαύτην προσηγορίαν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοὺς θεολόγους εὑρίσκομεν διὰ τούτων τὰς θείας ποιήσεις ἐνδεικνυμένους, καὶ τοὺς μὲν Κύκλωπας ἁπάσης τεχνικῆς ποιήσεως αἰτίους λέγοντας, οἳ καὶ τὸν Δία καὶ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν καὶ τὸν ῞Ηφαιστον ἐδίδαξαν (fragment 179 vs. 3), τὴν δ᾽ Ἀθηνᾶν τῶν τ᾽ ἄλλων τεχνῶν καὶ διαφερόντως τῆς ὑφαντικῆς προστατεῖν, τὸν δ᾽ ῞Ηφαιστον ἄλλης ἰδίως ἔφορον τέχνης, αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν ὑφαντικὴν ἀρχομένην μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς δεσποίνης Ἀθηνᾶς ---

ἥδε γὰρ ἀθανάτων προφερεστάτη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων

ἱστὸν ἐποίχεσθαι ταλασήιά τ᾽ ἔργα πινύσσειν ---

| ^{22 Pasqu.} φησὶν Ὀρφεύς, προϊοῦσαν δ᾽ εἰς τὴν ζωιογόνον τῆς Κόρης σειρὰν --- καὶ γὰρ αὕτη καὶ πᾶς αὐτῆς ὁ χορὸς ἄνω μενούσης ὑφαίνειν λέγονται τὸν διάκοσμον τῆς ζωιῆς (v. fragment 192) ---, μετεχομένην δὲ ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐν κόσμωι θεῶν --- καὶ γὰρ ὁ εἷς δημιουργὸς τοῖς νέοις δημιουργοῖς προσυφαίνειν τῶι ἀθανάτωι παρακελεύεται (Τίμαιος Πλάτωνος 41 d) τὸ θνητὸν εἶδος τῆς ζωῆς ---, περατουμένην δ᾽ εἰς τοὺς τῆς γενέσεως προστάτας θεούς, ὧν ἐστιν καὶ ἡ παρ᾽ Ὁμήρωι Κίρκη πᾶσαν ὑφαίνουσα τὴν ἐν τῶι τετραστοίχωι ζωὴν καὶ ἅμα ταῖς ὠιδαῖς ἐναρμόνιον ποιοῦσα τὸν ὑπὸ σελήνην τόπον. ἐν ταύταις οὖν ταῖς ὑφαντικαῖς καὶ ἡ Κίρκη ὑπὸ τῶν θεολόγων παραλαμβάνεται, χρυσῆ μέντοι, καθάπερ φασίν, ἐνδεικνύμενοι τὴν νοερὰν αὐτῆς καὶ ἄχραντον οὐσίαν καὶ ἄυλον καὶ ἀμιγῆ πρὸς τὴν γένεσιν, καὶ τὸ ἔργον αὐτῆς διακρίνειν τὰ ἑστῶτα τῶν κινουμένων καὶ χωρίζειν κατὰ τὴν ἑτερότητα τὴν θείαν.

“But if one should address these as creative and generative abilities of the Gods, abilities by which they advance into everything, as the skills dîmiourgic, intellectual, generative, and perfective, we need not reject such appellation, since we find the theologians also pointing out the divine fabrications (by these names). Indeed, they call the Kýklôpæs (Κύκλωπες) the cause of all skillful fabrication, and not only have they (ὀ Κύκλωπες) taught Zefs (Ζεύς), but also Athîná (Ἀθηνᾶ) and Íphaistos (Ἥφαιστος) (fragment 179 vs. 3). For (it is) Athîná who is the steward of all the different skills, and especially weaving, and (we acknowledge) Íphaistos, the steward of another skill of his own. But being first at weaving (is known to come), of course, from queen Athîná,

‘For she is the most excellent of all the deathless ones

working the loom, teaching to ply the works of weaving’

“so says Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς). But as for the generative series, this advances from Kórî (Κόρη), for, they say, not only she, but also all her entourage, while yet remaining aloft, weave the kozmic order of life (v. fragment 192), but this is partaken of by all the Gods in the world, for the one dîmiourgós exhorts (Τίμαιος Πλάτωνος 41 d) the young Dîmiourgoi (plural) to interweave the immortal with the mortal form of life, but (this action) attains its consummation in the Gods (who are) the chief authors of generation. Of these also, in Ómiros (Ὅμηρος), (we have) Kírkî (Κίρκη) weaving all life in the four ranks, and at the same time, making the region under the moon musical with songs. Therefore, in respect to these (deities who are) skilled in weaving, and Kírkî, just as the theologians say, (she is) certainly like gold, and takes all this upon herself, pointing out her intellectual and undefiled nature, immaterial and pure in reference to generation. And her task is to separate those standing idle from those in motion and divide them according to divine difference.”

(trans. by the author)

Compare the same in σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Παρμενίδου Πλάτωνος 130 c p. 829, 9 Cous.:

θαυμαστὸν δὲ οὐδὲν καὶ τὸ εἶναί τινας ἐν δαίμοσιν αἰτίας, οἳ καὶ ἔφοροι λέγονται τῶν τεχνῶν οἱ μὲν ἄλλων οἱ δὲ ἄλλων ὑπάρχειν, καὶ ἀνθρώποις δεδωρῆσθαι ταύτας, καὶ ἐν θεοῖς συμβολικῶς εἶναι, οἷον χαλκείας εἶναι μέν τις δαίμων Ἥφαιστος λεγέσθω προστάτης καὶ τὸ εἶδος ἔχων, αυτὸς δὲ ὁ μέγας Ἥφαιστος συμβολικῶς ἂν λέγοιτο χαλκεύειν τὸν οὐρανόν (fr. 180)· καὶ ὑφαντικῆς ὡσαύτως Ἀθηναϊκή τις δαιμονὶς ἔφορος, αὐτῆς τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἄλλως καὶ δημιουργικῶς ὑφαίνειν τὸν διάκοσμον τῶν νοερῶν εἰδῶν ὑμνουμένης

“But it is not at all extraordinary that the causes [of the arts] are (found) in the daimonæs (δαίμονες), those who said to be the guardians (ἔφοροι) of the arts, those who take initiative...some of one, and some of another...and have given these to mankind, and amongst the Gods symbolically. As, for instance indeed, the daimôn Íphaistos (Ἥφαιστος) is said to be the guardian of bronze-work and delivering its form, but great Íphaistos himself could be said to have symbolically made the sky of bronze. And in like manner, the Athenian daimonís (δαιμονίς) guardian of weaving, of Athîná (Ἀθηνᾶ) herself, (she is) lauded, (by using) other and dîmiourgic (means), as weaving the kozmic order of intellectual forms.”

(trans. by the author)

This verse also in σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 24 d (I 168, 30 Diehl):

Ἐργάνη δὲ ὡς τῶν δημιουργι- | ^{169 Diehl} κῶν ἔργων προστάτις.

“But thus (Ἀθηνᾶ is) the Worker (Ἐργάνη), the leader of dîmiourgic work.”

Herm. XXIX verse 1; Lobeck I 541.

Θεογονία Ἡσιόδου 79:

Καλλιόπη θ᾽: ἣ δὲ προφερεστάτη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων.

“Calliope, who is placed before (excelling) them all.”

ὕμνος Ὀρφέως: Εὐχὴ πρὸς Μουσαίον 2:

εὐχήν, ἣ δή τοι προφερεστέρη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων.

“a prayer, one that is more excellent than quite all the others.”

Ἰλιὰς Ὁμήρου 1.31:

ἱστὸν ἐποιχομένην

“plying herself with the loom” (referring to Χρυσηΐς; Agamemnon, unwilling to give her back to her father, defiantly telling the old man what she will be doing when he takes her home to Argos).

Ὀδύσσεια Ὁμήρου 10.222 (on Κίρκη):

ἱστὸν ἐποιχομένης

“from plying herself with the loom” (referring to Κίρκη, as Odysseas’ men approach her cautiously)

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.

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