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

SUMMARY: Orpheus states that even the very first of the Couretes were devoted to the division of Athena, and crowned with a branch of olive.

186. (133) σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Πολιτείας Πλάτωνος I 138, 12 Kr.:

καὶ γὰρ οἱ πρώτιστοι Κούρητες τά τε ἄλλα τῆι τάξει τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἀνεῖνται καὶ περιεστέφθαι λέγονται τῶι θαλλῶι τῆς ἐλάας, ὥς φησίν Ὀρφεύς.

“For even the very first Kourîtæs (Κούρητες) were devoted to the station of Athîná (Ἀθηνᾶ) and, they say, crowned with a branch of olive, as Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς) asserts.”

(trans. by the author)

The same in σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 42 d (III 310, 25 Diehl):

ἤ καὶ ὅτι σύνεστιν αὐτοῖς Κουρητικὴ θεότης, τῆι μὲν νοήσει τὸ ἄχραντον επιλάμπουσα, τῆι δὲ κινήσει τὸ ἀκαμπές, ἀμείλικτον δὲ ὅλοις αὐτοῖς χορηγοῦσα δύναμιν, δι’ ἣν ἑαυτῶν ὄντες τὰ ὅλα ποδηγετοῦσιν.

“Or they have this appellation (i.e. the junior, mundane, or recent Gods), because Curetic deity is present with them, [or deity belonging to the order of the Curetes,] illuminating their intellectual conceptions with purity, their motion with inflexibility, and supplying the whole of them with rigid power, through which they govern all things without departing from the characteristics of their nature.”

(trans. Thomas Taylor, 1820)

Herm. XXIX ad vs. 5; Lobeck I 541; Poerner De Curet. et Corybant. 373.

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.

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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