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

SUMMARY: This group of fragments states that Artemis is sometimes called Hecate, sometimes Kore, and sometimes Athena.

188. (138. 201) σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Κρατύλου Πλάτωνος 406 b p. 106, 25 G. Pasquali:

ὅτι δὲ πολλὴ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὴν ἐγκόσμιον Ἑκάτην ἕνωσις καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὴν Κόρην, φανερὸν τοῖς καὶ ὀλίγα τῶι Ὀρφεῖ παραβεβληκόσιν, ἐξ ὧν δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ ἡ Λητὼ περιέχεται ἐν τῆι Δήμητρι τῆι καὶ τὴν Κόρην ὑποστη- |^{107 Pasqu.} σάσηι τῶι Διὶ καὶ τὴν ἐγκόσμιον Ἑκάτην, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν Ἑκάτην Ὀρφεὺς κέκληκεν·

ἡ δ' ἄρα δῖ' Ἑκάτη παιδὸς μέλη* αὖθι λιποῦσα

Λητοῦς εὐπλοκάμοιο κόρη προσεβήσατ' Ὄλυμπον·

ώστ' οὐδὲν θαυμαστόν, εἰ καὶ τὴν ἐν τῆι Κόρηι Ἄρτεμιν Ἑκάτην ἐν ἄλλοις κεκλήκαμεν.

“But that there is a great union between Diana (Ἄρτεμις), the mundane Hecate (Ἑκάτη), and Core (Κόρη), is evident to those that are in the least degree conversant with the writings of Orpheus; from which it appears that Latona (Λητώ) is comprehended in Ceres (Δημήτηρ), and together with Jupiter (Ζεύς) gives subsistence to Core and the mundane Hecate. To which we may also add that Orpheus calls Diana Hecate.” (trans. Thomas Taylor, 1816)

‘And then heavenly Ækátî (Ἑκάτη), daughter of fairhaired Lîtóh (Λητώ), having left there the limbs* of the child, and rose herself to Ólymbos (Ὄλυμπος).’ (trans. by the author, this line only, left untranslated as a note in Taylor)

“So that it is nothing wonderful, if we should elsewhere call the Diana contained in Core Hecate.”

(trans. Thomas Taylor, 1816)

*μέλη means “limbs,” but can also be translated “songs” or “lyric poems.” Translating it as “limbs,” it almost seems as if Ækátî is here equated not only with Ártæmis (Λητοῦς εὐπλοκάμοιο κόρη), but also with Athîná (see the quotation immediately below), taking the beating heart of Diónysos to Zefs (Ζεύς) and leaving the limbs for Apóllôn (Ἀπόλλων). Another possibility would be that Ækátî-Ártæmis was simply present during or after the dismemberment and then rose to the heavens...but if so, why does the phrase specifically mention the limbs; has Athîná already taken the heart? So many questions not possible to answer, since we do not have the surrounding literary material. If μέλη means “songs” we have yet more difficult questions.

σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Κρατύλου Πλάτωνος 404 b p. 94, 24 G. Pasquali:

προσαγορεύεται δὲ καὶ Κόρη διὰ τὴν καθαρότητα τῆς οὐσίας καὶ τὴν ἄχραντον ἐν ταῖς ἀπογεννήσεσιν ὑπεροχήν. ἔχει δὲ πρώτην τε καὶ μέσην καὶ τελευταίαν ἡγεμονίαν, καὶ κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἀκρότητα ἑαυτῆς Ἄρτεμις καλεῖται παρ᾽ Ὀρφεῖ, κατὰ δὲ τὸ μέσον κέντρον Περσεφόνη, κατά δὲ τὸ πέρας τῆς διακοσμήσεως Ἀθηνᾶ.

“But she (Περσεφόνη) is called Core (Daughter, Κόρη) through the purity of her essence, and her undefiled transcendency in her generations. She also possesses a first, middle and last empire. And according to her summit indeed, she is called Diana (Ἄρτεμις) by Orpheus; but according to her middle Proserpine (Περσεφόνη); and according to the extremity of the order Minerva (Ἀθηνᾶ).

(trans. Thomas Taylor, 1816)

σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Κρατύλου Πλάτωνος 406 b p. 105, 18 G. Pasquali:

ὅτι τῆς δεσποίνης ἡμῶν Ἀρτέμιδος τρεῖς ὁ Πλάτων παραδίδωσιν ἰδιότητας, τήν τε ἄχραντον καὶ τὴν κόσμιον καὶ τὴν ἀναγωγόν· καὶ διὰ μὲν τὴν πρώτην παρθενίας ἐρᾶν λέγεται ἡ θεός, διὰ δὲ τὴν δευτέραν, καθ' ἣν τελεσιουργός, [ὡς] ἀρετῆς ἔφορος εἶναι λέγεται, διὰ δὲ τὴν τρίτην, καθ᾽ ἣν μισῆσαι λέγεται τὰς γενεσιουργοὺς ὁρμάς. καὶ μάλιστα τῶν τριῶν ἡ πρώτη ἐφαρμόζει τῆι τῆς θεοῦ προόδωι, καθ᾽ ἣν ἐν τῆι ζωογόνωι τῶν ἀρχῶν τριάδι τὴν ὕπαρξιν ἔλαχεν, εἴτε Ἑκατικὴ προσαγορευομένη θεότης, ὡς οἱ θεουργοί φασιν, εἴτε Ἄρτεμις, ὡς Ὀρφεύς. ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἱδρυμένη πεπλήρωται μὲν ἀχράντων δυνάμεων ἀπὸ τῶν ἀμειλίκτων* θεῶν, εἰς δὲ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς βλέπει πηγὴν |^{106 Pasqu.} καὶ τὴν παρθενίαν αὐτῆς ἀσπάζεται· καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνη τὸ παρθένον οὐ προΐησιν, ὥς φησι τὸ λόγιον (Kroll Χαλδαϊκὸς χρησμὸς 28**)· νοοῦσα δ' ἐκείνην ὑφίστησιν καὶ τὴν ἀρχικὴν ἀρετήν, καὶ ἐξήιρηται πάσης κοινωνίας καὶ συζεύξεως καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν γένεσιν προόδου.

“With respect to our sovereign mistress Diana (Ἄρτεμις), Plato delivers three peculiarities of her, the undefiled, the mundane, and the anagogic (mystical). And through the first of these indeed, the Goddess is said to be a lover of virginity; but through the second, according to which she is perfective of works (τελεσιουργός) she is said to be the inspective guardian of virtue; and through the third she is said to hate the impulses arising from generation. Of these three likewise, the first is especially adapted to the progression of the Goddess, according to which she is allotted an hyparxis in the vivific triad of the supermundane Gods; whether we call this deity Hecatic, as Theurgists say, or Diana with Orpheus. For there being established, she is filled with undefiled powers from the Gods called Amilicti* (the harsh or implacable ones, ἀμείλικτοι). But she looks to the fountain of virtue, and embraces its virginity. For the virginity which is there does not proceed forth, as the Oracle (Kroll Χαλδαϊκὸς χρησμὸς 28**) says, but abiding gives subsistence to Diana, and to supermundane virtue, and is exempt from all communion, conjunction and progression, according to generation.”

(trans. Thomas Taylor, 1816)

* The three Amilicti are the same with the unpolluted triad, or Curetes, of the Greeks. Observe, that a fontal subsistence means a subsistence according to cause. (Chaldean idea from Psellus as explained by Thomas Taylor)

** λαιῇς ἐν λαγόσιν Ἑκάτης ἀρετῆς πέλε πηγή

ἔνδον ὅλη μίμνουσα τὸ παρθένον οὐ προιεῖσα.

“In the left-hand inward parts of Hecate is the fountain of virtue,

which wholly abides within, and does not emit its virginal nature.”

(trans. Thomas Taylor, who says, “Hecate, according to the Chaldeans, is the centre of the intellectual gods: and they say that in her right-hand parts she contains the fountain of souls; and in her left, the fountain of the virtues.”)

Compare also in σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 40 b (III 131, 18 E. Diehl):

εἰ δὲ καὶ μερικαὶ ψυχαὶ περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐσπάρησαν, ἄλλαι μὲν περὶ ἥλιον, ἄλλαι δὲ περὶ σελήνην, ἄλλαι δὲ περὶ ἕκαστον τῶν λοιπῶν, καὶ πρὸ τῶν ψυχῶν δαίμονες συμπληροῦσι τὰς ἀγέλας ὧν εἰσιν ἡγεμόνες, δῆλον, ὅτι καλῶς εἴρηται κόσμον ἑκάστην εἶναι τῶν σφαιρῶν, καὶ τῶν θεολόγων ἡμᾶς ταῦτα διδασκόντων, ὁπόταν περὶ ἑκάστου θεοὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς εἶναι πρὸ τῶν δαιμόνων ἄλλους ὑπὸ τὴν ἄλλου τελοῦντας ἡγεμονίαν * * *, οἷον καὶ περὶ τῆς δεσποίνης ἡμῶν τῆς σελήνης, ὅτι καὶ ἡ Ἑκάτη θεαί τινές εἰσιν ἐν αὐτῆι καὶ ἡ Ἄρτεμις, καὶ περὶ τοῦ βασιλέως Ἡλίου καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ θεῶν, τὸν ἐκεῖ Διόνοσον ὑμνοῦντες·

‘Ἠελίοιο πάρεδρος ἐπισκοπέων πόλον ἁγνόν’ (Kroll Χαλδαϊκὸς χρησμὸς 9),

τὸν Δία τὸν ἐκεῖ, τὸν Ὄσιριν, τὸν Πάνα τὸν ἡλιακόν, τοὺς ἄλλους, ὧν αἱ βίβλοι πλήρεις εἰσί τῶν θεολόγων καὶ τῶν θεουργῶν· ἐξ ὧν ἁπάντων δῆλον, ὅπως ἀληθὲς καὶ τῶν πλανωμένων ἕκαστον ἀγελάρχην εἶναι πολλῶν θεῶν συμπληρούντων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰδίαν περιφοράν.

“If likewise, partial souls are disseminated about them, some about the sun, others about the moon, and others about each of the rest, and prior to souls, dæmons give completion to the herds of which they are the leaders, it is evidently well said, that each of the spheres of a world; theologists also teaching us these things when they say that there are Gods in each prior to dæmons, some of which are under the government of others. Thus for instance, they assert concerning our mistress the Moon, that the Goddess Hecate, is contained in her, and also Diana (Ἄρτεμις). Thus too, in speaking of the sovereign Sun, and the Gods that are there, they celebrate Bacchus (Διόνυσος) as being there

‘The Sun’s assessor, who with watchful eye surveys

The sacred pole.’ (Kroll Χαλδαϊκὸς χρησμὸς 9)

They likewise celebrate the Jupiter (Ζεύς) who is there, Osiris, the solar Pan, and others of which the books of theologists and theurgists are full; from all which it is evident, that each of the planets is truly said to be the leader of many Gods, who give completion to its peculiar circulation. After this manner therefore, we dissolve the doubt.”

(trans. Thomas Taylor, 1820)

Lobeck I 543; Holwerda 329.

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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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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