HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC FRAGMENT 206

ORPHIC FRAGMENT 206

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: According to this fragment from Clement of Alexandria, Homer "stole" from Orpheus.

206. (188) Λόγος Στρώματα Κλήμεντος του Ἀλεξανδρέως VI 2, 26, 1 (II 442, 8 Staeh.):

εὕροις δ’ ἂν καὶ Ὅμηρον τὸν μέγαν ποιητὴν ἐκεῖνα τὰ ἔπη (Ἰλιὰς Ὁμήρου 17.53, see below)·

οἷον δὲ τρέφει ἔρνος ἀνὴρ ἐριθηλὲς ἐλαίης

καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς κατὰ λέξιν μετενηνοχότα παῥ Ὀρφέως ἐκ τοῦ Διονύσου ἀφανισμοῦ. ἔν τε τῆι Θεογονίαι ἐπὶ τοῦ Κρόνου (fragment 149).

(...Ὀρφεῖ πεποίηται·

κεῖτ' ἀποδοχμώσας παχὺν αὐχένα, κὰδ δέ μιν ὕπνος ἥιρει πανδαμάτωρ,

ταῦτα δὲ Ὅμηρος ἐπὶ τοῦ Κύκλωπος μετέθηκεν.)

“You will also find that Homer, the great poet, took from Orpheus, from the Disappearance of Dionysus, those words and what follows verbatim (Ἰλιὰς Ὁμήρου 17.53, see below):

‘As a man trains a luxuriant shoot of olive.’

And in the Theogony, it is said by Orpheus of Kronos (fragment 149):--

(‘He lay, his thick neck bent aside; and him All-conquering Sleep had seized.’

These Homer transferred to the Cyclops.)”

(trans. William Wilson, 1885)

Herm. XVIII p. 478; Lobeck I 554; Schuster 49; Gruppe Griech. Culte u. Mythen 637; Susemihl Ind. XI; Stemplinger Plagiat in der griech. Lit. 67.

Ἰλιὰς Ὁμήρου 17.54-56 (Line 17.53, quoted above by Clement of Alexandria, is a direct quotation from Iliad, and is immediately followed by these lines):

χώρωι ἐν οἰοκόλωι, ὅθ’ ἅλις ἀναβέβροχεν ὕδωρ,

καλὸν τηλεθάον· τὸ δέ τε πνοιαὶ δονέουσιν

παντοίων ἀνέµων, καί τε βρύει ἄνθεϊ λευκῶι.

“As one who has grown a fine young olive tree in a clear space where there is abundance of water—

the plant is full of promise, and though the winds beat upon it

from every quarter it puts forth its white blossoms.”

(trans. Samuel Butler, 1898)

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.

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).

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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