HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC FRAGMENT 24

ORPHIC FRAGMENT 24

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This fragment consists of two quotations from Aristotle: The first states that the (Orphic) theologians assert that the world is generated from Nyx; the second quotation states that the poets say that Zeus reigns and rules, despite the fact that Nyx, Uranus, Chaos, and Oceanus precede him in time.

24. τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικά Ἀριστοτέλους 12.1071 b 26:

καίτοι εἰ ὡς λέγουσιν οἱ θεολόγοι οἱ ἐκ νυκτὸς γεννῶντες, ἢ ὡς (om. Ε) οἱ φυσικοὶ ‘ἦν (om. Ε) ὁμοῦ πάντα χρήματα’ (Anaxagoras Diels I³ 399 n. 1) φασί, τὸ αὐτὸ ἀδύνατον.

“Yet if we follow the theologians who generate the world from night, or the natural philosophers who say that ‘all things were together’, the same impossible result ensues.”

(trans. W. D. Ross, 1908)

τὰ μετὰ τὰ φυσικά Ἀριστοτέλους 14.1091 b 4:

οἱ δὲ ποιηταὶ οἱ ἀρχαῖοι ταύτηι ὁμοίως, ἧι βασιλεύειν καὶ ἄρχειν φασὶν οὐ τοὺς πρώτους, οἷον Νύκτα καὶ (ἢ Susemihl) Οὐρανὸν ἢ Χάος ἢ Ὠκεανόν, ἀλλὰ τὸν Δία. E Nocte v. ΙΕΡΟΙ ΛΟΓΟΙ.

“The old poets agree with this inasmuch as they say that not those who are first in time, e.g. Night and Heaven or Chaos or Ocean, reign and rule, but Zeus.”

(trans. W. D. Ross, 1908)

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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