ORPHIC FRAGMENT 278

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: The main fragment is from Tzetzes’ commentary on Hesiod’s Works and Days, and notes the qualities of the “thirtieth day.”

278. (28) ἐξήγησις τοῦ Ἰωάννου Τζέτζου εἰς τὰ Ἔργα καὶ τὰς Ἡμέρας τοῦ Ἡσιόδου 765 (Thomas Gaisford Poetæ Minores Græci II 418, 8):

καὶ τὴν τριακοστὴν δὲ ἡμέραν οὗτος ἀγαθὴν λέγει, ἣν Ὀρφεὺς φαύλην πᾶσιν ἔργοις φησὶ, δοσοληψίαις δὲ μόναις ἐσθλήν.

“And this says that the thirtieth day is good, which Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς) says is bad for all actions, and good only for barters.”

(trans. by the author)

Christian Lobeck Aglaophamus I 419; Josef Heeg Die Angeblichen Orphischen Ἔργα καὶ Ἡμέραι 43.

Catalogus codicum astrologorum Graecorum III 39, 18 ss.:

ἡμερα λʹ <τῆς σελήνης.> Πλοῦτος καὶ Τύχη ἐγεννήθη· Σαμουὴλ ὁ προφήτης ἐγεννήθη αὕτη ἡμέρα ἀποπληροφορημένη ἐστὶν εἰς πάντα· ἀγοράσαι, πωλῆσαι, σπείρειν, φυτεύειν, κλαδεύειν, δούλους καὶ ζῶια καὶ βόας κτήσασθαι, παῖδας εἰς μαθησίαν παραδίδεῖν κτλ.

“The thirtieth day (of the moon). Wealth and Fate were produced; this day the prophet Samuel was begotten, it is advantageous for everything: to buy, to sell, to sow, to plant trees, to prune, to acquire slaves, animals, and oxen, to deliver children to instruction, etc.”

(trans. by the author)

and Catalogus codicum astrologorum Graecorum IV 145, 4 ss.:

τὸ ἥμισυ καὶ γʹ, ἥτις λέγεται λʹ ἡμέρα, παρὰ τριῶν ὡρῶν κοινωνεῖ τῶι ῾Ηλίωι, ἥτις λέγεται σύνοδος· καὶ αὕτη καλὴ σπείρειν, θερίζειν, ὁδεύειν, πωλεῖν, ἀγοράζειν, γάμους ποιεῖν· ὁ γεννηθεὶς εὐτυχής, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ πονηρά, θυμώδης, ἄστοργος τῶι ἀνδρί.

“The half and three, which is called the thirtieth day, throughout three seasons shares with the Sun, which is called conjunction; and this day is good to sow, to reap, to travel, to sell, to buy, to have weddings; he who was born (on this day) is fortunate, but the woman (born on this day) is useless, fierce, without affection for a man.”

(trans. by the author)

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.