ORPHIC FRAGMENT 282

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This fragment, from the Chiliades of Tzetzes, quotes Orpheus concerning the constellation Virgo.

281. (19) Χιλιάδες τοῦ Ἰωάννου Τζέτζου ^[1] IV 128 vs. 172 Johann Gottlieb Kiessling Ioannis Tzetzae Historiarum Variarum Chiliades p. 126 (compare Scholia in John Anthony Cramer Anecdota Græca – Bibliothecarum Oxoniensium III 357):

μέμνηται ταύτης καὶ Ὀρφεὺς ἐν Γεωργίαι γράφων·

Ἀστραίη κούρη δὲ πέλει πρὸς ἅπαντα φερίστη

σπέρματα, καὶ δὲ φυτοῖσιν ἐναίσιμος, ἔν τε βόθροισι

βάλλειν ἔρνεα πάντα, τά τε δρυὸς ἄκρα λέγονται,

οἴνας δ᾽ ἐξαλέασθαι, ἐπεὶ στυγέει περίαλλα

Ἰναρίου κούρη ληνοὺς καὶ ἀδευκέας οἴνας, 5

μνωομένη, ὅσα λυγρὰ Διωνύσοιο ἕκητι

Ἀκταῖοι μήσαντο, μέθηι δεδμημένοι αἰνῆι,

Ἰκάριον, καί μιν στυφελαῖς κορύνηισι δάϊξαν

σφαλλόμενοι δώροισι, χοροιμανέος Βάκχοιο.

“Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς) also recalls this in the Γεωργία (Agriculture), writing:

‘(The constellation) virgin Astraia (Ἀστραία - Virgo) is the best for all

seeds, and favorable for plants, and in the trenches

to cast in all the shoots, and what are called tips of the oak,

and to conceal the vine, since the daughter of Ikários (Ἰκάριος) ^[2] hates

exceedingly the wine-vats and bitter vines,

remembering, how much misery on account of Diónysos (Διόνυσος)

the inhabitants of Attica recalled, overpowered by terrible drunkenness,

and they killed Ikários with hard staffs,

staggering from the gifts of mad-dancing Vákkhos (Βάκχος).’ ”

(trans. by the author)

Translator’s notes:

[1] The literal title is Ἰωαννοῦ τοῦ Τζέτζου βιβλίον ἱστορικῆς τῆς στιχῶν πολιτικῶν but it is usually called The Thousands (Χιλιάδες) or The Book of Histories (βιβλίον ἱστορικῆς).

[2] The daughter of Ikários of Athens was Îrigónî (Ἠριγόνη, Erigone). Ikários was friendly with Diónysos who, consequently, gave wine to his shepherds. When the shepherds became drunk, they thought they had been poisoned by Ikários, so they murdered him. Upon discovering this, Îrigónî hanged herself over her father’s grave.

Christian Lobeck Aglaophamus I 415; Josef Heeg Die Angeblichen Orphischen Ἔργα καὶ Ἡμέραι p. 47; Josef Kroll Die Lehren des Hermes Trismegistos 128.

Στα Εἰς τὸν Λυκόφρονα σχόλια Ισαακίου γραμματικοῦ τοῦ Τζέτζου attributes vs. 3 to the Δωδεκαετηρίς as can be found in Eduard Scheer’s Lycophronis Alexandra Vol. 2, p. 46, 26 vs. 83.

Máximos (Περί Καταρχών τοῦ Μαξίμου τοῦ Ἐφεσίου) 488-496 has the same lines quoted above (see Arthur Ludwich Maximi et Ammonis p. 38); for ληνοὺς at vs. 5 of Orpheus, Máximos has ἐλίνους at vs. 492 (ελινους L, ἑλινοῦσ corr. man. rec., ἐλινοῦς ed. Fabricii, ἐλίνους Koechly, ἑλίνους J. G. Schneider), for κορύνηισι at vs. 8 of Orpheus, Máximos at vs. 495 has κορύναις.

ἐξήγησις τοῦ Ἰωάννου Τζέτζου εἰς τὰ Ἔργα καὶ τὰς Ἡμέρας τοῦ Ἡσιόδου 568 (Thomas Gaisford Poetæ Minores Græci II 335, 17):

Ὀρφεὺς δὲ μαθηματικῶς πάντα παρακελεύεται δρᾶν· οἷον Σελήνης τρεχούσης περὶ Παρθένον πάντα φυτεύειν πλὴν μόνων ἀμπέλων· μισεῖ γὰρ ἡ Παρθένος τὴν ἄμπελον διὰ τὸν πατέρα Ἰκάριον.

“Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς) recommends doing everything according to astrology; such as when the Moon runs around the constellation Virgo, plant (anything) with the exception of grapevines: for the Virgin (Ἠριγόνη, Erigone) hates the vine because of her father Ikários (Ἰκάριος).”

(trans. by the author)

Compare to ΒΑΚΚΙΚΑ Orphic Fragment 244.

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.