ORPHIC FRAGMENT 285

OTTO KERN

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


SUMMARY: This fragment is a longer quotation from the poem On earthquakes; also included after the fragment is a discussion casting doubt on to the antiquity of the poem.

285. (2) [fragment from the poem Περὶ σεισμῶν “On earthquakes”]:

φράζεο δὴ καὶ τόνδε λόγον, τέκος, ὁππότε κεν δὴ

γαῖαν κινήσηι Σεισίχθων κυανοχαίτης,

ὅττι βροτοῖς ἐπί τ’ εὐτυχίην κακότητά τε φράζει.

ὁππόταν εἰαρινὴν ἐπ’ ἰσημερίην ἀφίκηται

ἠέλιος Κριόν τε διεκτρέχηι, ἐν δ’ ἄρα τῶιδε 5

γαῖαν νυκτερινὸς Γαιήοχος ἀμφελελίξηι,

σῆμα τόδ’ ἐστὶ πόληος ἀπόστασις οὐκ ἀλαπαδνῆς·

εἰ δέ κεν ἡμερινός, φράζει τόδε λυγρὰ καὶ ἄτας

πήματος ὁρμήσαντος ἐπ’ ἀλλοδαποὺς ἀνθρώπους

ἔσσεσθαι, σφετέραις ἐπὶ πημοσύναις ἰδὲ λύπαις. 10

εἰ δ’ ἀνὰ Ταῦρον ἰόντος, ἐφορμήσει διὰ νύκτα

σεισμός, πήματα μέν τε καταφθινύθουσιν ὀπίσσω,

εὐφροσίνη δ’ ἀνὰ ἄστυ καὶ εἰρήνη τεθαλυῖα·

ἡμερινὸς δὲ φέρει πολέμου μεγάλοιο πόληι

ἔργον ἐπερχομένου τοῖς κρείττοσιν· ἀλλὰ φυλάσσου. 15

εἰ δέ κεν, ἐν Διδύμοις στρωφωμένου ἠελίοιο,

νυκτερινὴ μῆνις ἐλελίζηται κατὰ γαῖαν,

<σημαίνει ὅτι ?> δυσμενέες βροτοὶ ἐγχεσίχειρες

ὑμετέρην πελάσουσιν ἐπ’ ἄλγεσι γαῖαν ἅπασαν·

εἰ δέ κεν ἡμερινή, τότε κεν βασιλῆες ἄτιμοι 20

ἔσσονθ’ ἡγεμόνες τε θεῶν διομηνίηι ἐχθρῶν.

εἰ δ’, ἀνὰ τὴν μοίρην τοῦ Καρκίνου ἠελίοιο

στείχοντος, ὅθι δὴ θερινὴ τροπή, ἔννυχος ἔσται

γῆς ἔνοσις, τοῦτο φράζει κακότητα βαρεῖαν

ἀργαλέην πενίην ἀλλαξέμεν· ἡμερινὸς δὲ 25

φράζει πῆμ’ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀνάστασιν ὠλεσίοικον.

εἰ δέ κεν, ἠελίοιο Λέοντος μοῖραν ἰόντος,

νύκτερος ὁρμηθῆι γαίης σάλος, αὐτίκα πένθη,

κλαυθμοί τε στοναχαί τε πόλιν καὶ λαὸν ἅπαντα

ἕξουσ’· ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς καὶ ταῦτα πιφαύσκει. 30

εἰ δέ κεν, ἠελίου σὺν Παρθένωι ἐρχομένοιο,

ἑσπερινὸς σεισμὸς, λαοῖς τότε λοιμὸς ἅπασιν

ἔσσεται· ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς καρποὺς καταβλάψει.

εἰ δ’ ἂν ἐπὶ φθινόπωρον ἰσημερίνην ἀφίκηται

ἠέλιος, χηλαῖς διαφαίνων, νυκτερινὸς δὲ 35

κινήσηι, καρπῶν δηλοῖ φθόρον ἐξαναφύντων

γαίης· ὥραις δ’ ἡμεριναῖς, χαλεπῆς τόδε φράζει

ἔργα μάχης· πολλοὺς δ’ αὐτῶν κατὰ γαῖα καλύψει.

εἰ δέ κεν, ἠελίου τὸν Σκορπίον ἀμφιθέοντος,

νύκτερος ὁρμηθῆι γαίης σάλος, ἔργα μάταια 40

ἀνδράσιν ἔσσονται κακοφραδμοσύνηισι νόοιο·

ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς τότε δὴ τότε ἄλγεα φράζει

ἔσσεσθαι πολέεσσιν ἀπὸ πτολέμου κρυεροῖο,

ἔργα ματαιότατα Ζηνὸς μεγάλου διὰ βουλάς.

εἰ δέ κεν ἐν μοίρηι τοῦ Τοξότου ἠελίοιο 45

στρωφῶντος γαῖαν κινήσηι Κυανοχαίτης

νυκτερινός, σημεῖον ὀλέθριον ἔσσεται ἀνδρῶν

πολλῶν· ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς πόλεων βασιλῆϊ

σημαίνει μεγάλην τιμὴν καὶ σκῆπτρα λιπόντι

ἄλληι ἐποίχεσθαι φεύγοντ’ ἀπὸ πατρίδος αἴης. 50

εἰ δέ κ’ ἐν Αἰγοκέρωτι, ὅθι τροπαὶ ἠελίοιο

χειμεριναί, στείχοντος, ἕδος χθονὸς ἔννυχος ἐλθὼν

Σεισίχθων γαῖαν κινήσηι πνεύματι λάβρωι,

φράζεο δὴ πόλεμον καὶ δάκρυα τοῖσι γενέσθαι

καὶ στᾶσιν· ἡμερινὸς δὲ φανεὶς καρποφθόρος ἔσται. 55

εἰ δέ κ’ ἐν Ὑδροχόωι διανίσσεται ἠελίοιο

φέγγος, νυκτερινὴ δ’ ἐλελιχθῆι γαῖα περίχθων,

ἁρπαγαὶ ὠλεσίοικοι ἀνὰ πτόλιν εὐρυάγυιαν

ἔσσονται δήμου τε κακοφροσύναι τε καὶ ὕβρεις·

εἰ δέ κεν ἡμερινή, δήμου κράτος ἔμπεδον ἔσται. 60

εἰ δ’ ἀνὰ τοὺς Ἰχθῦς στρωφωμένου ἠελίοιο,

γῆς ἔνοσις γίνοιτο θοὴν διὰ νύκτα, τότ’ ἔσται

πάσαις ἐν πολίεσσι περίστασις· εἰ δέ κεν ἠοῖ

γῆς κινηθείη πέδον ἱερόν, αὐτίκα πάσαις

εὐφόρβοισι βοῶν ἀγέλαις, οἰῶν τε καὶ ἄλλων 65

τετραπόδων φθόρος ἔσται ἀν’ ἄστεα καὶ κατὰ χώρας.

“Consider also this account, my child, when

the dark-haired Earth-shaker wanted to rouse the earth,

that gives counsel to mortals on success and misery.

“Whensoever he should arrive at the spring equinox

and the sun crosses Aries, then at this time 5

the nocturnal Earth-shaker trembles all around,

this is a sign that the revolts are not from the powerless city;

but if he should come by day, this shows that miseries and bewilderment

from suffering will be inflicted on foreign men,

in addition to their own calamities and griefs. 10

“If when going through Taurus, an earthquake will make an attack at night,

calamities destroy again,

(despite) joy and peace thriving through the city;

but if by day, it brings news of a great war to the city,

war from coming upon those who are mightier; well then, keep watch! 15

“But if when the sun wanders through Gemini,

nocturnal wrath will whirl over the earth,

it indicates that hostile men who live by war

will bring sufferings over the whole land;

but if by day, then there will be dishonorable kings 20

and commanders for the wrath of Zefs (Ζεύς) from hostile Gods.

“But, when the sun passes through the portion of Cancer,

where the summer solstice occurs, if by night there will be

an earthquake, this indicates grievous misery

alternating with painful poverty; but if by day 25

it indicates calamity to them and a disturbance destroying the home.

“But if when the sun goes through the portion of Leo,

an earthquake is set off at night, at once misfortunes,

cries and groans taking all the city and men;

but even if it appears by day it will manifest these things. 30

“But if, when the sun journeys together with Virgo,

there is an evening earthquake, then there will be plague for all men;

but if appearing by day it will greatly harm the fruits.

“But if the sun arrives at the autumn equinox,

showing through the claws of the Scorpion*, and by night 35

caused an earthquake, this indicates the destruction of the fruits that grow from

the earth; but in the daylight hours, this signifies

works of grievous battle; and it will bury many of them over the lands.

*meaning the constellation Libra, because it appears in the heavens between the claws of Scorpio.

“But if, when the sun runs round Scorpio,

an earthquake by night is propelled by the earth, rash works 40

will be done by men with impudent thoughts of mind;

but if by day, this indicates that there will be sufferings

for many from a chilling war,

vain works through the design of great Zefs (Ζεύς).

“But if, when the sun wanders into the division of Sagittarius, 45

the Dark-haired one by night rouses the earth,

this will be a deadly omen for many men;

but if during the day, this can be seen to indicate for the king of the city

great honor and royal powers by leaving

to another place, fleeing attack from the land of his father. 50

“But if he came in Capricorn, where the sun marches through the solstice

in winter, arriving at night and dwelling on the soil,

the Earth-shaker moves the earth with a furious blast;

explain to them that war and tears will come to pass

and civil strife; but if coming by day, its appearance will destroy the fruit. 55

“But if the splendor of the sun crosses through in Aquarius,

and the earth at night trembles all around,

looting, destruction of the home throughout the city with wide streets,

there will be folly and insolence among the people;

if coming in the day, the strength of the people will be steadfast. 60

“But if, as the sun passes through Pisces,

an earthquake should come about through the swift night, then there will be

critical circumstances in all cities; but if he comes at dawn,

the sacred soil of the earth is shaken, at once for all

the well-fed herds of oxen, sheep and other 65

four-footed animal there will be destruction, through the towns and over the lands.”

(trans. by the author)

Compare to Ἑρμοῦ τοῦ Τρισμεγίστου περὶ σεισμοῦ (“On the earthquake by Hermes Trismegistus”) investigated in cod. 25 (Berolin. Phill. 1574) f. 15v (Catalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum VII 167), to which Franz Boll observes the following things, with some omissions by me:

“It is apparent that this chapter is very closely consistent with the Hermetic or Orphic poem on earthquakes, which has been printed frequently, and that it is partly a paraphrase of it; nevertheless, it is everywhere so much richer that I do not know whether it was completed from another source or if it was constructed from a more complete form of the poem. It is suitable to mention that vestiges of biblical discourse appear. Nearly the same chapter, but beginning in September, I found composed in cod. 28 (= Berolin. Gr. qu. 16), f. 277v under the name Leo the Wise. I did not contribute this codex of the 17th century. The same paraphrase is found again in cod. 26 (Berolin. Phill. 1577) f. 147; inscribed Σεισμολόγιον Ὀρφέως (“The Earthquake Oracle of Orpheus”); it begins from the month of September. I have copied not the variant selections only the important ones.”

With respect to verse 39 above I have noted a place in the paraphrase that deviates from the poem.

Compare also cod. Bonon. gr. 3632 f. 277r (Catalog. IV 41) Σεισμολόγιον τοῦ Ὀρφέως (Μὴν Σεπτέμβριος· του Ἄρεως (!) ὄντος ἐν Παρθένωι - κακὰ ἔσται ἐν τῆι πόλει ἐκείνηι “The month of September: when Mars is in Virgo – there will be evils in the city”) and those collected by Josef Heeg in Die Angeblichen Orphischen Ἔργα καὶ Ἡμέραι p. 57.

Fabricius Bibliotheca Graeca I 159 (ed. Harlesianae); Christian Lobeck Aglaophamus I 382; Arthur Ludwich Kritische Beitriige su den poetischen Erzeugnissen Griechischer Magie und Theosophie. Verzeichnis der Vorlesungen Koenigsberg 1899, 11 n. III; Tannery Rev. philol. XXIV 1900, 54; Josef Heeg Die Angeblichen Orphischen Ἔργα καὶ Ἡμέραι 8. 10. 11. 57.

Although I cannot assert that this poem is a production of the Orphics, notwithstanding, I deny that “this trifling poem” (as assessed by Christian Lobeck) is exactly from the Byzantine period, as Tannery determined. That which Tannery published, has now been refuted by the paraphrases found, as Josef Heeg rightly advised in Die Angeblichen Orphischen Ἔργα καὶ Ἡμέραι p. 58. Today the generation (it was written in) is not able to be determined with greater care.


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