HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC FRAGMENT 296

ORPHIC FRAGMENT 296

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This fragment, from the commentary on Vergil’s Aeneid by Servius, says that Charon was shackled for an entire year for admitting Hercules into the Underworld.

296. (Abel 158) Servii Grammatici in Vergilii Aeneidem commentarii 6.392 s. (nec vero Alciden me sum laetatus euntem accepisse lacu "Nor truly had I joy of taking Alcides [Herakles] on the lake for passenger" trans. J. W. Mackail, 1885):

lectum est et in Orpheo quod, quando Hercules ad inferos descendit, Charon territus eum statim suscepit: ob quam rem anno integro in compedibus fuit.

“It is also read in Orpheus that, when Hercules descended into the Underworld, Charon, terrified, took him at once: on which account he was in shackles for an entire year.”

(trans. by the author)

Christian Lobeck Aglaophamus II 812; Moriz Haupt Opuscula II p. 219, who judged incorrectly that this was meant to refer to the Orpheus of Lucan v. Gotthold Ettig Acheruntica sive Descensuum apud Veteris Enarratio, Leipziger Studien zur klassischen Philologie XIII 1891, 287. 376 n.1; Erwin Rohde Psyche II⁶ p. 179 n. 2; Eduard Norden in P. Virgilius Maro Aeneis Buch VI p. 237. Albrecht Dieterich Nekyia: Beiträge zur Erklärung der neuentdeckten Petrusapokalypse p. 134 n. 1 who denied that this fragment should be attributed to the Orphic καταβάσει (“descent to the Underworld”).

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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