HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC FRAGMENT 64

ORPHIC FRAGMENT 64

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: Fragment 64 says the Orpheus conceived of many Gods in the interval between Time and first-born Phanes.

64. ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις περὶ τῶν πρώτων ἀρχῶν Δαμασκίου 111 (I 285, 7 Rue.):

τί δέ; ὁ θείος Ὀρφεύς οὐ πολλοὺς θεοῦς ὑφίστησιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Χρόνου μέχρι τοῦ πρωτογόνου Φάνητος; αὐτὸς δὲ πολυτίμητος ἡμῖν φιλόσοφος ὁ Πλάτων οὐχὶ τρία συμπεράσματα συμπεραίνεται ἐπὶ τοῦ ἑνὸς ὄντος·; ταὐτὸν δὲ εἰπεῖν͵ οὐ τρεῖς νοητὰς παραδίδωσι θείας τάξεις ἀλλήλων διαφερούσας; ὥστε ζητητέον ὅπως ταῦτα νοοῦντες οἵ τε θεοὶ καὶ οἱ θεῶν ἀγχίσποροι ἄνδρες παραδεδώκασιν· αὐτίκα τοῖς θεουργοῖς οἱ θεοὶ πῶς τὰς νοητὰς ἐκδεδώκασιν τριάδας;

“And why? Does not the divine Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς) establish many Gods from Time (Χρόνος) until first-born (Πρωτόγονος) Phánîs (Φάνης)? And does not the highly honored philosopher Plátôn himself draw three conclusions concerning that which is one? And saying the identical thing, does he not present logic of three divine ranks, yet each one differing from each other? And so, therefore, one must seek in every way those understandings and transmissions, both of the Gods and those men near in kin to Gods; thus, for now, (the question is) in what way do the Gods impart (knowledge of) the intelligible triads to the theurgists?” (trans. by the author)

Lobeck I 470; Holwerda 303.

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; Gr. 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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