ORPHIC FRAGMENT 70
OTTO KERN
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For links to many more fragments: The Orphic Fragments of Otto Kern.
SUMMARY: Orphic fragment 70 states that Time begot an Egg in the Aether.
70. (53) ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις περὶ τῶν πρώτων ἀρχῶν Δαμασκίου 55 (I 111, 17 Rue):
καὶ γὰρ Ὀρφεύς·
ἔπειτα δ' ἔτευξε μέγας Χρόνος 1 Αἰθέρι δίωι ὠεὸν ἀργύφεον.
| 112 Rue. τὸ γὰρ ἕτευξε δηλοῖ τι τεχνητόν, ἀλλ' οὐ γέννημα· τὸ δὲ τεχνητόν, ἀλλ' οὐ γέννημα,2 πάμμικτόν ἐστιν ἐκ δυεῖν τοὐλάχιστον, ὕλης καὶ εἴδους. ἢ τῶν τούτοις ἀναλογούντων.
“Indeed also Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς) (says):
‘And thereupon mighty Khrónos (Time) wrought (ἕτευξε) a silvery egg in the heavenly Aithír.’
“For this word “wrought” (ἕτευξε) reveals that it is a product of craft, not the offspring of another, and (that it is) artificial, not a creation; it is mixed from two (factors) at the least, earth and form, or that which is analogous to these.”
(trans. by the author)
1. Κρόνος M; corr. Zoëga et Lob. 2. ἄλλου γέννημα E, ἄλλου γέννα M.
ὠεὸν (ὦ ἐὸν codd.) ἀργύφεον (“silvery egg”) of Orpheus he commends also in σχόλιον Σιμπλικίου επὶ περὶ Φυσικὴς τοῦ Ἀριστοτέλους 1 3 p. 187 a 1 (I 147, 1 Diels); v. σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος I 30 c. d (1 428, 8 Diehl):
ταὐτὸν τό τε Πλάτωνος ὂν καὶ τὸ Ὀρφικὸν ὠιόν.
“the “being” of Plato and the Orphic egg (are identical).” (trans. by the author)
Ἀχιλλέως Τατίου Εἰσαγωγὴ εἰς τὰ Ἀράτου φαινόμενα 4 p. 33, 17 Maaβ (Diels II3 172 n. 12 v. de fonte [an Posidonius?] R. Reeh De Varrone et Suetonio quaestion. Ausonianae Diss. Hal. 1916, 40):
τὴν δὲ τάξιν, ἣν δεδώκαμεν τῷ σφαιρώματι, οἱ Ὀρφικοὶ λέγουσι παραπλησίαν εἶναι τῇ ἐν (Maaβ] τὴν ἐν V; om. M) τοῖς ὠιοῖς· ὃν γὰρ ἔχει λόγον τὸ λέπυρον ἐν τῷ ὠιῶι, τοῦτον [ἔχειν add. M] ἐν τῷ παντὶ ὁ οὐρανός (τὸν οὐρανὸν VM: em. Maaβ), καὶ ὡς ἐξήρτηται (ἐξερύηται V) τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κυκλοτερῶς ὁ (om. V) αἰθήρ, οὕτω τοῦ λεπύρου ὁ ὑμήν.
“And the form we have given to the sphere, the Orphics say resembles eggs; for it possesses an analog to the shell of the egg, this in reference to all the sky, and thus the aithír (αἰθήρ) is attached to the sky circling around it, (thereby), likewise, the membrane (is attached) to the shell.” (trans. by the author)
ibidem 6 p. 37, 8:
σχῆμα δὲ κόσμου οἳ μὲν κωνοειδές [εἶπον add. M], οἳ δὲ σφαιροειδές, οἳ δὲ ᾠοειδές, ἧς δόξης ἔχονται οἱ τὰ Ὀρφικὰ μυστήρια τελοῦντες. σαφηνείας δὲ ἕνεκα πιθανῆς παρελήφθη τοῦ ᾠοῦ ἡ (om. V) εἰκών.
“And indeed, some say the shape of the universe (κόσμος) is conical, and some spherical, and others egg-shaped, completing the opinion they hold in the Orphic Mysteries. And for the sake of plausible clarity, (the shape) was ascertained to be of the egg.” (trans. by the author)
Zoëga Abhdlgn. 229; Lob. I 474; Kern De Theogen. 10; Gruppe Suppl. 726 n.; Holwerda 304.
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Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.
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