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

SUMMARY: The Egg (from which Phanes emerged) moved in an untiring circle.

71. (54. 55) σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 33 b (II 70, 3 Diehl):

τῶι δὲ δημιουργῶι συγγενὲς τὸ σφαιρικόν, ὡς καὶ αὐτῶι νοερῶς ἐν αὐτῶι τὰ πάντα περιέχοντι. τῶι δὲ παραδείγματι. διότι πρώτως ἀπ’ εκείνου πρόεισι. προγονικὸν οὖν τὸ σχῆμα τοῦτό ἐστι τῶι κόσμωι φανὲν µὲν καὶ ἐν αὐτῶι τῶι κρυφίωι διακόσµωι (v. Kroll De orac. Chald. 18 n. 2)· τὸ γὰρ

a <τὸ δ’ add. Proc. σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Κρατύλου Πλάτωνος> ἀτειρέσιον κατὰ κύκλον ἀτρύτως ἐφορεῖτο

κατ’ ἐκείνην εἴρηται τὴν τάξιν· ἐναργέστερον δὲ ὀφθὲν καὶ ἐν τῶι παντελεῖ ζώιωι· τὸ γὰρ

b ὡρμήθη δ’ ἀνὰ κύκλον ἀθέσφατον

περὶ ταύτης εἴρηται τῶι θεολόγωι τῆς θεότητος· ἔστι δὲ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς νοεροῖς θεοῖς.

“But a spherical figure is allied to the Demiurgus, because he contains all things intellectually in himself. And it is allied to the paradigm, because it first proceeds from it. Hence this figure, is primogenial to the world. It also presents itself to the view, in the occult order itself. For [what is said in the Orphic verse]

a ‘Unwearied in a boundless orb it moves,’

“is asserted of that order. But it is more clearly seen in all-perfect animal. For it is said of this divinity by the theologist,

b ‘that he is excited in an ineffable circle.’

“And it is still more clearly visible in the [intelligible and at the same time] intellectual Gods.”

(trans. Thomas Taylor, 1820)

Herm. XXXIII; Lobeck I 475; Holwerda 306, qui sine veritatis specie versus ad Chaos aut Chaos cum Aethere refert et fingit a 2:

ἀτρύτως ἐφορεῖτο κατὰ σκοτόεσσαν ὁμίχλην (fr. 67).

“He was borne along tirelessly through the dark mist (fr. 67).” (trans. by the author)

Concerning the Orphic egg compare also fr. 57 and Ἠθικὰ Πλουτάρχου· 49. Συμποσιακά II 3, 1 p. 635 e:

ἐξ ἐνυπνίου τινὸς ἀπειχόμην ὠιῶν πολὺν ἡδο <. . .> παρὰ τοῦτο ποιούμενος, ἐν καθάπερ ἐν Καρὶ διάπειραν λαβεῖν τῆς ὄψεως ἐναργῶς μοι πολλάκις γενομένης· ὑπόνοιαν μέντοι παρέσχον ἑστιῶντος ἡμᾶς Σοσσίου Σενεκίωνος, ἐνέχεσθαι δόγμασιν Ὀρφικοῖς ἢ Πυθαγορικοῖς, καὶ τὸ ὠιόν, ὥσπερ ἔνιοι καρδίαν καὶ ἐγκέφαλον, ἀρχὴν ἡγούμενος γενέσεως ἀφοσιοῦσθαι (cf. test. nr. 214 et infra s. ΚΑΘΑΡΜΟΙ).

“WHEN upon a dream I had forborne (abstained from) eggs a long time, on purpose that in an egg (as in a Carian) I might make experiment of a notable vision that often troubled me; some at Sossius Senecio's table suspected that I was tainted with Orpheus' or Pythagoras's opinions, and refused to eat an egg (as some do the heart and brain) imagining it to be the principle of generation.”

(The text continues: “And Alexander the Epicurean ridiculingly repeated,—

‘To feed on beans and parents' heads

Is equal sin;’

“as if the Pythagoreans covertly meant eggs by the word κύαμοι (beans), deriving it from κύω or κυέω (to conceive), and thought it as unlawful to feed on eggs as on the animals that lay them.”)

(trans. by several scholars. Corrected and revised by William W. Goodwin,1874)

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.

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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.

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