ORPHIC FRAGMENT 83
OTTO KERN
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SUMMARY: Orpheus calls Eros both a great daimôn and by the name Metis.
83. (70) σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Ἀλκιβιάδου αʹ Πλάτωνος 103 a p. 376, 10 Cous.:
καὶ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ὁ Πλάτων εὑρὼν παρ’ Ὀρφεῖ τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον θεὸν καὶ Ἔρωτα καὶ δαίμονα (v. fr. 85) ἀποκαλούμενον, ἀνυμνῆσαι καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἔρωτος τὸν τοιοῦτον ὕμνον· περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ νοητοῦ νοῦ λέγων ὁ θεολόγος
ἁβρὸς Ἔρως --- φησὶ --- καὶ Μῆτις ἀτάσθαλος
καὶ πάλιν·
οἶσιν ἐπεμβεβαὡς δαίμων μέγας αἰὲν ἐπ’ ἴχνη·
“And it seems to me also that Plátôn (Πλάτων), finding in Orphic writings that this same God is called both Ǽrôs (Ἔρως) and a great daimôn (v. fr. 85), he (Πλάτων) celebrated such praise of Ǽrôs; in fact, concerning the intelligible intellect, the theologian (Ὀρφεύς) is saying,
‘Pretty Ǽrôs and reckless (ἀτάσθαλος) Mítis (Μῆτις) [1]’
“and again,
‘The great daimôn is always treading over the footprints [2].’ ”
(trans. by the author)
NOTES:
[1] Willian O’Neill translates ἀτάσθαλος with the word “bold” and then, rather than just using the name Μῆτις, he translates it by its literal meaning, as “Counsel.” (Proclus Commentary on the First Alcibiades, edited by L. G. Westerink, trans. William O’Neill, 1965 [published by Martinus Nijhoff]; found in the Prometheus Trust edition on p. 88)
[2] In ancient times, impressions of footprints where given as votive offerings, the footprints indicating the presence of deity.
Herm. 508 n. 15; Lobeck I 495; Holwerda 304.
ὕμνος Ὀρφέως 52.10 Τριετηρικοῦ:
οὐρεσιφοῖτα, κερώς, νεβριδοστόλος, ἀμφιέτηρε,
“haunting the mountains, horned, adorned with the skin of a fawn, and worshipped in feasts every year!”
(trans. by the author)
cf. R. Keydell Quaest. metr. de epicis Graec. recent. diss. Berlin 1911, 30 et Ludwich Berl. phil. Wochenschr. 1912, 1339) Ευχή προς Μουσαίον 31 (Prayer to Mousaios):
Δαίμονά τ' ἠγάθεον καὶ Δαίμονα πήμονα θνητῶν,
Δαίμονας οὐρανίους τε καὶ ἠερίους καὶ ἐνύδρους κτλ.
“Most holy Daimôn and the Daimôn harmful to mortals,
Celestial Daimôn, misty and watery.”
(trans. by the author)
et ὕμνος Ὀρφέως 73.1 Δαίμονος:
Δαίμονα κικλήσκω, μεγάλων (μεγάλαν codd.) ἡγήτορα φρικτόν. κτλ.
“I call upon the Daimôn, awful leader of the great ones.” (trans. by the author)
The Daimôn of Parmenídîs (Παρμενίδης) may show influence of Orphic religion, according to Erwin Pfeiffer in Studien zum antiken Sternglauben Στοιχεῖα II 1916, 126.
The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Theogony.
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Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.
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