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

SUMMARY: In this group of fragments, Metis is identified with Phanes.

85. (61): (Translator’s note: Kern does not have the citation to this quotation and I am not sure where it is from. Nonetheless, there are almost identical phrases from ancient texts below.)

δαίμονα σεμνόν, Μῆτιν σπέρμα φέροντα θεών κλυτόν, ὅν τε Φάνητα πρωτόγονον μάκαρες κάλεον κατά μακρόν Ὄλυμπον

“Revered Goddess, Mítis (Μῆτις) bearing the seed of the glorious Gods, who was called Phánis (Φάνης) the firstborn (πρωτογόνος) by the happy ones (μάκαρες) in high Ólymbos (Ὄλυμπος).” (trans. by the author)

compositum ex σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 31a (I 451, 6 Diehl):

ἀεὶ ἄπα τὸ δημιουργικὸν αἴτιον ὁμοιοῦται μὲν τῶι παραδειγματικῶι, πρόεισι δὲ εἰς πλῆθος ἀπὸ τῆς νοητῆς ἑνώσεως. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις. Ὅτι δὲ τὸ αὐτοζῶιον μονότητι καίρει, δεδήλωται καὶ διὰ τῶν Ὀρφικῶν θεολογιῶν· κύει γὰρ ὁ κατὰ τὸ ὠιὸν θεός, δηλονότι ζῶιον ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, καλεῖ δὲ ὅμως αὐτὸν

δαίμονα σεμνόν,

Μῆτιν σπέρμα φέροντα θεόκλυτον

“Hence, the demiurgic is always assimilated to the paradigmatic cause, but proceeds into multitude from intelligible union. These things, however, are also elsewhere discussed. But that the animal itself rejoices in onlyness, is also manifested through the Orphic theologies. For as Phanes is the offspring of an egg, it is evident that he is an animal. At the same time also, he is called by Orpheus

‘the happy and venerable

Metis, bearing the seed of the illustrious Gods’...”

(trans. Thomas Taylor, 1820)

and in σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Κρατύλου Πλάτωνος 391 d. e p. 32, 29 Pasqu.:

καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ τελεστικὴ πᾶσα μέχρι ταύτης ἄνεισι τῆς τάξεως ἐνεργοῦσα θεουργικῶς, | ^{33 Pasqu.} ἐπεὶ καὶ Ὀρφεὺς πρώτην ταύτην ὀνόματί φησιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων καλεῖσθαι θεῶν· τὸ γὰρ ἀπ’ αὐτῆς προϊὸν φῶς γνωστὴν αὐτὴν τοῖς νοεροῖς καὶ ὀνομαστὴν ἀπέφηνεν. λέγει δ᾽ οὕτως·

Μῆτιν σπέρμα φέροντα θεῶν κλυτόν,

ὅν τε Φάνητα πρωτόγονον μάκαρες κάλεον κατὰ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον·

ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν θεῶν ἥνωται τό τε ὀνομάζειν τοῦτο καὶ τὸ νοεῖν, καὶ ἀμφότερα διὰ τὴν τοῦ φωτὸς αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχει μετουσίαν, ὃ προΐεται πᾶσιν ὁ μέγιστος Φάνης.

“And on account of this (rationale) and every mystic art (τελεστικὴ), it rises as far as this order, acting theurgically, seeing that even Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς) says that this is the first (order) which the other Gods called by name. For the light advancing forward exposed it to be knowable of itself to the intellectual (νοεροῖς), and named it (in such a way). And thus he says:

‘Mítis (Μῆτις) carries the glorious seed of the Gods,

and the happy ones (μάκαρες) on far Ólymbos called Phánis (Φάνης) the first-born (Πρωτόγονος).’

“But indeed, in respect of the Gods, this naming and perceiving are made one, and each through participation with the light itself to initiate, which mighty Phánis then dispatches to all.” (trans. by the author)

and σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Κρατύλου Πλάτωνος 391 p. 33, 20:

ἔστιν δ’ οὖν καὶ μένοντά τινα ὀνόματα ἐν τοῖς θεοῖς, δί ὧν οἱ καταδεέστεροι τοὺς προτέρους καλοῦσιν, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Φάνητός φησιν Ὀρφεύς

In any case, there are, also, fixed names among the Gods, by which those lower (deities) call those superior (sooner or first; προτέρους), as Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς) says in the case of Phánis (Φάνης).” (trans. by the author)

Vs. 2:

Μῆτιν σπέρμα φέροντα θεῶν, κλυτὸν (καὐτὸν codd.; Bentl.) Ἠρικεπαῖον

“Metis bearing the seed of Gods, famous Irikæpaios (Ἠρικαπαῖος),” (trans. by the author)

in Ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις περὶ τῶν πρώτων ἀρχῶν εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Παρμενίδην Δαμασκίου 98 (I 251, 20 Rue.); and the same Μῆτιν - θεῶν. 89 (I 217, 27 Rue.) and 53 (I 107, 13);

σπέρμα - κλυτὸν in σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 31 a (I 450, 11 Diehl).

Vs. 2. 3. ὅν τε Φάνητα - Ὄλυμπον in σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Κρατύλου Πλάτωνος 395 a p. 48, 16 Pasqu.

And ὅν τε Φάνητα - κάλεον also in σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 41 a (III 209, 1 Diehl).

Compare Ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις περὶ τῶν πρώτων ἀρχῶν εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Παρμενίδην Δαμασκίου 111 (I 286, 15 Rue.):

εἰ δὲ ὁ παρ’ Ὀρφεῖ πρωτόγονος θεὸς ὁ πάντων σπέρμα φέρων τῶν θεῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὠιοῦ πρῶτος ἐξέθορε καὶ άνέδραμε, τίς μηχανὴ τὸ μὲν ὠιὸν ἐξηγεῖσθαι τὸ ὄν, τὸν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄντος έκθορόντα πρωτόγονον θεὸν ἀνυμνεῖν; πῶς δὲ ἔχει λόγον οὐσίας μὲν διττὰς ὑποτίθεσθαι, καὶ ζωὰς ὁμοίως, εἰ δὲ μή, νόας τε καὶ ψυχάς, τοὺς μὲν ἀμεθέκτους, τοὺς δὲ μεθεκτούς, ἑνάδας δὲ πάσας μεθεκτάς, ἐν αἷς μάλιστα τὸ ἀμέθεκτον ἔπρεπεν.

“But if, as in (the writings of) Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς), the first-born deity, bearing the seed of all the Gods, the first to have leapt away from the egg and rose up - indeed, how can such a contrivance prescribe the egg to be being, and to proclaim the first-born God as having leapt out from being? And how indeed could one suggest an account which has twofold substances and similarly (two types) of life, if (there are) not (two types of) intellects and souls, then indeed, imparticiples and participles, and (to consider) all participle henads, to exceedingly resemble the imparticiple?” (trans. by the author)

σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 29 a. b (I 336, 15 Diehl):

αὐτὸς δὲ (sc. ὁ Μῆτις) ὁ Διόνυσος καὶ Φάνης καὶ Ἠρικεπαῖος συνεχῶς ὀνομάζεται. πάντα ἄρα μετείληχεν ἀλλήλων τὰ αἴτια καὶ ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἐστίν, ὥστε καὶ ὁ τὸν δημιουργὸν λέγων ἐν αὐτῶι τὸ παράδειγμα περιέχειν ἔστιν ὅπηι φησὶν ὀρθῶς, καθάπερ ὁ θεῖος Ἰαμβλιχος διατάττεται καὶ ὁ τὸ παράδειγμα δημιουργὸν ἀποφαινόμενος, ὥσπερ ὁ γενναῖος Ἀμέλιος. ἑώρα γὰρ ὃ μὲν ἐν τῶι παραδείγματι δημιουργικὸν ἰδίωμα προϋπάρχον· ἐχεῖ γὰρ ὁ πρώτιστός ἐστι Ζεὺς καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐποίει τὸν Φάνητα δημιουργόν· ὃ δὲ ἐν τῶι δημιουργῶι τὸ παράδειγμα· ἦν γὰρ καὶ ἐν τούτωι καταποθεὶς ὁ Μῆτις· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἰς ταὐτὸν ἦγε τῶι δημιουργικῶι τὸ παραδειγματικὸν αἴτιον.

“He is also continually denominated by him, Dionysius, and Phanes, and Ericapæus. All the causes therefore participate of each other, and are in each other; so that he who says as the divine Iamblichus, that the Demiurgus comprehends in himself the paradigm, and he who evinces, as the illustrious Amelius, that the paradigm is the Demiurgus, in a certain respect speak rightly. For the latter saw the demiurgic peculiarity pre-existing in the paradigm; for there the first Jupiter exists, and on this account he makes Phanes to be the Demiurgus; but the former saw the paradigm in the Demiurgus. For Metis also was in the Demiurgus, being absorbed by him. And on this account he considered the paradigmatic to be the same with the demiurgic cause.” (trans. Thomas Taylor, 1820)

Herm. VIII 12; 461 n. 19; Lobeck I 481; Schuster 90 n. 1; Kern De Theogon. 34; Zeller Zeitschr. wiss. Theol. XLII 1899, 241 = Kl. Schr. II 160.

Compare fragment 75.

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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