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

SUMMARY: These fragments state that there are three Nights (Νύκτες): Justice (Δικαιοσύνη), Moderation (Σωφροσύνη), and Knowledge (Ἐπιστήμη).

99. (60) σχόλιον Ἑρμείου επὶ Φαίδρου Πλάτωνος 247d p. 154, 15 Couvr.:

οὐ μάτην δὲ οὐδὲ τὰ τρία ταῦτα ὀνόματα παρέλαβεν, αὐτὴν Δικαιοσύνην, αὐτὴν Σωφροσύνην, αὐτὴν Ἐπιστήμην. τριῶν γὰρ παραδεδομένων Νυκτῶν παρ’ Ὀρφεῖ, τῆς μὲν ἐν ἑαυτῶι μενούσης τῆς πρώτης, τῆς δὲ τρίτης ἔξω προελθούσης, τῆς δὲ μέσης τούτων, τὴν μὲν πρώτην μαντεύειν (fragment 103) φησίν, ὅ ἐστι τῆς ἐπιστήμης, τὴν δὲ μέσην αἰδοίαν καλεῖ, ὅ ἐστι τῆς σωφροσύνης, τὴν δὲ τρίτην ἀποτίκτειν φησὶ τὴν Δικαιοσύνην.

“But not without reason had he received the names of these three: Justice (Δικαιοσύνη) in itself, Moderation (Σωφροσύνη) in itself, and Knowledge (Ἐπιστήμη) in itself. For (when he speaks) of threes, he (is speaking) of the (three) Nights (Νύκτες), and this knowledge comes from Orphéfs (Ὀρφεύς) himself. Accordingly, (he says) of the first (Night), that it remains in itself (in the same place); of the third, it advanced out (of itself), and (the second is) the middle one. The first he declares is from prophesying (fragment 103), which is of scientific knowledge; and of the middle, which is temperance, he invokes with reverence; and the third, he says, is from Justice giving birth.” (trans. by the author)

(Apparently, Kern did not have much respect for Neoplatonists for he says:) The nonsense of the Neoplatonists appears here (as well): σχόλιον Πρόκλου επὶ Τιμαίου Πλάτωνος 39 b. c. d (III 88, 18 Diehl):

καὶ γὰρ τῆς νυκτὸς καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας τάξεις πολλαί, νοηταὶ καὶ νοεραὶ καὶ ὑπερκόσμιοι καὶ οὐράνιοι καὶ ὑπὸ σελήνην, ὡς καὶ ἡ Ὀρφικὴ διδάσκει θεολογία, καὶ αἳ μὲν πρὸ τῆς δημιουργίας, αἳ δὲ ἐν αὐτῆι περιεχόμεναι, αἳ δὲ ἀπ’ αὐτῆς προϊοῦσαι, καὶ αἳ μὲν ἀφανεῖς, αἳ δὲ ἐμφανεὶς, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ μὴν καὶ ὁ ἐνιαυτὸς ἄλλος μὲν ὁ ἀφανὴς καὶ ὁ μετρητικὸς καὶ συνοχικὸς καὶ τελεσιουργὸς τῶν νοερῶν τε καὶ σωματικῶν περιόδων, ἄλλος δὲ ὁ ἐμφανής, ὃς περάτωσίς ἐστι καὶ μέτρον τῆς ἡλιακῆς περιπολήσεως

“For there are many orders of Night and Day, intelligible, intellectual, supermundane, celestial, and sublunary, as likewise the Orphic theology teaches. And some of these indeed, are prior to the fabrication of things; but others are comprehended in it; and others proceed from it. Some likewise are invisible, but others are visible: since with respect to Month and Year also, those that are invisible are of one kind, and which are mensurative (ed. adapted for or concerned with measuring), connective, and perfective of the intellectual and corporeal periods of the Sun and Moon; but those that are visible are of another kind, which are the termination and measure of the solar revolution.” (trans. Thomas Taylor, 1820)

and Ἀπορίαι καὶ λύσεις περὶ τῶν πρώτων ἀρχῶν εἰς τὸν Πλάτωνος Παρμενίδην Δαμασκίου 192 (II 69, 20 Rue. cf. Add. 385):

οὐδὲ ἄρα ἡ ἑτερότης αὐτὴ ἀνούσιος· καθ’ ἑαυτὴν δὲ ὑφεστῶσα, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄκροις ὁρᾶται καί πως ἐν τῶι ἑνὶ κατὰ τὴν αἰτιώδη προβολήν· πάντα γὰρ ἦν ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἰδίως· ἔτι δὲ προϋπάρχει καὶ ἐν τοῖς νοητοῖς ἡ ἑτερότης κρύφιος. ἐκεῖθεν οὖν εἰς τάσδε τὰς μονάδας μερίζεται κατὰ τὴν προϊούσαν μέθεξιν ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων εἰς τὰ δεύτερα.ἐπεὶ καὶ τόδε εἰπών τις οὐ πόρρω βαλεῖ τῆς θεολόγου συνηθείας, ὅτι αἱ τρεῖς ὁμοταγεῖς πώς εἰσιν κατὰ τὴν τριάδα συνυποστᾶσα, καὶ ὡς (καὶ πῶς M., corr. Ruelle.) έν μιᾶι τριάδι, ἡ μὲν πρώτη ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ μέση, ἡ δὲ τρίτη. καὶ οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἀντιμεταδιδόναι ἀλλήλαις αὐτὰς τῶν οἰκείων ἰδιωμάτων. ἀλλ’ ἔτι γὰρ πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις, αἱ τρεῖς αὗται μονάδες αἱ ἴυγγές (cf. Kroll De orac. Chald. 39) εἰσι καὶ αἱ νύκτες αἱ τρεῖς. οὐκοῦν ἡ μὲν πρώτη πατρική ἐστιν καὶ τῶι πατρὶ σύνεστιν, ἡ δὲ γονιμωτάτη καὶ κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τῆς τριάδος ἑστῶσα, ἡ δὲ ὡς νοῦς τῆς τριάδος καὶ ἤδη συντεταγμένη τοῖς πολλοῖς θεοῖς. καὶ ἡ μέση ἄρα τελεία φύσις ἐστὶ τῶι διακριτικῶι μάλιστα χαίρουσα· αὕτη δὲ ἦν ἡ ἑτερότης.

“And diversity itself is not without substance; and set in conformity with itself, thus also it is seen in the highest points and in some way in the one in conformity with a causal advance: for all were in one another distinctly; and even already beforehand, hidden diversity is in the intelligibles. Thenceforward, in fact, it makes a division into these monads according to the participation proceeding from the first into the second. And whereas, speaking in this way, we are not far from the foundations laid by the long-established theologian, that the three are, in a way, of the same rank, coexisting in the triad, and as in a single triad, there is the first, and then the middle, and the third. And it is not so strange that they share with each other their own familiar properties. But, further, proceeding from what was just said, these three monads are the Íüngæs [1] (compare Kroll De orac. Chald. 39 [2]) and the three Nights (Νύκτες). Then accordingly, the first is paternal and is joined with the father, and the most fruitful established according to the power of the triad, and like the mind of the triad, it is now already organized together with many Gods. And the middle one, then, is of a complete nature rejoicing in the most separative ability; and this being diversity. ” (trans. by the author)

[1] Ἴυγγες = “divinities” or “magic wheels.” See fragment 98 for a brief explanation of the Ἴυγγες.

[2] Kroll De orac. Chald. 39:

ἀρχικοὶ εἰσιν ὡς πρῶτοι ἄρξαντες τοῦ ἀπορρεῖν τῶν οἰκείων πηγῶν. διὸ καὶ

"...κρηνήϊος ἀρχή"

ὁ διάκοσμος ὑμνεῖται.

“They (the Ἴυγγες, the translator assumes) were the earliest, so far as they were the first to have begun to emanate from their familiar foundations. And on which account,

‘...the fontal spring’

the order of the universe is thus sung of.”

(trans. by the author)

Herm. 506 n. 8; Lobeck I 502; Schuster 22; Kern De Theogon. 6; Holwerda 311.

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.

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