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The Pætilía Tablet (Petelia; Gr. Πετηλία)
Found in excavations near Petelia, South Italy, now in the British Museum.
Kaibel, CIGIS, No. 638. Cf. Comparetti, J.H.S. III. p. 112.
ΕΥΡΗΣΣΕΙΣ Δ' ΑΙΔΑΟ ΔΟΜΩΝ ΕΠ' ΑΡΣΤΕΡΑ ΚΡΗΝΗΝ,
ΠΑΡ Δ' ΑΥΤΗΙ ΛΕΥΚΗΝ ΕΣΤΗΚΥΙΑΝ ΚΥΠΑΡΙΣΣΟΝ.
ΤΑΥΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΚΡΗΝΗΣ ΜΗΔΕ ΣΧΕΔΟΝ ΕΜΠΕΛΑΣΕΙΑΣ.
ΕΥΡΗΣΕΙΣ Δ' ΕΤΕΡΑΝ ΤΗΣ ΜΝΗΜΟΣΥΝΗΣ ΑΠΟ ΛΙΜΝΗΣ
ΨΥΧΡΟΝ ΥΔΩΡ ΠΡΟΡΕΟΝ, ΦΥΛΑΚΕΣ Δ' ΕΠΙΠΡΟΣΘΕΝ ΕΑΣΙΝ.
ΕΙΠΕΙΝ· ΓΗΣ ΠΑΙΣ ΕΙΜΙ ΚΑΙ ΟΥΡΑΝΟΥ ΑΣΤΕΡΟΕΝΤΟΣ,
ΑΥΤΑΡ ΕΜΟΙ ΓΕΝΟΣ ΟΥΡΑΝΙΟΝ· ΤΟΔΕ Δ' ΙΣΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΟΙ·
ΔΙΨΗΙ Δ' ΕΙΜΙ ΓΕΝΟΣ ΟΥΡΑΝΙΟΝ· ΤΟΔΕ Δ' ΙΣΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΟΙ·
ΨΥΧΡΟΝ ΥΔΩΡ ΠΡΟΡΕΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΜΝΗΜΟΣΥΝΗΣ ΑΠΟ ΑΙΜΝΗΣ.
ΚΑΥΤ(ΟΙ ΣΟ)Ι ΔΩΣΟΥΣΙ ΠΙΕΙΝ ΘΕΙΗΣ ΑΠ(Ο ΛΙΜΝ)ΗΣ
ΚΑΙ ΤΟΤ' ΕΠΕΙΤ' Α(ΛΛΟΙΣΙ ΜΕΘ') ΗΡΩΕΣΣΙΝ ΑΝΑΞΕΙΣ
····· ΙΗΣ ΤΟΔΕ ····· ΘΑΝΕΙΣΘ ····
······· ΤΟΔΕΓΡΑΨ ·····
···· ΓΛΩΣΕΙΠΑ ··· ΣΚΟΤΟΣ ΑΜΦΙΚΑΛΥΨΑΣ
"Thou shalt find to the left of the House of Hades a Well-spring,
And by the side thereof standing a white cypress.
To this Well-spring approach not near.
But thou shalt find another by the Lake of Memory,
Cold water flowing forth, and there are Guardians before it.
Say: 'I am a child of Earth and of Starry Heaven;
But my race is of Ouranos. [1] This ye know yourselves.
And lo, I am parched with thirst and I perish. Give me quickly
The cold water flowing forth from the Lake of Memory.'
And of themselves they will give thee to drink from the holy Well-spring,
And thereafter among the other Heroes thou shalt have lordship..."
(Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion by Jane Ellen Harrison, 1903; found in the 1991 Princeton Univ. Press edition, New Jersey USA, on pp. 659-660.)
Download the Hymn: The Pætilía Tablet
[1] The original translation says "Heaven (alone)." The Greek words are: gænos Ouranion (ΓΕΝΟΣ ΟΥΡΑΝΙΟΝ), "my origin is from Ouranos." Ouranós is the Father. The "alone" is the translator's comment and is not justified. Ouranós is one of the Six Kings (Phánis [Phanes], Nyx , Ouranós, Krónos, Zefs [Zeus], and Diónysos), the evolution of Aithír (Ether; Gr. Αἰθήρ) described in Orphic Kosmogony. He is the Father; Earth is the Mother; two material substances. In the Greek language (both ancient and contemporary) Ouranós means sky, sky = Ouranós. So it must be understood that this is not like the Christian "heaven" which contrasts with the Christian "hell." Ouranós = sky = Aithír. He is the Father because the poem is claiming him as the origin. Ouranos is the origin, the Father, in any case.
The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic 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.
The logo to the left is the principal symbol of this website. It is called the CESS logo, i.e. the Children of the Earth and the Starry Sky. The Pætilía (Petelia, Πετηλία) and other golden tablets having this phrase (Γῆς παῖς εἰμί καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος) are the inspiration for the symbol. The image represents this idea: Earth (divisible substance) and the Sky (continuous substance) are the two kozmogonic substances. The twelve stars represent the Natural Laws, the dominions of the Olympian Gods. In front of these symbols is the seven-stringed kithára (cithara, κιθάρα), the lyre of Apóllohn (Apollo, Ἀπόλλων). It (here) represents the bond between Gods and mortals and is representative that we are the children of Orphéfs (Orpheus, Ὀρφεύς).
PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the pages of this website, you will find fascinating stories about our Gods. These narratives are known as mythology, the traditional stories of the Gods and Heroes. While these tales are great mystical vehicles containing transcendent truth, they are symbolic and should not be taken literally. A literal reading will frequently yield an erroneous result. The meaning of the myths is concealed in code. To understand them requires a key. For instance, when a God kills someone, this usually means a transformation of the soul to a higher level. Similarly, sexual union with a God is a transformation.
The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic 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.
SPELLING: HellenicGods.org uses the Reuchlinian method of pronouncing ancient Greek, the system preferred by scholars from Greece itself. An approach was developed to enable the student to easily approximate the Greek words. Consequently, the way we spell words is unique, as this method of transliteration is exclusive to this website. For more information, visit these three pages:
Pronunciation of Ancient Greek
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