HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 183

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 183

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony, from two Christian Church-fathers, Tatian and Clement of Alexandria, says that Onomacritus is the author of Orphic works.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 183

Ὁ Λόγος πρὸς Ἕλληνας Τατιανοῦ Ἀσσυρίου 41 p. 42, 4 Schw.:

Ὀρφεὺς δὲ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνου Ἡρακλεῖ γέγονεν, ἄλλως τε καὶ τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπιφερόμενά φασιν ὑπὸ Ὀνομακρίτου τοῦ Ἀθηναίου συντετάχθαι γενομένου κατὰ τὴν Πεισιστρατιδῶν ἀρχὴν περὶ τὴν πεντηκοστὴν ὀλυμπιάδα.

“And Orpheus lived at the same time as Hercules; moreover, it is said that all the works attributed to him were composed by Onomacritus the Athenian, who lived during the reign of the Pisistratids, about the fiftieth Olympiad.”

(trans. J. E. Ryland, 1885)

(580/1-577/6; we expect <πέμπτην καὶ> πεντηκοστὴν = 560 Hermann Diels Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker II³ 171 n. 11 v. the beginning of Tatian’s passage nr. 15).

Λόγος Στρώματα Κλήμεντος του Ἀλεξανδρέως I 21 (II 81, 1 Staeh.) Tatianum maxime secutus ~ Εὑαγγελικὴ προπαρασκευὴ Εὐσεβίου X 11, 30 p. 575 Dind.:

ναὶ μὴν Ὀνομάκριτος ὁ Ἀθηναῖος, οὗ τὰ εἰς Ὀρφέα φερόμενα ποιήματα λέγεται εἶναι, κατὰ τὴν τῶν Πεισιστρατιδῶν ἀρχὴν περὶ τὴν πεντηκοστὴν ὀλυμπιάδα εὑρίσκεται, Ὀρφεὺς δὲ, ὁ συμπλεύσας Ἡρακλεῖ, Μουσαίου διδάσκαλος· Ἀμφίων γὰρ δυσὶ προάγει γενεαῖς τῶν Ἰλιακῶν, Δημόδοκος δὲ καὶ Φήμιος μετὰ τὴν Ἰλίου ἅλωσιν ὃ μὲν γὰρ παρὰ τοῖς Φαίαξιν, ὃ δὲ παρὰ τοῖς μνηστῆρσι κατὰ τὸ κιθαρίζειν εὐδοκίμουν. καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀναφερομένους εἰς Μουσαῖον χρησμοὺς Ὀνομακρίτου εἶναι λέγουσι.

“Further, Onomacritus the Athenian, who is said to have been the author of the poems ascribed to Orpheus, is ascertained to have lived in the reign of the Pisistratidæ, about the fiftieth Olympiad. And Orpheus, who sailed with Hercules, was the pupil of Musæus. Amphion precedes the Trojan War by two generations. And Demodocus and Phemius were posterior to the capture of Troy; for they were famed for playing on the lyre, the former among the Phæacians, and the latter among the suitors. And the Oracles ascribed to Musæus are said to be the production of Onomacritus.”

(trans. William Wilson, 1885)

Erwin Rohde Psyche I⁶ 112 n. 1.

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.

This logo 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 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 the lyre of Apóllôn (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.

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

Transliteration of Ancient Greek

Pronouncing the Names of the Gods in Hellenismos

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