The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

OF ORPHEUS.
Gymnastic virgin of terrific mind,
Dire Gorgon's bane, unmarried, blessed, kind :
Mother of arts, impetuous ; understood
As fury by the bad, but wisdom by the good.
Female and male, the arts of war are thine,
0 much-form'd, dragoness 60, inspir'd, divine :
O'er the Phlegrean giants61, rous'd to ire,
Thy coursers driving with destruction dire.
7 8~ ~LEQOTTS, $JUX~] apX(K?)* 1] 8~ ~TE~UTW~~S, ape71 ap)(tKv.
i. e. " Of the zoogonic principles, the summit is called
Hecate ; the middle, ~uling Soul ; and the extremity, ruling
Virtue." The supermundane order is also called by Proclus
apxttcq, because the divinities of which it consists are
principles and rulers.
The reason, therefore, is obvious why Minerva in this
hymn is said to delight in caves, rocks, groves, and shady
mountaias ; for this arises from her union with Diana,. And
hence it appears, that Runkenius was mistaken in asserting
that these epithets were misplaced. We may likewise
hence see the reason why, in line thirteen, Minerva is
called "female and male," as well as the Moon ; and why
the Moon in the hymn to her is called aavco$e ~ovpq, " allwise
virgin."
It is easy to perceive the agreement between Minerva,
who is characterized by divine wisdom and providence, and
a dragon ; since, according to Phurnutus, a dragon is of a
vigilant and guardian nature.
As the fable of the giants is well known, but its real
meaning is known only to a few, the following explanation
of the battles of the Gods is inserted from p. 373 of the
Fragments of the Commentary of Proclus on the Republic
of Plato : 1L The divided progressions of all things and their