The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

INTRODUCTION. xxxix
he says, " that the mysteries were especially
performed by night, thus signifying that the
compression [i. e. confinement] of the soul
by the body was effected at night." And
that the sacrifices enjoined in the Orphic
Hymns were performed by night, is evident
from the hymn to Silenus, Satyrus, &c. in
which Silenus, together with the Naiads,
Bacchic Nymphs, and Satyrs, are implored
to be present at the noctsurnal orgies :
Opya vv~ri@a~ scAesais ayiais ava$aivwv.
From all which I think it may be safely
concluded, that these Hymns not only pertain
to mysteries, but that they were used
in the celebration of the Eleusinian, which
by way of eminence ( ~ai eEoXqv) were called
the mysteries, without any other note of distinction.
In the last place, it is requisite to speak
of the author of these Hymns, and in addition
to the evidence already adduced of their
genuine antiquity, to vindicate them against
those who contend that they are spurious,
and were not written by Orpheus, but either
by Onomacritus, or some poet who lived in