The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

THE MYSTICAL HYMNS
TO NIGHT.
THE FUMIGATION WITH TOKCHES.
NIGHT, parent Goddess, source of sweet repose,
From whom at first both Gods and men arose lo.
lo The first subsistence of the Goddess Night is at the
summit of that divine order which is denominated by Chal-
dean theologists voq~os Kai voepos, i. e. intelligible and at
the same time intellectual. This order is denominated by
Plato, in the Phzedrus, the supercelestial place, and in
which he says the plain of Truth is situated, which, as we
are informed by Hermeas (in Phaedr.) obscurely indicates
the whole order of the series of Night. What Hermeas
afterwards adds on this subject is too important to be
omitted, and is as follows :-'' Theologists likewise pecu-
liarly establish Truth in the supercelestial place." For
Orpheus, speaking about Night, says, that " she possesses
the truth ' of the Gods," and
To her, prediction wholly true was giv'n.
She is also said to prophesy to the Gods. Homer, too, indi-
cates concerning this Goddess. For, speaking about Jupiter,
Sleep says,
Night, the great tamer both of Gods and men,
To whom I fled, preserv'd me from his wrath ;
For he swift + Night was fearful to offend.
* In the original aAq0euu.J is omitted in this place, but evidently ought to
be inserted.
f As Night, from her subaistence at the summit of the intelliigble and
at the same time intellectual order, is absorbed in the intelligible, hence
Homer divinely denominates Night swifl. For the Chaldean Oracles
call the intelligible Gods swift.