The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

OF ORPHEUS. I I
Hear, blessed Venus 11, deck'd with starry light,
In Sleep's deep silence dwelling Ebon night !
But Plato says he shdl da~e to speak concerning it, because
he is going to assert something afi~matively about it. The
dread, however, is lest we should be led to something unappropriate
and vile in such like doctrinal concerns. He
is also concordant in what he says about the supercelestial
place, with what he asserts in [the first hypothesis of] the
Parmenides, about the first principle of things. For he
there indicates this principle by negations ; except that he
absolutely denies all things of the first principle : but of the
supercelestial place he denies some things, and affirms others.
For the Goddess Night is superior to certain orders, but
inferior to others ; and as the first principle of things is
superessential, so Night is supercelestial [i. e. is above that
intellectual order which is denominated Heaven]. Why,
however, are souls not said to see Heaven, but to become
situated in, and be conjoined with it, yet are not conjoined
with the natures above Heaven, but perceive them only?
In answer to this it may be said, that it is necessary contact
should exist, as far as to a certain thing. Why, therefore, as
far as to this ? Because neither are the Gods under Jupiter
said to be united to Phanes ; but this is alone asserted of
Jupiter, and he is said to be united through Night as a
medium.
But how does Plato say, that the supercelestial place is
without colour ? Is it in the same manner as we say, that
Hermann is of opinion that the line Nut ysvsois mu-
rwv, qu Kai Kurprv ~aXeawpcv, i. e. " Night, the source of
all things, whom we also call Venus," is an interpolation.
But there is no reason whatever for this supposition : for
Venus in the hymn to her is called vvmcpia, and +rXorav-
VVX€ uepuI)).