The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus - Platonic Philosophy

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26 THE MYSTICAL HYMNS Female and male 2 4 with silv'ry rays you shine, And now full-orb'd, now tending to decline. of the Gods themselves, representing that which is void of composition in them, through composition; that which is simple, through variety ; and that which is united, through multitude ; and thus fashioning names ultimately exhibits images of divine natures. For it generates every where name as if it were a statue of the Gods. And as the theurgic art through certain symbols calls forth the exube- rant and unenvying goodness of the Gods into the illumi- nation of artificial statues ; thus also the intellectual science of divine concerns, by the compositions and divisions of sounds, unfolds the occult essence of the Gods." See more on this subject in the additional notes to my translation of the Cratylus of Plato. 25 Ficinus, on the Theology of Plato (lib. 4, p. 128), has the following remarkable passage, most probably derived from some MS. Commentary of Proclus, or some other of the latter Platonists ; for unfortunately he does not acquaint us with the source of his information. '' The professors (says he) of the Orphic theology consider a twofold power in souls, and in the celestial orbs ; the one consisting in knowledge, the other in vivifying and governing the orb with which that power is connected. Thus, in the orb of the earth, they call the gnostic power Pluto, but the other Proserpine. In water they denominate the former power Ocean, and the latter Tethys. In air, that thundering Jove, and this Juno. In fire, that Phanes, and this Aurora. In the soul of the lunar sphere, they call the gnostic power Liknitan Bacchus, the other Thalia. In the sphere of Mercury, that Bacchus Silenus, this Euterpe. In the orb of Venus, that Lysius Bacchus, this Erato. In the sphere of the Sun, that Trie- tericus Bacchus, this Melpomene. In the orb of Mars, that Bassareus Bacchus, this Clio. In the sphere of Jupiter, that Sebazius, this Terpsichore. In the orb of Saturn, that
OF ORPHEUS. Mother of ages, fruit-producing Moon, Whose amber orb makes Night's reflected noon: Lover of horses, splendid queen of night, All-seeing pow'r, bedeck'd with starry light, Lover of vigilance, the foe of strife, In peace rejoicing, and a prudent life : Fair lamp of Night, its ornament and friend, Who giv'st to Nature's works their destin'd end.26 Amphietus, this Polymnia. In the eighth sphere, that Pericionius, this Urania. But in the soul of the world they call the gnostic power Bacchus Eribromus, but the animating power Calliope. From all which the Orphic theologists infer, that the particular epithets of Bacchus are compared with those of the Muses, for the purpose of informing us that the powers of the Muses are, as it were, intoxicated with the nectar of divine knowledge ; and in order that we may consider the nine Muses, and nine Bacchuses, as re- volving round one Apollo, that is about the splendour of one invisible Sun." The greater part of this passage is pre- served by Gyraldus in his Syntagma de Musis, and by Natales Comes in his Mythology, but without mentioning the original author. As in each of the celestial spheres, therefore, the soul of the ruling deity is of the female, and the intellect is of the male characteristic, it is by no means wonderful that the Moon is called in this hymn "female and male.'' 26 Proclus, in Plat. Theol. p. 403, informs us respecting Diana, who among the mundane divinities is the Moon, "That she excites all physical productive powers or forms into energy, and that she gives perfection to the imperfec- tion of matter. Hence both Thcologists and Socrates, in the Theaetetus, call her Lueina, as the inspective guardian of physical progression and generation." aavras Kiaovua
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THE MYSTICAL HYMNS OF ORPHEUS.
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ADVERTISEMENT. IN the ' Advertiseme
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INTRODUCTION. THE Grecian theology,
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INTRODUCTION, ix age, possessed a d
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INTRODUCTION. xi ineffable evolutio
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INTRODUCTION. xiii highest things a
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INTRODUCTION. XV simply considered,
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INTRODUCTION, xvii the God himself.
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INTRODUCTION. xix which this theolo
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INTRODUCTION. xxi the intelligible
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INTRODUCTION. xxiii causally perman
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ISTRODUCTION. xxv tion of which all
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INTRODUCTION. xxvii venerable excel
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INTRODUCTION. xxix by any other mod
Page 31 and 32: INTRODUCTION. xxxi others about the
Page 33 and 34: INTRODUCTION. xxxiii of celestial G
Page 35 and 36: INTRODUCTION. xxxv mysteries, or ha
Page 37 and 38: INTRODUCTION. xxxvii Farther still,
Page 39 and 40: INTRODUCTION. xxxix he says, " that
Page 41 and 42: ISTRODUCTION. xl i jection of the D
Page 43 and 44: INTRODUCTION. xliii opinion, that i
Page 45 and 46: INTRODUCTION. xlv as from a perenni
Page 47 and 48: INTRODUCTION. xlvii himself ; night
Page 49 and 50: INTRODUCTIOK. xlix So great indeed
Page 51 and 52: INTRODUCTION. li bians; and on this
Page 53 and 54: INTRODUCTION. liii With respect to
Page 55: that such a pursuit must be a great
Page 59 and 60: THE LEARN, 0 Musaeus, from my sacre
Page 61 and 62: OF ORPHEUS. Saturn and Rhea, and gr
Page 63 and 64: End and Beginning (greatest this to
Page 65 and 66: OF ORPHEUS. 9 Guard of the race, en
Page 67 and 68: OF ORPHEUS. I I Hear, blessed Venus
Page 69 and 70: OF ORPHEUS. Dissolving anxious care
Page 71 and 72: OF ORPHEUS. By Fate's decree you co
Page 73 and 74: OF ORPHEUS. TO ETHER. THE FUMIGATIO
Page 75 and 76: Ericapous, celebrated pow'l; Ineffa
Page 77 and 78: OF ORPHEUS. v I I. TO THE STARS. TH
Page 79 and 80: OF ORPHEUS. Agile and vig'rous, ven
Page 81: OF ORPHEUS. With stars surrounded,
Page 85 and 86: OF ORPHEUS. THE FUMIGATION FROM ARO
Page 87 and 88: OF ORPHEUS. Pure ornament of all th
Page 89 and 90: Ol? ORPHEUS. Thron'd on a circling
Page 91 and 92: OF ORPHEUS. 35 Thee, shepherds, str
Page 93 and 94: OF ORPHEUS. XI I. TO HERCULES. HEAR
Page 95 and 96: OF ORPHEUS. Thy mighty head support
Page 97 and 98: XIV. THE FUMIGATION FROM AROMATLCS.
Page 99 and 100: OF ORPHEUS, 43 Thou joy'st in mount
Page 101 and 102: OF ORPHETJS. 45 Mother of Gods and
Page 103 and 104: OF ORPHEUS. Ev'n Nature trembles at
Page 105 and 106: OF ORPHEUS. 49 Propitious hear my p
Page 107 and 108: XVII. THE FUMIGATION FROM MYRRH. HE
Page 109 and 110: OF ORPHEUS, 53 Thy throne is fix'd
Page 111 and 112: The sea all-shining, and each beast
Page 113 and 114: OF ORPHEUS. XXI. TO THE CLOUDS. THE
Page 115 and 116: XXIII. THE FUMIGATION FROM MYREH. 0
Page 117 and 118: OF ORPHEUS. xxv. TO PROTEUS 49. PRO
Page 119 and 120: OF ORPHEUS. XXVII. TO THE MOTHER OF
Page 121 and 122: OF OEPHEUS. 65 With winged feet 'ti
Page 123 and 124: Whose holy form in budding fruits w
Page 125 and 126: OF ORPHEUS. XXXI. TO THE CURETES. A
Page 127 and 128: OF ORPHEUS. Gymnastic virgin of ter
Page 129 and 130: OF ORPHEUS, Hear me, 0 Goddess, whe
Page 131 and 132: OF ORPHEUS. XXXIII. TO VICTORY. THE
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OF ORPHEUS. 77 Rural, light-bearer,
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OF ORPHEUS. 79 The world's wide bou
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OF ORPHEUS. 81 Now the last string
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OF ORPHEUS. All Nature's tribes to
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OF ORPHEUS, She in Ortygia's honour
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OF ORPIIEUS. TO THE TITANS. THE FUM
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OF ORPI-IEUS. XXXVIII. TO THE CURET
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OF ORPHEUS. XXXIX. TO CORYBAS 75. T
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OF ORPHEUS. In verdure flourishing,
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XLII. TO MISA. THE FURTIGATION FROM
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OF ORPHEUS. 97 All-colour'd Seasons
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OF ORPHEUS. X LV. TO DIONYSIUS BASS
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OF ORPHEUS, XLVII. TO BACCHUS PERIC
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OF ORPHEUS. Blest Phrygian God, the
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OF ORPHEUS. A HYMN, HEAR me, Jove's
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OF ORPHEUS. 107 With Pan exulting o
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OF ORPHEUS, 109 Liknitan Bacchus, p
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OF ORPHEUS. LIII. TO AMPHIETUS BACC
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OF ORPI-IEUS. TO VENUS. A HYMN. HEA
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OF ORPHEUS, LVI. TO ADONIS. THE FUM
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OF ORPHEUS. LVIII. THE FUMIGATION F
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OF ORPHEUS, Of all that Ceres' fert
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OF ORPHEUS. LIX. TO THE FATES. THE
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OF ORPHEUS, LX. TO THE GRACES 97. T
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OF OORPHEUS. LXII. TO JUSTICE. THE
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LXIV. TO LAW. THE holy king of Gods
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OF ORPHEUS, Stay furious contests,
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OF ORPHEUS. 131 Strong, lenient God
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OF ORPHEUS, TO THE FUItIES lo4. THE
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OF ORPHEUS. LXX. TO THE FURIES. THE
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LXXI. TO MELINOE. THE FUMIGATIOhT F
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OF ORPHEUS, LXXII. TO FORTUNE. THE
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OF ORPHEUS. LXXIII. TO THE DIIEMON1
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OF ORPHEUS. LXXV. THE FUMIGATION FR
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OF OR'PHEUS. Clio, and Erato who ch
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OF ORPHEUS, XVIII. TO AURORA. THE F
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OF' ORPHEUS. LXXX. TO BOREAS Il2. T
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OF ORPHEUS. LXXXII. TO THE SOUTH WI
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OF ORPHEUS. 153 Hence every river,
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OF ORPHEUS. TO VESTA lI4. THE FUMIG
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OF ORPHEUS. 157 In thee the Gods ha
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OF ORPHEUS. LXXXV. TO SLEEP. THE FU
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OF ORPHEUS, But from the wicked tur
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OF ORPHEUS. Not youth itself thy cl
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166 ADDITIONAL NOTES. been partaker
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168 ADDITIONAL NOTES. become 810s e
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1'70 ADDITIONAL NOTES. demiurgus, a
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172 ADDITIONAL NOTES, energies of t
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174 ADDITIONAL NOTES. Heaven derive
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176 ADDITIONAL NOTES. into light ag
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178 ADDITIONAL NOTES, the second, w
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180 ADDITIONAL NOTES, is the leader
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182 ADDITIONAL NOTES. high, viz. th
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184 ADDITIONAL NOTES. Homerg0 does
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186 ADDITIONAL NOTES* celebrated. F
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188 ADDITIONAL NOTES. former as fat
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190 ADDITIONAL NOTES. part of Heave
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192 ADDITIONAL NOTES. 3s our whoIe
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194 ADDITIONAL NOTES. They say then
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196 ADDITIONAL NOTES. Plato 33 moth
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198 ADDITIONAL NOTES. porpo@ov $weu
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200 ADDITIONAL NOTES. vov), or thro
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202 ADDITIONAL NOTES, punish, and t
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204 ADDITIONAL NOTES. world, and ci
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