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101-406: Orphean may refer to: Relating to Orpheus , a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth Orphean warbler , a typical warbler of the genus Sylvia See also [ edit ] Orpheus (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

202-589: A Late Antique summary of Aeschylus 's lost play Bassarids , Orpheus, towards the end of his life, disdained the worship of all gods except Apollo . One early morning he went to the oracle of Dionysus at Mount Pangaion to salute his god at dawn, but was ripped to shreds by Thracian Maenads for not honoring his previous patron (Dionysus) and was buried in Pieria . But having gone down into Hades because of his wife and seeing what sort of things were there, he did not continue to worship Dionysus, because of whom he

303-422: A common source, their work differs greatly in purpose and interest. Hyginus appears to have been dedicated to producing a comprehensive reference book for the myths, while Fulgentius was more concerned with allegorically dissecting the material, something Hyginus rarely attempts. Fulgentius's work is said to mark the transition from late-antique to Medieval literary study. After a period of decreased interest in

404-407: A daughter of Pierus , son of Makednos or (4) lastly of Menippe , daughter of Thamyris . Pindar, however, seems to call Orpheus the son of Apollo in his Pythian Odes , and a scholium on this passage adds that the mythographer Asclepiades of Tragilus considered Orpheus to be the son of Apollo and Calliope. According to Tzetzes , he was from Bisaltia . His birthplace and place of residence

505-402: A further punishment for his cowardice, he met his death at the hands of women ( Symposium 179d)." "Earlier than the literary references is a sculptured representation of Orpheus with the ship Argo , found at Delphi , said to be of the sixth century BC." Four other people are traditionally called Orpheus: "The second Orpheus was an Arcadian , or, according to others, a Ciconian , from

606-472: A genuine autobiographical detail or part of his fictional persona in the story. There is a continuing debate as to whether or not Fabius Planciades Fulgentius, and a contemporary, Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (a Christian bishop) were the same person. The identification of the two Fulgentii was first made by medieval scholars and scribes as far back as the Carolingian period. There is some overlap in

707-526: A jocular allusion in Cyclops 646); refers to his charming the infernal powers ( Alcestis 357); connects him with Bacchanalian orgies ( Hippolytus 953); ascribes to him the origin of sacred mysteries ( Rhesus 943), and places the scene of his activity among the forests of Olympus ( Bacchae 561.)" "Euripides [also] brought Orpheus into his play Hypsipyle , which dealt with the Lemnian episode of

808-563: A mortal, who lived and died in a village close to Olympus . "Some, of course, received him willingly, but others, since they suspected a plot and violence, combined against him and killed him." He made money as a musician and "wizard" – Strabo uses αγυρτεύοντα ( agurteúonta ), also used by Sophocles in Oedipus Tyrannus to characterize Tiresias as a trickster with an excessive desire for possessions. Αγύρτης ( agúrtēs ) most often meant ' charlatan ' and always had

909-561: A multiple Tony award-winning stage musical . Reeve Carney originated the role on Broadway. Sarah Ruhl's play Eurydice examines the myth from the perspective of Eurydice, and the myth features as one of the tales told in Mary Zimmerman 's play Metamorphoses . • Kaos (TV series) , (2024) a mythological comedy created by Charlie Covell for Netflix Fabius Planciades Fulgentius Fabius Planciades Fulgentius ( fl.  late 5th – early 6th century )

1010-604: A negative connotation. Pausanias writes of an unnamed Egyptian who considered Orpheus a μάγευσε ( mágeuse ), i.e., magician. "Orpheus ... is repeatedly referred to by Euripides, in whom we find the first allusion to the connection of Orpheus with Dionysus and the infernal regions: he speaks of him as related to the Muses ( Rhesus 944, 946); mentions the power of his song over rocks, trees, and wild beasts ( Medea 543, Iphigenia in Aulis 1211, Bacchae 561, and

1111-458: A nest of vipers and suffered a fatal bite on her heel. Her body was discovered by Orpheus who, overcome with grief, played such sad and mournful songs that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled to the underworld . His music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone , who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached

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1212-499: A snake bite is incurred while she was dancing with naiads on her wedding day. Virgil wrote in his poem that Dryads wept from Epirus and Hebrus up to the land of the Getae (north east Danube valley ) and even describes him wandering into Hyperborea and Tanais (ancient Greek city in the Don river delta ) due to his grief. The story of Eurydice may actually be a late addition to

1313-403: A theogony concerning the birth of the gods, produced in the circle of the philosopher Anaxagoras , written in the second half of the fifth century BC. The papyrus dates to around 340 BC, during the reign of Philip II of Macedon , making it Europe's oldest surviving manuscript. The Orpheus motif has permeated Western culture and has been used as a theme in all art forms. Early examples include

1414-472: A to z', and others end book fourteen with the statement, "Here begins the fifteenth book, lacking P". However, book thirteen includes a line about ending the series with a history of the Roman emperors . It is possible that the last books have been lost over time, though it is also likely that Fulgentius simply lost interest in the work and gave it a hurried anticlimactic finish, as he did with other works such as

1515-442: A way at least partly acceptable to Christian readers. This text ( Latin : Expositio sermonum antiquorum ), addressed to a person named Calcidium in some manuscripts, is an explanation of 62 antique Latin words that may be found in Roman literature . In his Prologue to the work, Fulgentius states that he compiled the list of words in order to fulfill the commissions assigned by his master (who remains unidentified). His stated aim

1616-688: Is also said to have studied in Egypt. Orpheus is said to have established the worship of Hecate in Aegina . In Laconia Orpheus is said to have brought the worship of Demeter Chthonia and that of the Κόρες Σωτείρας ( Kóres Sōteíras ; 'Saviour Maidens'). Also in Taygetos a wooden image of Orpheus was said to have been kept by Pelasgians in the sanctuary of the Eleusinian Demeter. According to Diodorus Siculus , Musaeus of Athens

1717-532: Is an innovative perspective on the classic Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice . Baz Luhrmann 's 2001 jukebox musical film Moulin Rouge! is also inspired by the myth. Anaïs Mitchell 's 2010 folk opera musical Hadestown retells the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice with a score inspired by American blues and jazz, portraying Hades as the brutal work-boss of an underground mining city. Mitchell, together with director Rachel Chavkin , later adapted her album into

1818-508: Is analogous with that of Pentheus , who was also torn to pieces by Maenads; and it has been speculated that the Orphic mystery cult regarded Orpheus as a parallel figure to or even an incarnation of Dionysus. Both made similar journeys into Hades, and Dionysus-Zagreus suffered an identical death. Pausanias writes that Orpheus was buried in Dion and that he met his death there. He writes that

1919-510: Is believed that in the collection of writings which they used there were several versions, each of which gave a slightly different account of the origin of the universe, of gods and men, and perhaps of the correct way of life, with the rewards and punishments attached thereto." The Derveni papyrus , found in Derveni , Macedonia (Greece) in 1962, contains a philosophical treatise that is an allegorical commentary on an Orphic poem in hexameters,

2020-623: Is in the Lament for Bion (1st century BC). Some sources credit Orpheus with further gifts to humankind: medicine, which is more usually under the auspices of Asclepius (Aesculapius) or Apollo ; writing, which is usually credited to Cadmus ; and agriculture, where Orpheus assumes the Eleusinian role of Triptolemus as giver of Demeter 's knowledge to humankind. Orpheus was an augur and seer; he practiced magical arts and astrology , founded cults to Apollo and Dionysus , and prescribed

2121-476: Is lettered Orfeus der erst puseran ("Orpheus, the first pederast "). His head, still singing mournful songs, floated along with his lyre down the River Hebrus into the sea, after which the winds and waves carried them to the island of Lesbos , at the city of Methymna ; there, the inhabitants buried his head and a shrine was built in his honour near Antissa ; there his oracle prophesied, until it

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2222-583: Is not mentioned by Homer or Hesiod . Most ancient sources accept his historical existence; Aristotle is an exception. Pindar calls Orpheus 'the father of songs' and identifies him as a son of the Thracian mythological king Oeagrus and the Muse Calliope . Greeks of the Classical age venerated Orpheus as the greatest of all poets and musicians; it was said that while Hermes had invented

2323-425: Is quite inaccurate. The morals Fulgentius extracted from the classical myths were fairly generic, and would have been acceptable to any audience. Fulgentius's etymologies (while typical of his age) have been recently criticized as being extravagant, arbitrary, and often incorrect. While few have had anything positive to say about such etymological methods within the last two hundred years, the tradition dates back to

2424-599: Is reflected in the Biblical story of Lot 's wife when escaping from Sodom . More directly, the story of Orpheus is similar to the ancient Greek tales of Persephone captured by Hades and similar stories of Adonis captive in the underworld. However, the developed form of the Orpheus myth was entwined with the Orphic mystery cults and, later in Rome, with the development of Mithraism and the cult of Sol Invictus . According to

2525-504: Is said to have lived, the Thracians knew nothing about writing. It came therefore to be believed that Orpheus taught, but left no writings, and that the epic poetry attributed to him was written in the sixth century BC by Onomacritus. Onomacritus was banished from Athens by Hipparchus for inserting something of his own into an oracle of Musaeus when entrusted with the editing of his poems. It may have been Aristotle who first suggested, in

2626-592: Is so universally known." Some ancient Greek authors, such as Strabo and Plutarch , write of Orpheus as having a Thracian origin (through his father, Oeagrus ). Although these traditional accounts have been uncritically accepted by some historians, they have been put into question by others, since it was only in the mid-/late 5th century that Orpheus acquired Thracian attributes. Additionally, as André Boulanger notes, "the most characteristic features of Orphism—consciousness of sin, need of purification and redemption, infernal punishments—have never been found among

2727-439: Is that it is derived from a hypothetical PIE root *h₃órbʰos 'orphan, servant, slave' and ultimately the verb root *h₃erbʰ- 'to change allegiance, status, ownership'. Cognates could include ‹See Tfd› Greek : ὄρφνη ( órphnē ; 'darkness') and ὀρφανός ( orphanós ; 'fatherless, orphan') from which comes English 'orphan' by way of Latin. Fulgentius , a mythographer of the late 5th to early 6th century AD, gave

2828-430: Is that of a coward, as instead of choosing to die in order to be with the one he loved, he instead mocked the gods by trying to go to Hades to bring her back alive. Since his love was not "true"—he did not want to die for love—he was actually punished by the gods, first by giving him only the apparition of his former wife in the underworld, and then by being killed by women. In Ovid 's account, however, Eurydice's death by

2929-459: Is thought to have had a professional career as a grammaticus or rhetor (teacher of rhetoric). However, this belief is based on small incidental clues Fulgentius leaves behind in work and has been contested by some scholars. It remains possible that he was an amateur writer: in his prologue to Book 1 of the Mythologies , Fulgentius mentions a wife, though it is unclear whether this is

3030-572: Is to make clear the meaning of these words, not to revive them. However, beginning in the Carolingian period, writers did in fact make use of these rarities, using this text as their source. With nearly every explanation, Fulgentius provides the reader with a small quotation as an example of the word's practical use, often citing the work it was taken from. However, many of these quotes are likely to be faked. Some works may be entirely made-up, while others have been liberally edited by Fulgentius. As

3131-460: Is told in fourteen books, each lacking a particular letter of the alphabet ('A' in book i, 'B' in book ii., etc.). The deliberate omission of each letter means that Fulgentius cannot use any word containing that letter for the entirety of that section. However, he varies this avoidance of words with his second technique of swapping omitted letters for other arbitrarily selected letters. These techniques obscure his language, making it very difficult for

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3232-440: Is traditionally thought to have been writing in the late 5th and early 6th centuries may have borrowed a line from Corippus 's Iohannis in his Mythologies , which indicates that he was writing after 550. This discovery has called into serious doubt the possibility of identifying the bishop as the mythographer, as Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe is known to have died in 533. Although the identification debate has not yet been settled,

3333-534: The Orphikos bios , or "Orphic way of life". W. K. C. Guthrie wrote that Orpheus was the founder of mystery religions and the first to reveal to men the meanings of the initiation rites. There is also a reference, not mentioning Orpheus by name, in the pseudo -Platonic Axiochus , where it is said that the fate of the soul in Hades is described on certain bronze tablets which two seers had brought to Delos from

3434-610: The Republic to a "mass of books of Musaeus and Orpheus", and in the Laws to the hymns of Thamyris and Orpheus, while in the Ion he groups Orpheus with Musaeus and Homer as the source of inspiration of epic poets and elocutionists. Euripides in the Hippolytus makes Theseus speak of the "turgid outpourings of many treatises", which have led his son to follow Orpheus and adopt

3535-455: The Aeneid which closely resembles Fulgentius's ideas, indicating that they were probably not unique to Fulgentius. Furthermore, Fulgentius appears to have taken the idea of Virgil as a sage from the earlier writer Macrobius . However, it seems Fulgentius was original in his attempt to systematically interpret the entire Aeneid . He also seems to be the first to attempt to explain the text in

3636-573: The Bacchic religion. Alexis , the fourth century comic poet, depicting Linus offering a choice of books to Heracles , mentions "Orpheus, Hesiod , tragedies, Choerilus , Homer, Epicharmus ". Aristotle did not believe that the poems were by Orpheus; he speaks of the "so-called Orphic epic", and Philoponus (seventh century AD) commenting on this expression, says that in the De Philosophia (now lost) Aristotle directly stated his opinion that

3737-476: The Breton lai Sir Orfeo from the early 13th century and musical interpretations like Jacopo Peri 's Euridice (1600, though titled with his wife's name, the libretto is based entirely upon books X and XI of Ovid 's Metamorphoses and therefore Orpheus's viewpoint is predominant). Subsequent operatic and musical interpretations include: Rainer Maria Rilke 's Sonnets to Orpheus (1922) are based on

3838-454: The Ciconian women, followers of Dionysus , first threw sticks and stones at him as he played, but his music was so beautiful even the rocks and branches refused to hit him. Enraged, the women tore him to pieces during the frenzy of their Bacchic orgies. In Albrecht Dürer 's drawing of Orpheus's death, based on an original, now lost, by Andrea Mantegna , a ribbon high in the tree above him

3939-619: The Content of Virgil . Throughout his retelling of history, Fulgentius adds moral interpretations of events. He goes to great lengths to justify God 's ways, and, consistent with his past works, stretches allegories to fit his ethical interpretations. Unlike Fulgentius' other works, Ages of the World did not seem to attract much attention or admiration in the medieval period, probably due to its confusing literary techniques and style. There has been some doubt as to whether or not this work

4040-470: The Middle Ages . Though Fulgentius was later criticized for such methods, they were not uncommon for writers of the time period (including Martianus Capella). Fulgentius's summaries of classical myths have traditionally been compared to his predecessor, Hyginus the mythographer, of the 2nd century AD. While both deal with many of the same legends, and some commonalities between their summaries suggests

4141-422: The Muses are summoned to explain the truth of his Aeneid . This text is similar to Fulgentius's interpretations of classical myths in the Mythologies . The shade of Virgil assumes a sage-like status, and he addresses the author in a pretentious and condescending way, often calling him a "homunculus" , or 'boy'. While Fulgentius claims to explain the Aeneid as an allegory for the full range of human life,

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4242-418: The Mythologies ( Latin : Mitologiarum libri III ) is a series of legends told in three books. Each book is introduced by its own prologue. There are a total of fifty chapters: each chapter explains a classical myth and interprets that myth using allegory. These interpretations include etymologies of the names of certain characters, as well as conclusions as to the purpose of the story in terms of morality. In

4343-591: The Thracian Bisaltia , and is said to be more ancient than Homer and the Trojan War . He composed fabulous figments called mythpoeai and epigrams. The third Orpheus was of Odrysius, a city of Thrace , near the river Hebrus ; but Dionysius in Suidas denies his existence. The fourth Orpheus was of Crotonia; flourished in the time of Pisistratus , about the fiftieth Olympiad , and is, I have no doubt,

4444-408: The lyre , Orpheus perfected it. Poets such as Simonides of Ceos said that Orpheus's music and singing could charm the birds, fish and wild beasts, coax the trees and rocks into dance, and divert the course of rivers. Orpheus was one of the handful of Greek heroes to visit the underworld and return; his music and song had power even over Hades . The earliest known reference to this descent to

4545-555: The 1959 film Black Orpheus , tells the story in the modern context of a favela in Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval . Jean Cocteau 's Orphic Trilogy  – The Blood of a Poet (1930), Orpheus (1950) and Testament of Orpheus (1959) – was filmed over thirty years, and is based in many ways on the story. Philip Glass adapted the second film into the chamber opera Orphée (1991), part of an homage triptych to Cocteau. Nikos Nikolaidis 's 1975 film Evrydiki BA 2037

4646-552: The 9th century. Fulgentius remained a standard part of collections of antique mythology up until the 19th century, when his work began to come under popular criticism as being absurd and factually unreliable. It has been suggested that Fulgentius' work, which is thought to have been commonly known throughout most of the Middle Ages, may have been a source for the structure of the famous Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf . While Fulgentius's works remained popular during and well after

4747-627: The Argonautic voyage; Orpheus there acts as coxswain , and later as guardian in Thrace of Jason's children by Hypsipyle ." "He is mentioned once only, but in an important passage, by Aristophanes ( Frogs 1032), who enumerates, as the oldest poets, Orpheus, Musaeus , Hesiod , and Homer, and makes Orpheus the teacher of religious initiations and of abstinence from murder ..." "Plato ( Apology , Protagoras ), ... frequently refers to Orpheus, his followers, and his works. He calls him

4848-489: The Carolingian period, his factual inaccuracies and questionable interpretations came under harsh criticism in the 19th century. His work has been overwhelmingly dismissed as trivial and misleading ever since. Historically, Fulgentius's work has been criticized as being bombastic and foolish. His Latin prose is obscure and often corrupt, making it difficult to decipher his meaning. He is known for unnecessarily long and wordy prose and highly obscure allusions. Fulgentius

4949-725: The Greeks, Orpheus was a founder and prophet of the so-called "Orphic" mysteries . He was credited with the composition of a number of works , including several theogonies, the Orphic Hymns , the Orphic Argonautica , the Lithica and the Hexameter poem . Shrines containing purported relics of Orpheus were regarded as oracles . Several etymologies for the name Orpheus have been proposed. A probable suggestion

5050-531: The Medieval commentators who carried on his tradition of discussing classical poetry in moral terms. Further, his exotic language and use of rare words seemed to influence the writing style of a number of poets throughout the Middle Ages. Fulgentius's manuscripts date as far back as the early 8th century. As a testament to his popularity, a copy of the Mythologies may have been available in England as early as

5151-412: The Orpheus myth. Poul Anderson 's Hugo Award-winning novelette " Goat Song ", published in 1972, is a retelling of the story of Orpheus in a science fiction setting. Some feminist interpretations of the myth give Eurydice greater weight. Margaret Atwood 's Orpheus and Eurydice Cycle (1976–1986) deals with the myth, and gives Eurydice a more prominent voice. Sarah Ruhl 's Eurydice likewise presents

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5252-506: The Orpheus myths. In particular, the name Eurudike ("she whose justice extends widely") recalls cult-titles attached to Persephone . According to the theories of poet Robert Graves , the myth may have been derived from another Orpheus legend, in which he travels to Tartarus and charms the goddess Hecate . The myth theme of not looking back, an essential precaution in Jason 's raising of chthonic Brimo Hekate under Medea 's guidance,

5353-613: The Star where the entrance to the Underworld that Orpheus had opened, the "Door of Orpheus," has moved to Central Park in Manhattan . In the books, it's used by Percy Jackson , Nico di Angelo, and Will Solace to sneak into the Underworld. Due to Orpheus creating it with his music, the door can only be opened by music being played for it. • Vinicius de Moraes ’s play Orfeu da Conceição (1956), later adapted by Marcel Camus in

5454-628: The Thracians" . Indeed, the introduction of the worship of the Muses in the times of Archelaos , the genealogies featuring Apollo , Pierus and Methone , Orpheus's tomb in Leibethra and the importance of this gesture as a part of the king's cultural policy, makes the hypothesis of the Pierian , or Macedonian , roots of Orpheus, highly probable. The testimonies referring to his death, grave and heroic worship, for example early attestations to

5555-471: The allegorical style of Fulgentius. This is not to say that the work was a forgery, but more likely that it was mistakenly attributed to Fulgentius as a result of scribal error. In addition to these, Fulgentius mentions other works that have not survived to the present. In the first prologue to the Mythologies he mentions earlier satirical poems, and in the Content of Virgil he makes reference to his work on physiology. Generally known as his chief work,

5656-401: The answer to the question of whether to ascribe the authorship of the works to a single person appears to depend on subjective interpretation of the available evidence: Critical analysis which compares the writing styles used in the written works and marginal biographical details. Conflating the authors of the works is a tradition that began centuries ago, but that idea most likely originated as

5757-542: The antique Roman compendium tradition. This concise encyclopaedic style of compiling information was common for Roman writers like Cato the Elder and Cicero . His work is also consistent with the Stoic and Neoplatonic traditions which interpreted myth as a representation of deeper spiritual processes. His allegorical approach to mythography may have originated in the no-longer-extant Virgil commentary of Aelius Donatus , and it

5858-463: The bishop seemed to have been strongly opinionated (Arianism, free-will, etc.) are never discussed in the mythographer's work, even when a discussion of such things would seem to fit his discussion. From a linguistic standpoint, the mythographer's unique style and inclusion of otherwise unused words and idioms is not replicated in the work of the bishop, which suggests further a negative identification. It has been suggested that Fabius Fulgentius, who

5959-411: The bishop's immediate family). However, the inclusion of these names in manuscripts was most likely the mistake of some eight or ninth century scribe who assumed 'Fulgentius' to be the well-known theologian. It is also possible that Fabius Fulgentius had multiple names (very popular for aristocrats of the time) which included Claudius and Gordianus. Fulgentius's work demonstrates a clear continuation of

6060-464: The crashing of their ships into the islands. When Orpheus heard their voices, he drew his lyre and played music that was louder and more beautiful, drowning out the Sirens' bewitching songs. According to 3rd century BC Hellenistic elegiac poet Phanocles , Orpheus loved the young Argonaut Calais , "the son of Boreas, with all his heart, and went often in shaded groves still singing of his desire, nor

6161-403: The epic Orphic Argonautica , composed somewhere between the fourth and sixth centuries. Earlier Orphic literature, which may date back as far as the sixth century BC, survives only in papyrus fragments or in quotations. Some of the earliest fragments may have been composed by Onomacritus . Aelian (second century AD) gave the chief reason against believing in them: at the time when Orpheus

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6262-534: The existence of a real, or fictitious, gravestone epigram of Orpheus, point most strongly to his Macedonian links. Nevertheless, the Pierians were a Thracian tribe, while the origins of the Ancient Macedonians is obscure. According to Apollodorus and a fragment of Pindar, Orpheus's father was Oeagrus , a Thracian king. His mother was (1) the muse Calliope , (2) her sister Polymnia , (3)

6363-488: The founding fathers of mythographic writing, and he was praised for uniting classical pagan literature and Christian teachings. This admiration led to the emergence of Fulgentian scholarship. The practice of differentiating between the author's intention and the deeper meaning of a piece of literature—carried to the extreme by Fulgentius—provided the framework for the commentaries of this period. The Mythologies in particular proved to be an essential storehouse of resources for

6464-473: The influences of the two authors (as could be expected from writers working in the same time period and location), such as a common interest in thinkers like Augustine of Hippo . However, the primary focus and concern of each writer seems to set them apart. For example, most of the works attributed to Fulgentius the bishop deal with his opposition to heretical factions such as Arianism , a topic for which Fabius Fulgentius seems to have no concern. Topics on which

6565-519: The land of the Hyperboreans . A number of Greek religious poems in hexameters were also attributed to Orpheus, as they were to similar miracle-working figures, like Bakis , Musaeus , Abaris , Aristeas , Epimenides , and the Sibyl . Of this vast literature, only two works survived whole: the Orphic Hymns , a set of 87 poems, possibly composed at some point in the second or third century, and

6666-452: The late 5th-century writer Martianus Capella . Capella's work brought the theme of life as a spiritual journey to the forefront of Classical literature, a trend which Fulgentius seemed to carry a step further. The Tradition of invoking the aid of questionable etymologies in order to support mythological allegories dates back to Plato, and carried on through Aristotle , the Stoics, and into

6767-439: The literature, the practice of mythography was picked up again in what is thought to be the 7th century by the so-called Vatican Mythographers . All three writers borrow Fulgentius's methods in order to search the classical myths for obscured meaning. However, it was during the Carolingian period, from the 8th through to the 10th centuries, that Fulgentius's work reached the height of its popularity. He came to be admired as one of

6868-406: The lost De Philosophia , that Onomacritus also wrote the so-called Orphic epic poems. By the time when the Orphic writings began to be freely quoted by Christian and Neo-Platonist writers, the theory of the authorship of Onomacritus was accepted by many. The Neo-Platonists quote the Orphic poems in their defence against Christianity, because Plato used poems which he believed to be Orphic. It

6969-473: The love of women, either because things ended badly for him, or because he had sworn to do so. Yet, many felt a desire to be joined with the poet, and many grieved at rejection. Indeed, he was the first of the Thracian people to transfer his affection to young boys and enjoy their brief springtime, and early flowering this side of manhood. Feeling spurned by Orpheus for taking only male lovers ( eromenoi ),

7070-596: The mystery rites preserved in Orphic texts. Pindar and Apollonius of Rhodes place Orpheus as the harpist and companion of Jason and the Argonauts . Orpheus had a brother named Linus , who went to Thebes and became a Theban. He is claimed by Aristophanes and Horace to have taught cannibals to subsist on fruit, and to have made lions and tigers obedient to him. Horace believed, however, that Orpheus had only introduced order and civilization to savages. Strabo (64 BC – c. AD 24) presents Orpheus as

7171-453: The mythographer. This work was not included in the Carolingian manuscripts (possibly because it did not exist at this time), but was included in Helm's 1897 edition of the works of Fulgentius with strong reservations. While there is no consensus on the authenticity of the treatise, there is strong evidence to support the fact that the work was written in the twelfth century by a writer imitating

7272-478: The name of Aristaeus (by the time of Virgil's Georgics , the myth has Aristaeus chasing Eurydice when she was bitten by a serpent) and the tragic outcome. Other ancient writers, however, speak of Orpheus's visit to the underworld in a more negative light; according to Phaedrus in Plato 's Symposium , the infernal gods only "presented an apparition" of Eurydice to him. In fact, Plato's representation of Orpheus

7373-401: The poems were not by Orpheus. Philoponus adds his own view that the doctrines were put into epic verse by Onomacritus . Aristotle when quoting the Orphic cosmological doctrines attributes them to "the theologoi ", "the ancient poets", "those who first theorized about the gods". In addition to serving as a storehouse of mythological data along the lines of Hesiod 's Theogony , Orphic poetry

7474-439: The prologue, Fulgentius claims that his purpose was to strip the classic Greek myths of all their fictitious and meaningless details in order to reveal the obscure truths they contain. He also suggests a Christian motive, though it would be inaccurate to define the Mythologies or any of Fulgentius' allegorical works as 'Christian allegories'. Hays argues the traditional description of Fulgentius' work as 'Christian allegories'

7575-401: The reader to understand his meaning. Just as in the Content of Virgil , Fulgentius claims the work was completed as a result of the request of his unnamed patron. The increasingly rapid rate of historical retelling that occurs near the end of the work raises the question of whether the work was completed. Some manuscripts include in their prologues an introduction of the text as running 'from

7676-538: The result of a Carolingian-era scribal error. The four extant works attributed to Fulgentius include (listed in what is believed to be chronological order): A fifth work, which in the past has been attributed to Fulgentius is the Super Thebaiden (On the Thebaid ). The manuscript ascribes the work to "S. Fulgencius Episcopus", whom Rudolf Helm (the first modern publisher of Fulgentius' work) considered to be

7777-406: The river Helicon sank underground when the women that killed Orpheus tried to wash off their blood-stained hands in its waters. Other legends claim that Orpheus became a follower of Dionysus and spread his cult across the land. In this version of the legend, it is said that Orpheus was torn to shreds by the women of Thrace for his inattention. Ovid recounts that Orpheus had abstained from

7878-720: The river Sys flooded Leibethra, the Macedonians took his bones to Dion . Orpheus's soul returned to the underworld, to the fields of the Blessed, where he was reunited at last with his beloved Eurydice. Another legend places his tomb at Dion, near Pydna in Macedon . In another version of the myth, Orpheus travels to Aornum in Thesprotia , Epirus to an old oracle for the dead. In the end Orpheus commits suicide from his grief unable to find Eurydice. "Others said that he

7979-558: The same with Onomacritus , who changed the dialect of these hymns. He wrote Decennalia, and in the opinion of Gyraldlus the Argonautics, which are now extant under the name of Orpheus, with other writings called Orphical, but which according to Cicero some ascribe to Cecrops the Pythagorean. But the last Orpheus [the fifth] was Camarinseus, a most excellent versifier; and the same, according to Gyraldus, whose descent into Hades

8080-427: The son of Oeagrus ( Symposium ), mentions him as a musician and inventor ( Ion and Laws bk 3.), refers to the miraculous power of his lyre ( Protagoras ), and gives a singular version of the story of his descent into Hades: the gods, he says, imposed upon the poet, by showing him only a phantasm of his lost wife, because he had not the courage to die, like Alcestis , but contrived to enter Hades alive, and, as

8181-606: The story of Orpheus's descent to the underworld from Eurydice's perspective. Ruhl removes Orpheus from the center of the story by pairing their romantic love with the paternal love of Eurydice's dead father. David Almond 's 2014 novel A Song for Ella Grey was inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 2015. The story of Orpheus is mentioned in Rick Riordan 's fantasy novels The Last Olympian and The Sun and

8282-537: The title Orphean . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orphean&oldid=702802070 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Orpheus Ancient Greek authors such as Strabo and Plutarch note Orpheus's Thracian origins. Orpheus

8383-436: The underworld is the painting by Polygnotus (5th century BC) described by Pausanias (2nd century AD), where no mention is made of Eurydice. Euripides and Plato both refer to the story of his descent to recover his wife, but do not mention her name; a contemporary relief (about 400 BC) shows Orpheus and his wife with Hermes. The elegiac poet Hermesianax called her Agriope ; and the first mention of her name in literature

8484-470: The underworld, and his death at the hands of the maenads of Dionysus , who got tired of his mourning for his late wife Eurydice. As an archetype of the inspired singer, Orpheus is one of the most significant figures in the reception of classical mythology in Western culture , portrayed or alluded to in countless forms of art and popular culture including poetry, film, opera, music, and painting. For

8585-456: The unlikely etymology meaning "best voice", "Oraia-phonos". Although Aristotle did not believe that Orpheus existed, all other ancient writers believed he once was a real person, though living in remote antiquity. Most of them believed that he lived several generations before Homer . The earliest literary reference to Orpheus is a two-word fragment of the 6th century BC lyric poet Ibycus : onomaklyton Orphēn ('Orpheus famous-of-name'). He

8686-440: The upper world. Orpheus set off with Eurydice following; however, as soon as he had reached the upper world, he immediately turned to look at her, forgetting in his eagerness that both of them needed to be in the upper world for the condition to be met. As Eurydice had not yet crossed into the upper world, she vanished for the second time, this time forever. The story in this form belongs to the time of Virgil , who first introduces

8787-582: The work of Plato and was common practice for such philosophic traditions as the Stoics and Neoplatonists . His use of such arbitrary etymologies to substantiate his allegorical claims is typical of his relentless tendency to stretch interpretations and search for truths that are not readily evident. Several manuscripts of the Mythologies are addressed to an unidentified Catus, Presbyter of Carthage. In this exposition ( Latin : Expositio Virgilianae continentiae secundum philosophos moralis ), Virgil and

8888-440: The work seems to end rather abruptly, and the telling only goes as far as manhood. There is no evidence to suggest, however, that any part of the original text was lost. His hurried finish was probably caused by a loss of interest in its completion. By the time of the Content of Virgil 's writing, the tradition of allegorizing Virgil was not new. Aelius Donatus had already completed an allegorical exposition of passages of

8989-645: Was Pimpleia close to the Olympus . Strabo mentions that he lived in Pimpleia. According to the epic poem Argonautica , Pimpleia was the location of Oeagrus's and Calliope's wedding. While living with his mother and her eight beautiful sisters in Parnassus , he met Apollo , who was courting the laughing muse Thalia . Apollo, as the god of music, gave Orpheus a golden lyre and taught him to play it. Orpheus's mother taught him to make verses for singing. He

9090-547: Was a Latin writer of late antiquity . Four extant works are commonly attributed to him, as well as a possible fifth which some scholars include in compilations with much reservation. His mythography was greatly admired and highly influential throughout much of the medieval period, though less influential today. Very little is known about the life of Fulgentius other than the few references he makes to himself in his own works. His style of Latin , his knowledge of Greek , and his view on classical authors and cults suggests that he

9191-565: Was actually that of Fabius Fulgentius, though similarities in language and writing style convincingly demonstrate the attribution of this work to the same author as the first three. Among the arguments for a different author is an argument in favor of attributing this work to the bishop Fulgentius. This theory is based on the fact that the manuscripts of the Ages of the World attribute the work to "Fabius Claudius Gordianus Fulgentius" (Claudius and Gordianus both being names known to belong to members of

9292-558: Was called the ruler of the Bistonian Pieria , a region inhabited by the Thracian tribes Bistones and Pieres but others have identified him as a member of the Thracian tribe Ciconi , that lived in the Thracian Bisaltia . The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music (the usual scene in Orpheus mosaics ), his attempt to retrieve his wife Eurydice from

9393-475: Was certainly evident in the later moralising Virgil commentaries of Servius. Fulgentius's treatment of Virgil as a sage seems to have been borrowed from the encyclopaedic work of Macrobius , the first to elevate the Roman poet to such an authoritative status. However, Fulgentius's tendency to strip classical myth of all its manifest detail and replace it with ethical interpretations appears to have more in common with

9494-438: Was common with writers of this period, Fulgentius does not cite his immediate sources, perhaps in an attempt to obscure the fact that he had access to very few to draw from. The entire work was probably an attempt to improve his reputation as a scholar in hopes the reader would not take a critical look into his methods. This compendium of biblical and classical history (original title: De aetatibus mundi et hominis libri XXIII )

9595-524: Was famous, but he thought Helios to be the greatest of the gods, Helios whom he also addressed as Apollo. Rousing himself each night toward dawn and climbing the mountain called Pangaion, he would await the Sun's rising, so that he might see it first. Therefore, Dionysus, being angry with him, sent the Bassarides , as Aeschylus the tragedian says; they tore him apart and scattered the limbs. Here his death

9696-467: Was his heart at rest. But always, sleepless cares wasted his spirits as he looked at fresh Calais." The most famous story in which Orpheus figures is that of his wife Eurydice (sometimes referred to as Euridice and also known as Argiope). While walking among her people, the Cicones , in tall grass at her wedding, Eurydice was set upon by a satyr . In her efforts to escape the satyr, Eurydice fell into

9797-661: Was probably educated in North Africa . Other references to African culture in his work support placing him in this region before the Muslim invasions of the 7th century. Moreover, his apparent knowledge of the Libyco-Berber language and script indicates that he was probably an ethnic African: he refers to the language in his On the Ages of the World and of Man as being part of his 'own' heritage. Traditionally, Fulgentius

9898-412: Was recited in mystery-rites and purification rituals. Plato in particular tells of a class of vagrant beggar-priests who would go about offering purifications to the rich, a clatter of books by Orpheus and Musaeus in tow. Those who were especially devoted to these rituals and poems often practiced vegetarianism and abstention from sex, and refrained from eating eggs and beans—which came to be known as

9999-416: Was silenced by Apollo. In addition to the people of Lesbos, Greeks from Ionia and Aetolia consulted the oracle, and his reputation spread as far as Babylon . Orpheus's lyre was carried to heaven by the Muses , and was placed among the stars . The Muses also gathered up the fragments of his body and buried them at Leibethra below Mount Olympus , where the nightingales sang over his grave. After

10100-779: Was the son of Orpheus. The Argonautica ( Ἀργοναυτικά ) is a Greek epic poem written by Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BC. Orpheus took part in this adventure and used his skills to aid his companions. Chiron told Jason that without the aid of Orpheus, the Argonauts would never be able to pass the Sirens —the same Sirens encountered by Odysseus in Homer 's epic poem the Odyssey . The Sirens lived on three small, rocky islands called Sirenum scopuli and sang beautiful songs that enticed sailors to come to them, which resulted in

10201-462: Was the victim of a thunderbolt." On the writings of Orpheus, Freeman , in the 1946 edition of The Pre- Socratic Philosophers pp. 4–8, writes: "In the fifth and fourth centuries BC, there existed a collection of hexametric poems known as Orphic , which were the accepted authority of those who followed the Orphic way of life, and were by them attributed to Orpheus himself. Plato several times quotes lines from this collection; he refers in

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