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Orpheus and Orphism: Mystery Religion in Roman Times

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Musical power allows him to rev up heroes or relax them as necessary ... Bacchae taking revenge for his Apollonian ways? Dionysiac figure who gets harvested? ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Orpheus and Orphism: Mystery Religion in Roman Times


1
Chapter 16
  • Orpheus and Orphism Mystery Religion in Roman
    Times

2
Orpheus Eurydice
  • Ovids Metamorphoses X and XI
  • Undying love story
  • Cruelty of Fate (or is it Fortune?)
  • Orpheus, a hero for poets
  • Vergil, Georgics IV
  • Largely as in Ovid, but set in context of poem on
    bee-keeping
  • Aristaeus must atone for his sin

3
Orpheus elsewhere
  • Appears as one of the Argonauts
  • Musical power allows him to rev up heroes or
    relax them as necessary
  • Nachleben
  • Jean Cocteaus Orpheus trilogy
  • Blood of a Poet (1930)
  • Orpheus (1949)
  • The Testament of Orpheus (1960)
  • Marcel Camus Black Orpheus (1959)

4
Some questions
  • Why does Orpheus look around?
  • So close, and yet so far
  • Why is Orpheus killed as he is?
  • Women angry about his men only cult?
  • Bacchae taking revenge for his Apollonian ways?
  • Dionysiac figure who gets harvested?
  • Is Orpheus follower of Apollo, or Dionysus, or
    some intermediary?

5
Was there a real Orpheus?
  • Certainly the belief of later antiquity
  • Had a shrine, as do other heroes
  • Likely a missionary of sorts, perhaps preaching
    some modified worship of Apollo and/or Dionysus,
    a gentle message, but the mysteries too.

6
Orphic Bible some teachings
  • Chronus first, then Aether, Chaos, Erebus
  • From Aether came Phanes, 1st god (aka Eros)
  • From Phanes, Night
  • From Night Phanes, Gaia, Uranus
  • And Gaia and Uranus produce Titans
  • When Zeus gets to power, swallows Phanes and
    creates anew

7
Orphic Bible some teachings, contd
  • Zeus mates with Kore (Persephone)
  • Dionysus (aka Zagreus) born
  • Titans dismember and devour Zagreus
  • Zeus zaps with thunderbolt, saves heart
  • Mortals made of Titan dust
  • Partly evil and mortal, partly pure and divine
  • Consequently, purification of soul,
    transmigration of soul, apotheosis possible.

8
Other Mystery Religions
  • Roman expansion mixing with locals
  • Syncretism a growing together
  • Romans adopt and adapt Greek mythology
  • Romans adopt and adapt other cultures
  • Mithraism from Persia
  • Dualist belief Mithras (light) v. dark
  • Very popular with the Roman army
  • Emblematic act slaying of the bull

9
Other Mystery Religions, contd
  • Dea Syria, from Syria
  • Earth goddess like Cybele or Demeter
  • Connected with Tammuz and Hadad (Semitic thunder
    god)
  • Worshipped in wild, ecstatic rituals involving
    flagellation

10
Other Mystery Religions
  • Isis, from Egypt
  • Mother goddess has rattle (sistrum) and bottle
    (situla) shaped like breast
  • Husband, Osiris, killed and scattered
  • Collects pieces, and has son, Horus
  • Worshippers view selves as her children
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