INTRODUCTION

The Greek theology, which originated with Orpheus, was promulgated not only by him but also by Pythagoras and Plato, who, due to their transcendent genius, will always be ranked by the intelligent among the prodigies of the human race. By the first of these illustrious men, however, it was promulgated mystically and symbolically; by the second, enigmatically and through images; and by the third, scientifically. That this theology was indeed derived from Orpheus is clearly testified by those two great philosophic luminaries, Iamblichusoriginal: "περὶ θεῶν Πυθαγόρας ὁ τῷ Μνησάρχῳ τοῦτο ἐξέμαθον, ὀργιασθεὶς ἐν Λιβήθροις τοῖς Θρακίοις Ἀγλαοφάμῳ τελετὰς μεταδόντος· ὡς ἄρα Ὀρφεὺς ὁ Καλλιόπας κατὰ τὸ Παγγαῖον ὄρος ὑπὸ τᾶς ματρὸς πινυσθεὶς ἔφα τὰν ἀριθμῷ οὐσίαν ἀΐδιον εἶναι." — Translation: "Pythagoras, son of Mnesarchus, learned this concerning the gods, having celebrated the orgies in the Thracian Libethra, when Aglaophamus initiated him into the rites. For Orpheus, son of Calliope, instructed by his mother upon Mount Pangaeus, declared that the essence of number is eternal." Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, p. 135. and Proclusoriginal: "Πυθαγόρειος ὁ Τίμαιος ἕπεται ταῖς Πυθαγορείων ἀρχαῖς, αὗται δέ εἰσιν αἱ Ὀρφικαὶ παραδόσεις· ἃ γὰρ Ὀρφεὺς δι’ ἀπορρήτων λογων μυστικως παραδεδωκε, ταυτα Πυθαγορας εξεμαθεν οργιασθεις εν Λιβηθροις τοις Θρακιοις, Αγλαοφαμου τελετας μεταδιδοντος, ην περι θεων σοφιαν παρα Καλλιοπης της μητρος επινυσθη." — Translation: "Timaeus the Pythagorean follows the principles of the Pythagoreans, and these are the Orphic traditions; for what Orpheus handed down mystically through arcane discourses, this Pythagoras learned, having celebrated the orgies in the Thracian Libethra, with Aglaophamus bestowing the rites, [and] the wisdom concerning the gods which he learned from his mother Calliope." Proclus in Timaeus, book v, p. 291.. For by—