INTRODUCTION.

simply considered, is represented under the symbol of an egg 6. This Orphic egg is the same as the 'mixture' of bound and infinity mentioned by Plato in the Philebus. See the third book of my translation of Proclus on the Theology of Plato.. And this is the first triad of the intelligible Gods. But for the perfection of the second triad, they establish either a conceiving and a conceived egg as a God, or a white garment, or a cloud: because from these Phanes The creator-god of the Orphic tradition. leaps forth into light. They philosophize in various ways concerning the middle triad. But Phanes here represents intellect. To conceive of him, however, in any other way—such as father and power—contributes nothing to Orpheus. But they call the third triad Metis as intellect, Ericapæus as power, and Phanes as father. Sometimes 8. "More" (poté) is erroneously printed instead of "sometimes" (mépote). the middle triad is considered according to the three-shaped God while still within the egg: for the middle always represents both extremes, as in this instance, where the egg and the three-shaped God exist together. Here you may perceive that the egg is that which is united; but that the