Defining Orphism: the Beliefs, the teletae and the Writings Anthi Chrysanthou Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Languages, Cultures and Societies Department of Classics May 2017 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his/her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. I This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. © 2017 The University of Leeds and Anthi Chrysanthou. The right of Anthi Chrysanthou to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. II Acknowledgements This research would not have been possible without the help and support of my supervisors, family and friends. Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors Prof. Malcolm Heath and Dr. Emma Stafford for their constant support during my research, for motivating me and for their patience in reading my drafts numerous times. It is due to their insightful comments and constructive feedback that I have managed to evolve as a researcher and a person. Our meetings were always delightful and thought provoking. I could not have imagined having better mentors for my Ph.D studies. Special thanks goes to Prof. Malcolm Heath for his help and advice on the reconstruction of the Orphic Rhapsodies. I would also like to thank the University of Leeds for giving me the opportunity to undertake this research and all the departmental and library staff for their support and guidance. I also thank my friends for all the fun we have had during our studies in Leeds; for the countless hours spent in the library and for our sleepless nights having stimulating conversations. Most of all I thank my partner Dovydas Binkauskas for his endless love and support and for always making me smile. Without his constant motivation it would not have been possible to conduct this research. My deepest gratitude goes to my family for supporting me spiritually through my life in general. My mother, Anna Chrysanthou, for always believing in me and for showing her loving support. My father, Chrysanthos Chrysanthou, for making me fall in love with the ancient Greek culture and for our philosophical conversations. My sister, Tania Chrysanthou, for her unconditional love and for always keeping my spirit up. My grandparents, Antonia Papantoniou and Michalis Papantoniou, for their faith in me and for supporting me in any way possible. III Abstract My research aims to define the Orphic beliefs and mysteries through the examination and analysis of the Orphic writings and evidence. I will be dealing with four main components which are: the Derveni Papyrus, the Orphic Rhapsodies, the Gold Tablets and the Olbian Bone Tablets. Apart from discussing these components individually, I will also inter-relate them through a narrative, conceptual and semiotic approach and comparison. Scholarship up to now has examined the aforementioned components individually, which did not allow for a substantial in depth comparison to take place. This is partly due to the fact that the Orphic Rhapsodies survive through innumerable fragments which do not offer a coherent picture of their contents. Part of my thesis, therefore, deals with this matter through attempting to reconstruct the surviving text of the Orphic Rhapsodies. Apart from these main components, I will also discuss numerous primary literary and archaeological sources referring directly or indirectly to Orphism, Orphics or Orpheus, and covering a chronological period from the 8th century B.C. up to Late Antique. This is essential in order to place Orphism in a historical and sociological context, and to enhance our observations considering the ancient attitudes towards Orphism. Through this all-encompassing approach to one of the most intriguing matters in the field of Classics, I hope to offer some useful insights as to how Orphism can be defined and gain a better understanding of the Orphic practices, texts and beliefs. IV Table of Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... III Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. IV Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................... V Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ VII List of Figures ................................................................................................................................... VIII List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... VIII Chapter 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Literature Review ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Methodology and Aims ............................................................................................................ 5 1.3 Justification and Contribution to Scholarship ......................................................................... 6 1.4 Outline of the Chapters ............................................................................................................ 8 Chapter 2: Non-Orphic material referring to Orphic practices, beliefs and writings ......................... 10 2.1. ‘Those affiliated to Orpheus…’ ................................................................................................. 10 2.2. Itinerant Priests, Sacred Books and Hieroi Logoi ..................................................................... 20 2.2.1. The use of ‘books’ and texts in religious practices ........................................................... 33 2.3. References to specific Orphic Rites, Mysteries and Practices ................................................. 42 2.3.1. Mainland Greece ................................................................................................................ 43 2.3.2. Thrace and Phrygia ............................................................................................................. 55 2.3.3. Asia Minor – Cyzicus ........................................................................................................... 63 2.4. Orphic writings and their authors ............................................................................................ 65 2.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 76 Chapter 3: The Myth of Dionysos’ Dismemberment .......................................................................... 78 3.1. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 101 Chapter 4: The Gold Tablets – Practical and Eschatological Aspects ............................................... 103 4.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 103 4.2. Archaeological and Geographical Information ...................................................................... 103 4.3. New Discoveries: New Theories ............................................................................................. 110 4.4. Textual Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 114 4.4.1. Instructions for an underworld journey .......................................................................... 117 4.4.2. Purity and divine lineage ................................................................................................. 121 4.4.3. Epic Formulas ................................................................................................................... 128 4.4.4. Stemmatological Approach – In search of an Archetype ................................................ 133 4.5. Ritualistic Analysis ................................................................................................................... 140 4.5.1. Performative Aspects of the Gold Tablets ...................................................................... 140 V 4.5.2. ‘A ram/bull/kid you fell into milk’ ................................................................................... 144 4.5.3. Similarities between the gold tablets and the Eighth Book of Moses ........................... 154 4.5.4. A katabatic mystery? ....................................................................................................... 159 4.6. Mnemosyne – Memory ........................................................................................................... 171 4.7. The Olbian Bone Tablets ......................................................................................................... 177 4.8. Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................