Misterios Baquicos y Eleusianos

8/7/2019 Misterios Baquicos y Eleusianos

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S= 4 "tromata, boo! iii.

S=@4 Commentary on the "tatesman o /lato, #a3e = @.

S=@4 The %esser Mysteries ;ere celebrated at )3raeF and the #ersons thereinitiated ;ere denominated Mystae4 nly such could be recei?ed at the sacredrites at Eleusis.

S=54 /hiloso#hy here relates to disci#line o the li e.

S= 4 ree! manteis manteis--more #ro#erly #ro#hets, those Illed by the#ro#hetic mania or eutheasm.

S= 4 More correctly-- The soul is yo!ed to the body as i by ;ay o#unishment, as cul#rits ;ere astened to others or e?en to cor#ses. "ee /aul sE#istle to the +omans, ?ii, 5.

S=94 ree! yle, matter su##osed to contain all the #rinci#les the ne3ati?e oli e, order, and 3oodness.

S=94 This #assa3e doubtless alludes to the ancient and beauti ul story oCu#id and /syche, in ;hich /syche is said to all aslee# in $adesF and thisthrou3h rashly attem#tin3 to behold cor#oreal beauty4 and the obser?ation o/lotinus ;ill enable the #ro ound and contem#lati?e reader to un old the3reater #art o the mysteries contained in this ele3ant able. But, #rior to/lotinus, /lato, in the se?enth boo! o his +e#ublic, asserts that such as areunable in the #resent li e to a##rehend the idea o the 3ood, ;ill descend to$ades a ter death, and all aslee# in its dar! abodes. s an me exei diorisasthaitui lo3ui, a#o tun allun #antun a elun ten toy a3athoy idean, !ai us#er en maxeidia #antun ele3xun diexiun, me !ata doxan alla !at oysian #rothymoymenosele3xein, en #asi toytois a#tuti tui lo3ui dia#oreyetai, oyte ayto to a3athonoyden eseis eidenai ton oytus exonta, oyte allo a3athon oydenF all ei #eeiduloy tinos e a#tetai, doxei oy! e#istemei e a#testhaiF !ai ton nyn biononeiro#oloynta, !ai y#nutonta, #rin enthad exer3esthaiF eis aidoy #roteron


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aI!omenon teleus e#i!atadarthaneinF i. e. $e ;ho is not able, by the exerciseo his reason, to deIne the idea o the 3ood, se#aratin3 it rom all otherobGects, and #iercin3, as in a battle, throu3h e?ery !ind o ar3umentFendea?orin3 to con ute, not accordin3 to o#inion, but accordin3 to essence,and #roceedin3 throu3h all these dialectical ener3ies ;ith an unsha!en

reasonF--he ;ho can not [#. @:] accom#lish this, ;ould you not say, that heneither !no;s the 3ood itsel , nor anythin3 ;hich is #ro#erly denominated3oodV )nd ;ould you not assert that such a one, ;hen he a##rehends anycertain ima3e o reality, a##rehends it rather throu3h the medium o o#inionthan o scienceF that in the #resent li e he is sun! in slee#, and con?ersant ;iththe delusion o dreamsF and that be ore he is roused to a ?i3ilant state he ;illdescend to $ades, and be o?er;helmed ;ith a slee# #er ectly #ro ound.

$enry a?is translates this #assa3e more critically4 's not the ease the same

;ith re erence to the 3oodV 0hoe?er can not lo3ically deIne it, abstractin3 theidea o the 3ood rom all others, and ta!in3, as in a I3ht, one o##osin3ar3ument a ter another, and can not #roceed ;ith un ailin3 #roo s, ea3er torest his ease, not on the 3round o o#inion, but o true bein3,--such a one!no;s nothin3 o the 3ood itsel , nor o any 3ood ;hate?erF and should heha?e attained to any !no;led3e o the 3ood, ;e must say that he has attainedit by o#inion, not by science Pe#istemeiQF that he is slee#in3 and dreamin3a;ay his #resent li eF and be ore he is roused ;ill descend to $ades, and therebe #ro oundly and #er ectly laid aslee#. ?ii. 1@.

S@=4 /haedo, =8. Those ;ho instituted the Mysteries or us a##ear to ha?eintimated that ;hoe?er shall arri?e in $ades un#uriIed and not initiated shalllie in mudF but he ;ho arri?es there #uriIed and initiated shall d;ell ;ith the3ods. or there are many bearers o the ;and or thyrsus, but e; ;ho areins#ired.

S@@4 'ntellect, ree! noys, nous, is the hi3her aculty o the mind. 't issubstantially the same as the #neuma, or s#irit, treated o in the (e;

TestamentF and hence the term intellectual, as used in Mr. Taylor s translationo the /latonic ;riters, may be #retty sa ely read as s#iritual, by those amiliar;ith the Christian cultus.

). 0.


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S@@4 /hysics o )ristotle.

S@A4 'C'(&"4 e 'mmortal. )nim. boo! x?iii.

S@ 4 0e obser?e in the (e; Testament a li!e dis#osition on the #art o 7esusand /aul to classi y their doctrines as esoteric and exoteric, the Mysteries othe !in3dom o od or the a#ostles, and #arables or the multitude. 0es#ea! ;isdom, says /aul, amon3 them that are #er ect Por initiatedQ, etc. 1Corinthians, ii. )lso 7esus declares4 't is 3i?en to you to !no; the Mysteries othe !in3dom o hea?en, but to them it is not 3i?enF there ore ' s#ea! to them in#arables4 because they seein3, see not, and hearin3, they hear not, neither dothey understand. --Matthe; xiii., 11-1=. $e also GustiIed the ;ithholdin3 o thehi3her and interior !no;led3e rom the untau3ht and ill-dis#osed, in thememorable "ermon on the Mount.--Matthe; ?ii.4

i?e ye not that ;hich is sacred to the do3s,

(either cast ye your #earls to the s;ineF

or the s;ine ;ill tread them under their eet

)nd the do3s ;ill turn and rend you.

This same di?ision o the Christians into neo#hytes and #er ect, a##ears toha?e been !e#t u# or centuriesF and od rey $i33ins asserts that it ismaintained in the +oman Church.--). 0.

S@84 $E+ T&", ii. 51, 81.

0hat r#heus deli?ered in hidden alle3ories /ytha3oras learned ;hen he ;asinitiated into the r#hic MysteriesF and /lato next recei?ed a !no;led3e othem rom the r#hic and /ytha3orean ;ritin3s.

S5:4 )ncient "ymbol-0orshi#, #a3e 11, note.


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S514 '. e., a dis#osition to in?esti3ate or the #ur#ose o elicitin3 truth, andreducin3 it to #ractice.

S5 4 Cocytus, lamentation, a ri?er in the &nder;orld.

S5 4 7acob Bryant says4 )ll ountains ;ere esteemed sacred, but es#eciallythose ;hich had any #reternatural Kuality and abounded ;ith exhalations. 't;as an uni?ersal notion that a di?ine ener3y #roceeded rom these eUu?iaFand that the #ersons ;ho resided in their ?icinity ;ere 3i ted ;ith a #ro#heticKuality. . . . The )mmonians styled such ountains )in m#he, or ountains othe oracleF om e, om#he, si3ni yin3 the ?oice o od. These terms the ree!scontracted to (ym e, num#he, a nym#h. --)ncient Mytholo3y, ?ol. i. #. A.

The el#hic oracle ;as abo?e a Issure, 3ounous or bocca in eriore, o theearth, and the #ythoness inhaled the ?a#ors.--). 0.

S5@4 +e#ublic. x, 1A. ) ter they ;ere laid aslee#, and midni3ht ;asa##roachin3, there ;as thunder and earthKua!eF and they ;ere thence on asudden carried u#;ard, some one ;ay, and some another, a##roachin3 to there3ion o 3eneration li!e stars.

S554 Material demons are a lo;er 3rade o s#iritual essences that are ca#ableo assumin3 orms ;hich ma!e them #erce#tible by the #hysical senses.--). 0.

S554 $yle or Matter. )ll e?il incident to human li e, as is here sho;n, ;assu##osed to ori3inate rom the connection o the soul to material substance,the latter bein3 re3arded as the rece#tacle [#. 5A] o e?erythin3 e?il. But ;hythe soul is thus immer3ed and #unished is no;here ex#lained.--). 0.

S594 This and the other citations rom Em#edocles are to be ound in the boo!o $ierocles on The olden


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SA=4 The #resence o Cerberus in recian and +oman descri#tions o the&nder;orld sho;s that the ideas o the #oets and mytholo3ists ;ere deri?ed,not only rom E3y#t, but rom the Brahmans o the ar East. *ama, the lord othe &nder;orld, is attended by his do3 6arbaru, the s#otted, styled also

Tri!asa, the three-headed.

SA@4 'n the second edition these terms are chan3ed to dianoietic anddoxastic, ;ords ;hich ;e cannot ado#t, as they are not acce#ted En3lishterms. The nous, intellect or s#irit, #ertains to the hi3her or intuitional #art othe mindF the dianoia or understandin3 to the reasonin3 aculty, and the doxa,or o#inion- ormin3 #o;er, to the aculty o in?esti3ation.--/lotinus, acce#tin3this theory o mind, says4 6no;led3e has three de3rees--o#inion, science, andillumination. The means or instrument o the Irst is rece#tionF o the second,dialecticF o the third, intuition. --). 0.

SA54 $ades, the &nder;orld, su##osed by classical students to be the re3ionor estate o de#arted souls, it ;ill ha?e been noticed, is re3arded by Mr. Taylorand other /latonists, as the human body, ;hich they consider to be the 3ra?eand #lace o #unishment o the soul.--). 0.

SAA4 )#orrheta, the arcane or conIdential disclosures made to the candidateunder3oin3 initiation. 'n the Eleusinia, these ;ere made by the $iero#hant, anden orced by him rom the Boo! o 'nter#retation, said to ha?e consisted o t;otablets o stone. This ;as the #etroma, a name usually deri?ed rom #etra, aroc!, [#. A ] or #ossibly rom #thr, #eter, an inter#reter. "ee ''. Corinthians, xii.A-8.--). 0.

SA 4 /haedo, 1A. The instruction in the doctrine 3i?en in the Mysteries, that;e human bein3s are in a !ind o #rison, and that ;e ou3ht not to reeoursel?es rom it or see! to esca#e, a##ears to me diNcult to be understood,and not easy to a##rehend. The 3ods ta!e care o us, and ;e are theirs.

/lotinus, it ;ill be remembered, #ercei?ed by the interior aculty that /or#hyrycontem#lated suicide, and admonished him accordin3ly.--). 0.


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SA84 'n the $indu mytholo3y, rom ;hich this symbolism is e?idently deri?ed,a deity de#ri?ed thus o the lin3am or #hallus, #arted ;ith his di?ine authority.

SA94 rom ionysus, the ree! name o Bacchus, and usually so translated.

S 54 Commentary on the "tatesman o /lato, #. =8 .

S8 4 Theolo3y o /lato, boo! i?. #. :.

S854 Theon a##ears to re3ard the Inal a#ocaly#se or e#o#teia, li!e E. /ococ!e

to ;hose ?ie;s allusion is made else;here. This ;riter says4 The initiated;ere styled eba#toi, and adds in a oot-note-- )?a#toi, literally obtainin3 or3ettin3. )ccordin3 to this the e#o#teia ;ould im#ly the Inal rece#tion o theinterior doctrines.--). 0.

S8 4 The a#ostle /aul a##arently alludes to the disclosin3 o the Mysticaldoctrines to the e#o#ts or seers, in his "econd E#istle to the Corinthians, xii. =,@4 ' !ne; a certain man,--;hether in [#. 88] body or outside o body, ' !no;not4 od !no;eth,--;ho ;as ra#t into #aradise, and heard arreta remata,

thin3s ineHable, ;hich it is not la; ul or a man to re#eat.

S884 /)&%, E#istle to the /hili##ians, iii, :4 ur citiJenshi# is in thehea?ens.

S894 Medical and "ur3ical +e#orter, ?ol. xxxii. #. 195. Those ;ho ha?e#ro essed to teach their ello;-mortals ne; truths concernin3 immortality, ha?ebased their authority on direct di?ine ins#iration. (uma, Roroaster,Mohammed, ";edenbor3, all claimed communication ;ith hi3her s#iritsF they;ere ;hat the ree!s called entheast-- immersed in od --a stri!in3 ;ord;hich Byron introduced into our ton3ue. Car#enter describes the condition asan automatic action o the brain. The ins#ired ideas arise in the mind suddenly,s#ontaneously, but ?ery ?i?idly, at some time ;hen thin!in3 o some otherto#ic. rancis alton deInes 3enius as the automatic acti?ity o the mind, asdistin3uished rom the eHort o the ;ill,--the ideas comin3 by ins#iration. This


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action, says the editor o the +e#orter, is lar3ely a?ored by a conditiona##roachin3 mental disorder--at least by one remote rom the ordinary ;or!in3day habits o thou3ht. astin3, #rolon3ed intense mental action, 3reat andunusual commotion o mind, ;ill #roduce itF and, indeed, these extraordinarydis#lays seem to ha?e been so #receded. 7esus, Buddha, Mohammed, all be3an

their careers by astin3, and ?isions o de?ils ollo;ed by an3els. Thecandidates in the Eleusinian Mysteries also sa; ?isions and a##aritions, ;hileen3a3ed in the mystic or3ies. 0e do not, ho;e?er, acce#t the materialistic?ie; o this subGect. The cases are entheasticF and althou3h hysteria and otherdisorders o the sym#athetic system sometimes imitate the #henomena, ;ebelie?e ;ith /lato and /lotinus, that the hi3her aculty, intellect or intuition as;e #re er to call it, the noetic #art o our nature, is the aculty actually at ;or!.

By reLection, [#. 9:] sel -!no;led3e, and intellectual disci#line, the soul canbe raised to the ?ision o eternal truth, 3oodness, and beauty--that is, to the?ision o od. This is the e#o#teia.--). 0.

S9 4 /%)T 4 +e#ublic, ?i. 5. $e ;ho #ossesses the lo?e o true !no;led3e isnaturally carried in his as#irations to the real #rinci#le o bein3F and his lo?e!no;s no re#ose till it shall ha?e been united ;ith the essence o each obGectthrou3h that #art o the soul, ;hich is a!in to the /ermanent and EssentialF andso, the di?ine conGunction ha?in3 e?ol?ed interior !no;led3e and truth, the!no;led3e o bein3 is ;on.

S984 Timaeus. xli?. The eity P emiur3usQ himsel ormed the di?ineF andthen deli?ered o?er to his celestial oHs#rin3 [the [#. 99] subordinate or3enerated 3ods], the tas! o creatin3 the mortal. These subordinate deities,co#yin3 the exam#le o their #arent, and recei?in3 rom his hands the immortal#rinci#les o the human soul, ashioned a ter this the mortal body, ;hich theyconsi3ned to the soul as a ?ehicle, and in ;hich they #laced also another !indo a soul, ;hich is mortal, and is the seat o ?iolent and atal #assions.

S994 That is to say, as i dyin3. 6ore ;as a name o /roser#ina.

S994 '. e. as i di?ided into #ieces.

S994 '. e. Chained ast.


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S1::4 l Corinthians, x?. @ -@@. "o also is the anastasis o the dead. 't is so;nin corru#tion [the material body]F it is raised in incorru#tion4 it is so;n indishonorF it is raised in 3lory4 it is so;n in ;ea!nessF it is raised in #o;er4 it isso;n a #sychical bodyF it is raised a s#iritual body.

S1: 4 The olden )ss. xi. #. =9 PBohnQ.

S1:=4 The #eculiar rites o the Mysteries ;ere indiHerently termed r3ies or%abors, teletai or Inishin3s, and initiations.

S1:@4 /haedrus, A@.

S1:@4 /+ C%&"4 Theolo3y o /lato, boo! i?. The ollo;in3 readin3 issu33ested4 The initiation and Inal disclosin3 are a symbol o the 'neHable"ilence, and o the enosis, or bein3 at one and en ra##ort ;ith the mystical?erities throu3h mani estations intuiti?ely com#rehended.

The myesis, muesis, or initiation is deIned by E. /ococ!e as relatin3 to the;ell-!no;n Buddhist Mo!sha, Inal and eternal ha##iness, the liberation o the

soul rom the body and its exem#tion rom urther transmi3ration. or allmystae there ore there ;as a certain ;elcome to the abodes o the blessed.

The term e#o#teia, e#o#teia, a##lied to the last scene o initiation, he deri?esrom the "anscrit, e?a#toi, an obtainin3F the e#o#t bein3 re3arded as ha?in3

secured or himsel or hersel di?ine bliss.

't is more usual, ho;e?er, to treat these terms as #ure ree!F and to render themuesis as initiation and to deri?e e#o#teia rom e#o#tomai. )ccordin3 to thisetymolo3y an e#o#t is a seer or clair?oyant, one ;ho !no;s the interior;isdom. The terms ins#ector and su#erintendent do not, to me, at all ex#ressthe idea, and ' am inclined, in act, to su##ose ;ith Mr. /ococ!e, that theMysteries came rom the East, and rom that to deduce that the technical;ords and ex#ressions are other than ree!.


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/lotinus, s#ea!in3 o this enosis or oneness, lays do;n a s#iritual disci#lineanalo3ous to that o the Mystic r3ies4 /uri y your soul rom all undue ho#eand ear about earthly thin3sF morti y [#. 1: ] the body, deny sel ,--aHectionsas ;ell as a##etites,--and the inner eye ;ill be3in to exercise its clear andsolemn ?ision. 'n the reduction o your soul to its sim#lest #rinci#les, the

di?ine 3erm, you attain this oneness. 0e stand then in the immediate #resenceo od, ;ho shines out rom the #ro ound de#ths o the soul. --). 0.

S1: 4 )/&%E'&"4 The olden )ss. xi. The candidate ;as instructed by thehiero#hant, and #ermitted to loo! ;ithin the cista or chest, ;hich contained themystic ser#ent, the #hallus, e33, and 3rains sacred to emeter. )s the e#o#t;as re?erent, or other;ise, he no; !ne; himsel by the sentiments aroused./lato and )lcibiades 3aJed ;ith emotions ;ide a#art.--). 0.

S1: 4 /% T'(&"4 %etter to laccus. 't is only no; and then that ;e can enGoythe ele?ation made #ossible or us, abo?e the limits o the body and the ;orld.' mysel ha?e realiJed it but three times as yet, and /or#hyry hitherto notonce.

[#. 1:8]

/or#hyry a ter;ard declared that he ;itnessed our times, ;hen near him, thesoul or intellect o /lotinus thus raised u# to the irst and "o?erei3n oodFalso that he himsel ;as only once so ele?ated to the enosis or union ;ith od,so as to ha?e 3lim#ses o the eternal ;orld. This did not occur till he ;as sixty-ei3ht years o a3e.--). 0.

S1:84 '. e. a luminous a##earance ;ithout any deIned orm or sha#e o anobGect.

S1:84 Commentary u#on the +e#ublic o /lato, #a3e =8:.

S1114 Ennead, i. boo! AF and ix. boo! 9.


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S1114 /lotinus, /or#hyry, 'amblichus, /roclus, %on3inus, and their associates.

S1114 E#ile#sy.

S11=4 i?ine %e3ation, #. =1.

S11=4 '. e. The Mother- oddess, 'sis or emeter, symboliJed as "elene or theMoon.

S1 :4 '. e. to its ormer di?ine condition.

S1 14 0e ha?e ta!en the liberty to #resent the ollo;in3 ?ersion o this#assa3e, as more correctly ex#ressin3 the sense o the ori3inal4 )t the holy#laces are Irst the #ublic #uriIcations. 0ith these the more arcane exercises

ollo;F and a ter those the obli3ations PsystaseisQ are ta!en, and the initiationsollo;, endin3 ;ith the e#o#tic disclosures. "o, as ;ill be seen, the moral and

social P#oliticalQ ?irtues are analo3ous to the #ublic #uriIcationsF the #uri yin3?irtues in their turn, ;hich ta!e the #lace o all external matters, corres#ond tothe more arcane disci#linesF the contem#lati?e exercises concernin3 thin3s to

be !no;n intuiti?ely to the ta!in3 o the obli3ationsF the includin3 o them asan undi?ided ;hole, to the initiationsF and the sim#le ocular ?ie; o sim#leobGects to the e#o#tic re?elations.

S1 4 The ;ritin3s o )u3ustin handed (eo-/latonism do;n to #osterity asthe ori3inal and esoteric doctrine o the Irst ollo;ers o /lato. $e enumeratesthe causes ;hich led, in his o#inion, to the ne3ati?e #osition assumed by the)cademics, and to the concealment o their real o#inions. $e describes /lotinusas a resuscitated /lato.--)3ainst the )cademics, iii. 1 - :.

S1 =4 /haedo, 1. 6indyneyoysi 3ar osoi ty3xanoysin orthus a#tomenoiIlosoIas lelethenai tas alloys, oti oyden allo aytoi e#itedeyoysin ea#othnes!ein te !ai tethnanai. '. e. or as many as ri3htly a##ly themsel?es to#hiloso#hy seem to ha?e le t others i3norant, that they themsel?es aim atnothin3 else than to die and to be dead.


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Else;here P=1Q "ocrates says4 0hile ;e li?e, ;e shall a##roach nearest tointuiti?e !no;led3e, i ;e hold no communion ;ith the body, exce#t, ;hatabsolute necessity reKuires, nor suHer oursel?es to be #er?aded by its nature,but #uri y oursel?es rom it until od himsel shall release us.

S1 @4 't is to be re3retted, ne?ertheless, that our author had not ris!ed thedan3er and drud3ery o learnin3 ree!, so as to ha?e rendered uller Gustice

to his subGect, and been o 3reater ser?ice to his readers. 0e are conscious thatthose ;ho are too learned in ?erbal criticism are #rone to o?erloo! the real#ur#ort o the text.--). 0.

S1 54 )/&%E'&"4 The olden )ss. P"tory o Cu#id and /sycheQ, boo! ?i.

S1 A4 Chests or bas!ets, made o osiers, in ;hich ;ere enclosed the mysticalima3es and utensils ;hich the uninitiated ;ere not #ermitted to behold.

S1 A4 '. e. as to deathF analo3ously to the descent o 6ore-/erse#hone to the&nder;orld.

S1 94 e iis et Mundo, #. 51.

S1=:4 E?an3. /rae#ar. boo! iii. cha#. .

S1==4 Coric rom 6ore, 6ore, a name o /roser#ina. The name is deri?ed by E./ococ!e rom the "anscrit oure.

S1=@4 /+ C%&"4 Theolo3y o /lato, #. = 1.

S1=54 /lotinus tau3ht the existence o three hy#ostases in the i?ine (ature. There ;as the emiur3e, the od o Creation and /ro?idenceF the "econd, the


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'ntelli3ible, sel -contained and immutable "ource o li eF and abo?e all, the ne,;ho li!e the Rer?ane )!erene o the /ersians, is abo?e all Bein3, a #ure ;ill, an)bsolute %o?e-- 'ntellect. --). 0.

S1=A4 )lso denominated by 6ant, /ure reason, and by /ro . Coc!er, 'ntuiti?ereason. 't ;as considered by /lato, as not amenable to the conditions o timeand s#ace, but in a #articular sense, as d;ellin3 in eternity4 and there oreca#able o beholdin3 eternal realities, and comin3 into communion ;ithabsolute beauty, and 3oodness, and truth--that is, ;ith od, the )bsoluteBein3.

S1=94 $ence ;e may #ercei?e the reason ;hy Ceres as ;ell as "aturn ;asdenominated a le3islati?e deityF and ;hy illuminations ;ere used in thecelebration o the "aturnalia, as ;ell as in the Eleusinian Mysteries.

S1@54 0hen the #erson turns the bac! u#on his hi3her aculties, anddisre3ards the communications ;hich he recei?es throu3h them rom the ;orldo unseen realities, an obli?ion ensues o their existence, and the #erson is nextbrou3ht ;ithin the #ro?ince and o#eration o lo;er and ;orldly ambitions, suchas a lo?e o #o;er, #assion or riches, sensual #leasure, etc. This is a descent,

all, or a#ostasy o the soul,--a se#aration rom the sources o di?ine li e andra?ishment into the re3ion o moral death.

'n the /haedrus, in the alle3ory o the Chariot and 0in3ed "teeds, /latore#resents the lo;er or in erior #art o man s nature as dra33in3 the soul do;nto the earth, and subGectin3 it to the sla?ery o cor#oreal conditions. ut othese conditions there arise numerous e?ils, that disorder the mind andbecloud the reason, or e?il is inherent to the condition o Inite and multi ormbein3 into ;hich ;e ha?e allen by our o;n ault. The #resent earthly li e is a

all and a #unishment. The soul is no; d;ellin3 in the 3ra?e ;hich ;e call thebody. 'n its incor#orate state, and #re?ious to the disci#line o education, the

rational element is aslee#. %i e is more o a dream than a reality. Men areutterly the sla?es o sense, the s#ort o #hantoms and illusions. 0e no;resemble those ca#ti?es chained in a subterraneous ca?e, so #oeticallydescribed in the se?enth boo! o The +e#ublicF their bac!s are turned to theli3ht, and conseKuently they see but the shado;s o the obGects ;hich #assbehind them, and they attribute to these shado;s a #er ect reality. Their


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soGourn u#on earth is thus a dar! im#risonment in the body, a dreamy exilerom their #ro#er home. --Coc!er s ree! /hiloso#hy.

S1@ 4 / +/$*+*4 Ca?e o the (ym#hs. 'n the later ree!, nym e si3niIed abride.

S15:4 $ ME+4 $ymn to Ceres. 0e ;ere #luc!in3 the #leasant Lo;ers, thebeauteous crocus, and the 'ris, and hyacinth, and the narcissus, ;hich, li!e thecrocus, the ;ide earth #roduced. ' ;as #luc!in3 them ;ith Goy, ;hen the earthya;ned beneath, and out lea#ed the "tron3 6in3, the Many-+ecei?er, and ;entbearin3 me, 3rie?in3 much, beneath the earth in his 3olden chariot, and ' criedaloud.

S1594 Manteis, manteis, not iereis. The term is more commonly translated#ro#hets, and actually si3niIes #ersons 3i ted ;ith di?ine insi3ht, throu3hbein3 in an entheastic condition, called also mania or di?ine ury.

S1A:4 The soul is a com#osite nature, is on one side lin!ed to the eternal;orld, its essence bein3 3enerated o that ineHable element ;hich constitutesthe real, the immutable, and the #ermanent. 't is a beam o the eternal "un, as#ar! o the i?inity, an emanation rom od. n the other hand, it is lin!ed tothe #henomenal or sensible ;orld, its emoti?e #art bein3 ormed o that ;hichis relati?e and #henomenal. --Coc!er.

S1A=4 $ymn to Ceres. or nine days did holy emeter #erambulate theearth . . and ;hen the ninth shinin3 morn had come, $ecate met her, brin3in3ne;s.

)#uleius also ex#lains that at the initiation into the Mysteries o 'sis thecandidate ;as enGoined to abstain rom luxurious ood or ten days, rom theLesh o animals, and rom ;ine.-- olden )ss, boo! xi. #. =9 PBohnQ.

S1A@4 nly #ersons ta!in3 a ?ie; solely external ;ill su##ose the 3alaxy to beliterally the mil!y belt o stars in the s!y.


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S1A@4 Ca?e o the (ym#hs.

S1A54 Theolo3y o /lato, boo! ?i.

S1AA4 The Moon ty#iIed the mother o 3ods and men. The soul descendin3into the lunar orb thus came near the scenes o earthly existence, ;here theli e ;hich is transmitted by 3eneration has o##ortunity to in?ol?e it about.

S1AA4 The condition most unli!e the ormer di?ine estate.

S1A94 )n orbicular I3ure symboliJed the maternal, and a cone the masculinedi?ine Ener3y.

S1A94 /+ C%&"4 Theolo3y o /lato, boo! ?i. c. 1:.

S1 :4 $ ME+4 $ymn to Ceres. To her Metaneira 3a?e a cu# o s;eet ;ine,

but she re used itF but bade her to mix ;heat and ;ater ;ith #ounded#ennyroyal. $a?in3 made the mixture, she 3a?e it to the 3oddess.

S1 4 yne, 3une, ;oman, rom 3oynos, 3ounos, %atin cunnus.

S1 54 &ncandidness ;as more #robably the ault o ;hich Clement ;as 3uilty.

S1 54 i?ine %e3ation o Moses, boo! ii.

S1 54 The ;isest and best men in the /a3an ;orld are unanimous in this,that the Mysteries ;ere instituted #ure, and #ro#osed the noblest ends by the;orthiest means.


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S1 A4 Mysteries o the E3y#tians, Chaldeans, and )ssyrians.

S1 94 ) 3olden ser#ent, an e33, and the #hallus. The e#o#t loo!in3 u#onthese, ;as ra#t ;ith a;e as contem#latin3 in the symbols the dee#ermysteries o all li e, or bein3 o a 3rosser tem#er, too! a lasci?ious im#ression.

Thus as a seer, he beheld ;ith the eyes o sense or sentimentF and the reala#ocaly#se ;as there ore that made to himsel o his o;n moral li e andcharacter.--). 0.

S18:4 Exiled rom the true home o the s#irit, im#risoned in the body,disordered by #assion, and beclouded by sense, the soul has yet lon3in3s a ter

that state o #er ect !no;led3e, and #urity, and bliss, in ;hich it ;as Irstcreated. 'ts aNnities are still on hi3h. 't yearns or a hi3her and nobler orm oli e. 't essays to rise, but its eye is dar!ened by sense, its ;in3s are besmearedby #assion and lustF it is borne do;n;ard until it alls u#on and attaches itselto that ;hich is material and sensual, and it Lounders and 3ro?els still amidthe obGects o sense. )nd no;, /lato as!s4 $o; may the soul be deli?ered romthe illusions o sense, the distem#erin3 inLuence o the body, and thedisturbances o #assion, ;hich becloud its ?ision o the real, the 3ood, and thetrueV

/lato belie?ed and ho#ed that this could be accom#lished by #hiloso#hy. Thishe re3arded as a 3rand intellectual disci#line or the #uriIcation o the soul. Bythis it ;as to be disenthralled rom the bonda3e o sense, and raised into theem#yrean o #ure thou3ht, ;here truth and reality shine orth. )ll souls ha?ethe aculty o !no;in3, but it is only by reLection and sel -!no;led3e, andintellectual disci#line, that the soul can be raised to the ?ision o eternal truth,3oodness, and beauty--that is, to the ?ision o od. --C C6E+4 Christianity and

ree! /hiloso#hy, x. ##. =51- .

S1814 't is lin!ed to the #henomenal or sensible ;orld, its emoti?e #artPe#ithymeti!onQ bein3 ormed o ;hat is relati?e and #henomenal.

S18=4 6'+C$E+4 beliscus /am#hilius, #a3e .


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S18@4 /%&T)+C$4 Euseb.

S18@4 '. e. Ex#osition o the la;s and o#erations o (ature.

S1854 Mysteriudes, mystery-li!e.

The Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries, by Thomas Taylor, [1891], at sacred-texts.com

[#. 18A]

/syche )slee# in $ades.

[#. 18 ]

+i?er oddesses.

"ECT' ( ''.

T$E ionysiacal sacred rites instituted by r#heus, [ ] de#ended on theollo;in3 arcane narration, #art o ;hich has been already related in the

#recedin3 section, and the rest may be ound in a ?ariety o authors.

ionysus, or Bacchus [Ra3reus], ;hile he ;as yet a boy, ;as en3a3ed by the Titans, throu3h the strata3ems o 7uno, in a ?ariety o s#orts, ;ith ;hich that#eriod o

[#. 188]


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li e is so ?ehemently alluredF and amon3 the rest, he ;as #articularlyca#ti?ated ;ith beholdin3 his ima3e in a mirrorF durin3 his admiration o ;hich,he ;as miserably torn in #ieces by the TitansF ;ho, not content ;ith thiscruelty, Irst boiled his members in ;ater, and a ter;ards roasted them by theIre. But ;hile they ;ere tastin3 his Lesh thus dressed, 7u#iter, roused by the

odor, and #ercei?in3 the cruelty o the deed, hurled his thunder at the TitansFbut committed the members o Bacchus to )#ollo, his brother, that they mi3htbe #ro#erly interred. )nd this bein3 #er ormed, ionysus P;hose heart durin3his laceration ;as snatched a;ay by /allas and #reser?edQ, by a ne;re3eneration a3ain emer3ed, and bein3 restored to his #ristine li e andinte3rity,

[#. 189]

he a ter;ards Illed u# the number o the 3ods. But in the mean time, rom theexhalations arisin3 rom the ashes o the burnin3 bodies o the Titans, man!ind;ere #roduced. (o;, in order to understand #ro#erly the secret o thisnarration, it is necessary to re#eat the obser?ation already made in the#recedin3 cha#ter, that all ables belon3in3 to mystic ceremonies are o themixed !ind 4 and conseKuently the #resent able, as ;ell as that o /roser#ina,must in one #art ha?e re erence to the 3ods, and in the other to the humansoul, as the ollo;in3 ex#osition ;ill abundantly e?ince4

'n the Irst #lace, then, by ionysus, or Bacchus, accordin3 to the hi3hestconce#tion o this deity, ;e understand the s#iritual #art o the mundane soulF

or there are ?arious #rocessions or a?atars o this 3od, or Bacchuses, deri?edrom his essence. But by the Titans ;e must understand the mundane 3ods, o

;hom Bacchus is the hi3hestF by 7u#iter, the emiur3us, [ ] or artiIcer o

[#. 19:]

the uni?erseF by )#ollo, the deity o the "un, ;ho has both a mundane andsu#er-mundane establishment, and by ;hom the uni?erse is bound insymmetry and consent, throu3h s#lendid reasons and harmoniJin3 #o;erF and,lastly, by Miner?a ;e must understand that ori3inal, intellectual, rulin3, and#ro?idential deity, ;ho 3uards and #reser?es all middle li?es [ ] in animmutable condition, throu3h intelli3ence and a sel -su##ortin3 li e, and by this


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means sustains them rom the de#redations and inroads o matter. )3ain, bythe in ancy o Bacchus at the #eriod o his laceration, the condition o theintellectual nature is im#liedF since, accordin3 to the r#hic theolo3y, souls,under the 3o?ernment o "aturn, or 6ronos, ;ho is #ure intellect or s#irituality,instead o #roceedin3, as no;, rom youth to a3e, ad?ance in a retro3rade

#ro3ression rom a3e to youth. [ ] The arts em#loyed by

[#. 191]

the Titans, in order to ensnare ionysius, are symbolical o those a##arent anddi?isible ener3ies o the mundane 3ods, throu3h ;hich the #artici#atedintellect o Bacchus becomes, as it ;ere, torn in #iecesF and by the mirror ;emust understand, in the lan3ua3e o /roclus, the ina#titude o the uni?erse torecei?e the #lenitude o intellectual #er ectionF but the symbolical meanin3 ohis laceration, throu3h the strata3ems o 7uno, and the conseKuent #unishmento the Titans, is thus beauti ully un olded by lym#iodorus, in his M".Commentary on the /haedo o /lato4 The orm, says he, o that ;hich isuni?ersal is #luc!ed oH, torn in #ieces, and scattered into 3enerationF and

ionysus is the monad o the Titans. But his laceration is said to ta!e #lacethrou3h the strata3ems o 7uno,

[#. 19 ]

because this 3oddess is the su#er?isin3 3uardian o motion and #ro3ressionF[ ] and on this account, in the 'liad, she #er#etually rouses and excites 7u#iterto #ro?idential action about secondary concernsF and, in another res#ect,

ionysus is the e#horus or su#er?isin3 3uardian o 3eneration, because he#resides o?er li e and deathF or he is the 3uardian or e#horus o li e because o 3eneration, and also o death because ;ine #roduces an enthusiastic condition.0e become more enthusiastic at the #eriod o dyin3, as /roclus indicates in theexam#le o $omer ;ho became #ro#hetic [manti!os] at the time o his death.

[ ] They li!e;ise assert, that tra3edy and comedy are assi3ned to ionysus4comedy bein3 the #lay or ludicrous re#resentation o li eF and tra3edy ha?in3relation to the

[#. 19=]


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ionysus, ;hich ;ere buried by this deity, a3ain emer3ed by a ne; 3eneration,and ;ere restored to their #ristine inte3rity and li e. But let it here be care ullyobser?ed, that reno?ation, ;hen a##lied to the 3ods, is to be considered assecretly im#lyin3 the risin3 o their #ro#er li3ht, and its conseKuent a##earanceto subordinate natures. )nd that #unishment, ;hen considered as ta!in3 #lace

about bein3s o a nature su#erior to man!ind, si3niIes nothin3 more than asecondary #ro?idence o?er such bein3s ;hich is o a #unishin3 character, and;hich subsists about souls that deteriorate. $ence, then, rom ;hat has beensaid, ;e may easily collect the ultimate desi3n o the Irst #art o this mystic

ableF or it a##ears to be

[#. 19A]

no other than to re#resent the manner in ;hich the orm o the mundaneintellect is di?ided throu3h the uni?erseF--that such an intellect Pand e?ery one;hich is totalQ remains entire durin3 its di?ision into #arts, and that the di?ided#arts themsel?es are continually turned a3ain to their source, ;ith ;hich theybecome Inally united. "o that illumination rom the hi3her reason, ;hile it#roceeds into the dar! and reboundin3 rece#tacle o matter, and in?ests itsobscurity ;ith the su#er?enin3 ornaments o di?ine li3ht, returns at the sametime ;ithout interru#tion to the source or #rinci#le o its descent.

%et us no; consider the latter #art o the able, in ;hich it is said that our souls;ere ormed rom the ?a#ors emanatin3 rom the ashes o the burnin3 bodieso the TitansF at the same time connectin3 it ;ith the ormer #art o the able,;hich is also a##licable in a certain de3ree to the condition o a #artial intellect[ ] li!e ours. 'n the Irst

[#. 19 ] [#. 198]

Etruscan Eleusinians.

[#. 199]


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#lace, then, ;e are made u# rom ra3ments Psays lym#iodorusQ, because,throu3h allin3 into 3eneration, our li e has #roceeded into the most distant andextreme di?isionF and rom Titanic ra3ments, because the Titans are theultimate artiIcers o thin3s, [ ] and stand immediately next to ;hate?er isconstituted rom them. But urther, our irrational li e is Titanic, by ;hich the

rational and hi3her li e is torn in #ieces. $ence, ;hen ;e dis#erse theionysus, or intuiti?e intellect contained in the secret recesses o our nature,

brea!in3 in #ieces the !indred and di?ine orm o our essence, and ;hichcommunicates, as it ;ere, both ;ith thin3s subordinate and su#reme, then ;ebecome Titans Por a#ostatesQF but ;hen ;e establish oursel?es in union ;iththis ionysiacal or !indred orm, then ;e become Bacchuses, or #er ect3uardians and !ee#ers o our irrational li e4 or ionysus, ;hom in this res#ect;e resemble, is himsel an e#horus or

[#. ::]

3uardian deity, dissol?in3 at his #leasure the bonds by ;hich the soul is unitedto the body, since he is the cause o a #arted li e. But it is necessary that the#assi?e or eminine nature o our irrational #art, throu3h ;hich ;e are bound inbody, and ;hich is nothin3 more than the resoundin3 echo, as it ;ere, o soul,should suHer the #unishment incurred by descentF or ;hen the soul castsaside the [di?ine] #eculiarity o her nature, she reKuires her o;n, but at thesame time a multi orm body, that she may a3ain become in need o a common

orm, ;hich she has lost throu3h Titanic dis#ersion into matter.

But in order to see the #er ect resemblance bet;een the manner in ;hich oursouls descend and the di?idin3 o the intuiti?e intellect by mundane natures,let the reader attend to the ollo;in3 admirable citation rom the manuscri#tCommentary o lym#iodorus on the /haedo o /lato4 't is necessary, Irst oall, or the soul to #lace a li!eness o hersel in the body. This is to ensoul thebody. "econdly, it is necessary

[#. :1]

or her to sym#athiJe ;ith the ima3e, as bein3 o li!e idea. or e?ery externalorm or substance is ;rou3ht into an identity ;ith its interior substance,

throu3h an in3enerated tendency thereto. 'n the third #lace, bein3 situated in a


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di?ided nature, it is necessary that she should be torn in #ieces, and all into alast se#aration, till, throu3h the action o a li e o #uriIcation, she shall raisehersel rom the dis#ersion, loose the bond o sym#athy, and act as o hersel;ithout the external ima3e, ha?in3 become established accordin3 to the Irst-created li e. The li!e thin3s are abled in the exam#le. or ionysus or Bacchus

because his ima3e ;as ormed in a mirror, #ursued it, and thus becamedistributed into e?erythin3. But )#ollo collected him and brou3ht him u#F bein3a deity o #uriIcation, and the true sa?ior o ionysusF and on this account heis styled in the sacred hymns, ionusites. ti dei #ruton y#ostesai e!ona ten#syxen eaytoy en tui sumati. Toyto 3ar esti #syxusai to suma. eyteron desym#athein tui eidului, !ata ten omoeideian. /an 3ar eidos e#ei3etai

[#. : ]

eis ten #ros eayto taytoeta dia ten #ros eayto syneysin em yton. Triton en tuimerismui 3enomenen syndia#asthenai aytui, !ai eis ton esxaton e!#eseinmerismon. Eus an dai tes !athartie!es Jues syna3eirai men eayten a#o toys!or#ismoy, lyse de ton desmon tes syme#atheias, #roballetai de ten aney toyeiduloy, !ath eayten estusan #rutoyr3on Juen. ti ta omoia mytheyetai, !ai entui #aradei3mati. 3ar ionysos, oti to eidulon enethe!e tu eso#tru toytuie es#eto. 6ai oytus eis to #an emeristhe. de )#ollun syna3eirei te ayton !aiana3ei, !atharti!os un theos, !ai toy ionysoy suter us aluithus. 6ai dia toyto

ionysotes anymeitai. $ence, as the same author beauti ully obser?es, the soul

re?ol?es accordin3 to a mystic and mundane re?olution4 or Lyin3 rom anindi?isible and ionysiacal li e, and o#eratin3 accordin3 to a Titanic andre?oltin3 ener3y, she becomes bound in the body as in a #rison. $ence, too,she abides in #unishment and ta!es care o her #artial and secondaryconcernsF and bein3 #uriIed rom Titanic deIlements, and collected into one,she becomes

[#. :=]

a BacchusF that is, she #asses into the #ro#er inte3rity o her nature accordin3to the di?ine #rinci#le rulin3 on hi3h. rom all ;hich it e?idently ollo;s, that he;ho li?es ionysiacally rests rom labors and is reed rom his bondsF [ ] thathe lea?es his #rison, or rather his a#ostatiJin3 li eF and that he ;ho does this isa #hiloso#her #uri yin3 himsel rom the contaminations o his earthly li e. But

arther rom this account o ionysus, ;e may #ercei?e the truth o /lato s


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obser?ation, that the desi3n o the Mysteries is to lead us bac! to the#er ection rom ;hich, as our be3innin3, ;e Irst made our descent. or in this#er ection ionysus himsel subsists, establishin3 #er ect souls in the throne ohis atherF that is, in the inte3rity o a li e accordin3 to 7u#iter. "o that he ;ho is#er ect necessarily resides ;ith the 3ods, accordin3 to the desi3n o those

deities, ;ho are the sources o consummate #er ection to the soul. )nd lastly,

[#. :@]

the Thyrsus itsel , ;hich ;as used in the Bacchic #rocession, as it ;as a reedull o !nots, is an a#t symbol o the diHusion o the hi3her nature into the

sensible ;orld. )nd a3reeable to this, lym#iodorus on the /haedo obser?es,that the Thyrsus [ ] is a symbol o a ormin3 ane; o the material and #arted

substance rom its scattered conditionF and that on this account it is a Titanic#lant. This it ;as customary to extend be ore Bacchus instead o his #aternalsce#terF and throu3h this they called him do;n into our #artial nature. 'ndeed,the Titans are Thyrsus-bearersF and /rometheus concealed Ire in a Thyrus orreedF a ter ;hich he is considered as brin3in3 celestial li3ht into 3eneration, orleadin3 the soul into the body, or callin3 orth the di?ine illumination, the ;holebein3 un3enerated, into 3enerated existence. $ence "ocrates calls themultitude Thyrsus-bearers r#hically, as li?in3 accordin3 to a Titanic li e. ti onarthex symbolon esti tes enyloy demioyr3ias, !ai meristes, dia

[#. :5] [#. :A]

aun and Bacchante. Thyrsus-Bearer. Bacchante and aun.

[#. : ]

ten malista dies#armenen synexeian, othen !ai Titani!on to yton. 6ai 3ar tuiionysui #roteinoysin aytui, anti toy #atri!oy s!e#troy. 6ai taytei #ro!aloyntai

ayton eis ton meri!on. 6ai mentoi, !ai narthe!o oroysin oi Titanes, !ai o/rometheys, en narthe!i !le#ti to #yr, eite to oyranion us eis ten 3enesin!atas#un, eite ten #syxen eis to suma #roa3un, eite ten theian ellam#sin olena3enneton oysan, eis ten 3enesin #ro!aloymenos. ia de toyto, !ai o "u!ratestoys #olloys !alei narthe!o oroys rI!us, us Juntas Titani!us.


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)nd thus much or the secret meanin3 o the able, ;hich ormed a #rinci#al#art o these mystic rites. %et us no; #roceed to consider the si3niIcation othe symbols, ;hich, accordin3 to Clemens )lexandrinus, belon3ed to theBacchic ceremoniesF and ;hich are com#rehended in the ollo;in3 r#hic?erses4

6unos, !ai rombos, !ai #ai3nia !am#esi3yia

Mela te xrysea !ala #ar es#eridun li3y unun.

That is,

) ;heel, a #ine-nut, and the ;anton #lays,

0hich mo?e and bend the limbs in ?arious ;ays4

[#. :8]

0ith these th $es#erian 3olden- ruit combine,

0hich beauteous nym#hs de end o ?oice di?ine.

To all ;hich Clemens adds eso#tron, eso#tron, a mirror, #o!os, #o!os, a Leeceo ;ool, and astra3alos, astra3alos, the an!le-bone. 'n the Irst #lace, then, ;ithres#ect to the ;heel, since ionysus, as ;e ha?e already ex#lained, is themundane intellect, and intellect is o an ele?atin3 and con?erti?e nature,nothin3 can be a more a#t symbol o intellectual action than a ;heel or s#here4besides, as the laceration and dismemberment o ionysus si3niIes the 3oin3-

orth o intellectual illumination into matter, and its returnin3 at the same timeto its source, this too ;ill be a#tly symboliJed by a ;heel. 'n the second #lace,a #ine-nut, rom its conical sha#e, is a #ers#icuous symbol o the manner in;hich intellectual or s#iritual illumination #roceeds rom its source andbe3innin3 into a material nature. or the soul, says Macrobius, [ ]

#roceedin3 rom a round I3ure, ;hich is the only di?ine orm, is extended intothe orm o a cone in 3oin3 orth.


113/172

[#. :9]

[#ara3ra#h continues] )nd the same is true symbolically o the hi3her intellect.)nd as to the ;anton s#orts ;hich bend the limbs, this e?idently alludes to the

Titanic arts, by ;hich ionysus ;as allured, and occultly si3niIes the acultieso the mundane intellect, considered as subsistin3 accordin3 to an a##arentand di?isible condition. But the $es#erian 3olden-a##les si3ni y the #ure andincorru#tible nature o that intellect or ionysus, ;hich is #ossessed by the;orldF or a 3olden-a##le, accordin3 to "allust, is a symbol o the ;orldF andthis doubtless, both on account o its external I3ure, and the incorru#tibleintellect ;hich it contains, and ;ith the illuminations o ;hich it is externallyadornedF since 3old, on account o ne?er bein3 subGect to rust, a#tly denotesan incorru#tible and immaterial nature. The mirror, ;hich is the next symbol,;e ha?e already ex#lained. )nd as to the Leece o ;ool, this is a symbol olaceration, or distribution o intellect, or ionysus, into matterF or the ?erbs#arattu, s#aratto, dilanio, ;hich is used in the relation o the Bacchicdiscer#tion, si3niIes to tear in #ieces

[#. 1:]

li!e ;ool4 and hence 'sidorus deri?es the %atin ;ord lana, ;ool, rom laniando,as ?ellus rom ?ellendo. (or must it #ass unobser?ed, that leinos, in ree!,si3niIes ;ool, and lenos, a ;ine-#ress. [ ] )nd, indeed, the #ressin3 o 3ra#esis as e?ident a symbol o dis#ersion as the tearin3 o ;oolF and thiscircumstance ;as doubtless one #rinci#al reason ;hy 3ra#es ;ere consecratedto Bacchus4 or a 3ra#e, #re?ious to its #ressure, a#tly re#resents that ;hich iscollected into oneF and ;hen it is #ressed into Guice, it no less a#tly re#resentsthe diHusion o that ;hich ;as be ore collected and entire. )nd lastly, theastra3alos, astra3alos, or an!le-bone, as it is #rinci#ally subser?ient to the#ro3ressi?e motion o animals, so it belon3s, ;ith 3reat #ro#riety, to the mysticsymbols o BacchusF since it doubtless si3niIes the 3oin3 orth o that deityinto the de#artment o #hysical existence4 or nature, or that di?isible li e ;hichsubsists about the body,

[#. 11] [#. 1 ]


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$ercules +eclinin3.

[#. 1=]

and ;hich is #roducti?e o seeds, immediately de#ends on Bacchus. )nd hence;e are in ormed by /roclus, that the sexual #arts o this 3od are denominatedby theolo3ists, iana, ;ho, says he, #resides o?er the ;hole o the 3enerationinto natural existence, leads orth into li3ht all natural reasons, and extends a#roliIc #o;er rom on hi3h e?en to the subterranean realms. [ ] )nd hence ;emay #ercei?e the reason ;hy, in the r#hic $ymn to (ature, that 3oddess isdescribed as turnin3 round silent traces ;ith the an!le-bones o her eet.

)#so on astra3aloisi #odun ixnos eilissoysa.

)nd it is hi3hly ;orthy our obser?ation that in this ?erse o the hymn (ature iscelebrated as ortune, accordin3 to that descri#tion o the 3oddess in ;hichshe is re#resented as standin3 ;ith her eet on a ;heel ;hich she continuallyturns roundF as the ollo;in3 ?erse rom the same hymn abundantly conIrms4

)enaui stro ali33i thoon rhyma dineyoysa.

[#. 1@]

The sense o ;hich is, mo?in3 ;ith ra#id motion on an eternal ;heel. (orou3ht it to seem ;onder ul that (ature should he celebrated as ortuneF or

ortune in the r#hic hymn to that deity is in?o!ed as iana4 and the moon, as;e ha?e obser?ed in the #recedin3 section, is the ayto#ton a3alma yseus, thesel -re?ealin3 emblem o (atureF and indeed the a##arent inconstancy o

ortune has an e?ident a3reement ;ith the Luctuatin3 condition in ;hich thedominions o nature are #er#etually in?ol?ed.

't only no; remains that ;e ex#lain the secret meanin3 o the sacred dress;ith ;hich the initiated in the ionysiacal Mysteries ;ere in?ested, in order to


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the thronismos Pthronismos, enthronin3Q ta!in3 #laceF or sittin3 in a solemnmanner on a throne, about ;hich it ;as customary or the other initiates todance. But the #articulars o this habit are thus described in the r#hic ?erses#reser?ed by Macrobius4 [ ]

Tayta 3e #anta telein ierai s!eyei #y!asanta,

"uma theoy #lattein eriay3oys eelioio.

[#. 15]

/ruta men ar3y eais enali3!ion a!tinessin

/e#lon oini!eron Ple3e oini!eonQ #ryii!elon amIbalesthai.

)ytar y#erthe nebroio #anaioloy eiry !atha#sai

erma #olysti!ton theros !ata dexion umon,

)strun daidaleun mimim ieroy te #oloio.

Eita d y#erthe nebres xryseon Justera balesthai

/am anounta #erix sternun oreein me3a sema

Eythys ot e! #eratun aies aethun anoroysun

6hryseiais a!tisi balei rhoon !eanoio,

)y3e d as#etos e, ana d drosui amImi3eisa

Marmairei dineisin elissomene !ata !y!lon,

/rosthe theoy. Rune d ar y#o sternun ametretun

ainet ar &!eanoy !y!los, me3a thaym eisidesthai.

That is,

$e ;ho desires in #om# o sacred dress

The sun s res#lendent body to ex#ress,


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"hould Irst a ?ail assume o #ur#le bri3ht,

%i!e air ;hite beams combin d ;ith Iery li3ht4

n his ri3ht shoulder, next, a mule s broad hide

0idely di?ersiIed ;ith s#otted #ride

"hould han3, an ima3e o the #ole di?ine,

)nd daedal stars, ;hose orbs eternal shine.

) 3olden s#lendid Jone, then, o er the ?est

$e next should thro;, and bind it round his breastF

'n mi3hty to!en, ho; ;ith 3olden li3ht,

The risin3 sun, rom earth s last bounds and ni3ht "udden emer3es, and, ;ith matchless orce,

arts throu3h old cean s billo;s in his course.

) boundless s#lendor hence, enshrin d in de;,

/lays on his ;hirl#ools, 3lorious to the ?ie;F

0hile his circumLuent ;aters s#read abroad,

ull in the #resence o the radiant 3od4

[#. 1A]

But cean s circle, li!e a Jone o li3ht,

The sun s ;ide bosom 3irds, and charms the ;ond rin3 si3ht.

'n the Irst #lace, then, let us consider ;hy this mystic dress belon3in3 toBacchus is to re#resent the sun. (o; the reason o this ;ill be e?ident rom the

ollo;in3 obser?ations4 accordin3 to the r#hic theolo3y, the di?ine intellect oe?ery #lanet is denominated a Bacchus, ;ho is characteriJed in each by adiHerent a##ellationF so that the intellect o the solar deity is called TrietericusBacchus. )nd in the second #lace, since the di?inity o the sun, accordin3 tothe arcana o the ancient theolo3y, has a su#er-mundane as ;ell as mundane


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establishment, and is ;holly o an exaltin3 or intellectual natureF henceconsidered as su#er-mundane he must both #roduce and contain the mundaneintellect, or ionysus, in his essenceF or all the mundane are contained in thesu#er-mundane deities, by ;hom also they are #roduced. $ence /roclus, in hisele3ant $ymn to the "un, says4

"e !lyton ymneioysi iunyssoio to!ea.

[#. 1 ]

That is, they celebrate thee in hymns as the illustrious #arent o ionysus.)nd thirdly, it is throu3h the subsistence o ionysus in the sun that thatluminary deri?es its circular motion, as is e?ident rom the ollo;in3 r#hic?erse, in ;hich, s#ea!in3 o the sun, it is said o him, that

---- ionysos d e#e!lethe,

yne!a dineitai !at a#eirona ma!ron lym#on.

$e is called ionysus, because he is carried ;ith a circular motion throu3h theimmensely-extended hea?ens. )nd this ;ith the 3reatest #ro#riety, sinceintellect, as ;e ha?e already obser?ed, is entirely o a trans ormin3 andele?atin3 nature4 so that rom all this, it is suNciently e?ident ;hy the dress o

ionysus is re#resented as belon3in3 to the sun. 'n the second #lace, the ?ail,resemblin3 a mixture o Iery li3ht, is an ob?ious ima3e o the solar Ire. )nd asto the s#otted mule-s!in, [ ] ;hich is to re#resent the starry hea?ens, this isnothin3 more than an ima3e o

[#. 18]

the moonF this luminary, accordin3 to /roclus on $esiod, resemblin3 the mixednature o a muleF becomin3 dar! throu3h her #artici#ation o earth, andderi?in3 her #ro#er li3ht rom the sun. es men exoysa to s!otiJesthai, elioyde to oi!eion eilexenai us. Tayte men oyn oi!eiutai #ros ayten e emionos. "othat the s#otted hide si3niIes the moon attended ;ith a multitude o stars4 and


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hence, in the r#hic $ymn to the Moon, that deity is celebrated as shinin3surrounded ;ith beauti ul stars 4 !alois astroisi bryoysa, and is li!e;ise calledastrarxe, astrarche, or Kueen o the stars.

'n the next #lace, the 3olden Jone is the circle o the cean, as the last ?erses#lainly e?ince. But, you ;ill as!, ;hat has the risin3 o the sun throu3h theocean, rom the boundaries o earth and ni3ht, to do ;ith the ad?entures oBacchusV ' ans;er, that it is in#ossible to de?ise a symbol more beauti ullyaccommodated to the #ur#ose4 or, in the Irst #lace, is not the ocean a #ro#eremblem o an earthly nature, ;hirlin3 and

[#. 19] [#. :]

The Marria3e o Mars and


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)nd thus much or the mysteries o Bacchus, ;hich, as ;ell as those o Ceres,relate in one #art to the descent o a #artial intellect into matter, and itscondition ;hile united ;ith the dar! tenement o the body4 but there a##ears tobe this diHerence bet;een the t;o, that in the able o Ceres and /roser#inethe descent o the ;hole rational soul is consideredF and in that o Bacchus the

scatterin3 and 3oin3 orth o that su#reme #art alone o our nature ;hich ;e#ro#erly characteriJe by the a##ellation o intellect. [ ] 'n the com#osition oeach ;e may discern the same traces o exalted ;isdom and reconditetheolo3yF o a theolo3y the most ?enerable or its antiKuity, and the mostadmirable or its excellence and reality.

' shall conclude this treatise by #resentin3 the reader ;ith a ?aluable and mostele3ant hymn o /roclus [ ] to Miner?a, ;hich ' ha?e

[#. =]

disco?ered in the British MuseumF and the existence o ;hich a##ears to ha?ebeen hitherto utterly un!no;n. This hymn is to be ound amon3 the $arleianManuscri#ts, in a ?olume containin3 se?eral o the r#hic hymns, ;ith ;hich,throu3h the i3norance o transcriber, it is indiscriminately ran!ed, as ;ell asthe other our hymns o /roclus, already #rinted in the Bibliotheca raeca o

abricius. &n ortunately too, it is transcribed in a character so obscure, and;ith such 3reat inaccuracy, that, not;ithstandin3 the #ains ' ha?e ta!en torestore the text to its ori3inal #urity, ' ha?e been obli3ed to omit t;o lines, and#art o a third, as beyond my abilities to read or amendF ho;e?er, the 3reatest,and doubtless the most im#ortant #art, is ortunately intelli3ible, ;hich ' no;#resent to the reader s ins#ection, accom#anied ;ith some corrections, and anEn3lish #ara#hrased translation. The ori3inal is hi3hly ele3ant and #ious, andcontains one mytholo3ical #articular, ;hich is no ;here else to be ound. 't hasli!e;ise an e?ident connection ;ith the #recedin3 able o Bacchus,

[#. @]

as ;ill be ob?ious rom the #erusalF and on this account #rinci#ally it ;asinserted in the #resent discourse.


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ootnotes

S18 4 0hether r#heus ;as an actual li?in3 #erson has been Kuestioned by)ristotleF but $erodotus, /indar, and other ;riters, mention him. )lthou3h the

r#hic system is asserted to ha?e come rom E3y#t, the internal e?idencea?ors the o#inion that it ;as deri?ed rom 'ndia, and that its basis is the

Buddhistic #hiloso#hy. The r#hic associations o reece ;ere ascetic,contrastin3 mar!edly ;ith the renJies, enthusiasm, and license o the #o#ularrites. The Thracians had numerous $indu customs. The name 6ore is "anscritFand Reus may be the yaus o $indu story. $is ?isit to the chamber o 6ore-/erse#honeia P/arasu-#aniQ in the orm o a dra3on or na3a, and the horns orcrescent on the head o the child, are Tartar or Buddhistic. The [#. 188] nameRa3reus is e?idently Cha!ra, or ruler o the earth. The $era ;ho com#assed hisdeath is )ira, the ;i e o BuddhaF and the Titans are the aityas, or a#ostate

tribes o 'ndia. The doctrine o metem#sychosis is ex#ressed by the s;allo;in3o the heart o the murdered child, so as to reabsorb his soul, and brin3 himane; into existence as the son o "emele. 'ndeed, all the stories o Bacchusha?e $indu characteristicsF and his cultus is a #art o the ser#ent ;orshi# othe ancients. The e?idence a##ears to us uneKui?ocal.

). 0.

S1894 /lotinus re3arded the emiur3us, or creator, as the 3od o #ro?idence,thou3ht, essence, and #o;er. )bo?e him ;as the [#. 19:] deity o #ureintellect, and still hi3her The ne. These three ;ere the hy#ostases.

S19:4 %i?es ;hich are not conGoined ;ith material bodies, nor yet ele?ated tothe lo ty state ;hich is the true di?ine condition.

S19:4 Emanuel ";edenbor3 says4 They ;ho are in hea?en are [#. 191]continually ad?ancin3 to the s#rin3 o li e, and the more thousands o yearsthey li?e, so much the more deli3ht ul and ha##y is the s#rin3 to ;hich theyattain, and this to eternity ;ith increments accordin3 to the #ro3resses andde3rees o lo?e, o charity, and o aith. 0omen ;ho ha?e died old and ;ornout ;ith a3e, yet ha?e li?ed in aith on the %ord, in charity to;ard theirnei3hbor, and in ha##y conGu3al lo?e ;ith a husband, a ter a succession oyears, come more and more into the Lo;er o youth and adolescence.


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S19 4 By #ro3ression [#roodos] is here si3niIed the rayin3-out, or issuin3orth o the soulF ha?in3 le t the di?ine or #re-existent li e, and come orth

to;ard the human.

S19 4 "ee also /%)T 4 /haedrus, @=. 0hen ' ;as about to cross the ri?er,the di?ine and ;onted si3nal ;as 3i?en me--it al;ays deters me rom ;hat 'am about to do--and ' seemed to hear a ?oice rom this ?ery s#ot, ;hich ;ouldnot suHer me to de#art be ore ' had #uriIed mysel , as i ' had committed some[#. 19=] oHense a3ainst the eity. (o; ' am a #ro#het, thou3h not a ?ery 3oodone4 or the soul is in some measure #ro#hetic.

"ee also "$)6"/E+E4 $enry '


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S :@4 The ;ord thyrsus, it ;ill be seen, is here translated rom narthex, a rodor erula.

S :84 'n "omnia "ci#ionis, xii.

S 1:4 The #ractice o #unnin3, so common in all the old rites, is here orciblyexhibited. 't aided to conceal the symbolism and mislead uninitiated #ersons;ho mi3ht see! to ascertain the 3enuine meanin3.

S 1=4 Commentary u#on the Timaeus.

S 1@4 "aturnalia, i. 18.

S 1 4 (ebris is also a a;n-s!in. The 7e;ish hi3h-#riest ;ore one at the 3reatesti?als. 't is rendered bad3er s s!in in the Bible. 'n 'ndia the robe o 'ndra is

s#otted.

S 4 ree!, noys, nous, the 'ntuiti?e +eason, that aculty o the mind thata##rehends the 'neHable Truth.

S 4 That the ollo;in3 hymn ;as com#osed by /roclus, can not be doubtedby any one ;ho is con?ersant ;ith those already extant o this incom#arableman, since the s#irit and manner in both is #er ectly the same.


Eis )ThE()(.


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6%*Th' mey ai3ioxoio dios te!os. e 3eneteros

/e3es e!#rothoroysa, !ai a!rotates a#o seiras

)rsenothyme. eras#i. me3asthenes. obrimo#ater, [ ]

6e!lythi. dexnyso d ymnon ey roni #otnia thymu

E soIes #etasasa theostybeas [ ] #yleunas.

6ai xthoniun damasasa theumaxa yla 3i3antun.

E !radien esausas amystileyton [ ] ana!tos

)itheros en 3yaloisi meriJomenoy #ote Ba!xoy

Titanun y#o xersi, #ores de e #atri eroysa

ra neos boylesin a# arrhetoisi to!eos, E! "emeles #eri !osmon anebese ionyssos.

Es #ele!is [ section] theriun tamnun #rothelymna !arena

/ander!oys e!ates #atheun enyse 3enethlen.

E !ratos Eras semnon e3ersi brotun areta.un

E bioton !osmesas olon #olyeidesi texnais,

emioyr3i!en oeren [ WWW8 1@WWW] #syxaisi balloysa.

E laxes axro#olia . . . . . .

"ymbolon a!rotates me3ales seo #otnia seires.

[#. 5]

E xthona butianeira Ilesas meteras biblun.

ynoma asty de du!as exein seo !ai renas esthlas.

6lythi mey e aos a3non a#astra#toysa #rosu#oy.

os de moi olbion ormon aluomena #eri 3aian.

os #syxei aos a3non a# eyireun seo mythun.


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6ai soIen. !ai eruta. menos d em#neyson eruti,

Tossation, !ai toion, oson xthoniun a#o !ol#un

)#serne #ros lym#on es ethea #atros eoio,

Eide tis am#la!ieme [ ] !a!e biotoio damaJei.

'lathi meilixoboyle. saombrste. medemeases [ ]

h+i3edanais #oinaisin elur !ai !yrma 3enessa,

6eimenon en da#edoisin, oti teos eyxomai einai.

6e!lythi !e!lythi. !ai moi meilisxin oyas y#oxes.

T M'(E+


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[#. A]

0as sa? d in )ether, ;hen, ;ith ury Ired,

The Titans ell a3ainst his li e cons#iredF

)nd ;ith relentless ra3e and thirst or 3ore,

Their hands his members into ra3ments tore4

But e?er ;atch ul o thy ather s ;ill,

Thy #o;er #reser? d him rom succeedin3 ill,

Till rom the secret counsels o his Ire,

)nd born rom "emele throu3h hea?enly sire, reat ionysus to the ;orld at len3th

)3ain a##eared ;ith reno?ated stren3th.

nce, too, thy ;arli!e ax, ;ith matchless s;ay,

%o##ed rom their sa?a3e nec!s the heads a;ay

urious beasts, and thus the #ests destroyed

0hich lon3 all-seein3 $ecate annoyed.

By thee bene?olent 3reat 7uno s mi3ht

0as roused, to urnish mortals ;ith deli3ht.

)nd thro li e s ;ide and ?arious ran3e, t is thine

Each #art to beauti y ;ith art di?ine4

'n?i3orated hence by thee, ;e Ind

) demiur3ic im#ulse in the mind.

To;ers #roudly raised, and or #rotection stron3,

To thee, dread 3uardian deity, belon3,

)s #ro#er symbols o th exalted hei3ht

Thy series claims amidst the courts o li3ht.


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%ands are belo?ed by thee, to learnin3 #rone,

)nd )thens, h )thena, is thy o;nO

reat 3oddess, hearO and on my dar! ned mind

/our thy #ure li3ht in measure unconInedF--

That sacred li3ht, h all-#rotectin3 Kueen,

0hich beams eternal rom thy ace serene.

My soul, ;hile ;and rin3 on the earth, ins#ire

0ith thy o;n blessed and im#ulsi?e Ire4

)nd rom thy ables, mystic and di?ine,

i?e all her #o;ers ;ith holy li3ht to shine.

[#. ]

i?e lo?e, 3i?e ;isdom, and a #o;er to lo?e,

'ncessant tendin3 to the realms abo?eF

"uch as unconscious o base earth s control

ently attracts the ?ice-subduin3 soul4

rom ni3ht s dar! re3ion aids her to retire,

)nd once more 3ain the #alace o her sire.

all-#ro#itious to my #rayer inclineO

(or let those horrid #unishments be mine

0hich 3uilty souls in Tartarus conIne,

0ith etters ast ned to its braJen Loors,

)nd loc! d by hell s tremendous iron doors.

$ear me, and sa?e P or #o;er is all thine o;nQ

) soul desirous to be thine alone. [ ]


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't is ?ery remar!able in this hymn, that the ex#loits o Miner?a relati?e tocuttin3 oH the heads o ;ild beasts ;ith an ax, etc., is mentioned by no ;riter;hate?erF nor can ' Ind the least trace o a circumstance either in the historyo Miner?a or $ecate to ;hich it alludes. [ ] )nd rom hence, '

[#. 8]

thin!, ;e may reasonably conclude that it belon3ed to the arcane r#hicnarrations concernin3 these 3oddesses, ;hich ;ere conseKuently but rarelymentioned, and this but by a e;, ;hose ;or!s, ;hich mi3ht aHord us someclearer in ormation, are un ortunately lost.

Musical Con erence.

ootnotes

S @4 %e3e obrimo#atre.

S @4 %e3e theosebeias.

S @4 %e3e amysi lytoy.

S @4 section %e3e #ele!ys.

S @4WWW8 1@WWW %e3e rmen.

S 54 %e3e am#la!ema.


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S 54 %e3e med em eases.

S 4 ' ' should e?er be able to #ublish a second edition o my translation othe hymns o r#heus, ' shall add to it a translation o all those hymns o/roclus, ;hich are ortunately extantF but ;hich are nothin3 more than the;rec! o a 3reat multitude ;hich he com#osed.

S 4 ' Mr. Taylor had been con?ersant ;ith $indu literature, he ;ould ha?e#ercei?ed that these ex#loits o Miner?a-)thene ;ere ta!en rom the buHalo-sacriIce o ur3a or Bha?ani. The ;hole ionysiac le3end is but a renderin3 othe "i?aic and Buddhistic le3ends into a recian dress.--). 0.


[#. 9]


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tela3ios. Eita de 3amelios e#i tei 6orei ymenaios. 6ai e#adoysin oi teloymenoi,e! tym#anoy e a3on e! !ymbalun e#ion, e!irno oresa Ple3e e!erno oresaQ y#oton #aston eisedyn. *#o!rinetai de !ai tas deoys udinas. '!eteriai 3oyn ayti!adeoys. 6ai xoles #osis, !ai !ardial3iai. E ois !ai tra3os!eles mimema#athainomenon #eri tois didymois. oti #er o Reys di!as a#otinnys tes bias tei

emeteri tera3oy Ple3e tra3oyQ orxeis a#otemun, tui !ol#u taytes !atetheto,us#er de !ai eaytoy. E#i #asin ai toy ionysoy timai, !ai e !ystis, !ai ta#olyom ala #o#ana, !ai oi tu "abaJiu teloymenoi, !ledones te !ai mimalunes,!ai tis exun lebes Thes#ruteios !ai udunaion xal!eion, !ai 6orybas allos !ai!oyres eteros, daimonun mimemata. E ois e Babutoys Ple3e e Baybu toysQmeroys anasyromene, !ai o 3ynai!os !teis, oytu 3ar onomaJoysi ten aiduaisxynomenoi. 6ai oytus en aisxru ten teleten !atalyoysin. '. e. The Mysterieso these demons, such as the Eleusinia, consisted in re#resentin3 the mythicalnarration o 7u#iter min3lin3 ;ith Ceres and her dau3hter /roser#inaP/herse#hatteQ. But as

[#. =1]

?enereal connections are in the initiation, [ ] a


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bosom, as i they ;ere his o;n. But a ter all this, the rites o Bacchus succeedFthe Cista, and the ca!es ;ith many bosses, li!e those o a shield. %i!e;ise the

[#. = ]

mysteries o "abaJius, di?inations, and the mimalons or BacchantsF a certainsound o the Thes#rotian basonF the odonaean brassF another Corybas, andanother /roser#ina,--re#resentations o emons. ) ter these succeed theunco?erin3 o the thi3hs o Baubo, and a ;oman s comb P!teisQ, or thus,throu3h a sense o shame, they denominate the sexual #arts o a ;oman. )ndthus, ;ith scandalous exhibitions, they Inish the initiation.

rom this curious #assa3e, it a##ears that the Eleusinian Mysteriescom#rehended those o almost all the 3odsF and this account ;ill not onlythro; li3ht on the relation o the Mysteries 3i?en by Clemens )lexandrinus, butli!e;ise be elucidated by it in se?eral #articulars. ' ;ould ;illin3ly un old to thereader the mystic meanin3 o the ;hole o this machinery, but this can not beaccom#lished by any one, ;ithout at least the #ossession o all the /latonicmanuscri#ts ;hich are extant. This acKuisition, ;hich ' ;ould inInitely #riJeabo?e the ;ealth o the 'ndies, ;ill, ' ho#e, s#eedily and ortunately

[#. ==] [#. =@]

7u#iter dis3uised as iana, and Calisto.

$ercules, eianeira and (essus.

[#. =5]

be mine, and then ' shall be no less anxious to communicate this arcanein ormation, than the liberal reader ;ill be to recei?e it. ' shall only there oreobser?e, that the mutual communication o ener3ies amon3 the 3ods ;ascalled by ancient theolo3ists ieros 3amos, hieros 3amos, a sacred marria3eF


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concernin3 ;hich /roclus, in the second boo! o his manuscri#t Commentaryon the /armenides, admirably remar!s as ollo;s4 Tayten de ten !oinunian,#ote men en tois systoixois orusi theois Poi theolo3oiQ !ai !aloysi 3amon Eras!ai ios, yranoy !ai es, 6ronoy !ai h+eas. #ote de tun !atadeesterun #ros ta!reittu, !ai !aloysi 3amon ios !ai emetras. #ote de !ai em#alin tun

!reittunun #ros ta y eimena, !ai le3oysi ios !ai 6ores 3amon. E#eide tun Theun allai men eisin ai #ros ta systoixa !oinuniai, allai de ai #ros ta #ro aytun.allai de ai #ros ta meta tayta. 6ai dei ten e!astes idioteta !atanoein !aimeta3ein a#o tun Theun e#i ta eide ten toiayten dia#lo!en. '. e. Theolo3ists atone time considered this communion o the 3ods in di?inities co-ordinate ;itheach otherF and

[#. =A]

then they called it the marria3e o 7u#iter and 7uno, o $ea?en and Earth[&ranos and e], o "aturn and +hea4 but at another time, they considered it assubsistin3 bet;een subordinate and su#erior di?initiesF and then they called itthe marria3e o 7u#iter and CeresF but at another time, on the contrary, theybeheld it as subsistin3 bet;een su#erior and subordinate di?initiesF and thenthey called it the marria3e o 7u#iter and 6ore. or in the 3ods there is one !indo communion bet;een such as are o a co-ordinate natureF another bet;eenthe subordinate and su#remeF and another a3ain bet;een the su#reme andsubordinate. )nd it is necessary to understand the #eculiarity o each, and to

trans er a conGunction o this !ind rom the 3ods to the communion o ideas;ith each other. )nd in Timaeus, boo! i., he obser?es4 !ai to ten ayten Psu##letheanQ eterois e ton ayton theon #leiosi syJey3nysthai, labois an e! tunmysti!un lo3un, !ai tun en a#orrhetois le3omenun ierun 3amun. '. e. )nd thatthe same 3oddess is conGoined ;ith other 3ods, or the same 3od ;ith many3oddesses, may be collected rom the mystic

[#. = ]

discourses, and those marria3es ;hich are called in the Mysteries "acredMarria3es.

Thus ar the di?ine /roclusF rom the Irst o ;hich #assa3es the reader may#ercei?e ho; adultery and ra#es, as re#resented in the machinery o the


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Mysteries, are to be understood ;hen a##lied to the 3odsF and that they meannothin3 more than a communication o di?ine ener3ies, either bet;een asu#erior and subordinate, or subordinate and su#erior, di?inity. ' only add thatthe a##arent indecency o these exhibitions ;as, as ' ha?e already obser?ed,exclusi?e o its mystic meanin3, desi3ned as a remedy or the #assions o the

soul4 and hence mystic ceremonies ;ere ?ery #ro#erly called a!ea, a!ea,medicines, by the obscure and noble $eracleitus. [ ]

"acriIce o a /i3.

ootnotes

S 94 aemons, di?inities, s#iritsF a term ormerly a##lied to all rationalbein3s, 3ood or bad, other than mortals.

S =14 '. e. a re#resentation o them.

S = 4 ')MB%'C$&"4 e Mysteriis.


[#. =8]

$ercules run!.

+/$'C $*M(".

' shall utter to ;hom it is la; ulF but let the doors be closed,


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(e?ertheless, a3ainst all the #ro ane. But do thou hear,

h Musaeus, or ' ;ill declare ;hat is true. . . .

$e is the ne, sel -#roceedin3F and rom him all thin3s #roceed,

)nd in them he himsel exerts his acti?ityF no mortal

Beholds $im, but he beholds all.

There is one royal body in ;hich all thin3s are en;ombed,

ire and 0ater, Earth, )ether, (i3ht and ay,

)nd Counsel [Metis], the Irst #roducer, and deli3ht ul %o?e,-- or all these are contained in the 3reat body o Reus.

Reus, the mi3hty thunderer, is IrstF Reus is lastF

Reus is the head, Reus the middle o all thin3sF

rom Reus ;ere all thin3s #roduced. $e is male, he is emaleF

Reus is the de#th o the earth, the hei3ht o the starry hea?ensF

[#. =9]

$e is the breath o all thin3s, the orce o untamed IreF

The bottom o the seaF "un, Moon, and "tarsF

ri3in o allF 6in3 o allF ne /o;er, one od, one reat +uler.



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$*M( C%E)(T$E".

reatest o the 3ods, od ;ith many names, od e?er-rulin3, and rulin3 allthin3sO

Reus, ori3in o (ature, 3o?ernin3 the uni?erse by la;,

)ll hailO or it is ri3ht or mortals to address theeF

or ;e are thy oHs#rin3, and ;e alone o all

That li?e and cree# on earth ha?e the #o;er o imitati?e s#eech.

There ore ;ill ' #raise thee, and hymn ore?er thy #o;er.

Thee the ;ide hea?en, ;hich surrounds the earth, obeys4

ollo;in3 ;here thou ;ilt, ;illin3ly obeyin3 thy la;.

Thou holdest at thy ser?ice, in thy mi3hty hands,

The t;o-ed3ed, Lamin3, immortal thunderbolt,

Be ore ;hose Lash all nature trembles.

Thou rulest in the common reason, ;hich 3oes throu3h all,

)nd a##ears min3led in all thin3s, 3reat or small,

0hich Illin3 all nature, is !in3 o all existences.

(or ;ithout thee, h eity, [ ] does anythin3 ha##en in the ;orld,

rom the di?ine ethereal #ole to the 3reat ocean,

Exce#t only the e?il #re erred by the senseless ;ic!ed.

But thou also art able to brin3 to order that ;hich is chaotic,

i?in3 orm to ;hat is ormless, and ma!in3 the discordant riendlyF

"o reducin3 all ?ariety to unity, and e?en ma!in3 3ood out o e?il.

Thus throu3hout nature is one 3reat la;

0hich only the ;ic!ed see! to disobey,

/oor oolsO ;ho lon3 or ha##iness,

But ;ill not see nor hear the di?ine commands.


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[#. @:]

['n renJy blind they stray a;ay rom 3ood,

By thirst o 3lory tem#ted, or sordid a?arice,

r #leasures sensual and Goys that all.]

But do thou, h Reus, all-besto;er, cloud-com#ellerO

+uler o thunderO 3uard men rom sad error.

atherO dis#el the clouds o the soul, and let us ollo;

The la;s o thy 3reat and Gust rei3nO That ;e may be honored, let us honor thee a3ain,

Chantin3 thy 3reat deeds, as is #ro#er or mortals,

or nothin3 can be better or 3ods or men

Than to adore ;ith hymns the &ni?ersal 6in3. [ ]

/roser#ina Enthroned in $ades.

ootnotes

S =94 ree!, aimon, emon,

S @:4 +e?. 7. reeman Clar!e, ;hose ?ersion is here co#ied, renders this

#hrase the la; common to all. The ree! text reads4 e !oinon aei nomon endi!ei ymnein, --the term nomos, nomos, or %a;, bein3 used or 6in3, as %o?e is

or od.--). 0.


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[#. @1]

(ym#hs and Centaurs.

% "")+*.

)#orrheta, ree! a#orrheta--The instructions 3i?en by the hiero#hant or

inter#reter in the Eleusinian Mysteries, not to be disclosed on #ain o death. There ;as said to be a syno#sis o them in the #etroma or t;o stone tablets,;hich, it is said, ;ere bound to3ether in the orm o a boo!.

)#ostatise--To all or descend, as the s#iritual #art o the soul is said to descendrom its di?ine home to the ;orld o nature.

Cathartic--/uri yin3. The term ;as used by the /latonists and others inconnection ;ith the ceremonies o #uriIcation be ore initiation, also to thecorres#ondin3 #er ormance o rites and duties ;hich rene;ed the moral li e.

The cathartic ?irtues ;ere the duties and mode o li?in3, ;hich conduced tothat end. The #hrase is used but once or t;ice in this edition.

Cause--The a3ent by ;hich thin3s are 3enerated or #roduced.

Circulation--The #eculiar s#iral motion or #ro3ress by ;hich the s#iritual natureor intellect descended rom the di?ine re3ion o the uni?erse into the ;orld o sense.

Co3itati?e--+elatin3 to the understandin34 dianoetic.


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ConGecture, or #inion--) mental conce#tion that can be chan3ed by ar3ument.

Core--) name o Ceres or emeter, a##lied by the r#hic and later ;riters toher dau3hter /erse#hone or /roser#ina. "he ;as su##osed to ty#i y thes#iritual nature ;hich ;as abducted

[#. @ ]

Core--continued.

by $ades or /luto into the &nder;orld, the I3ure si3ni yin3 the a#ostasy ordescent o the soul rom the hi3her li e to the material body.

Corically--) ter the manner o /roser#ina, i. e., as i descendin3 into death romthe su#ernal ;orld.

aemon--) desi3nation o a certain class o di?inities. iHerent authors em#loythe term diHerently. $esiod re3ards them as the souls o the men ;ho li?ed inthe olden )3e, no; actin3 as 3uardian or tutelary s#irits. "ocrates, in theCratylus, says that daemon is a term denotin3 ;isdom, and that e?ery 3oodman is daemonian, both ;hile li?in3 and ;hen dead, and is ri3htly called adaemon. $is o;n attendant s#irit that chec!ed him ;hene?er he endea?oredto do ;hat he mi3ht not, ;as styled his aemon. 'amblichus #laces aemonsin the second order o s#iritual existence.--Cleanthes, in his celebrated $ymn,styles Reus daimon PdaimonQ.

emiur3us--The creator. 't ;as the title o theF chie -ma3istrate in se?eralrecian "tates, and in this ;or! is a##lied to Reus or 7u#iter, or the +uler o the

&ni?erse. The latter /latonists, and more es#ecially the nostics, ;ho re3ardedmatter as constitutin3 or containin3 the #rinci#le o E?il, sometimes a##liedthis term to the E?il /otency, ;ho, some o them aNrmed, ;as the $ebre;

od.


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istributed--+educed rom a ;hole to #arts and scattered. The s#iritual natureor intellect in its hi3her estate ;as re3arded as a ;hole, but in descendin3 to;orldly conditions became di?ided into #arts or #erha#s characteristics.

i?isible--Made into #arts or attributes, as the mind, intellect, or s#iritual, Irst a;hole, became thus distin3uished in its descent. This di?ision ;as re3arded asa all into a lo;er #lane o li e.

Ener3ise, ree! ener3eu--To o#erate or ;or!, es#ecially to under3o disci#line o the heart and character.

[#. @=]

Ener3y-- #eration, acti?ity.

Eternal--Existin3 throu3h all #ast time, and still continuin3.

aith--The correct conce#tion o a thin3 as it seems,--Idelity.

reedom--The rulin3 #o;er o one s li eF a #o;er o?er ;hat #ertains to one ssel in li e.

riendshi#--&nion o sentimentF a communion in doin3 ;ell.

ury--The #eculiar mania, ardor, or enthusiasm ;hich ins#ired and actuated#ro#hets, #oets, inter#reters o oracles, and othersF also a title o the3oddesses emeter and /erse#hone as the chastisers o the ;ic!ed,--also othe Eumenides.


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eneration, ree! 3enesis-- enerated existence, the mode o li e #eculiar tothis ;orld, but ;hich is eKui?alent to death, so ar as the #ure intellect ors#iritual nature is concernedF the #rocess by ;hich the soul is se#arated romthe hi3her orm o existence, and brou3ht into the conditions o li e u#on theearth. 't ;as re3arded as a #unishment, and accordin3 to Mr. Taylor, ;as

#reI3ured by the abduction o /roser#ina. The soul is su##osed to ha?e #re-existed ;ith od as a #ure intellect li!e him, but not actually identical--at onebut not absolutely the same.

ood--That ;hich is desired on its o;n account.

$ades--) name o /lutoF the &nder;orld, the state or re3ion o de#arted souls,as understood by classic ;ritersF the #hysical nature, the cor#oreal existence,the condition o the soul ;hile in the bodily li e.

$erald, ree! !eryx--The crier at the Mysteries.

$iero#hant--The inter#reter ;ho ex#lained the #ur#ort o the mystic doctrinesand dramas to the candidates.

$oliness, ree! osiotes--)ttention to the honor due to od.

'dea--) #rinci#le in all minds underlyin3 our co3nitions o the sensible ;orld.

'm#rudent--0ithout oresi3htF de#ri?ed o sa3acity.

'n ernal re3ions--$ades, the &nder;orld.

'nstruction--) #o;er to cure the soul.


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[#. @@]

'ntellect, ree! noys--)lso rendered #ure reason, and by /ro essor Coc!er,intuiti?e reason, and the rational soulF the s#iritual nature. The or3an o sel -e?ident, necessary, and uni?ersal truth. 'n an immediate, direct, and intuiti?emanner, it ta!es hold on truth ;ith absolute certainty. The reason, throu3h themedium o ideas, holds communion ;ith the ;orld o real Bein3. These ideasare the li3ht ;hich re?eals the ;orld o unseen realities, as the sun re?eals the;orld o sensible orms. The 'dea o the 3ood is the "un o the 'ntelli3ible0orldF it sheds on obGects the li3ht o truth, and 3i?es to the soul that !no;sthe #o;er o !no;in3. &nder this li3ht the eye o reason a##rehends theeternal ;orld o bein3 as truly, yet more truly, than the eye o sensea##rehends the ;orld o #henomena. This #o;er the rational soul #ossesses by?irtue o its ha?in3 a nature !indred, or e?en homo3eneous ;ith the i?inity. 't

;as 3enerated by the i?ine ather, and li!e him, it is in a certain senseeternal. (ot that ;e are to understand /lato as teachin3 that the rational soul

had an inde#endent and underi?ed existenceF it ;as created or 3enerated ineternity, and e?en no;, in its incor#orate state, is not amenable to thecondition o time and s#ace, but, in a #eculiar sense, d;ells in eternity4 andthere ore is ca#able o beholdin3 eternal realities, and comin3 into communion;ith absolute beauty, and 3oodness, and truth--that is, ;ith od, the )bsoluteBein3. --Christianity and ree! /hiloso#hy, x. ##. =@9, =5:.

'ntellecti?e--'ntuiti?eF #ercei?able by s#iritual insi3ht.

'ntelli3ible--+elatin3 to the hi3her reason.

'nter#reter--The hiero#hant or sacerdotal teacher ;ho, on the last day o theEleusinia, ex#lained the #etroma or stone boo! to the candidates, and un oldedthe Inal meanin3 o the re#resentations and symbols. 'n the /hoenicianlan3ua3e he ;as called #thr, #eter. $ence the #etroma, consistin3 o t;o

tablets o stone, ;as a #un on the desi3nation, to im#ly the

[#. @5]

'nter#reter--continued.


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;isdom to be un olded. 't has been su33ested by the +e?, Mr. $yslo#, that the/o#e deri?ed his claim, as

Misterios Baquicos y Eleusianos

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