Name for a complex strand in Ancient Greek religious thought, contrasting with the more familiar strand of the Olympian deities (Zeus, Apollo, and so on).
A body of religious writings from the 7th and succeeding centuries BC was attributed to the mythical singer Orpheus and his followers.
In Classical times, Orphic ideas were connected with current mystery religions. They concerned purification and initiation rites, and doctrines to do with reincarnation and post-mortal punishment and reward.
Philosophically, their main importance lies in their influence on Pythagoreanism and Plato (c.427-c.347 BC), notably in his Meno and Gorgias. However, modern scholars have doubted how much can be attributed to a specifically Orphic movement distinguishable from the wider background of mystery religions generally.
Source:
I M Linforth, The Arts of Orpheus (1941); takes a somewhat sceptical approach
Table of Contents
- 1 Videos
- 2 Related Products
- 2.1 Redefining Ancient Orphism: A Study in Greek Religion
- 2.2 Orphism
- 2.3 The Killing of Orphism (Gretel Book Six)
- 2.4 Orphism and Christianity in Late Antiquity (Sozomena Book 7)
- 2.5 Defining Orphism: The Beliefs, the Teletae and the Writings (Trends in Classics - Supplementary Volumes, Volume: 94) (Issn)
- 2.6 Orphism and the Initiatory Tradition (Aurea Vidya Collection)
- 2.7 On The Mysteries And Symbolism Of Orphism
- 2.8 Orpheus and the Roots of Platonism
- 2.9 Orphism, Pythagoreanism And The Mysteries
- 2.10 Linear/ReDirection
Videos
Redefining Ancient Orphism: A Study in Greek Religion
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Edmonds III, Radcliffe G. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 465 Pages - 11/07/2013 (Publication Date) - Cambridge University Press (Publisher)
Orphism
- Watmough, J. R. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 90 Pages - 04/02/2015 (Publication Date) - Cambridge University Press (Publisher)
The Killing of Orphism (Gretel Book Six)
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Coleman, Christopher (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 09/30/2020 (Publication Date)
Orphism and Christianity in Late Antiquity (Sozomena Book 7)
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Herrero de Jáuregui, Miguel (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 456 Pages - 03/26/2010 (Publication Date) - De Gruyter (Publisher)
Defining Orphism: The Beliefs, the Teletae and the Writings (Trends in Classics - Supplementary Volumes, Volume: 94) (Issn)
- Hardcover Book
- Anthi Chrysanthou (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 400 Pages - 04/20/2020 (Publication Date) - De Gruyter (Publisher)
Orphism and the Initiatory Tradition (Aurea Vidya Collection)
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Raphael - Asram Vidya Order (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 128 Pages - 04/08/2003 (Publication Date) - Aurea Vidya (Publisher)
On The Mysteries And Symbolism Of Orphism
- Mead, G. R. S. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 22 Pages - 09/10/2010 (Publication Date) - Kessinger Publishing, LLC (Publisher)
Orpheus and the Roots of Platonism
- Uzdavinys, Algis (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 118 Pages - 12/01/2011 (Publication Date) - The Matheson Trust (Publisher)
Orphism, Pythagoreanism And The Mysteries
- Hardcover Book
- Moore, Clifford Herschel (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 42 Pages - 09/10/2010 (Publication Date) - Kessinger Publishing, LLC (Publisher)
Last update 2020-05-25. Price and product availability may change.