Pseudo-Orphica

This turn of the first millenium work (give or take a century) was an attempt to give Orpheus, the ultimate and mythical Greek religious poet a Jewish flair. It survives in only a few Christian quotations. The longest appears in primarily two versions: in Eusebius (quoting, in turn, from Aristobolus), and twice in works attributed to Justin Martyr. The versions in Justin are somewhat shorter, so I will include a translation of that as well. Justin also has a couple of other short quotes which follow, although he says they are from "another work." Eusebius also knows the some of the authentic Orphic traditions, from which he quotes, and which I will append. The translations, slightly modified from the original archaizing verse-translations are unfortunately not terribly transparent. See LaFargue's discussion in OTP [AH].

Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel (Praeparatio Evangelica) 13.12.5

"I speak to those who lawfully may hear:
Depart, and close the doors, all you profane,
Who hate the ordinances of the just,
The law divine announced to all mankind.
But you, Musaeus, child of the bright Moon,
Lend me your ear; for I have truths to tell.
Let not the former fancies of your mind
Extort from you the dear and blessed life.
Look to the word divine, keep close to that,
And guide thereby the deep thoughts of your heart.
Walk wisely in the way, and look to none,
Save to the immortal framer of the world:
For thus of him an ancient story speaks:
One, perfect in himself, all else by him
Made perfect: ever present in his works,
By mortal eyes unseen, by mind alone
Discerned. It is not he that out of good
Makes evil to spring up for mortal men.
Both love and hatred wait upon his steps,
And war and pestilence, and sorrow and tears:
For there is none but he. All other things
Are easy to behold, could you but first
Behold himself here present on earth.
The footsteps and the mighty hand of God
When I might see, I'll show them to you, son:
But him I do not see, so dense a cloud
In tenfold darkness wraps our feeble sight.
Him in his power no mortal could behold,
Save one, descendent of Chaldaean race:
For he was skilled to mark the sun's bright path,
And how in even circle round the earth
The starry sphere on its own axis turns,
And winds their chariot guide o'er sea and sky;
And showed where fire's bright flame its strength displayed.
But God himself, high above heaven unmoved,
Sits on his golden throne, and plants his feet
On the broad earth; his right hand He extends
O'er Ocean's farthest bound; the eternal hills
Tremble in their deep heart, nor can endure
His mighty power. And still above the heavens
Alone He sits, and governs all on earth,
Himself first cause, and means, and end of all.
So men of old, so tells the Nile-born sage,
Taught by the twofold tablet of God's law;
Nor otherwise I dare to speak of him:
In heart and limbs I tremble at the thought,
How he from heaven all things in order rules.
Draw near in thought, my son; but guard your tongue
With care, and store this doctrine in your heart."

(Pseudo-)Justin Martyr On the Sole Government of God (De Monarchia) 2

"I'll speak to those who lawfully may hear;
All others, you profane, now close the doors!
And, O Musזus, hearken to me,
Whose offspring are of the light-bringing moon.
The words I tell you now are true indeed,
And if former thoughts of mine you have seen,
Let them not rob you of the blessed life;

But rather turn the depths of your own heart
Unto that place where light and knowledge dwell.
Take the word divine to guide your steps;
And walking well in the straight certain path,
Look to the one and universal king,
One, self-begotten, and the only kne
Of whom all things, and we ourselves, are sprung.
All things are open to His piercing gaze,
While He Himself is still invisible;
Present in all His works, though still unseen,
He gives to mortals evil out of good,
Sending both chilling wars and tearful griefs;
And other than the great king there is none.
The clouds for ever settle round his throne;
And mortal eyeballs in mere mortal eyes
Are weak to see Zeus, reigning over all.
He sits established in the brazen heavens
Upon his throne; and underneath his feet
He treads the earth, and stretches his right hand
To all the ends of ocean, and around
Tremble the mountain ranges, and the streams,
The depths, too, of the blue and hoary sea."

Immediately following this passage in Pseudo-Justin's Hortatory Address to the Greeks 15

"There is one Zeus alone, one sun, one hell,
One Bacchus; and in all things but one God;
Nor of all these as diverse let me speak."

"Now I adjure you by the highest heaven,
The work of the great God, the only wise;
And I adjure you by the father's voice.
Which first he uttered when he established
The whole world by His counsel."

Not so pseudo Orpheus

PraepEvan 13.13

"He hides them all, then from his heart again
With anxious care brings all to gladsome light."

"But God Himself high above heav'n, unmoved,
Sits on His golden throne; and plants His feet
On the broad earth; His right hand He extends
O'er Ocean's farthest bound; the eternal hills
Tremble in their deep heart, nor can endure
His mighty power. And still above the heavens
Alone He sits, and governs all on earth.
Himself first cause, and means, and end of all.
Not otherwise dare I to speak of Him:
In heart and limbs I tremble at the yought,
How He from heav'n all things in order rules,"

['Again, when he says:]

"Lord of the heavens, of Hades, land, and sea,
Whose thunders shake Olympus' strong-built dome,
Whom daemons shuddering flee, and all the gods
Do fear, and Fates implacable obey.
Eternal Mother and eternal Sire,
Whose anger shakes the universal frame,
Awakes the stormy wind, veils all with clouds,
And rends with sudden flash the expanse of heav'n.
At your command the stars their changeless course
In order run. Before your fiery throne
Angels unwearied stand; whose only care
Is to perform your gracious will for man.
your is the Spring new-decked with purple buds,
The winter your, with chilling clouds o'ercast,
And autumn with its merry vintage your."

['Then, expressly calling God the Almighty, he adds:]

"Come, then, you deathless and Immortal Power,
Whose name none but Immortals can express.
Mightiest of Gods, whose will is strong as Fate,
Dreadful art you, resistless in your might,
Deathless, and with etherial glory crowned."

. .

['Let Thracian Orpheus again sing for us thus:]

       "His right hand He extends
O'er Ocean's farthest bound; and plants His feet
On the broad earth."

. .

['Orpheus also says:]

"One power, one god, one vast and flaming heav'n,
One universal frame, wherein revolve
All things which here we see, fire, water, earth,"

. .

[Orpheus says. And with him the Comic poet Diphilus agrees in a very sententious manner, when he says:]

"Him never cease to honour and adore,
Father of all, sole source of every good." 196

. .

[And Orpheus says:]

"For that same cause Phanes and Dionysus him they call."