Orphic Fragments

PREFACE

With this work finally finished—one which has accompanied me through many years of both prosperity and hardship for our country—the task of writing this preface would be most pleasant to me, had not the most bitter death of HERMANN DIELS occurred. He was my dearest teacher, my most kind advisor, and a fatherly friend. What I vowed to him while he lived, I now fulfill for the Spirit Manes; the deified spirits of the deceased of this greatest of men, "whom it is not even lawful for the wicked to praise," original Greek: ὃν οὐδ’ αἰνεῖν τοῖσι κακοῖσι θέμις to quote the famous words of his beloved Aristotle. To him, therefore, above all others, I give thanks, because he once urged this collection of Orphic Orphism; a set of religious beliefs and practices originating in ancient Greece, associated with the mythical poet Orpheus fragments, frequently called for it, and most kindly promoted it until the final day of his life.

There are also other most learned men, very close to me in friendship, who never failed me with either advice or practical help on this long and sometimes arduous journey. Besides those whose names I have recorded in the book itself with grateful memory of their favors—among whom stands out WILHELM KROLL of Breslau Vratislaviensis refers to the city of Wrocław, then known as Breslau, a major center of classical scholarship, who politely allowed me to use his own copy of Abel’s edition Referring to Eugen Abel's 1885 collection of Orphic texts enriched with his own notes—there are, among the number of my most beloved friends: FRIEDRICH HILLER VON GAERTRINGEN, who most faithfully assisted me in correcting the proofs plagulae; printer's proof sheets and in managing many other matters; ULRICH WILCKEN, whose wise counsel in publishing the papyri I followed most gladly; GEORG WISSOWA, who, though often petitioned, always helped me most wisely and generously; and furthermore, from the number of my most esteemed and learned colleagues at Halle Halensium; referring to the University of Halle: FRIEDRICH BECHTEL, JOHANNES FICKER, and KARL PRAECHTER. Nor should I overlook the effort which WILHELM GOEBER, a most promising young student of philology the study of literary texts and historical languages, vigorously provided for me both in correcting the proofs and in completing the indices.