AGE AND ANCESTRY

19. Proclus, Commentary on the Republic I 72, 1 Kroll edition: Since Socrates, before all others, blames the method of myth-making original: mythopoieia through which both Homer and Hesiod passed down their stories about the gods—and even before these, Orpheus—and indeed whoever else became an interpreter of eternal and unchanging things with a divine mouth, it is surely necessary for us as well... to demonstrate that the very arrangement of Homeric myths is appropriate to the realities of which they provide an indication.

20. Augustine, The City of God XVIII 14; II 285, 18 Hoffmann edition. (Also cited in Otto of Freising, Chronicle I 24 page 56, 7 Hofmeister edition): During the same interval of time (that is, the period of the Hebrew judges), poets emerged who were also called theologians, because they composed songs about the gods. However, these were such gods who, although they were great men, were nevertheless either men or were elements of this world which the true God made, or were ordered into principalities and powers according to the Creator's will and their own merits. And if they sang anything of the one true God among many vain and false things, they certainly did not serve Him rightly, as they worshiped others who are not gods alongside Him, offering them the service that is owed to God alone. Nor could they keep themselves from the legendary disgrace of their own gods—namely Orpheus, Musaeus, and Linus. Yet these theologians worshiped gods; they were not worshiped as gods themselves; although the city of the blessed is accustomed to place Orpheus, I know not how, in charge of the infernal rites, or rather, the sacrileges.
The same author, 24 (II 300, 19): During the reign of the same Romulus legendary founder of Rome, it is said that Thales of Miletus lived, one of the Seven Sages, who were called sophoi the Greek word for "wise men" after the theologian poets, among whom Orpheus was the most famous of all.
And 37 (II 327, 2): Therefore, only those theologian poets—Orpheus, Linus, Musaeus, and whoever else lived among the Greeks—are found to be earlier than those Hebrew prophets whose writings we hold in authority.

21. Malalas, Chronographia IV 88 page 72, 16 Dindorf edition ~ Georgius Cedrenus I 110 Bekker edition ~ Suda, under "Orpheus": Shortly afterward, Gideon led Israel. At that very time lived Orpheus the Thracian, the lyricist, the most wise and famous poet... | Page 73, 6 Dindorf edition: The most wise chronographer Timotheus set all these things out, saying that this same Orpheus, speaking so many years ago, declared that a consubstantial Trinity original: triada homoousion created all things.
Tzetzes, Exegesis on the Iliad 21, 17 Hermann edition: In addition to these, I shall also refute Timotheus, who says Orpheus lived in the time of Gideon, as he speaks incorrectly about the dates, falsely and in an unsound way, forced and contradicting himself. For I shall show that Homer lived not much later than the Trojan War...