On the Chaldean Oracles

The original: "τὰ Χαλδαϊκὰ λόγια" Chaldean Oracles rarely appear [under that specific title]. Instead, they are referred to as "the Chaldeans," "the Assyrians," or "the barbarians." They are called "the God-given wisdom" or "mystery-instruction," and most frequently "the Oracles," "the Oracle," "the Gods," or "one of the gods says." Someone might argue that many oracles of Apollo, Hecate, and other gods were in circulation at that time (cf. the theosophy in Buresch, Klaros 89 ff., and Porphyry’s books On the Philosophy of Oracles), and that any of these could easily be cited in such a manner. However, of the many verses extant in Porphyry and the theosophical texts, not a single one is found among the Platonists [in this specific context]; it is clear from the book titles I listed above that the Platonists treated a single body of Chaldean oracles and referred to it by the name "The Oracles." Furthermore, if one examines the fragments themselves, one will find in most of them such a great similarity in style (cf. original: "ἄνθος, δρόσημα, ὀχετός, δρέπτεσθαι, ἔργα, πρηστῆρες, στροφάλιγξ" flower, dew-drops, channel, to pluck, works, fire-whirls, spinning-top) and in doctrine (fire, the number three), that it would be very difficult to reject a large number of them. A similar response must be given to anyone who claims that interpolators scribes who insert unauthorized text were as active here as they were in the Orphic and Sibylline books; for those most suspected of interpolating—the Platonists, who alone seem to have cared for this poem—certainly inserted very little; for most of the content is foreign to their own teachings.

I do not wish, however, to overlook one fragment which might seem to be drawn from the oracles but was likely taken from elsewhere. Proclus, in his commentary on the Republic (380,17 B), writes: "My wretched heart cannot bear the receiver original: "δοχέως"," says one of the gods; for it is indeed likely that by changing "receiver" original: "δοχέως" to the archaic form original: "δοχῆος" with Wolff (Porphyry p. 163¹), a trochaic tetrameter a specific meter of four pairs of trochees, often used in Greek drama and hymns must be restored. Proclus, in his commentary on the Timaeus (279f), seems to draw from a hymn when the "theologians" referring to ancient divinely-inspired poets praise the Dionysus of that realm:

Sitting beside the Sun, overseeing the holy pole.

John Lydus also says he knows of other oracles and other Chaldeans (On the Months 14,9): "the Chaldeans associated with Zoroaster and Hystaspes"; perhaps these are not different from those read by the theosophist, in whose eleventh book were cited the "responses of a certain Hystaspes, king of the Persians or Chaldeans" (p. 95 Bur.). An anonymous author who wrote after Heraclius, attempting to prove that all these things harmonize with Christian dogma, possessed Chaldean oracles in addition to Greek, Persian, and others: Photius, Codex 170.¹) Nevertheless, I would not cast suspicion on the verses cited by Lydus (On the Months 29,19) stating that the moon is situated immediately above the generated—

¹) The Chaldean books that Marinus knew in addition to the oracles (p. 7) are perhaps not different from the writings of Julian, which Porphyry explained.