CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA

...and thus Cithaeron, and Helicon, and the Odrysian mountains, and the Thracian mysteries The Odrysians were a Thracian tribe; Thrace was considered the birthplace of the Orphic mysteries. which initiate men into error, have been treated with divine honors and celebrated with hymns and praises. For my part, even if these are mere fables, I am grieved by the many and great calamities recounted by the tragedies. To you, however, even the descriptions of evils and calamities have provided the subject matter for your dramas. Let us, therefore, shut up these dramas and the poets who are now clearly out of their minds with drink—those who celebrate the Lenaean festivals A winter festival in Athens honoring Dionysus (Bacchus), involving dramatic competitions. and are excessively frenzied in the Bacchic mysteries, crowned with ivy and raving with the Satyrs themselves and the insane Thyasus A religious procession or "revel-band" dedicated to Dionysus., along with the rest of that choir of gods—let us shut them up on Helicon and Cithaeron, which are now obsolete.

But from above, out of the heavens, let us bring down Truth, together with the brightest Prudence, to the holy mountain of God and the holy prophetic choir. Let Truth, shining with a light far brighter than any other, illuminate from every side those who wallow in darkness, and free men from error, reaching out her supreme right hand—which is Understanding—for their salvation. And those who have come to their senses, lifting their faces and raising their heads, let them abandon Helicon and Cithaeron and inhabit Zion. For Isaiah 2:3 "out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem." This is the celestial Word, the true and noble contestant, who is crowned in the theater of the entire world.

Yet my Eunomus Referring back to the myth of Eunomus and the cicada mentioned on page 1; Clement adopts him as a metaphor for the Christian singer. certainly sings not the mode of Terpander, nor the mode of Capito, nor the Phrygian, Lydian, or Dorian modes These were the traditional scales or "moods" of ancient Greek music; Clement claims the Gospel transcends these earthly categories., but the eternal mode of the new harmony, which takes its name from God—the "New Song," the Levitical song:
Homer, Odyssey, Book 4 > "Banishing sorrow and anger, and suggesting forgetfulness of all ills." original: "Νηπενθές τ’ ἄχολόν τε..." This refers to the drug Nepenthe given by Helen to Telemachus to ease his grief.
In this song, a certain pleasant and thoroughly persuasive medicine has been blended. Thus, it seems to me that Orpheus of Thrace, and the Theban Amphion., and the Methymnaean Arion., were men—and yet not truly men—but deceivers, who under the pretext of music brought ruin to life. By a certain skillful making into gods trickery, they incited men to the corruptions of demons, celebrating disgraces in their secret rites and introducing mourning into the songs of the gods. They were the first to lead men down to idols; indeed, they built up the coarse habits of the people with stones and wood—that is, with images and sketches. By their songs and incantations, they reduced to the lowest slavery that truly beautiful freedom of those who lived under heaven.

But my singer is not like that; He has come shortly after to dissolve the bitter slavery of the demons who hold tyrannical power. Leading us toward the sweet and mild yoke of religion and piety toward God, He calls back to heaven those who had been cast down to the ground. He alone, of all who have ever been, has tamed the most difficult of wild beasts: namely, men. For the "birds" are those who are flighty; the "serpents" are the deceivers; the "lions" are the spirited and those stirred to anger; the "swine" are those abandoned to pleasure; and the "wolves" are the rapacious. As for "stones" and "wood," these are the foolish. Furthermore, a man is more senseless than stones if he is...

...the gatherings of the... The Greek column begins mid-sentence, mirroring the Latin's discussion of the Thracian mysteries. and the mysteries of error, and the mountains and the things worthy of hymns. For my part, even if they are myths, I am distressed by such tragedies of misfortune; but for you, even the records of evils have become dramas. But let us shut up the dramas and the Lenaean poets, who are now completely intoxicated, binding them with ivy, raving out of place in the Bacchic rite with the Satyrs themselves and the manically driven throng, along with the rest of the choir of demons on Helicon and Cithaeron, which have grown old. Let us bring down truth from the heavens above, along with most radiant wisdom, to the holy mountain of God and the holy prophetic choir. And let truth, shining forth a light as far-reaching as possible, illuminate everywhere those wallowing in darkness, and set men free from error, stretching out the highest right hand—understanding—unto salvation.

Those who have looked up and raised their heads, let them leave Helicon and Cithaeron; let them inhabit Zion. For "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem"—the heavenly Word, the genuine champion crowned on the stage of the whole world. And my Eunomus sings, not the mode of Terpander, nor that of Capito, nor the Phrygian, or Lydian, or Dorian, but the eternal mode of the new harmony, the one named after God, the new song, the Levitical song:

"Painless and angerless, bringing forgetfulness of all evils."
A certain sweet and true medicine of persuasion is mixed into the song. It seems to me, then, that the Thracian Orpheus, and the Theban, and the Methymnaean, were certain men—yet not men—but deceivers, who ruined human life under the guise of music, being demon-possessed unto destruction by a certain artistic sorcery, celebrating insults in their rites, making grief into a divine thing, being the first to lead men by the hand toward idols. Indeed, they built up the stupidity of the nation with stones and wood—that is, with statues and paintings—yoking to the lowest slavery that truly beautiful freedom of those who lived under heaven by means of songs and spells.

But my singer is not such a one, nor has he come to delay long in breaking the bitter slavery of the tyrranizing demons. As he leads us back to the mild and philanthropic yoke of godliness, he calls again to the heavens those who had been cast down to the earth. He alone of those who have ever lived has tamed the most difficult wild beasts: men. The "birds" being the flighty among them; "reptiles," the deceivers; "lions," the wrathful; "swine," the pleasure-seekers; "wolves," the rapacious. The "stones" and "woods" are the mindless; and furthermore, a man is more senseless than stones when he is baptized in ignorance. Let the prophetic voice stand by us as a witness, singing in harmony with the truth, addressing those...