chapter 10 the monism of darkness and the dualism of limit and ...

92 CHAPTER 10
\øηÓe˜ ηd ì TËıf˜ ηı’ ¬ÛÔÓ Ì¤ÓÔ˘ÛÈ Î·d ≥ÓˆÓÙ·È appleÚe˜ ÙeÓ
OéÚ·ÓeÓ Û˘Ìapple·Ú¿ÁÔ˘ÛÈÓ ·éÙˇá ÙcÓ ÙáÓ appleÚÔ˚fiÓÙˆÓ ‚·ÛÈÏ›·Ó,
KÚfiÓÔ˘ Ù ηd P¤·˜, ηd ηı’ ¬ÛÔÓ ›‰Ú˘ÓÙ·È ÙFÉ ÌÔÓ›Ìˇˆ ‰˘Ó¿ÌÂÈ
Ùɘ ÌËÙÚe˜ (sc. Ùɘ °É˜), ηÙa ÙÔÛÔÜÙÔÓ ÙeÓ ºfiÚÎ˘Ó ÌÂÙ’ ·éÙɘØ
·≈ÙË ÁaÚ ·éÙeÓ apple·Ú¿ÁÂÈ fiÓÙÔ˘ ÊÈÏfiÙËÙÈ ÌÈÁÂÖÛ· and there
follows the previously explained endeavour to show that Phorcys
whenever assumed to be begotten by Earth and Sea can be said to be
generated in a certain sense by Ocean and Tethys too.
16. The fact that Proclus does not simply indulge in common
Neoplatonic assimilations (conpropriations, Û˘ÓÔÈÎÂÈÒÛÂȘ) but there
is, conversely, a certain ancient tendency to heighten Ocean’s
ontological level above the Titanic one of Hesiodic Theogony towards
the aboriginal eminence of Homeric Theology is demonstrated also by
the Eleusinian tradition about a marriage of Ocean and Earth.
According to the epics ascribed to Musaeus (Pausanias doubts as to
whether or not they are genuine works composed by the old initiate, I,
14, 2; he recognises as indubitably authentic work of Musaeus only
the Hymn to Demeter that the Lycomidae used in their sacred
ceremonies, I, 22, 7; IV, 1, 5), Triptolemus of the Mysteries is son of
Ocean and Earth (Musaeus 2 B 10 DK). The Hymn to the Muses
that is quoted in the proemium of the Hesiodic Theogony (v. 11-12)
begins with the gods of the Olympian New Order and gradually
ascends to older divinities reaching its climax in (v. 20): °·Ö·Ó Ù’
\øηÓfiÓ Ù ̤Á·Ó ηd N‡ÎÙ· ̤ϷÈÓ·Ó. The Sky is absent and
Ocean is either Earth’s consort or a member of the Homeric precisely
sequence of first principles: Night - Ocean - (Heaven) Earth. Ocean’s
role in the Eleusinian mysteries is implicitly shown also from the fact
that Daeira, an important mysteric deity, was considered to be Ocean’s
daughter according to Pherecydes of Athens (FGrH 3F45: sister of
Styx) and also from the myth narrated in Orphic contexts that
Persephone’s abduction took place âÎ ÙáÓ appleÂÚd ÙeÓ \øηÓeÓ ÙfiappleˆÓ,
OF 43.
Alexander of Aphrodisias comments on the Aristotelian saying that
some theologians of the Academy (Speusippus in particular) openly
declared in the production of reality an evolutionary process from the
least to the most perfect, following in this view ancient poets.
Alexander explains that Aristotle intimates Orpheus, according to