Taylor - Eleusianian and Bacchic Mysteries.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

216 Eleusinian andBut Ocean s circle, like a zone of light,The sun s wide bosom girds,and charms the wond ring sight.In the first place, then, let us considerwhy this mystic dress belonging to Bacchusis to represent the sun. Now the reason ofthis will be evident from the following observations :according to the Orphic theology, the divine intellect of every planet isdenominated a Bacchus, who is characterizedin each by a different appellation;so thatthe intellect of the solar deity is called TrietericusBacchus. And in the second place,since the divinity of the sun, according tothe arcana of the ancient theology, has asuper-mundane as well as mundane establishment, and iswholly of an exaltingor intellectual nature ;hence considered as supermundane he must both produce and containthe mundane intellect, or Dionysus, in hisessence ;for all the mundane are containedin thesuper-mundane deities, by whom alsothey are produced. Hence Proclus, in hiselegant Hymn to the Sun, says :Ss xXoiov &J1V81Q001Aicovooaoio