The Hymns of Orpheus [Facsimile] [Hardcover]

Manly P. Hall (Adapter, Introduction), Thomas Taylor (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0893144150 | ISBN-13: 978-0893144159 | Publication Date: January 1999 | Edition: Limited ed

Translated by Thomas Taylor.

Introductory Preface by Manly P. Hall.

A photographic facsimile of the 1792 edition, published in London, this includes a preliminary dissertation on "The Life and Theology of Orpheus," "The Initiations of Orpheus" which were the invocations used in the Eleusinian Mysteries, and "Concerning the Beautiful" by Plotinus. These comprise a compendium of the teachings of Orpheus, a missionary of civilization and one whose teachings are nearly indistinguishable from the foundation of the Pythagorean philosophy.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek

From the Publisher

The Philosophical Research Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1934 for the purpose of assisting thoughtful persons to live more graciously and constructively in a confused and troubled world. The Society is entirely free from educational, political, or ecclesiastical control. Dedicated to an idealistic approach to the solution of human problems, the Society's program stresses the need for the integration of religion, philosophy, and the science of psychology into one system of instruction. The goal of this instruction is to enable the individual to develop a mature philosophy of life, to recognize his proper responsibilities and opportunities, and to understand and appreciate his place in the unfolding universal pattern.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Philosophical Research Society; Limited ed edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0893144150
• ISBN-13: 978-0893144159
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,988,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big disappointment, October 30, 2008

By 

R. Blake "unknownlegend" (Motown) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hymns of Orpheus (Hardcover)

The first clue that this translation isn't what it should be is the fact that the poems all rhyme. You can't translate Greek to English accurately and expect it to rhyme. He also chose to translate the names of the Gods either into their English words (like Heaven) or their Roman names (like Saturn) rather than leave their Greek names so you can figure out exactly who he means (Like Ouranos). He confused Hecate, Selene and Artemis, calling them all Diana at one point or another and I think there's a point where he translated Dione as Diana as well. The final result- you spend more time trying to guess who the poem is about.
Further, despite the title's promise of a "preliminary" dissertation, there is more commentary throughout the book than poems, though the commentary doesn't help much in figuring out who the heck he's talking about unless it contains snippets of Greek which is sometimes helpful.
In short, there is little to no value to this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thomas Taylor actually UNDERSTANDS the hymns, August 28, 2011

By 

James Vankollenburg (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hymns of Orpheus [Illustrated] (Kindle Edition)

This very old translation of the Orphic Hymns is venerated by those who genuinely know the teachings of Orpheus and Plato. Thomas Taylor translated a vast number (many many volumes) of Hellenic texts, some very difficult such as Proklos. Amongst these texts, the Orphic hymns are some of the very few that he translated into verse. The original hymns are poems. Taylor did two things which were typical of scholars of his time who were translating poetry: 1) he rhymed the lines, and 2) he used the Roman names for the deities. He has been criticized in our time for both of these, which were simply conventions of HIS time. (The language of scholars from that period was Latin) The amazing feat of Taylor is that somehow, despite the demands of rhyme, he very accurately kept the spirit of the text and the meaning as well. This author has acquaintance with scholars in Greece who, in English, prefer Taylor's translation for this very reason. Taylor was immensely learned and this can be seen in his notes to the text. However, if you want real evidence of his abilities, read some of his prosaic translations. If you read these with an open mind, you will be humbled. Taylor was a giant.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thomas Taylor, a dedicated scholarch of Platonism., September 26, 2010

By 

Matthew Marroquin - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Hymns of Orpheus (Hardcover)

Taylor's understanding of Platonism and classical Hellenic paganism is underrated. His translations were influential on William Blake, Shelley and William Wordsworth. In American editions they were read by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, Mead, and Blavatsky, the founder of Theosophy.