Herodotus, Histories 2.81

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The opening sentence of this passage appears in different forms in the Florentine and Roman branches of the Herodotean mss. The Roman branch have the text as it is printed here. The Florentine mss have ὁμολογέoυσι instead of ὁμολογέει and omit the words καὶ Βακχικοῖσι, ἐοῦσι δὲ Αἰγυπτίοισι. See further, I. Linforth, The Arts of Orpheus, Berkeley 1941: 39-50 and W. Burkert, Lore and Science in Ancient Pythagoreanism, Cambridge Mass. 1972: 127-8. For full bibliography, see Orph. 650 Bernabé. ὁμολογέει ὁμολογέει mss. cf. Plut. De Is. et Os. 364f.: ὁμολογέουσι other mss. δὲ ταῦτα τοῖσι Ὀρφικοῖσι καλεομένοισι καὶ Βακχικοῖσι, ἐοῦσι δὲ Αἰγυπτίοισι καὶ Βακχικοῖσι—καί mss: om. other mss. Πυθαγορείοισι Πυθαγορείοισι mss: Πυθαγορίοισι(ν) other mss.· οὐδὲ γὰρ τούτων τῶν ὀργίων μετέχοντα ὅσιόν ἐστι ἐν εἰρινέοισι εἵμασι θαφθῆναι. ἔστι δὲ περὶ αὐτῶν ἱρὸς λόγος λεγόμενος.

In these things they are in accord with the rites called Orphic and Bacchic, which are really Egyptian and Pythagorean. For it is not lawful for one who participates in these rites to be buried in woollen garments. And there is a sacred story told about them.

Relevant guides	Orpheus