Satyrus of Callatis Fragments on Dionysian Genealogy in Greek
The Fragments on Dionysian Genealogy by Satyrus of Callatis survive only as two prose excerpts preserved by the Neoplatonist philosopher Porphyry in his third-century CE treatise On Abstinence from Animal Food. Porphyry quoted these fragments as an authoritative source on ancient cultic history to support his philosophical argument for vegetarianism. The text itself is otherwise lost, having no independent manuscript tradition and surviving solely within the Byzantine transmission of Porphyry's work. The fragments present a euhemeristic genealogy of the god Dionysus, rationalizing him as a deified historical king who was credited with introducing viticulture to humanity. This lineage traces Dionysus's descent through figures such as Deianira, Heracles, and Hyllus, culminating in later historical rulers, thereby grounding mythic origins in a pseudo-historical framework. The content addresses the cultural origins of winemaking and its associated rites, as well as the primitive relationship between humans and Dionysus prior to the establishment of animal sacrifice. These excerpts exemplify the Hellenistic tradition of euhemerism—the interpretation of myths as distorted accounts of real historical events and persons—and remain a valuable source for modern scholarship on Dionysiac cults and ancient mythography. The original structure and full scope of Satyrus's work are unknown.
| 1b,fr 2,col 1 | PAP. OX. 2465 s. 2 p. (vol. 27, 1962, 118—133 [Taf. 7/8]; Hugh Lloyd—Jones, Gnomon 85, 1963, 453f.): (6) [ ] .. τ̣ . [ ]ˈ[ ]ˈ (8)[ ]ι̣ν σωˈ[ ]ε̣τ αὐτοῦ ˈ [ ] . ενω̣ . []ˈ[ ]η̣μεˈ [ ]θ̣η̣ˈ[ ]ˈ (14)[ ]α̣ν̣ [ ]είσης ˈ[ ]ˈ (17)[ ]πωσασˈ[ ]ι̣να ˈ[] [ ... ἄ]λ̣φ̣α φυ[λὴ ]ˈ[βουλ]ό̣μ̣ενος δὲ τιμ[ᾶν Διόνυσον τὸν τοῦ]ˈ γένους ἀρχηγέτην̣ [ διὰ τὴν ]ˈ ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτο̣[ῖς συγγέ]ˈνειαν· κ̣αὶ ἀπὸ τούτ̣[ου ‘Διονυσίαν‘ μετ]ˈω̣νόμασεν τὴν λεγ[ομένην πρώτην]. ˈ καλῶς δ̣’ ἔ̣χειν πρὸ[ς κα]ˈτὰ τὴν σ̣υγγέ[ν]εια̣[ν ]. ˈ ἱστορεῖται γὰρ ε[ἶναι] ⸤ Διονύσου καὶ ⸥ ˈ 〈Ἀλθαίασ〉 Δηϊάνειρα, Δηϊ[ανείρας δὲ καὶ] ⸤ Ἡρακλέ ⸥ ˈους Ὕλλ ⸤ ο ⸥ ς, τούτ̣[ο]υ̣ δ̣[ὲ καὶ Ἰόλης] ⸤ Κλεο ⸥ ˈδ[αῖ]ο̣ν, Κλεοδ[αί]ου δὲ [καὶ Περιδέας] ˈ Ἀριστόμ ⸤ α ⸥ χ̣ο̣ν̣, [Ἀ]ριστο̣[μάχου] δὲ κα[ὶ ] ˈ Τη̣ ⸤ μενόν ⸥ , [Τη]μενο̣ῦ̣ [δὲ κ̣]αὶ Δωρ[ ] ˈ Κεῖσ̣ ⸤ ον ⸥ , [Κείσο]υ δὲ Μ ⸤ ά̣ρω̣ ⸥ να, το[ύτου] ⸤ δὲ ⸥ Θέστιο̣ν̣, [Θεσ]τίου δὲ Ἀκοόν, [Ἀκοοῦ] ˈ δὲ Ἀριστοδ̣ ⸤ α ⸥ μίδαν̣, Ἀριστοδαμ̣[ίδα] ⸤ δὲ ⸥ ˈ Κ ⸤ άρα ⸥ νον, Καράνου δὲ καὶ Λαν[ ] ˈ ⸤ Κοι ⸥ νόν, Κοινοῦ δὲ Τυρίμμαν̣, [Τυ]ˈρίμμα δὲ καὶ Κλεονίκης Πε̣ ⸤ ρδίκκαν ⸥ , ˈ Π[ερδ]ί̣κκου δὲ καὶ Κλεοπάτρας [Ἀργαῖον], ˈ Ἀργαίου δὲ καὶ Προθόης Φίλιππ ⸤ ον ⸥ , [Φι]ˈλ̣ίππου δὲ καὶ Ν{ε}ικονόης Ἀέροπ ⸤ ον ⸥ , [] [...] (11) .. ˈ[ Θεῶν Ἀδ]ελφῶ(ν)ˈ[ ]εσ̣ˈ[ ]θα ˈ[ ]νη ˈ[ ] . π̣ο̣ˈ[ ]. —ˈ[ ]ον ˈ[] [ ... ] ... [ ]ˈ[ ] . [ . ]μ̣εν . [ ]ˈ[ ]λ̣ιν ἀπὸ το̣ῦ σύνεγγυ̣ς̣ ὄντ̣[ος] ˈ ἱ̣[εροῦ], τὴν δ’ ὁμωνυμίαν εἰληφότο[ς] ˈ ἀπ[ὸ] τ̣ῆς ἐν Ἀθήναις Ἐλευ[σ]ῖνος, οὗ [κα]ˈτ’ ἐ̣ν̣ιαυτὸν ὁμοίως ἐτύ̣γ̣χανε̣[ν ἀ]γ̣ομέ̣ˈ[ν]η πανήγυρις ἔχουσα [γυμνι]κὸν καὶ̣ ˈ μουσικὸν ἀγῶνα, χαρ̣[ιέσ]τ̣α̣τ̣ον τόˈπον κατεχούσης θ̣έας, [ ] καὶ ἀπὸ ˈ τούτων δήμους καὶ πρ[οσηγόρε]υ̣εν̣ ˈ τὸν μὲν ‘Κ̣ανωβέα‘, τὸν δ̣[ὲ ‘Ἐλευσ]ί̣[νιον‘]. ˈ τοὺς δὲ Βακχι̣ά̣δας̣ ἱστορ[οῦσιν̣] .. [ γεγονέ]ˈναι ἀπὸ Βακχ̣ίδος, ὃς ἐβασίλευ[σε Κοριν]ˈθίων. υἱὸ̣[ς δ’] ἦ̣ν Πρύμ̣[ν]ιδος τοῦ Ἀ[γέλα] ˈ τοῦ Ἀραξ̣[ί]ωνος τοῦ [Ἀ]λ̣ήτου τοῦ [κατα]ˈσχόντος Κό[ρ]ι̣νθον μ̣ετὰ τῶν Ἡρα̣[κλειδῶν]· ˈ ὁ δ’ Ἀλήτης υἱὸς μ̣ὲν ἦν Ἱππ[ότου τοῦ Φύ]ˈλαντος· ὁ δ̣ὲ Ἀν[τί]ο̣χος̣ [τὴν Ὕλλου] ˈ θυγατέρα Πυραίχ[μην γήμας ἐγέννη]ˈσεν Φύλαντα τὸν [Ἱππότου πατέρα], ˈ τὸν Ὕλλον δὲ πάντες Ἡ[ρακλέους καὶ] ˈ Δηϊανείρας ἀποφαίνου[σιν.] [ ... ] . [ ] .. [ ]ˈ[ ]π̣ρ ... α ˈ [ ἀ]π̣ὸ τῆς ἐπωνυˈ[μίας ]ξ̣[ .. ] δήμους καὶ ˈ [ ] . Διοσ̣κούρειον ˈ [ ] . ν Λητ̣ῶ〈ι〉ον ˈ [ το]ῦ γ̣έ̣ν̣ους ἀ[ρ]χ̣ηγ̣έ̣τ̣ου Δι̣ˈ[ονύσου ]τ̣ο καὶ τὸν πάπ̣π̣ον τ[] [...]τ̣ο περὶ ˈ[ ]λ̣λως ˈ[ ]θεσιν ˈ[ ]ˈ [] . σα[] . [ ]ˈ δ[ ]ˈ ἐν τῆ̣〈ι〉 α̣ . [ ] . ν β̣[ ]ˈ καὶ θύει[ ] ἐπων[υμία— ] ˈ {ς} του[ ] . ν τῶν̣ [ἀ]ˈνανκαίω[ν] τοῦ ψηφί[σμα̣]τος εχον[ ] ˈ εἰς τὴ[ν φυλὴ]ν δήμ[ους̣] ἐχώρι[σ̣ε̣ ] ˈ ο̣ἱ δὲ [ .. ] ἀπὸ μὲν τῆ[ς .. ] . υ̣ ... [ ]ˈ[ ἐπιφ̣]ανέσι πρὸς ων[ . ] .. [ ]ˈ [ ]υ̣σιαυτουτον ἐ̣πιφ[ανέστατον ...] ... ἐπ]ωνυμ̣[ί— ]ˈ[ ]έ̣α π̣[] ... ] . χει .. [ ]ˈ[ ]νεκτων φ[ ]ˈ[ ] . ιω〈ι〉 περὶ στι[ ]ˈ [ ] . ινεν χωρ[ ]ˈ[ ]μμ . [ ]ˈ[ ] .. λυ̣ . [ ]ˈ[ ] . ρ . [ ]ˈ [ ]λ̣υ̣[ . ] .. [ ]ˈ[ ]οδιαζω̣ .. [ ]ˈ[ ] Ἰσθμιεὺς πρωτ̣[ ]ˈ[ ]ήσιοι μηθ . [ ]ˈ[ ]πω καὶ δικ[ ]ˈ[ ]ρίαν παρέχε[ι̣ ]ˈ[ ]α̣τιτον τους . [ ] [ ]ˈ[ ] .... [] [ ... ] . [ ]ˈ[ ] .. Δ̣ωριεὺς̣ [ ]ˈ[ ] ἱ̣[στ]ορίαν ˈ [] [σιν ὁ] ˈ [ ] . περὶ ˈ [ ]ατα ˈ [ ] . ος ˈ[ ] . [] τ̣[ ] ˈ κ[ ] ˈ ν . [ ] ˈ ον[ ]ˈ οὐχ . [ ]ˈ . ε̣γ̣ . [] [ ... ] . [ ]ˈ[ ] . τ . [ .. ] . [ ]ˈ[ ]λ̣ου καὶ του[ ]ˈ [ ]ν̣ο̣ς τοῦ Ἀρσι̣ν̣[όης ]ˈ[ ] Θε̣σμοφόριον [ ]ˈ[ ] . Πτολεμαιεῖο[ν] [ ]ˈ[ μ]ηδεὶς βαδιζέτ̣[ω ]ˈ[ ] τ̣ῆ〈ι〉 κανηφόρω̣〈ι〉 [ ]ˈ[ Ἀ]ρ̣[σι]ν̣όης Φιλαδέλφ[ου ]ˈ[ μετὰ] π̣ρυτάνεων κ̣αὶ ἱερέων κ[αὶ γυμνασιˈάρχω]ν̣ καὶ ἐφήβ̣ω̣ν καὶ ῥαβδοφ[όρων . ]ˈ[ οἱ δὲ] β̣ουλόμενοι θύειν Ἀρσιν[όηι Φιλα]ˈ [δέ]λ̣φω〈ι〉 θυέτωσαν πρὸ τῶν ἰδ̣[ίων οἴˈκ]ω̣ν ἢ ἐπὶ τῶν [δω̣]μάτων ἢ κα[τὰ τὴν] ˈ ὁδόν, ἧ〈ι〉 ἂν ἡ κα̣ν[η]φόρος βαδίζ[ηι . ζῶιον] ˈ ἢ ὄρνεον πάντες̣ θυέτωσαν̣ [ἢ ὁποῖ]ˈα̣ ἂν βούληται ἕ[κα]στος πλὴ[ν τ]ρ̣άˈ γου καὶ αἰγός. το[ὺς] δὲ βωμοὺ̣[ς πο]ιείτωˈσ̣αν πάντες ἐξ ἄμ̣[μ]ου. ἐὰν δέ τ[ι]νες ˈ [οἰ]κοδο̣μητοὺς πλ̣ι̣νθίνους ἔχ̣[ωσ]ι〈ν〉, ἐπ[ιˈβ]αλλέτωσαν ἐπάνω ἄμμον καὶ̣ [ἐπ’ αὐ]ˈτ̣ῆς τὰς σχίζας ἐπιθ̣έτωσαν, ἐφ’ [αἷς τὰ ˈ ὄ]σπρια κατακα̣ύσο̣υ̣[σι]ν· ˈ σκην . [ ] ... |
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