Orphic Hymn 13

The standard edition of the Orphic hymns was prepared by W. Quandt in 1955, based on thirty-seven manuscripts dating to the fifteen and sixteen centuries. ¹ Because no ancient testimony regarding the Orphic hymns survives, confidence regarding a date of composition is difficult if not impossible; the content and style of the hymns indicate that they may have been composed during the later years of the Roman empire, with the third or fourth centuries ce most likely. ² Because hymns are sung to three gods whose names appear in inscriptions from the sanctuary of Demeter in Pergamon, Otto Kern and others have considered this city in Asia Minor as a likely place for the writing and use of the hymns. ³