I am parched with thirst and I perish.
But give me to drink from the ever-flowing spring on the right, by the cypress.
“Who are you? Where are you from?”
I am the son of Earth and starry Heaven.

-- "Orphic" Gold Tablet B4, Crete | OF 479 (Bernabé 2004–07)

A mysterious tradition which descended from the legendary figure of Orpheus, promising an utter transformation of the soul through such Gods as Dionysos and Persephone...
Ancient peoples across the Mediterranean brought this mystic and controversial way of life with them to the grave - and beyond.
Today, Orphism captivates as much as it confounds.
Luckily, through a rich archaeological and literary legacy, the voices of Orphic initiates still echo across time!

You are invited to listen in this self-paced online course: An Intro to Orphic Mysticism.

eight modules to explore...

  • Myth and Mysticism: The Persona of Orpheus
  • Cosmic Egg of Creation: The Orphic Theogonies
  • Zagreus-Dionysos: The Orphic Anthropogenies
  • Wheel of Rebirth: The Orphic Philosophies of Soul
  • Passcodes of Persephone: The Orphic Gold Tablets
  • Holy Secrets and Science: The Derveni Papyrus
  • Orphikos Bios: The Orphic Life & Ritual Market
  • Good Shepherd: The Orphic Influence on Christianity

This course is an engaging archaeological and historical introduction to Orphism and a welcoming space for modern practitioners of ancient Mediterranean mystery traditions. Together we will explore the sources for Orphic mysticism, including...

  • Classical Greek & Roman literature like Hesiod, Aristophanes, Euripides, Pindar, Ovid, and Virgil
  • Philosophical works from Empedocles and Plato
  • Epigraphical & papyrological evidence like the Derveni Papyrus, Orphic Gold Lamellae, and Olbia Bone Tablets
  • Later Classical receptions like Plutarch, Diogenes Laërtius, Eusebius of Caesarea, and fragments of the Rhapsodic, Hieronymian, and Eudemian Theogonies
  • Key scholarship from Kern, Edmonds, Tsantsanoglou, Bernabé, Papadopoulou,  Jimenez San Cristobal, Iles Johnston, Rangos, Graf, Tzifopoulos, Herrero de Jáuregui, Burkert and more

instructor

Bria Melitta Nuccio is an Ancient Historian and Classical Archaeologist specialising in Mediterranean Mystery Religion. She is an experienced educator who enjoys making ancient historical and material sources engaging and accessible!

Bria holds a MA With Distinction in the Classical Mediterranean from the University of Leicester. She lives and works in the sacred Mediterranean basin with her family.

Course is entirely online and self-paced, with all lectures and materials available immediately after purchase. No additional materials are required, though tools & alternatives will be suggested. This is a survey-style course for general learning that does not require exams or extensive assignments.

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Cost: €129
Course inquiries: courses@mtnysa.com

register here