Theology and Ritual in the Orphic Hymnto Bacchus-Sun (Orphica frr. 539-545)

This paper seeks to discover the theological and ritual context of the so-called Hymn to Bacchus-Sun, fragments of which were quoted in Macrobius’ Saturnalia . According to the latest findings, writings created in antiquity under the name of the mythical Orpheus tended to expand the ancient religious discourse with extraordinary, foreign or marginal religious ideas. My interpretation of the hymn to Bacchus-Sun follows this trend. I am trying to prove that the inspiration for the poem can be found in Greek oracular literature and syncretic mystery rituals performed in Hellenistic Egypt.