On the Soul's Quest for Immortality
or, On the Allegory of the Orphic Argonautica, Part I
The following essay, due to its length and depth, will be split up. ‘Part One’ below covers the beginning of the poem through the introduction of the second Iphiklos during the Catalogue of Heroes. ‘Part Two’ will bring a third Iphiklos, and then finish and recap the catalogue of Heroes before we begin dissecting their journey in Part Three.
The story of Jason and the Argonauts is one that is often overlooked. The version told by Apollonius of Rhodes is the earliest surviving epic recounting the tale, which dates from the Hellenistic period. This relatively late date is likely why it’s often overlooked. Indeed, an even later and perhaps more-overlooked version is the one we’ll be examining today.
The Orphic Argonautica, also known as the Argonautica by Orpheus, dates from the 4th century CE and, as its title suggests, is an Orphic retelling of the epic, told in the first-person by the great theologian himself. The story is similar in many respects to other versions, like Apollonius of Rhodes or one by Valerius Flaccus, except that in Orpheus’ version, his own role is given more importance. In the Orphic Argonautica, it is also said that the Argo is the first ship ever constructed. This too is different from Apollonius’ more famous version, but it is not a detail fabricated by the Orphic author, as others before him have made the same claim.
Now is the time to say that the Orphic Argonautica is not meant to be “just” an epic, and especially not a cheap imitation of earlier epic poetry as it is often dismissed, nor is it only “Orphic” by coincidence. Rather, the story of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece is an allegorical tale, describing the Soul’s quest for immortality in the form of ascension to the Gods. The essay that follows is a systematic interpretation of the Orphic Argonautica1 as such.
Orpheus, the narrator and ‘author’ of the poem, opens by invoking Apollo, reciting an Orphic cosmogony, and listing other things he is known for, all addressed to Musaeus. In doing so, he establishes his authority: he is essentially saying I am the one who has been to Hades and back, I am the one who revealed the Mysteries to humankind, and I have more to tell you, my loyal student.
His addressing the reader as Musaeus serves in place of the usual ‘Orphic seal’: “I will speak to those for whom it is lawful”. In previous essays, it was argued that this seal, and secrecy in general, is used as a tool to assess whether (or ensure that) the reader / interlocutor is in the right state of mind, i.e. one of pious, reverent curiosity and wonder. By addressing the reader as Musaeus, the author skips the seal and assumes already that the reader is a student of Orpheus. This may suggest that the Orphic Argonautica was secret, intended for a small, specific audience, which lends further credence to it being actually Orphic and not just an imitation. Indeed, its late date (relative to Orphism) is actually quite early (relative to its reemergence), further suggesting that it was well-hidden or at least not widely circulated. While the Orphic Argonautica is dated to the 4th c. CE, it was not found and copied until the 15th century, over a thousand years later.
After the invocation, cosmogony, and recounting of Orpheus’ major milestones, the story begins first with relevant backstory and then with Jason arriving to Orpheus’ cave in Thrace, asking him for help on his quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Jason has already gathered his crew at this point, but he tells Orpheus that “they have no intention of sailing towards the barbarian tribes if you are not there”. A few lines earlier, Jason asks Orpheus to “show us the paths over the virgin sea and assist the heroes who are waiting for your lyre and divine voice”2.
If the lengthy introduction serves as the Orphic seal, then this conversation is our first revelation. Jason, who has already gathered a crew to sail, represents “us”, the reader-initiate. More specifically, Jason is the “I” that one thinks of when we think of ourselves. He is, to connect another allegory, Plato’s Charioteer, who pilots the vehicle of the soul, fighting his hardest to steer the horses toward the Good. Here, though, Jason’s crew will not set sail without Orpheus. The Argo is the first ship ever built; it is the prototype, or perhaps the archetype. This version of the allegory represents the ideal version. The ideal initiate has such mastery over the vehicle of their own soul that it refuses to wander without divine guidance.
However, Orpheus plays double-duty as the specific Orphic savior figure: he is guiding the Argonauts across the unknown depths, yes, but what he will help them secure on the other side is the Golden Fleece, which will help Jason reclaim his kingdom.
Our Orphic psychopomp leads us not only toward a favorable afterlife, but toward reclaiming our own share of rule. As the Gold tablets say, “You have become a God now instead of a mortal”3. The Golden Fleece represents immortality in the form of the soul’s deification. The ideal initiate, upon death, transcends mortality and reclaims one’s own share of divinity.
Orpheus, in his reply to Jason, almost turns him away. He starts by asking why he should do it, saying that his life has been troubled enough, and that his mother has freed him from troubles to later die of old age at home. This is an inversion of the more famous dilemma which Achilles was presented: will you die young and be remembered forever, or will you live safe at home and die old? The Thracian bard shows us his mortal side, allowing his own Charioteer to loosen his grip for a moment and prefer earthly comforts to incorporeal immortality. However, very quickly, he reminds himself and the reader that “it is impossible to escape what is laid down by destiny”4 and accepts the charge, heading to the crowded beach camp of the Argonauts.