The “Orphic-Pythagorean” Eschatology of the Gold Tablets from Thurii and the Sixth Book of Virgil's Aeneid

摘要

Among the many different sources and traditions Virgil drew upon when he described the topography and eschatology of the Underworld in the sixth book of the Aeneid it is the influence of the “Orphic-Pythagorean” tradition which is the most problematic. A reccurring category of texts often used in this connection has been the “Orphic-Pythagorean” gold tablets which, it has been argued, show us glimpses of the same eschatology which influenced Virgil. This paper seeks to show how most of the alleged similarities between these short texts and Virgil's eschatology are superficial. Rather than seeing Virgil as being influenced by a vague and ill-defined religious movement called “Orphic-Pythagorean”, this paper will further argue that his description of Aeneas' descent is better understood as a product of both ancient literary and mythological texts such as Homer and Plato combined with elements from Virgil's own religious and political context.