Heraclitus | Fragment B15 (Inter.)

‘Car si ce n’était pas pour Dionysos que l’on mène la cérémonie en chantant des odes aux parties intimes, on agirait de manière éhontée ; mais c’est le même, Hadès et Dionysos, pour lequel on est en délire et pour lequel on danse au pressoir.’

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‘For if it were not for Dionysus that the ritual is performed while singing odes to intimate parts, it would be a shameful action; but it is the same one, Hades and Dionysus, for whom they rave and dance at the wine press.’

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Original text:

「Εἰ μὴ γὰρ Διονύσῳ πομπὴν ἐποιοῦντο καὶ ὕμνεον ᾆσμα αἰδοίοισιν, ἀναιδέστατα εἴργαστ’ ἄν· ὡυτὸς δὲ Ἅιδης καὶ Διόνυσος, ὅτεῳ μαίνονται καὶ ληναΐζουσιν.」

Heraclitus, Fragment B15

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Credits:

French & English translation: J.-S. Desnanot

Illustration: Dionysus on the east pediment of the Parthenon, Athens, Greece. Photo: J.-S. Desnanot