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FILIP DOROSZEWSKI of John Malalas (c.491-578). In Chronographia 12.3.20-29, the historian speaks of the Maiuma festival held in Antioch in honour of Dionysus and Aphrodite, as well as of the nocturnal cult of Dionysus mentioned by Virgil. JEWISH AND HERETICAL WORSHIP Some authors from the period in question use the term öpyıa with polemical intentions to describe the Judaic cult and/or religious practices of certain Christian sects. Of seven such instances in total, four are found in Theodoret of Cyrus, who applies the word to Manicheans (classified as heretics by the author), the followers of Simon the Magician, and heretics in general, and the licentious customs of Jews (with relation to Hosea 4.14).4 Another two occurrences are found in Nonnus’ Paraphrasis, in which they refer to Jewish worship.” The last author to be mentioned here is Procopius of Gaza (465-c. 528). While discussing Ezekiel 8:14, a passage in which Jewish women bewail the pagan deity Tammuz in the Temple of Jerusalem, he calls these practices öpyıa.* METAPHOR FOR SECRET KNOWLEDGE The 27 occurrences that fall under this category can be grouped into two subcategories: 1) secrets in general and 2) the Christian faith and its teachings. SECRETS IN GENERAL The first occurrence of the 19 assigned to this subcategory is found in Synesius of Cyrene, who uses the term twice in his letters in reference to the secrets of Neoplatonist philosophy.** Another 13 instances occur in Nonnus of Panopolis. In the Dionysiaca, dpyia is a metaphor for the art of writing, poetic inspiration, laws, astronomy, medicine, viticulture, female private 41 Haer. PG 83.337, 380, 384; Os—Mal. PG 81.1573. 2 Par. 2.113, 4.107; see Filip Doroszewski, Judaic Orgies and Christ’s Bacchic Deeds: Dionysiac Terminology in Nonnus’ Paraphrase of St. John’s Gospel, in: Konstantinos Spanoudakis (ed.), Nonnus of Panopolis in Context. Poetry and Cultural Milieu in Late Antiquity, Berlin, Walter de Gruyter 2014, 294-300. 43 Is. PG 87.2140. 4 Ep. 137.9, 143.33 (34); see Antonio Garzya, Synésios de Cyréne, Tome II-III, Correspondance, Paris, Les Belles Lettres 2000, 398n7. «72 Daréczi-Sepsi-Vassanyi_Initiation_155x240.indb 72 6 2020. 06.15. 11:04:14
