Allegoresis of Everlasting Recurrence in Cleanthes’ Etymologized Theology and its Interaction with Orphism

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to review many ancient sources according to which Cleanthes recreates the motif of everlasting recurrence, key in Stoic cosmology, through etymological operations performed on the theonym of Apollo, Persephone, and Dionysus, so that thanks to this maneuver the philosopher produces an allegory of solar and agricultural cycles that, of course, respond to the Stoic physical formulations. To carry out this analysis, I will track and contrast different sources in order to validate the influence that Orphism had over Cleanthes —and over other Stoics such as Cornutus— in three aspects common to both lines of thought: the use of etymology to produce theological allegoresis, the notion of a cyclical nature deity which explains the journey of the sun or the seasons, and the idea of cosmic destruction and regeneration from divine numina (principle and end, life and death).