68. 0eessity is the Cinister or Ser-ant o Pro-idene. 6<. Fortune is the arria#e or eDet o that whih is without Order% the &do" o o+eration, a "yin# antasy or o+inion. 8?. (hat is God) he immutab"e or una"terab"e Good. 81. (hat is Can) 4n unhan#eab"e 3-i". 82. & thou +eret"y remember these Heads, thou anst not or#et those thin#s whih in more words & ha-e "ar#e"y e+ounded unto thee% or these are the >ontents or 4brid#ment o them. 8. 4-oid a"" >on-ersation with the mu"titude or ommon Peo+"e, or & wou"d not ha-e thee sub$et to 3n-y, muh "ess to be ridiu"ous unto the many. 8*. For the "ike a"ways takes to itse" that whih is "ike, but the un"ike ne-er a#rees with the un"ike suh =isourses as these ha-e -ery ew 4uditors, and +erad-enture -ery ew wi"" ha-e, but they ha-e somethin# +eu"iar unto themse"-es. 8/. hey do rather shar+en and whet e-i" men to their ma"iiousness, thereore it beho-eth to a-oid the mu"titude and take heed o them as not understandin# the -irtue and +ower o the thin#s that are said. 8. How dost hou mean, O Father) 86. hus, O Son, the who"e 0ature and >om+osition o those "i-in# thin#s a""ed Cen, is -ery +rone to Ca"iiousness, and is -ery ami"iar, and as it were nourished with it, and thereore is de"i#hted with it. 0ow this wi#ht i it sha"" ome to "earn or know, that the wor"d was one made, and a"" thin#s are done aordin# to Pro-idene and 0eessity, =estiny, or Fate, bearin# !u"e o-er a"" (i"" he not be muh worse than himse", des+isin# the who"e beause it was made. 4nd i he may "ay the ause o e-i" u+on Fate or =estiny, he wi"" ne-er abstain rom any e-i" work. 88. (hereore we must "ook wari"y to suh kind o +eo+"e, that bein# in i#norane, they may be "ess e-i" or ear o that whih is hidden and ke+t seret.
CORPUS HERMETICUM I The Mead Translation
The frst libellus o the Corpus Hermeticum is entitled Hermou Trismegistou Poimandrês ("Poimandres o Hermes Trismegistos"!. The olloing is the #nglish translation o $%&' b ).*.+. ,ead the Theosophist prolifc esoteric scholar and ounder o the uest +ociet.
--Adam Forrest
Corpus Hermeticum /ibellus 01 Poemandres the +hepherd o ,en (Text: R. !"-"# P. $-$"# Pat. %&-".'
1. &t haned one on a time my mind was meditatin# on the thin#s that are, my thou#ht was raised to a #reat hei#ht, the senses o my body bein# he"d bak$ust as men are who are wei#hed down with s"ee+ ater a f"" o ood, or rom ati#ue o body. Cethou#ht a Bein# more than -ast, in si5e beyond a"" bounds, a""ed out my name and saith (hat wou"dst thou hear and see, and what hast thou in mind to "earn and know) 2. 4nd & do say (ho art thou) He saith & am CanShe+herd, Cind o a""masterhood% & know what thou desirest and &'m with thee e-erywhere. . 4nd & re+"y & "on# to "earn the thin#s that are, and om+rehend their nature, and know God. his is, & said, what & desire to hear. He answered bak to me Ho"d in thy mind a"" thou wou"dst know, and & wi"" teah thee. *. 3'en with these words His as+et han#ed, and strai#htway, in the twink"in# o an eye, a"" thin#s were o+ened to me, and & see a :ision "imit"ess, a"" thin#s turned into @i#htsweet, $oyous @i#ht. 4nd & beame trans+orted as & #a5ed. But in a "itt"e whi"e =arkness ame sett"in# down on +art o it, awesome and #"oomy, oi"in# in sinuous o"ds, so that methou#ht it "ike unto a snake. 4nd then the =arkness han#ed into some sort o a Coist 0ature, tossed about beyond a"" +ower o words, be"hin# out smoke as rom a fre, and #roanin# orth a wai"in# sound that be##ars a""
desri+tion. 4nd ater that an outry inartiu"ate ame orth rom it, as thou#h it were a :oie o Fire. /. hereon out o the @i#ht . . . a Ho"y (ord E@o#os desended on that 0ature. 4nd u+wards to the hei#ht rom the Coist 0ature "ea+ed orth +ure Fire% "i#ht was it, swit and ati-e too. he 4ir, too, bein# "i#ht, o""owed ater the Fire% rom out the 3arth and(ater risin# u+ to Fire so that it seemed to han# thererom. But 3arthand(ater stayed so min#"ed eah with other, that 3arth rom (ater no one ou"d disern. Iet were they mo-ed to hear by reason o the S+irit(ord E@o#os +er-adin# them. . hen saith to me CanShe+herd =idst understand this :ision what it means) 0ay% that sha"" & know, & said. hat @i#ht, He said, am &, thy God, Cind, +rior to Coist 0ature whih a++eared rom =arkness% the @i#ht(ord E@o#os that a++eared rom Cind is Son o God. (hat then ) say &. Jnow that what sees in thee and hears is the @ord's (ord E@o#os% but Cind is FatherGod. 0ot se+arate are they the one rom other% $ust in their union rather is it @ie onsists. hanks be to hee, & said. So, understand the @i#ht He answered, and make riends with it. 6. 4nd s+eakin# thus, He #a5ed or "on# into my eyes, so that & tremb"ed at the "ook o Him. But when He raised His head, & see in Cind the @i#ht, but now in Powers no man ou"d number, and >osmos #rown beyond a"" bounds, and that the Fire was om+assed round about by a most mi#hty Power, and now subdued had ome unto a stand. 4nd when & saw these thin#s & understood by reason o Can She+herd's (ord E@o#os. 8. But as & was in #reat astonishment, He saith to me a#ain hou didst beho"d in Cind the 4rhety+a" Form whose bein# is beore be#innin# without end. hus s+ake to me CanShe+herd. 4nd & say (hene then ha-e 0ature's e"ements their bein#) o this He answer #i-es From (i"" o God. 0ature reei-ed the (ord E@o#os, and #a5in# on the >osmos Beautiu" did o+y it, makin# herse" into a osmos, by means o her own e"ements and by the births o sou"s. <. 4nd GodtheCind, bein# ma"e and ema"e both, as @i#ht and @ie subsistin#, brou#ht orth another Cind to #i-e thin#s orm, who,
God as he was o Fire and S+irit, ormed Se-en !u"ers who en"ose the osmos that the sense +erei-es. Cen a"" their ru"in# Fate. 1?. Strai#htway rom out the downward e"ements God's !eason E@o#os "ea+ed u+ to 0ature's +ure ormation, and was atoned with the Formati-e Cind% or it was oessentia" with it. 4nd 0ature's downward e"ements were thus "et reason"ess, so as to be +ure matter. 11. hen the Formati-e Cind Eatoned with !eason, he who surrounds the s+heres and s+ins them with his whir", set turnin# his ormations, and "et them turn rom a be#innin# bound"ess unto an end"ess end. For that the iru"ation o these s+heres be#ins where it doth end, as Cind doth wi"". 4nd rom the downward e"ements 0ature brou#ht orth "i-es reason "ess% or He did not etend the !eason E@o#os to them. he 4ir brou#ht orth thin#s win#ed% the (ater thin#s that swim, and 3arth and(ater one rom another +arted, as Cind wi""ed. 4nd rom her bosom 3arth +rodued what "i-es she had, ourooted thin#s and re+ti"es, beasts wi"d and tame. 12. But 4""Father Cind, bein# @ie and @i#ht, did brin# orth Can oeAua" to Himse", with whom He e"" in "o-e, as bein# His own hi"d% or he was beautiu" beyond om+are, the &ma#e o his Sire. &n -ery truth, God e"" in "o-e with His own Form% and on him did bestow a"" o His own ormations. 1. 4nd when he #a5ed u+on what the 3normer had reated in the Father, Can too wished to enorm% and so assent was #i-en him by the Father. >han#in# his state to the ormati-e s+here, in that he was to ha-e his who"e authority, he #a5ed u+on his Brother's reatures. hey e"" in "o-e with him, and #a-e him eah a share o his own orderin#. 4nd ater that he had we"" "earned their essene and had beome a sharer in their nature, he had a mind to break ri#ht throu#h the Boundary o their s+heres, and to subdue the mi#ht o that whih +ressed u+on the Fire. 1*. So he who hath the who"e authority o'er a"" the morta"s in the osmos and o'er its "i-es irrationa", bent his ae downwards throu#h the Harmony, breakin# ri#ht throu#h its stren#th, and showed to downward 0ature God's air Form. 4nd when she saw that Form o beauty whih an ne-er satiate, and him who now +ossessed within himse" eah sin#"e ener#y o a"" se-en !u"ers as we"" as God's own Form, she smi"ed with "o-e% or 'twas as thou#h she'd seen the ima#e o Can's airest orm u+on her
(ater, his shadow on her 3arth. He in his turn beho"din# the orm "ike to himse", eistin# in her, in her (ater, "o-ed it and wi""ed to "i-e in it% and with the wi"" ame at, and so he -i-ifed the orm de-oid o reason. 4nd 0ature took the ob$et o her "o-e and wound herse" om+"ete"y round him, and they were intermin#"ed, or they were "o-ers. 1/. 4nd this is why beyond a"" reatures on the earth man is twoo"d% morta" beause o body, but beause o the essentia" Can immorta". hou#h death"ess and +ossessed o sway o'er a"", yet doth he suDer as a morta" doth, sub$et to Fate. hus thou#h abo-e the Harmony, within the Harmony he hath beome a s"a-e. hou#h ma"eema"e, as rom a Father ma"eema"e, and thou#h he's s"ee+"ess rom a s"ee+"ess Sire, yet is he o-erome by s"ee+. 1. hereon & say eah on, O Cind o me, or & myse" as we"" am amorous o the (ord E@o#os. he She+herd said his is the mystery ke+t hid unti" this day. 0ature embraed by Can brou#ht orth a wonder, oh so wonderu". For as he had the nature o the >onord o the Se-en, who, as & said to thee, were made o Fire and S+irit 0ature de"ayed not, but immediate"y brou#ht orth se-en KmenK, in orres+ondene with the natures o the Se-en, ma"eema"e and mo-in# in the air. hereon & said O She+herd, . . % or now &'m f""ed with #reat desire and "on# to hear% do not run oD . he She+herd said Jee+ si&ene, or not as yet ha-e & unro""ed or thee the frst disourse E"o#os. . . @oL & am sti"", & said. 16. &n suh wise then, as & ha-e said, the #eneration o these se-en ame to +ass. 3arth was as woman, her (ater f""ed with "on#in#% ri+eness she took rom Fire, s+irit rom Mther. 0ature thus brou#ht orth rames to suit the orm o Can. 4nd Can rom @ie and @i#ht han#ed into sou" and mindrom @ie to sou", rom @i#ht to mind. 4nd thus ontinued a"& the sensewor"d's +arts unti" the +eriod o their end and new be#innin#s. 18. 0ow "isten to the rest o the disourse E"o#os whih thou dost "on# to hear. he +eriod bein# ended, the bond that bound them a"" was "oosened by God's (i"". For a"" the anima"s bein# ma"eema"e, at the same time with man were "oosed a+art% some beame +art"y ma"e, some in "ike ashion +art"y ema"e. 4nd strai#htway God
s+ake by His Ho"y (ord E@o#os K&nrease ye in inreasin#, and mu"ti+"y in mu"titude, ye reatures and reations a""% and man that hath Cind in him, "et him "earn to know that he himse" is death"ess, and that the ause o death is "o-e, thou#h @o-e is a"".K 1<. (hen He said this, His Forethou#ht did by means o Fate and Harmony eDet their ou+"in#s and their #enerations ounded. 4nd so a"" thin#s were mu"ti+"ied aordin# to their kind. 4nd he who thus hath "earned to know himse", hath reahed that Good whih doth transend abundane% but he who throu#h a "o-e that "eads astray, e+ends his "o-e u+on his bodyhe stays in =arkness wanderin#, and suDerin# throu#h his senses thin#s o =eath. 2?. (hat is the so #reat au"t, said &, the i#norant ommit, that they shou"d be de+ri-ed o death"essness) hou seem'st, he said, O thou, not to ha-e #i-en heed to what thou heardest. =id not & bid thee think) Iea do & think, and & remember, and thereore #i-e hee thanks. & thou didst think thereon, said He, te"" me (hy do they merit death who are in =eath) &t is beause the #"oomy =arkness is the root and base o the materia" rame% rom it ame the Coist 0ature% rom this the body in the sensewor"d was om+osed% and rom this body =eath doth the (ater drain. 21. !i#ht was thy thou#ht, O thouL But how doth Khe who knows himse", #o unto HimK, as God's (ord E@o#os hath de"ared) 4nd & re+"y the Father o the uni-ersa"s doth onsist o @i#ht and @ie, and rom Him Can was born. hou sayest we"", thus s+eakin#. @i#ht and @ie is FatherGod, and rom Him Can was born. & then thou "earnest that thou art thyse" o @ie and @i#ht, and that thou on"y ha++en'st to be out o them, thou sha"t return a#ain to @ie. hus did CanShe+herd s+eak. But te"" me urther, Cind o me, & ried, how sha"" & ome to @ie a#ain . . . or God doth say Khe man who hath Cind in him, "et him "earn to know that he himse" is death"ess.K 22. Ha-e not a"" men then Cind) hou sayest we"", O thou, thus s+eakin#. &, Cind, myse" am +resent with ho"y men and #ood, the +ure and meriu", men who "i-e +ious"y. o suh my +resene doth beome an aid, and strai#htway they #ain #nosis o a"" thin#s, and win the Father's "o-e by their +ure "i-es, and #i-e Him thanks, in-okin# on Him b"essin#s, and hantin#
hymns, intent on Him with ardent "o-e. 4nd ere they #i-e the body u+ unto its +ro+er death, they turn them with dis#ust rom its sensations, rom know"ed#e o what thin#s they o+erate. 0ay, it is &, the Cind, that wi"" not "et the o+erations whih bea"" the body, work to their natura" end. For bein# doorkee+er &'"" "ose u+ a"" the entranes, and ut the menta" ations oD whih base and e-i" ener#ies indue. 2. But to the Cind"ess ones, the wiked and de+ra-ed, the en-ious and o-etous, and those who murder do and "o-e im+iety, & am ar oD, yie"din# my +"ae to the 4-en#in# =aimon, who shar+enin# the fre, tormenteth him and addeth fre to fre u+on him, and rusheth on him throu#h his senses, thus renderin# him the readier or trans#ressions o the "aw, so that he meets with #reater torment% nor doth he e-er ease to ha-e desire or a++etites inordinate, insatiate"y stri-in# in the dark. 2*. (e"" hast thou tau#ht me a"", as & desired, O Cind. 4nd now, +ray, te"" me urther o the nature o the (ay 4bo-e as now it is or me. o this CanShe+herd said (hen thy materia" body is to be disso"-ed, frst thou surrenderest the body by itse" unto the work o han#e, and thus the orm thou hadst doth -anish, and thou surrenderest thy way o "ie, -oid o its ener#y, unto the =aimon. he body's senses net +ass bak into their soures, beomin# se+arate, and resurret as ener#ies% and +assion and desire withdraw unto that nature whih is -oid o reason. 2/. 4nd thus it is that man doth s+eed his way thereater u+wards throu#h the Harmony. o the frst 5one he #i-es the 3ner#y o Growth and (anin#% unto the seond 5one, =e-ie o 3-i"s now deener#ised% unto the third, the Gui"e o the =esires deener#ised% unto the ourth, his =omineerin# 4rro#ane, a"so deener#ised% unto the fth, unho"y =arin# and the !ashness o 4udaity, de ener#ised% unto the sith, Stri-in# or (ea"th by e-i" means, de+ri-ed o its a##randisement% and to the se-enth 5one, 3nsnarin# Fa"sehood, deener#ised. 2. 4nd then, with a"" the ener#isin#s o the Harmony stri+t rom him, "othed in his +ro+er Power, he ometh to that 0ature whih be"on#s unto the 3i#hth, and there with thosethatare hymneth the Father. hey who are there we"ome his omin# there with $oy% and he, made "ike to them that so$ourn there, doth urther hear the Powers who are abo-e the 0ature that be"on#s unto the 3i#hth, sin#in# their son#s o +raise to God in "an#ua#e o their own. 4nd then they, in a band, #o to the Father home% o their own se"-es they make surrender o themse"-es to Powers, and thus beomin#
Powers they are in God. his the #ood end or those who ha-e #ained Gnosisto be made one with God. (hy shou"dst thou then de"ay) Cust it not be, sine thou hast a"" reei-ed, that thou shou"dst to the worthy +oint the way, in order that throu#h thee the rae o morta" kind may by thy God be sa-ed) 26. his when He'd said, CanShe+herd min#"ed with the Powers. But &, with thanks and b"essin#s unto the Father o the uni-ersa" Powers, was reed, u"" o the +ower He had +oured into me, and u"" o what He'd tau#ht me o the nature o the 4"" and o the "otiest :ision. 4nd & be#an to +reah to men the Beauty o =e-otion and o Gnosis O ye +eo+"e, earthborn o"k, ye who ha-e #i-en yourse"-es to drunkenness and s"ee+ and i#norane o God, be sober now, ease rom your sureit, ease to be #"amoured by irrationa" s"ee+L 28. 4nd when they heard, they ame with one aord. (hereon & say Ie earthborn o"k, why ha-e ye #i-en u+ yourse"-es to =eath, whi"e yet ye ha-e the +ower o sharin# =eath"essness) !e+ent, O ye, who wa"k with 3rror arm in arm and make o &#norane the sharer o your board% #et ye rom out the "i#ht o =arkness, and take your +art in =eath"essness, orsake =estrutionL 2<. 4nd some o them with $ests u+on their "i+s de+arted rom me, abandonin# themse"-es unto the (ay o =eath% others entreated to be tau#ht, astin# themse"-es beore my eet. But & made them arise, and & beame a "eader o the !ae towards home, teahin# the words E"o#oi, how and in what way they sha"" be sa-ed. & sowed in them the words E"o#oi o wisdom% o =eath"ess (ater were they #i-en to drink. 4nd when e-en was ome and a"" sun's beams be#an to set, & bade them a"" #i-e thanks to God. 4nd when they had brou#ht to an end the #i-in# o their thanks, eah man returned to his own restin# +"ae. ?. But & reorded in my heart CanShe+herd's beneation, and with my e-ery ho+e u"f""ed more than re$oied. For body's s"ee+ beame the sou"'s awakenin#, and "osin# o the eyestrue -ision, +re#nant with Good my si"ene, and the utterane o my word E"o#os be#ettin# o #ood thin#s. 4"" this bee"" me rom my Cind, that is CanShe+herd, (ord E@o#os o a"" masterhood, by whom bein# Godins+ired & ame unto the P"ain o ruth. (hereore with a"" my sou" and stren#th thanks#i-in# #i-e & unto FatherGod.
1. Ho"y art hou, O God, the uni-ersa"s' Father. Ho"y art hou, O God, whose (i"" +erets itse" by means o its own Powers. Ho"y art hou, O God, who wi""eth to be known and art known by hine own. Ho"y art hou, who didst by (ord E@o#os make to onsist the thin#s that are. Ho"y art hou, o whom 4""nature hath been made an &ma#e. Ho"y art hou, whose Form 0ature hath ne-er made. Ho"y art hou, more +oweru" than a"" +ower. Ho"y art hou, transendin# a"" +reerninene. Ho"y hou art, hou better than a"" +raise. 4e+t my reason's oDerin#s +ure, rom sou" and heart or aye strethed u+ to hee, O hou unutterab"e, uns+eakab"e, (hose 0ame nau#ht but the Si"ene an e+ress. 2. Gi-e ear to me who +ray that & may ne'er o Gnosis ai", Gnosis whih is our ommon bein#'s nature% and f"" me with hy Power, and with this Grae o hine, that & may #i-e the @i#ht to those in i#norane o the !ae, my Brethren, and hy Sons. For this ause & be"ie-e, and & bear witness% & #o to @ie and @i#ht. B"essed art hou, O Father. hy Can wou"d ho"y be as hou art ho"y, e'en as hou #a-est him hy u"" authority to be.
Footnotes of G.R.S. Mead
0ote 1.
P. N Parthey EG., Hermetis risme#isti Poemander EBer"in% &8/*. Pat. N Patri55i EF., 0o-a de ni-ersis Phi"oso+hia E:enie% 1/<. +eri tn ontn.
0ote 2. 0ote PoimandrQs. . 0ote ho tQs authentias nous. he authentia was the summa *. potestas o a"" thin#s% see !. 8, n. 1% and R ? be"ow. >. a"so >. H., iii Ei-, 1/. 0ote Q""a#Q tQ idea. /. 0ote sko"is es+eiramenon. he sense is by no means ertain. . Cnard trans"ates Kde orme sinueuseK% 3-erard, Komin#
down ob"iAue"yK% >hambers, Ksinuous"y terminatedK. But . in the Sethian system Kthe sinuous (aterKthat is, =arkness Esee Hi++., Phi"os., -, 1<. >. Hi++., Phi"os., -, < ES. 16?, 61 Khey say the Ser+ent is the Coist 3ssene.K 4 "auna o si "etters in the tet.
0ote 6. 0ote 8. 0ote he idea o the @o#os was the entra" one+t o He""enisti <. theo"o#y% it was thus a word o many meanin#s, si#niyin# hie7y !eason and (ord, but a"so muh e"se. & ha-e aordin#"y throu#hout added the term @o#os ater the 3n#"ish eAui-a"ent most suitab"e to the ontet. 0ote >. &"., -ii, <<, as Auoted by 4+ion in the ha+ter K>onernin# 1?. the MonK as >omment. on >. H., i Eii. 0ote hat is, in -ision. 11. 0ote 12. >. >. H., i Eii, . 12. 0ote kosmon. he word kosmos Ewor"dorder means either KorderK 1. or Kwor"dK% and in the ori#ina" there is reAuent"y a +"ay u+on the two meanin#s, as in the ase o "o#os. 0ote 0ature and God's (i"" are identia". 1*. 0ote hat is, the idea" wor"dorder in th rea"ms o rea"ity. 1/. 0ote Presumab"y the Pure 4ir o R . 1. 0ote ton aisthQton kosmon. he sensib"e or maniested wor"d, our 16. +resent uni-erse, as distin#uished rom the idea" eterna" uni-erse, the ty+e o a"" uni-erses. 0ote heimarmenQ. 18. 0ote he @o#os whih had +re-ious"y desended into 0ature. 1<. 0ote homoousias, usua""y trans"ated Konsubstantia"K% but ousia is 2?. KesseneK and Kbein#K rather than KsubstaneK. 0ote he Prototy+e, >osmi, &dea" or Peret Can. 21. 0ote Or Beauty Emor+hQs. 22. 0ote >. he Gos+e" o Cary in the 4khmTm >ode KHe nodded, 2. and when He had thus nodded assent . . .K EF. F. F., /8. 0ote he 3i#hth S+here boundin# the Se-en. 2*. 0ote For note on eousia, see !. in "o. and *8, n. .
2/. 0ote hat is, the Se-en S+heres ashioned by his Brother. 2. 0ote ais, rank or order. 26. 0ote Or Kwear downK Ekata+onQsai. he readin# katanoQsai, 28. howe-er, may be more orret% Khe had a mind to ome to know"ed#e oK this Boundary or !in# Pass not. See !. *<, n. 1. 0ote S. the Ci#hty Power o R <. 2<. 0ote +areky+sen. >. >yri", >. 9., i, EFra#. iii% !. /? Kbeu#t sih . ?. . . niederK. But om+are es+eia""y P"ato, Phaedrus, 2*< ., where he s+eaks o the sou" Kraisin# u+ her ae Eanaky+sasa to hat whih isK. >. a"so 4+ion in >"ement. Hom., -i, *, in >omment. >. H., i Eii. 0ote hat is, the harmonious inter+"ay, onord, or system o the 1. s+heres ru"ed by the !u"ers% in other words, the osmos o Fate. 0ote ener#eia, ener#y, and rea"isation. 2. 0ote hat is, Kaseua"K but ha-in# the +otentia"ity o both sees. . 0ote For the -arious su##estions or f""in# u+ this "auna, see !. in *. "o.% and or that o Jei", see !. 6. 0ote S. as we"" as 0ature. /. 0ote Harmony. . 0ote See R <. 6. 0ote metarsious. 4 term that must ha-e a more defnite meanin# 8. than the -a#ue Ksub"imeK by whih it is #enera""y trans"ated. 0ote For Jei"'s om+"etion o the "auna, see !. 8. <. 0ote mQ ektrehe, +erha+s meanin# di-er#e rom the sub$et, or *?. #o too ast% "it., it means Kdo not run awayK. 0ote hat is, the +arts o what Hermes e"sewhere a""s the Kosmi *1. manK. 0ote >. >. H., -i, 1. *2. 0ote Omittin# the ta beore onta. *. 0ote +ronoia, that is 0ature as So+hia or Pro-idene or (i"". **. 0ote here is a word+"ay between +"anQs and +"anmenos.
*/. 0ote S. =arkness. *. 0ote S. he Coist 0ature. *6. 0ote eidotes autn ta ener#Qmata. *8. 0ote he tet o this +ara#ra+h is ho+e"ess"y onused in the CSS. *<. 0ote +erei tQs anodou tQs #inmomenQs. /?. 0ote to Qthos, the Khabitua"K +art o man, +resumab"y way o "ie /1. im+ressed by habit on the body% or it may be K"assK o "ie as in the :ision o 3r. 0ote ho thymos kai hQ e+ithymia,the masu"ine and eminine as /2. +ositi-e and ne#ati-e as+ets o the Kanima" sou"K. 0ote ananer#Qton. /. 0ote >. >. H., iii Ei-. /*. 0ote >. >. H., iii Ei-, 1/. //. 0ote taei, order, #rou+, s. o the 0ine% the Father bein# the en, /. or onsummation. 0ote >. J. J., 2/ Khus s+eakin# God beame &m+erishab"e CindK. /6. 0ote >. the "o#os, K9esus saith, & stood in the midst o the wor"d, /8. and in the 7esh was & seen o them, and & ound a"" men drunken, and none ound & athirst amon# them, and my sou" #rie-eth o-er the sons o men, beause they are b"ind in heart.K Sayin#s o Our @ord rom an 3ar"y Greek Pa+yrus, Grene"" U Hunt E@ondon% 18<6. 0ote /<. >. P. S. 4., ii, 2. /<. 0ote he !ae o the @o#os, o a"" who were onsious o the @o#os ?. in their heart, who had re+ented and were thus "o#oi. 0ote >. Cark i-, * KHe who soweth soweth the (ord E@o#os.K 1. 0ote >. J. J. 1the drink #i-en by &sis to Horus. 2. 0ote nQ+sis, "it. soberness, wathu"ness, "uidity. . 0ote See R 2 abo-e. *. 0ote >. J. J. EStob., 3., i, *<% +. */<, 2?, (., and =amasius, in
/. 0ote . 0ote 6. 0ote 8. 0ote <. 0ote 6?.
Phot., Bib"., +. 6b, 2. eu"o#iana +"ay on "o#os. "o#ikas. tQs #nses tQs kat' ousian hQmn, Kour bein#K, that is, +resumab"y, the Kbein#K o man and God, the Kbein#K whih man shares with God. >. >. H., iii Ei-, 2?. eoosian.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book 2. The Third Book. called "The Hol +ermon." 1. he #"ory o a"" thin#s, God and that whih is =i-ine, and the =i-ine 0ature, the be#innin# o thin#s that are. 2. God, and the Cind, and 0ature, and Catter, and O+eration, or (orkin# and 0eessity, and the 3nd and !eno-ation. . For there were in the >haos, an infnite darkness in the 4byss or bottom"ess =e+th, and (ater, and a subt"e S+irit inte""i#ib"e in Power% and there went out the Ho"y @i#ht, and the 3"ements were oa#u"ated rom the Sand out o the moist Substane. *. 4nd a"" the Gods distin#uished the 0ature u"" o Seeds. /. 4nd when a"" thin#s were interminated and unmade u+, the "i#ht thin#s were di-ided on hi#h. 4nd the hea-y thin#s were ounded u+on the moist sand, a"" thin#s bein# erminated or =i-ided by Fire% and bein# sustained or hun# u+ by the S+irit they were so arried, and the Hea-en was seen in Se-en >ir"es. . 4nd the Gods were seen in their &deas o the Stars, with a"" their Si#ns, and the Stars were numbered, with the Gods in them. 4nd the S+here was a"" "ined with 4ir, arried about in a iru"ar, motion by the S+irit o God. 6. 4nd e-ery God by his interna" +ower, did that whih was ommanded him% and there were made our ooted thin#s, and ree+in# thin#s, and suh as "i-e in the (ater, and suh as 7y, and
e-ery ruitu" Seed, and Grass, and the F"owers o a"" Greens, and whih had sowed in themse"-es the Seeds o !e#eneration. 8. 4s a"so the Generations o men to the know"ed#e o the =i-ine (orks, and a "i-e"y or workin# estimony o 0ature, and a mu"titude o men, and the =ominion o a"" thin#s under Hea-en and the know"ed#e o #ood thin#s, and to be inreased in inreasin#, and mu"ti+"ied in mu"titude. <. 4nd e-ery Sou" in 7esh, by the wonderu" workin# o the Gods in the >ir"es, to the beho"din# o Hea-en, the Gods, =i-ine (orks, and the O+erations o 0ature% and or Si#ns o #ood thin#s, and the know"ed#e o the =i-ine Power, and to fnd out e-ery unnin# workmanshi+ o #ood thin#s. 1?. So it be#inneth to "i-e in them, and to be wise aordin# to the O+eration o the ourse o the iru"ar Gods% and to be reso"-ed into that whih sha"" be #reat Conuments% and !emembranes o the unnin# (orks done u+on 3arth, "ea-in# them to be read by the darkness o times. 11. 4nd e-ery #eneration o "i-in# 7esh, o Fruit, Seed, and a"" Handirats, thou#h they be "ost, must o neessity be renewed by the reno-ation o the Gods, and o the 0ature o a >ir"e, mo-in# in number% or it is a =i-ine thin#, that e-ery wor"d tem+erature shou"d be renewed by nature, or in that whih is =i-ine, is 0ature a"so estab"ished.
The Corpus Hermeticum 000. The +acred +ermon translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: This brief and apparently somewhat garbled text recounts the creation and nature of the world in terms much like those of the Poemandres. The major theme is the renewal of all things in a cyclic universe, with the seven planetary rulers again playing a major role. !"#
1. he G"ory o a"" thin#s is God, Godhead and God"y 0ature. Soure o the thin#s that are is God, who is both Cind and 0ature yea Catter, the (isdom that re-ea"s a"" thin#s. Soure too is Godhead yea 0ature, 3ner#y, 0eessity, and 3nd, and Cakin#newa#ain.
=arkness that knew no bounds was in 4byss, and (ater too and subt"e Breath inte""i#ent% these were by Power o God in >haos. hen Ho"y @i#ht arose% and there o""eted 'neath =ry S+ae V"itera""y KsandKW rom out Coist 3ssene 3"ements% and a"" the Gods do se+arate thin#s out rom eund 0ature. 2. 4"" thin#s bein# undefned and yet unwrou#ht, the "i#ht thin#s were assi#ned unto the hei#ht, the hea-y ones had their oundations "aid down underneath the moist +art o =ry S+ae, the uni-ersa" thin#s bein# bounded oD by Fire and han#ed in Breath to kee+ them u+. 4nd Hea-en was seen in se-en ir"es% its Gods were -isib"e in orms o stars with a"" their si#ns% whi"e 0ature had her members made artiu"ate to#ether with the Gods in her. 4nd Hea-en's +eri+hery re-o"-ed in y"i ourse, borne on by Breath o God. . 4nd e-ery God by his own +ro+er +ower brou#ht orth what was a++ointed him. hus there arose ourooted beasts, and ree+in# thin#s, and those that in the water dwe"", and thin#s with win#s, and e-erythin# that beareth seed, and #rass, and shoot o e-ery 7ower, a"" ha-in# in themse"-es seed o a#ainbeomin#. 4nd they se"eted out the births o men or #nosis o the works o God and attestation o the ener#y o 0ature% the mu"titude o men or "ordshi+ o-er a"" beneath the hea-en and #nosis o its b"essin#s, that they mi#ht inrease in inreasin# and mu"ti+"y in mu"titude, and e-ery sou" in7eshed by re-o"ution o the >y"i Gods, or obser-ation o the mar-e"s o Hea-en and Hea-en's Gods' re-o"ution, and o the works o God and ener#y o 0ature, or tokens o its b"essin#s, or #nosis o the +ower o God, that they mi#ht know the ates that o""ow #ood and e-i" deeds and "earn the unnin# work o a"" #ood arts. *. hus there be#ins their "i-in# and their #rowin# wise, aordin# to the ate a++ointed by the re-o"ution o the >y"i Gods, and their deeasin# or this end. 4nd there sha"" be memoria"s mi#hty o their handiworks u+on the earth, "ea-in# dim trae behind when y"es are renewed.
For e-ery birth o 7esh ensou"ed, and o the ruit o seed, and e-ery handiwork, thou#h it deay, sha"" o neessity renew itse", both by the reno-ation o the Gods and by the turnin#round o 0ature's rhythmi whee". For that whereas the Godhead is 0ature's e-ermakin# newa#ain the osmi miture, 0ature herse" is a"so o estab"ished in that Godhead.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book 3 The Fourth Book. called "The 4e." 1. Iesterday's S+eeh, O 4s"e+ius, & dediated to thee, this day's it is ft to dediate to at, beause it is an 3+itome o those #enera" s+eehes that were s+oken to him. 2. God thereore, and the Father, and the Good, O at, ha-e the same 0ature, or rather a"so the same 4t and O+eration. . For there is one name or a++e""ation o 0ature and &nrease whih onerneth thin#s han#eab"e, and another about thin#s unhan#eab"e, and about thin#s unmo-eab"e, that is to say, hin#s =i-ine and Human% e-ery one o whih, himse" wi"" ha-e so to be% but ation or o+eration is o another thin#, or e"sewhere, as we ha-e tau#ht in other thin#s, =i-ine and Human, whih must here a"so be understood. *. For his O+eration or 4t, is his (i"", and his 3ssene, to (i"" a"" hin#s to be. /. For what is God, and the Father, and the Good, but the Bein# o a"" thin#s that yet are not, and the eistene itse", o those thin#s that areL . his is God, this is the Father, this is the Good, whereunto no other thin# is +resent or a++roaheth. 6. For the (or"d, and the Sun, whih is a"so a Father by Partii+ation, is not or a"" that eAua""y the ause o Good, and o @ie, to "i-in# >reatures 4nd i this be so, he is a"to#ether onstrained by the (i"" o the Good, without whih it is not +ossib"e, either to be, or to be be#otten or made.
8. But the Father is the ause o his >hi"dren, who hath a wi"" both to sow and nourish that whih is #ood by the Son. <. For Good is a"ways ati-e or busy in makin#% and this annot he in any other, but in him that taketh nothin#, and yet wi""eth a"" thin#s to be% or & wi"" not say, O at, makin# them% or he that maketh is deeti-e in muh time, in whih sometimes he maketh not, as a"so o Auantity and Aua"ity% or sometimes he maketh those thin#s that ha-e Auantity and Aua"ity and sometimes the ontrary. 1?. But God is the Father, and the Good, in bein# a"" thin#s% or he both wi"" be this, and is it, and yet a"" this or himse"Eas is true in him that an see it. 11. For a"" thin#s e"se are or this, it is the +ro+erty o Good to be known his is the Good, O at. 12. at. hou hast f""ed us, O Father, with a si#ht both #ood and air, and the eye o my mind is a"most beome more ho"y by the si#ht or s+eta"e. 1. risme#istus. & (onder not at &t, or the Si#ht o Good is not "ike the Beam o the Sun, whih bein# o a fery shinin# bri#htness, maketh the eye b"ind by his eessi-e @i#ht, that #a5eth u+on it% rather the ontrary, or it en"i#hteneth, and so muh inreaseth the "i#ht o the eye, as any man is ab"e to reei-e the in7uene o this &nte""i#ib"e "earness. 1*. For it is more swit and shar+ to +iere, and innoent or harm"ess witha", and u"" o immorta"ity, and they that are a+ab"e and an draw any store o this s+eta"e, and si#ht do many times a"" as"ee+ rom the Body, into this most air and beauteous :ision % whih thin# >e"ius and Saturn our Pro#enitors obtained unto. 1/. at. & wou"d we a"so, O Father, ou"d do so. 1. risme#istus. & wou"d ha-e ou"d, O Son% but or the +resent we are "ess intent to the :ision, and annot yet o+en the eyes o our minds to beho"d the inorru+tib"e, and inom+rehensib"e Beauty o that Good But then sha"" we see it, when we ha-e nothin# at a"" to say o it. 16. For the know"ed#e o it, is a =i-ine Si"ene, and the rest o a"" the Senses% For neither an he that understands that understand anythin# e"se, nor he that sees that, see any thin# e"se, nor hear any other thin#, nor in sum, mo-e the Body. 18. For shinin# steadast"y u+on, and round about the who"e Cind it en"i#hteneth a"" the Sou" % and "oosin# it rom the Bodi"y Senses and Cotions, it draweth it rom the Body, and han#eth it who""y into the 3ssene o God. 1<. For it is Possib"e or the Sou", O Son, to be =eifed whi"e yet it @od#eth in the Body o Can, i it >ontem+"ate the Beauty o the Good. 2?. at. How dost thou mean deiyin#, FatherL 21. risme#istus. here are diDerenes, O Son, o e-ery Sou". 22. at. But how dost thou a#ain di-ide the han#es) 2. risme#istus. Hast thou not heard in the #enera" S+eehes, that rom one Sou" o the ni-erse, are a"" those Sou"s, whih in a"" the
wor"d are tossed u+ and down, as it were, and se-era""y di-ided) O these Sou"s there are many han#es, some into a more ortunate estate, and some Auite ontrary% or they whih are o ree+in# thin#s, are han#ed into those o watery thin#s and those o thin#s "i-in# in the water, to those o thin#s "i-in# u+on the @and% and 4iry ones are han#ed into men, and human Sou"s, that "ay ho"d o immorta"ity, are han#ed into =emons. 2*. 4nd so they #o on into the S+here or !e#ion o the fed Gods, or there are two hoirs or om+anies o Gods, one o them that wander, and another o them that are fed. 4nd this is the most +eret #"ory o the Sou". 2/. But the Sou" enterin# into the Body o a Can, i it ontinue e-i", sha"" neither taste o immorta"ity, nor is +artaker o the #ood. 2. But bein# drawn bak the same way, it returneth into ree+in# thin#s. 4nd this is the ondemnation o an e-i" Sou". 26. 4nd the wikedness o a Sou" is i#norane% or the Sou" that knows nothin# o the thin#s that are, neither the 0ature o them, nor that whih is #ood, but is b"inded, rusheth and dasheth a#ainst the bodi"y Passions, and unha++y as it is, not knowin# itse", it ser-eth stran#e Bodies, and e-i" ones, arryin# the Body as a burthen, and not ru"in#, but ru"ed. 4nd this is the mishie o the Sou". 28. On the ontrary, the -irtue o the Sou" is Jnow"ed#e% or he that knows is both #ood and re"i#ious, and a"ready =i-ine. 2<. at. But who is suh a one, O FatherL ?. risme#istus. He that neither s+eaks, nor hears many thin#s% or he, O Son, that heareth two s+eehes or hearin#s, f#hteth in the shadow. 1. For God, and the Father, and Good, is neither s+oken nor heard. 2. his bein# so in a"" thin#s that are, are the Senses, beause they annot be without them. . But Jnow"ed#e diDers muh rom Sense% or Sense is o thin#s that surmount it, but Jnow"ed#e is the end o Sense. *. Jnow"ed#e is the #it o God % or a"" Jnow"ed#e is unbodi"y but useth the Cind as an &nstrument, as the Cind useth the Body. /. hereore both inte""i#ib"e and materia" thin#s #o both o them into bodies% or, o ontra+osition, hat is Settin# One a#ainst 4nother, and >ontrariety, a"" hin#s must >onsist. 4nd it is im+ossib"e it shou"d be otherwise, . at. who thereore is this materia" God) 6. risme#istus. he air and beautiu" wor"d, and yet it is not #ood% or it is materia" and easi"y +assib"e, nay, it is the frst o a"" +assib"e thin#s% and the seond o the thin#s that are, and needy or wantin# somewhat e"se. 4nd it was one made and is a"ways, and is e-er in #eneration, and made, and ontinua""y makes, or #enerates thin#s that ha-e Auantity and Aua"ity. 8. For it is mo-eab"e, and e-ery materia" motion is #eneration% but the inte""etua" stabi"ity mo-es the materia" motion ater this manner.
<. Beause the (or"d &s a S+here, that is a Head, and abo-e the head there is nothin# materia", as beneath the eet there is nothin# inte""etua". *?. he who"e uni-erse is materia"% he Cind is the head, and it is mo-ed s+heria""y, that is "ike a head. *1. (hatsoe-er thereore is $oined or united to the Cembrane or Fi"m o this head, wherein the Sou" is, is immorta", and as in the Sou" o a made Body, hath its Sou" u"" o the Body% but those that are urther rom that Cembrane, ha-e the Body u"" o Sou". *2. he who"e is a "i-in# wi#ht, and thereore onsisteth o materia" and inte""etua". *. 4nd the (or"d is the frst, and Can the seond "i-in# wi#ht ater the (or"d% but the frst o thin#s that are morta" and thereore hath whatsoe-er beneft o the Sou" a"" the others ha-e 4nd yet or a"" this, he is not on"y not #ood, but 7at"y e-i", as bein# morta". **. For the (or"d is not #ood as it is mo-eab"e% nor e-i" as it is immorta". */. But man is e-i", both as he is mo-eab"e, and as he is morta". *. But the Sou" o Can is arried in this manner, he Cind is in !eason, !eason in the Sou", the Sou" in the S+irit, the S+irit in the Body. *6. he S+irit bein# diDused and #oin# throu#h the -eins, and arteries, and b"ood, both mo-eth the "i-in# >reature, and ater a ertain manner beareth it. *8. (hereore some a"so ha-e thou#ht the Sou" to be b"ood, bein# deei-ed in 0ature, not knowin# that frst the S+irit must return into the Sou", and then the b"ood is on#ea"ed, the -eins and arteries em+tied, and then the "i-in# thin# dieth 4nd this is the death o the Body. *<. 4"" thin#s de+end o one be#innin#, and the be#innin# de+ends o that whih is one and a"one. /?. 4nd the be#innin# is mo-ed, that it may a#ain be a be#innin#% but that whih is one, standeth and abideth, and is not mo-ed, /1. here are thereore these three, God the Father, and the Good, the (or"d and Can God hath the (or"d, and the (or"d hath Can% and the (or"d is the Son o God, and Can as it were the ODs+rin# o the (or"d. /2. For God is not i#norant o !X&an, but knows him +eret"y, and wi"" be known by him. his on"y is hea"thu" to man% the Jnow"ed#e o God this is the return o O"ym+us% by this on"y the Sou" is made #ood, and not sometimes #ood, and sometimes e-i", but o neessity Good. /. at. (hat meanest thou, O Father. /*. risme#istus. >onsider, O Son, the Sou" o a >hi"d, when as yet it hath reei-ed no disso"ution o its Body, whih is not yet #rown, but is -ery sma""% how then i it "ook u+on itse", it sees itse" beautiu", as not ha-in# been yet s+otted with the Passions o the Body, but as it were de+endin# yet u+on the Sou" o the (or"d.
//. But when the Body is #rown and distrateth, the Sou" it en#enders For#etu"ness, and +artakes no more o the Fair and the Good, and For#etu"ness For#etu"ness is 3-i"ness. /. he "ike a"so ha++eneth to them that #o out o the Body or when the Sou" runs bak into itse" the S+irit is ontrated into the b"ood and the Sou" into the S+irit% but the Cind bein# made +ure, and ree rom these "othin#s% and bein# =i-ine by 0ature, takin# a fery Body ran#eth abroad in e-ery +"ae, "ea-in# the Sou" to $ud#ment, and to the +unishment +unishment it hath deser-ed. /6. at. (hy dost thou say so, O Father, that the Cind is se+arated rom the Sou", and the Sou" rom the S+irit) (hen e-en now thou saidst the Sou" was the >"othin# or 4++are" o the Cind, and the Body o the Sou". /8. risme#istus. O Son, he that hears must ounderstand and ons+ire in thou#ht with him that s+eaks% yea, he must ha-e his hearin# switer and shar+er than the -oie o the s+eaker. s+eaker. /<. he dis+osition o these >"othin#s or >o-ers, is done in an 3arth"y Body% or it is im+ossib"e, that the mind shou"d estab"ish or rest itse", naked, and o itse"% in an 3arth"y Body% neither is the 3arth"y Body ab"e to bear suh immorta"ity% and thereore that it mi#ht suDer so #reat -irtue the Cind om+ated as it were, and took to itse" the +assib"e Body o the Sou", as a >o-erin# or >"othin#. 4nd the Sou" bein# a"so in some sort =i-ine, useth the S+irit as her Cinister and Ser-ant, and the S+irit #o-erneth the "i-in# thin#. ?. (hen thereore the Cind is se+arated, and de+arteth rom the earth"y Body, +resent"y it +uts on its Fiery >oat, whih it ou"d not do ha-in# to dwe"" in an 3arth"y Body. 1. For the 3arth annot suDer fre, or it is a"" burned o a sma"" s+ark% thereore is the water +oured round about the 3arth, as a (a"" or deene, to withstand the 7ame o fre. 2. But the Cind bein# the most shar+ or swit o a"" the =i-ine >o#itations, and more swit than a"" the 3"ements, hath the fre or its Body. . For the Cind whih is the (orkman o a"" useth the fre as his instrument in his (orkmanshi+% and he that is the (orkman o a"", useth it to the makin# o a"" thin#s, as it is used by man, to the makin# o 3arth"y thin#s on"y% or the Cind that is u+on 3arth, -oid, or naked o fre, annot do the business o men. nor that whih is otherwise the aDairs o God. *. But the Sou" o Can, and yet not e-eryone, but that whih is +ious and re"i#ious, is 4n#e"ia" and =i-ine. 4nd suh a Sou", ater it is de+arted rom the Body, ha-in# stri-en the strie o Piety, beomes either Cind or God. /. 4nd the strie o Piety is to know God, and to in$ure no Can, and this way it beomes Cind. . But an im+ious Sou" abideth in its own essene, +unished o itse", and seekin# an earth"y and human Body to enter into. 6. For no other Body is a+ab"e o a Human Sou", neither is it "awu" or a Can's Sou" to a"" into the Body o an unreasonab"e "i-in# thin#
or it is the @aw or =eree o God, to +reser-e a Human Sou" rom so #reat a ontume"y and re+roah. re+roah. 8. at. How then is the Sou" o Can +unished, O Father% and what is its #reatest torment. <. Hermes. &m+iety, O my Son% or what Fire Fire hath so #reat a 7ame as it) Or what bitin# Beast doth so tear the Body as it doth the Sou". 6?. Or dost thou not see how many e-i"s the wiked Sou" suDereth, roarin# and ryin# out, & am Burned, & am >onsumed, & know not what to Say, or =o, & am =e-oured, nha++y (reth, (reth, o the 3-i"s that om+ass and "ayho"d u+on me% Ciserab"e that & am, & neither See nor Hear anythin#. 61. hese are the -oies o a +unished and tormented Sou", and not as many% and thou, O Son, thinkest that the Sou" #oin# out o the Body #rows brutish or enters into a Beast whih is a -ery #reat 3rror, or the Sou" +unished ater this manner. manner. 62. For the Cind, when it is ordered or a++ointed to #et a fery Body or the ser-ies o God, omin# down into the wiked Sou", torments it with the whi+s o Sins, wherewith the wiked Sou" bein# sour#ed, turns itse" to Curders, and >ontume"ies, and B"as+hemies, and di-ers :io"enes, and other thin#s by whih men are in$ured 6. But into a +ious Sou", the Cind enterin#, "eads it into the @i#ht o Jnow"ed#e. 6*. 4nd suh a Sou" is ne-er satisfed with sin#in# +raise to God, and s+eakin# we"" o a"" men% and both in words and deeds, a"ways doin# #ood in imitation o her Father. 6/. hereore, O Son, we must #i-e thanks, and +ray, that we may obtain a #ood mind. 6. he Sou" thereore may be a"tered or han#ed into the better, but into the worse it is im+ossib"e. 66. But there is a ommunion o Sou"s, and those o Gods, ommuniate with those o men% and those o men, with those o Beasts. 68. 4nd the better a"ways take o the worse, Gods o Cen, Cen o brute Beasts, but God o a"" For he is the best o a"", and a"" thin#s are "ess than he. 6<. hereore is the (or"d sub$et unto God, Can unto the (or"d and unreasonab"e thin#s to Can. 8?. But God is abo-e a"", and about a""% and the beams o God are o+erations% and the beams o the (or"d are 0atures% and the beams o Can are 4rts and Sienes. 81. 4nd O+erations do at by the (or"d, and u+on man by the natura" beams o the (or"d, but 0atures work by the 3"ements, and man by 4rts and Sienes. 82. 4nd this is the Go-ernment o the who"e, de+endin# u+on the 0ature o the One, and +ierin# or omin# down by the One Cind, than whih nothin# is more =i-ine, and more e;aious or o+erati-e% and nothin# more unitin#, or nothin# is more One. he >ommunion o Gods to Cen, and o Cen to God.
8. his is the Bonus Genius, or #ood =emon, b"essed Sou" that is u""est o itL and unha++y Sou" that is em+ty o itL 8*. at. 4nd whereore Father) 8/. risme#istus. risme#istus. Jnow Son, that e-ery Sou" hath the Good Cind% or o that it is we now s+eak, and not o that Cinister o whih we said beore, hat he was sent rom the 9ud#ment. 8. For the Sou" without the Cind, an neither do, nor say any thin#% or many times the Cind 7ies away rom the Sou", and in that hour the Sou" neither seeth nor heareth, but is "ike an unreasonab"e thin#% so #reat is the +ower o the Cind. 86. But neither brooketh it an id"e or "a5y Sou", but "ea-es suh a one astened to the Body, and by it +ressed down. 88. 4nd suh a Sou", O Son, hath no mind, whereore neither must suh a one be a""ed a Can. 8<. For man is a =i-ine "i-in# thin# and is not to be om+ared to any brute Beast that "i-es u+on 3arth, but to them that are abo-e in Hea-en, that are a""ed Gods.
The Corpus Hermeticum translated b ).*.+. ,ead
5. The 4e Vhis "on#er tratate +resents itse" e+"iit"y as a summary or abrid#ement o the Genera" Sermons E>H &&&Y, and disusses the Hermeti -iew o know"ed#e and its ro"e in the "i-es and ater"i-es o human bein#s. he attenti-e reader wi"" notie ertain ontraditions between the ater"ieteahin#s o this and +re-ious tratates. VOne o the entra" one+ts o The $ey , and o Hermeti thou#ht #enera""y, is the distintion between ordinary disursi-e know"ed#e whih an be e+ressed in words Ein Greek, episteme, whih Cead
trans"ates somewhat "umsi"y as KsieneK and transendent, uniti-e know"ed#e whih annot be ommuniated Ein Greek, gnosis, whih Cead sim+"y and sensib"y "ea-es untrans"ated. he same distintion an be ound in many systems o mystia" thou#ht. n"ike most o these, thou#h, the Hermeti teahin#s +"ae -a"ue on both. V!eaders without muh e+eriene in the $ar#on o >"assia" +hi"oso+hy wi"" want to remember that Khy"iK means Kmateria"K, K+assib"eK means Ksub$et to outside ores or to suDerin#K, and Kinte""i#ib"eK means Kbe"on#in# to the rea"m o the CindK, and KmotionK in"udes a"" kinds o han#e. he s+eia" im+"iations o K#oodK in Greek thou#ht o se"su;ieny and desirabi"ity shou"d a"so be ke+t in mind. Vhe de"i#htu" irony o the Zen moment ear"y in setion <, when Hermes in the midd"e o this -ery substantia" "eture defnes the #ood and +ious man as Khe who doth not say muh or "end his ear to muhK and thus ru"es out both himse" and his audiene, seems to ha-e been "ost on subseAuent ommentators. 9CGW 1. Hermes Cy yesterday's disourse E"o#os & did de-ote to thee, 4s"e+ius, and so 'tis on"y ri#ht & shou"d de-ote toay's to at% and this the more beause 'tis the abrid#ement o the Genera" Sermons E@o#oi whih he has had addressed to him. KGod, Father and the GoodK, then, at, hath the same nature, or more eat"y, ener#y. For nature is a +rediate o #rowth, and used o thin#s that han#e, both mobi"e and immobi"e, that is to say, both human and di-ine, eah one o whih He wi""eth into bein#. But ener#y onsists in somethin# e"se, as we ha-e shown in treatin# o the rest, both thin#s di-ine and human thin#s% whih thin# we ou#ht to ha-e in mind when treatin# o the Good. 2. God's ener#y is then His (i""% urther His essene is to wi"" the bein# o a"" thin#s. For what is KGod and Father and the GoodK but the Kto beK o a"" that are not yet) 0ay, subsistene se" o e-erythin# that is% this, then, is God, this Father, this the Good% to Him is added nau#ht o a"" the rest. 4nd thou#h the >osmos, that is to say the Sun, is a"so sire himse" to them that share in him% yet so ar is he not the ause o #ood unto the "i-es, he is not e-en o their "i-in#. So that e'en i he be a sire, he is entire"y so by om+u"sion o the Good's Goodwi"", a+art rom whih nor bein# nor beomin# ou"d e'er be. . 4#ain, the +arent is the hi"dren's ause, both on the ather's and the mother's side, on"y by sharin# in the Good's desire that doth +our throu#h the Sun. &t is the Good whih doeth the reatin#. 4nd suh a +ower an be +ossessed by no one e"se than Him a"one who taketh nau#ht, but wi""s a"" thin#s to be% & wi"" not, at, say KmakesK. For that the maker is deeti-e or "on# +eriods Ein whih he sometimes makes, and sometimes doth not make both in the
Aua"ity and in the Auantity o what he makes% in that he sometimes maketh them so many and suh "ike, and sometimes the re-erse. But KGod and Father and the GoodK is ause or a"" to be. So are at "east these thin#s or those who an see. *. For &t doth wi"" to be, and &t is both &tse" and most o a"" by reason o &tse". &ndeed, a"" other thin#s beside are $ust baause o &t% or the distinti-e eature o the Good is Kthat it shou"d be knownK. Suh is the Good, O at. at hou hast, O ather, f""ed us so u"" o this so #ood and airest si#ht, that thereby my mind's eye hath now beome or me a"most a thin# to worshi+. For that the -ision o the Good doth not, "ike the sun's beam, fre"ike b"a5e on the eyes and make them "ose% nay, on the ontrary, it shineth orth and maketh to inrease the seein# o the eye, as ar as e'er a man hath the a+aity to ho"d the in7ow o the radiane that the mind a"one an see. 0ot on"y does it ome more swit"y down to us, but it does us no harm, and is instint with a"" immorta" "ie. /. hey who are ab"e to drink in a somewhat more than others o this Si#ht, ottimes rom out the body a"" as"ee+ in this airest S+eta"e, as was the ase with ranus and >ronus, our orebears. may this be out "ot too, O ather mineL Hermes Iea, may it be, my sonL But as it is, we are not yet strun# to the :ision, and not as yet ha-e we the +ower our mind's eye to uno"d and #a5e u+on the Beauty o the Good Beauty that nau#ht an e'er orru+t or any om+rehend. For on"y then wi"t thou u+on &t #a5e when thou anst say no word onernin# &t. For Gnosis o the Good is ho"y si"ene and a #i-in# ho"iday to e-ery sense. . For neither an he who +erei-eth &t, +erei-e au#ht e"se% nor he who #a5eth on &t, #a5e on au#ht e"se% nor hear au#ht e"se, nor stir his body any way. Stayin# his body's e-ery sense and e-ery motion he stayeth sti"". 4nd shinin# then a"" round his mond, &t shines throu#h his who"e sou", and draws it out o body, transormin# a"" o him to essene. For it is +ossib"e, my son, that a man's sou" shou"d be made "ike to God, e'en whi"e it sti"" is in a body, i it doth ontem+"ate the Beauty o the Good. 6. at Cade "ike to God) (hat dost thou, ather, mean) Hermes O e-ery sou" a+art are transormations, son. at (hat meanest thou) 4+art) Hermes =idst thou not, in the Genera" Sermons, hear that rom one Sou" the 4""sou" ome a"" these sou"s whih are made to re-o-"-e in a"" the osmos, as thou#h di-ided oD) O these sou"s, then, it is that there are many han#es, some to a ha++ier "ot and some to $ust the ontrary o this. hus some that were ree+in# thin#s han#e into thin#s that in the water dwe"", the sou"s o water thin#s han#e to earthdwe""ers, those that "i-e on earth han#e to thin#s with win#s, and sou"s that
"i-e in air han#e to men, whi"e human sou"s reah the frst ste+ o death"essness han#ed into daimones. 4nd so they ir"e to the hoir o the &nerrant Gods% or o the Gods there are two hoirs, the one &nerrant, and the other 3rrant. 4nd this is the most +eret #"ory o the sou". 8. But i a sou" on enterin# the body o a man +ersisteth in its -ie, it neither tasteth death"essness nor shareth in the Good% but s+eedin# bak a#ain it turns into the +ath that "eads to ree+in# thin#s. his is the sentene o the -iious sou". 4nd the sou"'s -ie is i#norane. For that the sou" who hath no know"ed#e o the thin#s that are, or know"ed#e o their nature, or o Good, is b"inded by the body's +assions and tossed about. his wrethed sou", not knowin# what she is, beomes the s"a-e o bodies o stran#e orm in sorry +"i#ht, bearin# the body as a "oad% not as the ru"er, but the ru"ed. his i#norane is the sou"'s -ie. <. But on the other hand the -irtue o the sou" is Gnosis. For he who knows, he #ood and +ious is, and sti"" whi"e on the earth di-ine. at But who is suh an one, O ather mine) Hermes He who doth not say muh or "end his ear to muh. For he who s+endeth time in ar#uin# and hearin# ar#uments, doth shadow f#ht. For KGod, the Father and the GoodK, is not to be obtained by s+eeh or hearin#. 4nd yet thou#h this is so, there are in a"" the bein#s senses, in that they annot without senses be. But Gnosis is ar diDerent rom sense. For sense is brou#ht about by that whih hath the mastery o'er us, whi"e Gnosis is the end Vi.e., #oa"W o siene, and siene is God's #it. 1?. 4"" siene is inor+orea", the instrument it uses bein# the mind, $ust as the mind em+"oys the body. Both then ome into bodies, & mean both thin#s that are o#ni5ab"e by mond a"one and thin#s materia". For a"" thin#s must onsist out o antithesis and ontrariety% and this an otherwise not be. at (ho then is this materia" God o whom thou s+eakest) Hermes >osmos is beautiu", but is not #ood or that it is materia" and ree"y +assib"e% and thou#h it is the frst o a"" thin#s +assib"e, yet is it in the seond rank o bein# and wantin# in itse". 4nd thou#h it ne-er hath itse" its birth in time, but e-er is, yet is its bein# in beomin#, beomin# or a"" time the #enesis o Aua"ities and Auantities% or it is mobi"e and a"" materia" motion's #enesis. 11. &t is inte""i#ib"e rest that mo-es materia" motion in this way, sine >osmos is a s+here that is to say, a head. 4nd nau#ht o head abo-e's materia", as nau#ht o eet be"ow's inte""i#ib"e, but a"" materia". 4nd head itse" is mo-ed in a s+here"ike way that is to say, as head shou"d mo-e, is mind. 4"" then that are united to the KtissueK o this KheadK Ein whih is sou" are in their nature ree rom death $ust as when body hath been made in sou", are thin#s that hath more sou" than body.
(hereas those thin#s whih are at #reater distane rom this KtissueK there, where are thin#s whih ha-e a #reater share o body than o sou" are by their nature sub$et unto death. he who"e, howe-er, is a "ie% so that the uni-erse onsists o both the hy"i and o the inte""i#ib"e. 12. 4#ain, the >osmos is the frst o "i-in# thin#s, whi"e man is seond ater it, thou#h frst o thin#s sub$et to death. Can hath the same ensou"in# +ower in him as a"" the rest o "i-in# thin#s% yet is he not on"y not #ood, but e-en e-i", or that he's sub$et unto death. For thou#h the >osmos a"so is not #ood in that it suDers motion, it is not e-i", in that it is not sub$et to death. But man, in that he's sub$et both to motion and to death, is e-i". 1. 0ow then the +rini+"es o man are thiswise -ehi"ed mind in the reason E"o#os, the reason in the sou", sou" in the s+irit Vor, rather, -ita" s+iritsW, and s+irit in the body. S+irit +er-adin# body by means o -eins and arteries and b"ood, bestows u+on the "i-in# reature motion, and as it were doth bear it in a way. For this ause some do think the sou" is b"ood, in that they do mistake its nature, not knowin# that at death it is iteh s+irit that must frst withdraw into the sou", whereon the b"ood on#ea"s and -eins and arteries are em+tied, and then the "i-in# reature Vor "ieW is withdrawn% and this is body's death. 1*. 0ow rom one Soure a"" thin#s de+end% whi"e Soure de+endeth rom the One and On"y One. Soure is, moreo-er, mo-ed to beome Soure a#ain% whereas the One standeth +er+etua""y and is not mo-ed. hree then are they KGod, the Father and the GoodK, >osmos and man. God doth ontain >osmos% >osmos ontaineth man. >osmos is e'er God's Son, man as it were >osmos' hi"d. 1/. 0ot that, howe-er, God i#noreth man% nay, ri#ht we"" doth He know him, and wi""eth to be known. his is the so"e sa"-ation or a man God's Gnosis. his is the (ay + to the Count. By Him a"one the sou" beometh #ood, not whi"es is #ood, whi"es e-i", but #ood out o neessity. at (hat dost thou mean, hrie#reatest one) Hermes Beho"d an inant's sou", my son, that is not yet ut oD, beause its body is sti"" sma"" and not as yet ome unto its u"" bu"k. at How) Hermes 4 thin# o beauty a"to#ether is suh a sou" to see, not yet beou"ed by body's +assions, sti"" a"" but han#in# rom the >osmi Sou"L But when the body #rows in bu"k and draweth down the sou" into its mass, then doth the sou" ut oD itse" and brin# u+on itse" or#etu"ness, and no more shareth in the Beautiu" and the Good. 4nd this or#etu"ness beometh -ie.
1. &t is the same or them who #o out rom the body. For when the sou" withdraws into itse", the s+irit doth ontrat itse" within the b"ood, and the sou" within the s+irit. 4nd then the mind, stri++ed o its wra++in#s, and natura""y di-ine, takin# unto itse" a fery body, doth tra-erse e-ery s+ae, ater abandonin# the sou" unto its $ud#ement and whate-er hastisement it hath deser-ed. at (hat dost thou, ather, mean by this) he mind is +arted rom sou" and sou" rom s+irit) (hereas thou said'st the sou" was the mind's -esture, and the sou"'s the s+irit. 16. Hermes he hearer, son, shou"d think with him who s+eaks and breathe with him% nay, he shou"d ha-e a hearin# subt"er than the -oie o him who s+eaks. &t is, son, in a body made o earth that this arran#ement o the -estures omes to +ass. For in a body made o earth it is im+ossib"e the mind shou"d take its seat itse" by its own se" in nakedness. For neither is it +ossib"e on the one hand the earth"y body shou"d ontain so muh immorta"ity, nor on the other that so #reat a -irtue shou"d endure a body +assib"e in suh "ose ontat with it. &t taketh, then, the sou" or as it were an en-e"o+e. 4nd sou" itse", bein# too and thin# di-ine, doth use the s+irit as its en-e"o+e, whi"e s+irit doth +er-ade the "i-in# reature. 18. (hen then the mind doth ree itse" rom the earthbody, it strai#htway +utteth on its +ro+er robe o fre, with whih it ou"d not dwe"" in an earthbody. For earth doth not bear fre% or it is a"" set in a b"a5e e-en by a sma"" s+ark. 4nd or this ause is water +oured around earth, to be a #uard and wa"", to kee+ the b"a5in# o the fre away. But mind, the switest thin# o a"" di-ine outthinkin#s, and switer than a"" e"ements, hath or its body fre. For mind bein# bui"der doth use the fre as too" or the onstrution o a"" thin#s the Cind o a"" or the onstrution o a"" thin#s, but that o man on"y or thin#s on earth. Stri+t o its fre the mind on earth annot make thin#s di-ine, or it is human in its dis+ensation. 1<. he sou" in man, howe-er not e-ery sou", but one that +ious is is a daimoni somethin# and di-ine. 4nd suh a sou" when rom the body reed, i it ha-e ou#ht the f#ht o +iety the f#ht o +iety is to know God and to do wron# to no man suh a sou" beomes entire"y mind. (hereas the im+ious sou" remains in its own essene, hastised by its own se", and seekin# or an earth"y body where to enter, i on"y it be human. For that no other body an ontain a human sou"% nor is it ri#ht that any human sou" shou"d a"" into the body o a thin# that doth +ossess no reason. For that the "aw o God is this to #uard the human sou" rom suh tremendous outra#e. 2?. at How ather, then, is a man's sou" hastised) Hermes (hat #reater hastisement o any human sou" an there be, son, than "ak o +iety) (hat fre has so fere a 7ame as "ak o
+iety) (hat ra-enous beast so mau"s the body as "ak o +iety the -ery sou") =ost thou not see what hosts o i""s the im+ious sou" doth bear) &t shrieks and sreams & burn% & am ab"a5e% & know not what to ry or do% ah, wrethed me, & am de-oured by a"" the i""s that om+ass me about% a"ak, +oor me, & neither see nor hearL Suh are the ries wrun# rom a sou" hastised% not, as the many think, and thou, son, dost su++ose, that a man's sou", +assin# rom body, is han#ed into a beast. Suh is a -ery #ra-e mistake, or that the way a sou" doth suDer hastisement is this 21. (hen mind beomes a daimon, the "aw reAuires that it shou"d take a fery body to eeute the ser-ies o God% and enterin# in the sou" most im+ious it sour#eth it with whi+s made o its sins. 4nd then the im+ious sou", sour#ed with its sins, is +"un#ed in murders, outra#e, b"as+hemy, in -io"ene o a"" kinds, and a"" the other thin#s whereby mankind is wron#ed. But on the +ious sou" the mind doth mount and #uide it to the Gnosis' @i#ht. 4nd suh a sou" doth ne-er tire in son#s o +raise to God and +ourin# b"essin# on a"" men, and doin# #ood in word and deed to a"", in imitation o its Sire. 22. (hereore, my son, thou shou"dst #i-e +raise to God and +ray that thou mayst ha-e thy mind Good Cind. &t is, then, to a better state the sou" doth +ass% it annot to a worse. Further there is an interourse o sou"s% those o the #ods ha-e interourse with those o men, and those o men with sou"s o reatures whih +ossess no reason. he hi#her, urther, ha-e in har#e the "ower% the #ods "ook ater men, men ater anima"s irrationa", whi"e God hath har#e o a""% or He is hi#her than them a"" and a"" are "ess than He. >osmos is sub$et, then, to God, man to the >osmos, and irrationa"s to man. But God is o'er them a"", and God ontains them a"". God's rays, to use a f#ure, are His ener#ies% the >osmos's are natures, the arts and sienes are man's. he ener#ies at throu#h the >osmos, thene throu#h the nature rays o >osmos u+on man% the naturerays at throu#h the e"ements, man ateth throu#h the sienes and arts. 2. his is the dis+ensation o the uni-erse, de+endin# rom the nature o the One, +er-adin# a"" thin#s throu#h the Cind, than whih is nau#ht di-iner nor o #reater ener#y% and nau#ht a #reater means or the atonin# men to #ods and #ods to men. He, Cind, is the Good =aimon. B"essed the sou" that is most f""ed with Him, and wrethed is the sou" that's em+ty o the Cind. at Father, what dost thou mean, a#ain) Hermes =ost think then, son, that e-ery sou" hath the Good Cind) For 'tis o Him we s+eak, not o the mind in ser-ie o whih we were $ust s+eakin#, the mind sent down or the sou"'s hastisement. 2*. For sou" without the mind Kan neither s+eak nor atK. For otentimes the mind doth "ea-e the sou", and at that time the sou"
neither sees nor understands, but is $ust "ike a thin# that hath no reason. Suh is the +ower o mind. Iet doth it not endure a s"u##ish sou", but "ea-eth suh a sou" tied to the body and bound ti#ht down by it. Suh sou", my son, doth not ha-e Cind% and thereore suh an one shou"d not be a""ed a man. For that man is a thin#o"ie Vor anima"W di-ine% man is not measured with the rest o "i-es o thin#s u+on the earth, but with the "i-es abo-e in hea-en, who are a""ed #ods. 0ay more, i we must bo"d"y s+eak the truth, the true KmanK is e'en hi#her than the #ods, or at the -ery "east the #ods and men are -ery whit in +ower eah with the other eAua". 2/. For no one o the #ods in hea-en sha"" ome down to the earth, o'erste++in# hea-en's "imit% whereas man doth mount u+ to hea-en and measure it% he knows what thin#s o it are hi#h, what thin#s are "ow, and "earns +reise"y a"" thin#s e"se besides. 4nd #reater thin# than a""% without e'en Auittin# earth, he doth asend abo-e. So -ast a swee+ doth he +ossess o estasy. For this ause an a man dare say that man on earth is #od sub$et to death, whi"e #od in hea-en is man rom death immune. (hereore the dis+ensation o a"" thin#s is brou#ht about by means o there, the twain >osmos and Can but by the One.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book 6. The Fith Book. "That )od is not ,aniest and et most ,aniest." 1. his =isourse & wi"" a"so make to thee, O at, that thou mayest not be i#norant o the more ee""ent 0ame o God. 2. But do thou ontem+"ate in thy Cind, how that whih to many seems hidden and unmaniest, may be most maniest unto thee. . For it were not a"", i it were a++arent, or whatsoe-er is a++arent, is #enerated or made% or it was made maniest, but that whih is not maniest is e-er. *. For it needeth not to be maniested, or it is a"ways. /. 4nd he maketh a"" other thin#s maniest, bein# unmaniest as bein# a"ways, and makin# other thin#s maniest, he is not made maniest. <. Himse" is not made, yet in antasy he antasieth a"" thin#s, or in a++earane he maketh them a++ear, or a++earane is on"y o those thin#s that are #enerated or made, or a++earane is nothin# but #eneration.
6. But he is that One, that is not made nor #enerated, is a"so una++arent and unmaniest. 8. But makin# a"" thin#s a++ear, he a++eareth in a"" and by a""% but es+eia""y he is maniested to or in those thin#s wherein himse" "isteth. <. hou thereore, O at, my Son, +ray frst to the @ord and Father, and to the 4"one and to the One rom whom is one to be meriu" to thee, that thou mayest knowest and understand so #reat a God% and that he wou"d shine one o his beams u+on thee &n thy understandin#. 1?. For on"y the nderstandin# sees that whih is not maniest or a++arent, as bein# itse" not maniest or a++arent% and i thou anst, O at, it wi"" a++ear to the eyes o thy Cind. 11. For the @ord, -oid o en-y, a++eareth throu#h the who"e wor"d. hou mayest see the inte""i#ene, and take it in thy hands, and ontem+"ate the &ma#e o God. 12. But i that whih is in thee, be not known or a++arent unto thee, how sha"" he in thee be seen, and a++ear unto thee by the eyes) 1. But i thou wi"t see him, onsider and understand the Sun, onsider the ourse o the Coon, onsider the order o the Stars. 1*. (ho is he that kee+eth order) or a"" order is irumsribed or terminated in number and +"ae. 1/. he Sun is the #reatest o the Gods in hea-en, to whom a"" the hea-en"y Gods #i-e +"ae, as to a Jin# and +otentate% and yet he bein# suh a one, #reater than the 3arth or the Sea, is ontent to suDer infnite "esser stars to wa"k and mo-e abo-e himse"% whom doth he ear the whi"e, O Son) 1. 3-ery one o these Stars that are in Hea-en, do not make the "ike, or an eAua" ourse% who is it that hath +resribed unto e-ery one, the manner and the #reatness o their ourseL 16. his Bear that turns round about its own se"% and arries round the who"e (or"d with her, who +ossessed and made suh an &nstrument. 18. (ho hath set the Bounds to the Sea) who hath estab"ished the 3arth) or there is some body, O at, that is the Caker and @ord o these thin#s. 1<. For it is im+ossib"e, O Son, that either +"ae, or number, or measure, shou"d be obser-ed without a Caker. 2?. For no order an be made by disorder or dis+ro+ortion. 21. & wou"d it were +ossib"e or thee, O my Son, to ha-e win#s, and to 7y into the 4ir, and bein# taken u+ in the midst, between Hea-en and 3arth, to see the stabi"ity o the 3arth, the 7uidness o the Sea, the ourses o the !i-ers, the "ar#eness o the 4ir, the shar+ness or switness o the Fire, the motion o the Stars% and the s+eediness o the Hea-en, by whih it #oeth round about a"" these. 22. O Son, what a ha++y si#ht it were, at one instant, to see a"" these, that whih is unmo-ab"e mo-ed, and that whih is hidden a++ear and be maniest.
2. 4nd i thou wi"t see and beho"d this (orkman, e-en by morta" thin#s that are u+on 3arth, and in the dee+. >onsider, O Son, how Can is made and ramed in the (omb% and eamine di"i#ent"y the ski"" and unnin# o the (orkman, and "earn who it was that wrou#ht and ashioned the beautiu" and =i-ine sha+e o Can% who irumsribed and marked out his eyes) who bored his nostri"s and ears) who o+ened his mouth) who strethed out and tied to#ether his sinewsL who hanne""ed the -eins) who hardened and made stron# the bonesL who "othed the 7esh with skin) who di-ided the fn#ers and the $ointsL who 7atted and made broad the so"es o the eetL who di##ed the +oresL who strethed out the s+"een, who made the heart "ike a Pyramis) who made the @i-er broadL who made the @i#hts s+un#y, and u"" o ho"esL who made the be""y "ar#e and a+aious) who set to outward -iew the more honourab"e +arts and hid the f"thy ones. 2*. See how many 4rts in one Catter, and how many (orks in one Su+ersri+tion, and a"" eeedin#"y beautiu", and a"" done in measure, and yet a"" diDerin#. 2/. (ho hath made a"" these thin#sL what CotherL what FatherL sa-e on"y God that is not maniestL that made a"" thin#s by his own (i"". 2% 4nd no man says that a statue or an ima#e is made without a >ar-er or a Painter, and was this (orkmanshi+ made without a (orkman) O #reat B"indness, O #reat &m+iety, O #reat &#norane. 26. 0e-er, O Son at, anst thou de+ri-e the (orkmanshi+ o the (orkman, rather it is the best 0ame o a"" the 0ames o God, to a"" him the Father o a"", or so he is a"one% and this is his (ork to be the Father. 28. 4nd i thou wi"t ore me to say anythin# more bo"d"y, it is his 3ssene to be +re#nant, or #reat with a"" thin#s, and to make them. 2<. 4nd as without a Caker, it is im+ossib"e that anythin# shou"d be made, so it is that he shou"d not a"ways be, and a"ways be makin# a"" thin#s in Hea-en, in the 4ir, in the 3arth, in the =ee+, in the who"e (or"d, and in e-ery +art o the who"e that is, or that is not. ?. For there is nothin# in the who"e (or"d, that is not himse" both the thin#s that are and the thin#s that are not. 1. For the thin#s that are, he hath made maniest% and the thin#s that are not, he hath hid in himse". 2. his is God that is better than any name% this is he that is seret% this is he that is most maniest% this is he that is to be seen by the Cind % this is he that is -isib"e to the eye% this is he that hath no body% and this is he that hath many bodies, rather there is nothin# o any body, whih is not He. . For he a"one is a"" thin#s. *. 4nd or this ause He hath a"" 0ames, beause He is the One Father% and thereore He hath no 0ame, beause He is the Father o a"". /. (ho thereore an b"ess thee, or #i-e thanks or thee, or to thee. . (hih way sha"" & "ook, when & +raise thee) u+ward) downward) outward) inward)
6. For about thee there is no manner, nor +"ae, nor anythin# e"se o a"" thin#s that are. 8. But a"" thin#s are in thee% a"" thin#s rom thee, thou #i-est a"" thin#s, and takest nothin#% or thou hast a"" thin#s and there is nothin# that thou hast not. <. (hen sha"" & +raise thee, O Father% or it is neither +ossib"e to om+rehend thy hour, nor thy time) *?. For what sha"" & +raise thee) or what thou hast made, or or what thou hast not madeL ur those thin#s thou hast maniested, or or those thin#s thou hast hidden) *1. (hereore sha"" & +raise thee as bein# o myse", or ha-in# anythin# o mine own, or rather bein# another's) *2. For thou art what & am, thou art what & do, thou art what & say. *. hou 4rt 4"" hin#s, and there is 0othin# 3"se hou art not. **. hou 4rt hou, 4"" that is Cade, and a"" that is not Cade. */. he Cind that nderstandeth. *. he Father that Caketh and Frameth. *6. he Good that (orketh. *8. he Good that doth 4"" hin#s. *<. O the Catter, the most subt"e and s"ender +art is 4ir, o the 4ir the Sou", o the Sou" the Cind, o the Cind God.
The Corpus Hermeticum 7. Though 8nmaniest )od 0s ,ost ,aniest translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: This sermon is a fairly straightforward Hermetic version of the "argument by design", a standard approach since ancient times to a proof of the existence of od! Typically, for a Hermetic tractate, its choice of evidence includes a paean on the beauty and perfection of the human form! #$
1. & wi"" reount to thee this sermon E"o#os too, O at, that thou may'st ease to be without the mysteries o the God beyond a"" name. 4nd mark thou we"" how that whih to the many seems unmaniest, wi"" #row most maniest or thee.
0ow were it maniest, it wou"d not be. For a"" that is made maniest is sub$et to beomin#, or it hath been made maniest. But the nmaniest or e-er is, or &t doth not desire to be made maniest. &t e-er is, and maketh maniest a"" other thin#s. Bein# Himse" unmaniest, as e-er bein# and e-er makin#maniest, Himse" is not made maniest. God is not made Himse"% by thinkin#maniest Vi.e., thinkin# into maniestationW, He thinketh a"" thin#s maniest. 0ow Kthinkin#maniestK dea"s with thin#s made a"one, or thinkin#maniest is nothin# e"se than makin#. 2. He, then, a"one who is not made, 'tis "ear, is both beyond a"" +ower o thinkin#maniest, and is unmaniest. 4nd as He thinketh a"" thin#s maniest, He maniests throu#h a"" thin#s and in a"", and most o a"" in whatsoe-er thin#s He wi""s to maniest. =o thou, then, at, my son, +ray frst unto our @ord and Father, the OneandOn"y One, rom whom the One doth ome, to show His mery unto thee, in order that thou mayest ha-e the +ower to ath a thou#ht o this so mi#hty God, one sin#"e beam o Him to shine into thy thinkin#. For thou#ht a"one KseesK the nmaniest, in that it is itse" unmaniest. &, then, thou hast the +ower, He wi"", at, maniest to thy mind's eyes. he @ord be#rud#eth not Himse" to anythin#, but maniests Himse" throu#h the who"e wor"d. hou hast the +ower o takin# thou#ht, o seein# it and #ras+in# it in thy own KhandsK, and #a5in# ae to ae u+on God's &ma#e. But i what is within thee e-en is unmaniest to thee, how, then, sha"" He Himse" who is within thy se" be maniest or thee by means o outer eyes) . But i thou wou"dst KseeK him, bethink thee o the sun, bethink thee o moon's ourse, bethink thee o the order o the stars. (ho is the One who watheth o'er that order) For e-ery order hath its boundaries marked out by +"ae and number.
he sun's the #reatest #od o #ods in hea-en% to whom a"" o the hea-en"y #ods #i-e +"ae as unto kin# and master. 4nd he, this so#reat one, he #reater than the earth and sea, endures to ha-e abo-e him ir"in# sma""er stars than him. Out o res+et to (hom, or out o ear o (hom, my son, doth he do this) 0or "ike nor eAua" is the ourse eah o these stars desribes in hea-en. (ho then is He who marketh out the manner o their ourse and its etent) *. he Bear u+ there that turneth round itse", and arries round the who"e osmos with it (ho is the owner o this instrument) (ho He who hath set round the sea its bounds) (ho He who hath set on its seat the earth) For, at, there is someone who is the Caker and the @ord o a"" these thin#s. &t ound not be that number, +"ae and measure ou"d be ke+t without someone to make them. 0o order whatsoe-er ou"d be made by that whih "aketh +"ae and "aketh measure% nay, e-en this is not without a "ord, my son. For i the order"ess "aks somethin#, in that it is not "ord o order's +ath, it a"so is beneath a "ord the one who hath not yet ordained it order. /. (ou"d that it were +ossib"e or thee to #et thee win#s, and soar into the air, and, +oised midway 'tween earth and hea-en, beho"d the earth's so"idity, the sea's 7uidity Ethe 7owin#s o its streams, the s+aiousness o air, fre's switness, and the oursin# o the stars, the switness o hea-en's iruit round them a""L Cost b"essed si#ht were it, my son, to see a"" these beneath one sway the motion"ess in motion, and the unmaniest made maniest% whereby is made this order o the osmos and the osmos whih we see o order. . & thou wou"d'st see Him too throu#h thin#s that suDer death, both on the earth and in the dee+, think o a man's bein# ashioned in the womb, my son, and strit"y srutini5e the art o Him who ashions him, and "earn who ashioneth this air and #od"y ima#e o the Can. (ho then is He who traeth out the ir"es o the eyes% who He who boreth out the nostri"s and the ears% who He who o+eneth the +orta" o the mouth% who He who doth streth out and tie the ner-es% who He who
hanne"s out the -eins% who He who hardeneth the bones% who He who o-ereth the 7esh with skin% who He who se+arates the fn#ers and the $oints% who He who widens out a treadin# or the eet% who He who di##eth out the duts% who He who s+readeth out the s+"een% who he who sha+eth heart "ike to a +yramid% who He who setteth ribs to#ether% who He who wideneth the "i-er out% who He who maketh "un#s "ike to a s+on#e% who He who maketh be""y streth so muh% who he who doth make +rominent the +arts most honorab"e, so that they may be seen, whi"e hidin# out o si#ht those o "east honor) 6. Beho"d how many arts em+"oyed on one materia", how many "abors on one sin#"e sketh% and a"" eeedin# air, and a"" in +eret measure, yet a"" di-ersifedL (ho made them a"") (hat mother, or what sire, sa-e God a"one, unmaniest, who hath made a"" thin#s by His (i"") 8. 4nd no one saith a statue or a +iture omes to be without a su"+tor or without a +ainter% doth then suh workmanshi+ as this eist without a (orker) (hat de+th o b"indness, what dee+ im+iety, what de+th o i#noraneL See, then thou ne'er, son at, de+ri-est works o (orkerL 0ay, rather is He #reater than a"" names, so #reat is He, the Father o them a"". For -eri"y He is the On"y One, and this is His work, to be a ather. <. So, i thou orest me somewhat too bo"d, to s+eak, His bein# is onei-in# o a"" thin#s and makin# them. 4nd as without its maker its is im+ossib"e that anythin# shou"d be, so e-er is He not un"ess He e-er makes a"" thin#s, in hea-en, in air, in earth, in dee+, in a"" o osmos, in e-ery +art that is and that is not o e-erythin#. For there is nau#ht in a"" the wor"d that is not He. He is Himse", both thin#s that are and thin#s that are not. he thin#s that are He hath made maniest, He kee+eth thin#s that are not in Himse". 1?. He is the God beyond a"" name% He the unmaniest, He the most maniest% He whom the mind a"one an ontem+"ate, He -isib"e to the eyes as we""% He is the
one o no body, the one o many bodies, nay, rather He o e-ery body. 0au#ht is there whih he is not. For a"" are He and He is a"". 4nd or this ause hath He a"" names, in that they are one Father's. 4nd or this ause hath He Himse" no nome, in that He's Father o them a"". (ho, then, may sin# hee +raise o hee, or +raise to hee) (hither, a#ain, am & to turn my eyes to sin# hy +raise% abo-e, be"ow, within, without) here is no way, no +"ae is there about hee, nor any other thin# o thin#s that are. 4"" are in hee% a"" are rom hee, O hou who #i-est a"" and takest nau#ht, or hou hast a"" and nau#ht is there hou hast not. 11. 4nd when, O Father, sha"" & hymn hee) For none an sei5e hy hour or time. For what, a#ain, sha"" & sin# hymn) For thin#s that hou hast made, or thin#s hou hast not) For thin#s hou hast made maniest, or thin#s hou hast onea"ed) How, urther, sha"" & hymn hee) 4s bein# o myse") 4s ha-in# somethin# o mine own) 4s bein# other) For that hou art whate-er & may be% hou art whate-er & may do% hou art whate-er & may s+eak. For hou art a"", and there is nothin# e"se whih hou art not. hou art a"" that whih doth eist, and hou art what doth not eist Cind when hou thinkest, and Father when hou makest, and God when hou dost ener#i5e, and Good and Caker o a"" thin#s. For that the subt"er +art o matter is the air, o air the sou", o sou" the mind, and o mind God.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book '.
The +i9th Book. called "That in )od alone is )ood." 1. Good, O 4sie+ius, is in nothin# but in God a"one% or rather God himse" is the Good a"ways . 2. 4nd i it be so, then must he be an 3ssene or Substane -oid o a"" motion and #eneration% but nothin# is -oid or em+ty o him. . 4nd this 3ssene hath about or in himse" a Stab"e, and frm O+eration, wantin# nothin#, most u"", and #i-in# abundant"y. *. One thin# is the Be#innin# o a"" thin#s, or it #i-eth a"" thin#s% and when & name the Good, & mean that whih is a"to#ether and a"ways Good. /. his is +resent to none, but God a"one% or he wanteth nothin#, that he shou"d desire to ha-e it, nor an anythin# be taken rom him% the "oss whereo may #rie-e him% or sorrow is a +art o e-i"ness. . 0othin# is stron#er than he, that he shou"d be o++osed by it% nor nothin# eAua" to him, that he shou"d be in "o-e with it% nothin# unheard o to be an#ry, with nothin# wiser to be en-ious at. 6. 4nd none o these bein# in his 3ssene, what remains, but on"y the Good) 8. For as in this, bein# suh an 3ssene, there is none o the e-i"s% so in none o the other thin#s sha"" the Good be ound. <. For in a"" other thin#s, are a"" those other thin#s. as we"" in the sma"" as the #reat % and as we"" in the +artiu"ars as in this "i-in# >reature the #reater and mi#htiest o a"". 1?. For a"" thin#s that are made or #enerated are u"" o Passion, Generation itse" bein# a Passion % and where Passion is there is not the Good% where the Good is, there is no Passion% where it is day, it is not ni#ht, and where it is ni#ht, it is not day. 11. (hereore it is im+ossib"e, that in Generation shou"d be the Good, but on"y in that whih is not #enerated or made. 12. Iet as the Partii+ation o a"" thin#s is in the Catter bound, so a"so o that whih is Good. 4ter this manner is the (or"d #ood, as it maketh a"" thin#s, and in the +art o makin# or doin# it is Good, but in a"" other thin#s not #ood. 1. For it is +assib"e, and mo-ab"e, and the Caker o +assib"e thin#s. 1*. &n Can a"so the Good is ordered Eor aketh =enomination in om+arison o that whih is e-i"% or that whih is not -ery e-i", is here #ood% and that whih is here a""ed Good, is the "east +arti"e, or +ro+ortion o e-i". 1/. &t is im+ossib"e thereore, that the Good shou"d be here +ure rom 3-i"% or here the Good #roweth 3-i", and #rowin# 3-i", it doth not sti"" abide Good% and not abidin# Good it beomes 3-i". 1. hereore in God a"one is the Good, or rather God is the Good.
16. hereore, O 4s"e+ius, there is nothin# in men Eor amon# Cen but the name o Good, the thin# itse" is not, or it is im+ossib"e% or a materia" Body reei-eth Eor >om+rehendeth, is not as bein# on e-ery side enom+assed and oarted with e-i"ness, and "abours, and #ries, and desires, and wrath, and deeits, and oo"ish o+inions. 18. 4nd in that whih is the worst o a"", 4s"e+ius, e-ery one o the orenamed thin#s, is here be"ie-ed to be the #reatest #ood, es+eia""y that su+reme mishie the +"easures o the Be""y, and the rin#"eader o a"" e-i"s% 3rror is here the absene o the Good. 1<. 4nd & #i-e thanks unto God, that onernin# the know"ed#e o Good, +ut this assurane in my mind, that it is im+ossib"e it shou"d be in the (or"d. 2?. For the (or"d is the u"ness o e-i"ness % but God is the u"ness o Good, or Good o God. 21. For the eminenies o a"" a++earin# Beauty, are in the 3ssene more +ure, more sinere, and +erad-enture they are a"so the 3ssene o it. 22. For we must be bo"d to say, 4s"e+ius, that the 3ssene o God, i he ha-e an 3ssene, is that whih is air or beautiu"% but no #ood is om+rehended in this (or"d. 2. For a"" thin#s that are sub$et to the eye, are &do"s, and as it were shadows% but those thin#s that are not sub$et to the eye, are e-er, es+eia""y the 3ssene o the Fair and the Good. 2*. 4nd as the eye annot see God, so neither the Fair, and the Good. 2/. For these are the +arts o God that +artake the 0ature o the who"e, +ro+er, and ami"iar unto him a"one, inse+arab"e, most "o-e"y, whereo either God is enamoured, or they are enamoured o God. 2. & thou anst understand God, thou sha"t understand the Fair, and the Good whih is most shinin#, and en"i#htenin#, and most en"i#htened by God. 26. For that Beauty is abo-e om+arison, and that Good is inimitab"e, as God himse". 28. 4s thereore thou understandest God, so understand the Fair and the Good, or these are inommuniab"e to any other "i-in# >reatures beause they are inse+arab"e rom God. 2<. & thou seek onernin# God, thou seekest or askest a"so o the Fair, or there is one way that "eads to the same thin#, that is Piety with Jnow"ed#e. ?. (hereore, they that are i#norant, and #o not in the way o Piety, dare a"" Can Fair and Good, ne-er seein# so muh as in a dream, what Good is% but bein# eno"ded and wra++ed u+on a"" e-i", and be"ie-in# that the e-i" is the Good, they by that means, both use it unsatiab"y, and are araid to be de+ri-ed o it% and thereore they stri-e by a"" +ossib"e means, that they may not on"y ha-e it, but a"so inrease it. 1. Suh, O 4s"e+ius, are the Good and Fair thin#s o men, whih we an neither "o-e nor hate, or this is the hardest thin# o a"", that we ha-e need o them, and annot "i-e without them.
The Corpus Hermeticum 70. 0n )od :lone 0s )ood :nd #lsehere ;ohere translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: This sermon on the nature of the ood, li%e To &sclepius '(H ))*, relies heavily on the technical language of classical ree% philosophy a point which some of $ead+s translations tend to obscure! "The ood," in ree% thought, is also the selfcaused and self sucient, and thus has little in common with later conceptions of "goodness," -ust as the .atin word virtus and the modern (hristian concept of "virtue" are very nearly opposites despite their etymological connection! The word "passion" here also needs to be understood in its older sense, as the opposite of "action" 'cf! "active" and "passive"*! The negative attitude toward humanity and the cosmos which appears in this text contrasts sharply with the more positive assessment found, for example, in the Poemandres %&' () or in the *sclepius a reminder that these documents are relics of a diverse and not necessarily consistent school of thought. !"#
1. Good, O 4s"e+ius, is in none e"se sa-e in God a"one% nay, rather, Good is God Himse" eterna""y. & it be so, Good must be essene, rom e-ery kind o motion and beomin# ree Ethou#h nau#ht is ree rom &t, +ossessed o stab"e ener#y around &tse", ne-er too "itt"e, nor too muh, an e-eru"" su++"y. hou#h one, yet is &t soure o a""% or what su++"ieth a"" is Good. (hen &, moreo-er, say su++"ieth a"to#ether a"", it is or e-er Good. But this be"on#s to no one e"se sa-e God a"one. For He stands not in need o any thin#, so that desirin# it He shou"d be bad% nor an a sin#"e thin# o thin#s that
are be "ost to him, on "osin# whih He shou"d be +ained% or +ain is +art o bad. 0or is there au#ht su+erior to Him, that He shou"d be subdued by it% nor any +eer to Him to do Him wron#, or so that He shou"d a"" in "o-e on its aount% nor au#ht that #i-es no ear to Him, whereat He shou"d #row an#ry% nor wiser au#ht, or Him to en-y. 2. 0ow as a"" these are noneistent in His bein#, what is there "et but Good a"one) For $ust as nau#ht o bad is to be ound in suh transendent Bein#, so too in no one o the rest wi"" Good be ound. For in them are a"" o the other thin#s Vi.e., those thin#s whih are not GoodW both in the "itt"e and the #reat, both in eah se-era""y and in this "i-in# one that's #reater than them a"" and the mi#htiest o them Vi.e., the osmosW. For thin#s sub$et to birth abound in +assions, birth in itse" bein# +assib"e. But where there's +assion, nowhere is there Good% and where is Good, nowhere a sin#"e +assion. For where is day, nowhere is ni#ht% and where is ni#ht, day is nowhere. (hereore in #enesis the Good an ne-er be, but on"y be in the in#enerate. But seein# that the sharin# in a"" thin#s hath been bestowed on matter, so doth it share in Good. &n this way is the >osmos Good% that, in so ar as it doth make a"" thin#s, as ar as makin# #oes it's Good, but in a"" other thin#s it is not Good. For it's both +assib"e and sub$et unto motion, and maker o thin#s +assib"e. . (hereas in man by #reater or "ess o bad is #ood determined. For what is not too bad down here, is #ood, and #ood down here is the "east +art o bad. &t annot, thereore, be that #ood down here shou"d be Auite "ean o bad, or down here #ood is ou"ed with bad% and bein# ou"ed, it stays no "on#er #ood, and stayin# not it han#es into bad.
&n God a"one, is, thereore, Good, or rather Good is God Himse". So then, 4s"e+ius, the name a"one o Good is ound in men, the thin# itse" nowhere in them, or this an ne-er be. For no materia" body doth ontain &t a thin# bound on a"" sides by bad, by "abors, +ains, desires and +assions, by error and by oo"ish thou#hts. 4nd #reatest i"" o a"", 4s"e+ius, is that eah o these thin#s that ha-e been said abo-e, is thou#ht down here to be the #reatest #ood. 4nd what is sti"" an e-en #reater i"", is be""y"ust, the error that doth "ead the band o a"" the other i""s the thin# that makes us turn down here rom Good. *. 4nd &, or my +art, #i-e thanks to God, that He hath ast it in my mind about the Gnosis o the Good, that it an ne-er be &t shou"d be in the wor"d. For that the wor"d is Ku""nessK o the bad, but God o Good, and Good o God. he ee""enies o the Beautiu" are round the -ery essene o the Good% nay, they do seem too +ure, too una""oyed% +erhane 'tis they that are themse"-es &ts essenes. For one may dare to say, 4s"e+ius i essene, sooth, He ha-e God's essene is the Beautiu"% the Beautiu" is urther a"so Good. here is no Good that an be #ot rom ob$ets in the wor"d. For a"" the thin#s that a"" beneath the eye are ima#ethin#s and +itures as it were% whi"e those that do not meet the eye are the rea"ities, es+eia""y the essene o the Beautiu" and Good. 9ust as the eye annot see God, so an it not beho"d the Beautiu" and Good. For that they are inte#ra" +arts o God, wedded to Him a"one, inse+arate ami"iars, most be"o-ed, with whom God is Himse" in "o-e, or they with God. /. & thou anst God onei-e, thou sha"t onei-e the Beautiu" and Good, transendin# @i#ht, made "i#hter
than the @i#ht by God. hat Beauty is beyond om+are, inimitate that Good, e'en as God is Himse". 4s, then, thou dost onei-e o God, onei-e the Beautiu" and Good. For they annot be $oined with au#ht o other thin#s that "i-e, sine they an ne-er be di-ored rom God. Seek'st thou or God, thou seekest or the Beautiu". One is the Path that "eadeth unto &t =e-otion $oined with Gnosis. . 4nd thus it is that they who do not know and do not tread =e-otion's Path, do dare to a"" man beautiu" and #ood, thou#h he ha-e ne'er e'en in his -isions seen a whit that's Good, but is en-e"o+ed with e-ery kind o bad, and thinks the bad is #ood, and thus doth make uneasin# use o it, and e-en eareth that it shou"d be ta'en rom him, so strainin# e-ery ner-e not on"y to +reser-e but e-en to inrease it. Suh are the thin#s that men a"" #ood and beautiu", 4s"e+ius thin#s whih we annot 7ee or hate% or hardest thin# o a"" is that we'-e need o them and annot "i-e without them.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book <. The +e=enth Book. His +ecret +ermon in the ,ount > *egeneration and the Proession o +ilence. To His +on Tat. 1. at. &n the #enera" S+eehes, O Father, disoursin# o the =i-inity, thou s+eakest eni#matia""y, and didst not "ear"y re-ea" thyse", sayin#, hat no man an be sa-ed beore !e#eneration. 2. 4nd when & did humb"y entreat thee, at the #oin# u+ the Countain ater thou hadst disoursed unto me, ha-in# a #reat desire, to "earn this 4r#ument o !e#eneration % beause amon# a"" the rest, & am i#norant on"y o this thou to"dst me thou wou"dst im+art it unto me, when & wou"d estran#e myse" rom the (or"d whereu+on & made
myse" ready, and ha-e -indiated the understandin# that is in me, rom the deeit o the (or"d. . 0ow then u"f"" my deets, and as thou saidst instrut me o !e#eneration, either by word o mouth or seret"y% or & know not, O risme#istus, o what Substane, or what (omb or what Seed a Can is thus born. *. Hermes. O Son, this (isdom is to be understood in si"ene, and the Seed is the true Good. /. at. (ho soweth it, O Father . or & am utter"y i#norant and doubtu". . Hermes. he (i"" o God, O Son. 6. 4nd what manner o Can is he that is thus born) or in this +oint, & am "ean de+ri-ed o the 3ssene that understandeth in me. 8. Hermes. he Son o God wi"" be another, God made the uni-erse, that in e-erythin# onsisteth o a"" +owers. <. at. hou te""est me a !idd"e, Father, and dost not s+eak as a Father to his Son. 1?. Hermes. Son, thin#s o this kind are not tau#ht, but are by God, when he +"easeth, brou#ht to remembrane. 11. at. hou s+eakest o thin#s strained, or ar ethed, and im+ossib"e, Father% and thereore & wi"" diret"y ontradit them. 12. Hermes. (i"t thou +ro-e a stran#er, Son, to thy Father's kind. 1. =o not en-y me, Father, or +ardon me, & am thy 0atura" Son% disourse unto me the manner o !e#eneration. 1*. Hermes. (hat sha"" & say, O my Son) & ha-e nothin# to say more than this, that & see in myse" an unei#ned si#ht or s+eta"e, made by the mery o God, and & am #one out o myse" into an immorta" body, and am riot now what & was beore, but was be#otten in Cind. 1/. his thin# is not tau#ht, nor is it to be seen in this ormed 3"ement% or whih the frst om+ound orm was ne#"eted by me% and that & am now se+arated rom it % or & ha-e both the touh and the measure o it, yet am & now estran#ed rom them. 1. hou seest, O Son, with thine eyes% but thou#h thou "ook ne-er so steadast"y u+on me, with the Body, and bodi"y si#ht, thou anst not see, nor understand what & am now. 16. at. hou hast dri-en me, O Father, into no sma"" ury and distration o mind, or & do not now see my se". 18. Hermes. & wou"d, O Son, that thou a"so wert #one out o thyse", "ike them that dream in their s"ee+. 1<. at. hen te"" me this, who is the 4uthor and Caker o !e#eneration ) 2?. Hermes. he hi"d o God, one Can by the (i"" o God. 21. at. 0ow, O Father, thou hast +ut me to si"ene or e-er and a"" my ormer thou#hts ha-e Auite "et and orsaken me, or & see the #reatness, and sha+e o a"" thin#s here be"ow, and nothin# but a"sehood in them a"". 22. 4nd sine this morta" Form is dai"y han#ed, and turned by this time into inrease, and diminution, as bein# a"sehood% what thereore is true, O risme#istus)
2. risme#istus. hat, O Son, whih is not troub"ed, nor bounded% not o"oured, not f#ured, not han#ed% that whih is naked, bri#ht, om+rehensib"e on"y o itse", una"terab"e, unbodi"y. 2*. at. 0ow & am mad, indeed, Father% or when & thou#ht me to ha-e been made a wise man by thee, with these thou#hts thou hast Auite du""ed a"" my senses. 2/. Hermes. Iet is it so, as & say, O Son, He that @ooketh On"y u+on that whih is arried u+ward as Fire, that whih is arried downward as 3arth, that whih is moist as (ater, and that whih b"oweth or is sub$et to b"ast as 4ir% how an he sensib"y understand that whih is neither hard, nor moist, nor tan#ib"e, nor +ers+iuous, seein# it is on"y understood in +ower and o+eration% but & beseeh and +ray to the Cind whih a"one an understand the Generation, whih is in God. 2. at. hen am &, O Father, utter"y unab"e to do it. 26. Hermes. God orbid, Son, rather draw or +u"" him unto thee Eor Study to Jnow Him and he wi"" ome, be but (i""in#, and it sha"" be done% Auiet Eor make id"e the Senses o the Body, +ur#in# thyse" rom unreasonab"e brutish torments o matter. 28. at. Ha-e & any re-en#ers or tormentors in myse", Father ) 2<. Hermes. Ies, and those, not a ew, but many and earu" ones. ?. at. & do not know them, Father. 1. Hermes. One orment, Son, is &#norane, a seond, Sorrow, a third, &ntem+erane, a ourth >onu+isene, a fth, &n$ustie, a sith, >o-etousness, a se-enth, =eeit, an ei#hth, 3n-y, a ninth, Fraud or Gui"e, a tenth, (rath, an e"e-enth, !ashness, a twe"th, Ca"iiousness. 2. hey are in number twe"-e, and under these many more% some whih throu#h the +rison o the body, do ore the inward"y +"aed Can to suDer sensib"y . 4nd they do not sudden"y, or easi"y de+art rom him, that hath obtained mery o God% and herein onsists, both the manner and the reason o !e#eneration. *. For the rest, O Son, ho"d thy +eae, and +raise God in si"ene, and by that means, the mery o God wi"" not ease, or be wantin# unto us. /. hereore re$oie, my Son, rom heneorward, bein# +ur#ed by the +owers o God, to the Jnow"ed#e o the ruth. . For the re-e"ation o God is ome to us, and when that ame a"" &#norane was ast out. 6. he know"ed#e o 9oy is ome unto us, and when that omes, Sorrow sha"" 7y away to them that are a+ab"e o it. 8. & a"" unto 9oy, the +ower o em+erane, a +ower whose :irtue is most sweet% @et us take her unto ourse"-es, O Son, most wi""in#"y, or how at her omin# hath she +ut away &ntem+erane. <. 0ow & a"" the ourth, >ontinene, the +ower whih is o-er >onu+isene. his, O Son, is the stab"e and frm oundation o 9ustie.
*?. For see, how without "abour, she hath hased away in$ustie and we are $ustifed, O Son, when &n$ustie is away. *1. he sith :irtue whih omes into us, & a"" >ommunion, whih is a#ainst >o-etousness. *2. 4nd when that E>o-etousness is #one, & a"" ruth % and when she ometh, 3rror and =eeit -anisheth. *. See, O Son, how the Good is u"f""ed by the aess o ruth% or by this means, 3n-y is #one rom us% or ruth is aom+anied with the Good, to#ether a"so with @ie and @i#ht. **. 4nd there ame no more any torment o =arkness, but bein# o-erome, they are a"" 7ed away sudden"y, and tumu"tuari"y. */. hou hast understood, O Son, the manner o !e#eneration% or u+on the omin# o these en, the &nte""etua" Generation is +ereted, and then it dri-eth away the twe"-e% and we ha-e seen it in the Generation itse". *. (hosoe-er thereore hath o Cery obtained this Generation whih is aordin# to God, he "ea-in# a"" bodi"y sense, knoweth himse" to onsist o di-ine thin#s, and re$oieth, bein# made by God stab"e and immutab"e. *6. at. O Father, & onei-e and understand, not by the si#ht o mine eyes, but by the &nte""etua" O+eration, whih is by the Powers. & am in Hea-en, in the 3arth, in the (ater, in the 4ir, & am in "i-in# >reatures, in the P"ants, in the (omb, e-erywhere. *8. Iet te"" me urther, this one thin#, How are the torments o =arkness, bein# in number we"-e, dri-en away and e+e""ed by the en +owers. (hat is the manner o it, risme#istus) *<. Hermes. his aberna"e, O Son, onsists o the Zodiaa" >ir"e% and this onsistin# o twe"-e numbers, the &dea o one% but a"" ormed 0ature admit o di-ers >on$u#ations to the deei-in# o Can. /?. 4nd thou#h they be diDerent in themse"-es, yet are they united in +ratie Eas or eam+"e, !ashness is inse+arab"e rom 4n#er and they are a"so indeterminate hereore with #ood !eason, do they make their de+arture, bein# dri-en away by the en +owers% that is to say, By the dead. /1. For the number o en, O Son, is the Be#etter o Sou"s. 4nd there @ie and @i#ht are united, where the number o nity is born o the S+irit. /2. hereore aordin# to !eason, nity bath the number o en, and the number o en hath nity. /. at. O Father, & now see the ni-erse, and myse" in the Cind. /*. Hermes. his is !e#eneration, O Son, that we shou"d not any "on#er f our ima#ination u+on this Body, sub$et to the three dimensions, aordin# to this S+eeh whih we ha-e now ommented. hat we may not at a"" a"umniate the ni-erse. //. at. e"" me, O Father, his Body that onsists o Powers sha"" it e-er admit o any =isso"ution) /. Hermes. Good words, Son, and s+eak not thin#s im+ossib"e% or so thou sha"t sin, and the eye o thy mind #row wiked.
/6. he sensib"e Body o 0ature is ar rom the 3ssentia" Generation% or that is sub$et to =isso"ution, but this not% and that is morta", but this immorta". =ost thou not know that thou art born a God and the Son o the One, as & am. /8. at. How ain wou"d &, O Father, hear that +raise #i-en by a Hymn, whih thou saidst, thou heardst rom the Powers when & was in the Otonary. /<. Hermes. 4s Pimander said by way o Ora"e to the Otonary, hou dost we"", O Son, to desire the So"ution o the aberna"e, or thou art +urifed. ?. Pimander, the Cind o abso"ute Power and 4uthority, hath de"i-ered no more unto me, than those that are written% knowin# that o myse", & an understand a"" thin#s, and hear, and see what & wi"". 4nd he ommanded me to do those thin#s that are #ood% and thereore a"" the Powers that are in me sin#. 1. at. & wou"d hear thee, O Father, and understand these thin#s. 2. Hermes. Be Auiet, O Son, and now hearken to that harmonious b"essin# and thanks#i-in# the hymn o !e#eneration, whih & did not determine to ha-e s+oken o so +"ain"y, but to thyse" in the end o a"". . (hereore this is not tau#ht, but hid in si"ene. *. So then, O Son, do thou standin# in the o+en 4ir, worshi+ "ookin# to the 0orth (ind, about the #oin# down o the Sun, and to the South, when the Sun ariseth% 4nd now kee+ si"ene, Son.
The Secret Song. he Ho"y S+eeh. /. @et a"" the 0ature o the wor"d entertain the hearin# o this Hymn. . Be o+ened, O 3arth, and "et a"" the reasure o the !ain be o+ened. 6. Iou rees tremb"e not, or & wi"" sin# and +raise the @ord o the >reation, and the 4"" and the One. 8. Be o+ened you Hea-ens, ye (inds stand sti"", and "et the &mmorta" >ir"e o God reei-e these words. <. For & wi"" sin#, and +raise him that reated a"" thin#s, that fed the 3arth, and hun# u+ the Hea-ens, and ommanded the sweet (ater to ome out o the Oean% into a"" the (or"d inhabited, and not inhabited, to the use and nourishment o a"" thin#s, or men. 6?. hat ommanded the fre to shine or -ery ation, both to Gods and Cen. 61. @et us a"to#ether #i-e him b"essin#, whih rideth u+on the Hea-ens, the >reator o a"" 0ature. 62. his is he that is the 3ye o the Cind, and (i"" ae+t the +raise o my Powers. 6. O a"" ye Powers that are in me, +raise the One and the 4"". 6*. Sin# to#ether with my (i"", a"" you Powers that are in me. 6/. O Ho"y Jnow"ed#e, bein# en"i#htened by thee, & ma#niy the inte""i#ib"e @i#ht, and re$oie in the 9oy o the Cind. 6. 4"" my Powers sin# +raise with me, and thou my >ontinene,
sin# +raise my !i#hteousness by me% +raise that whih is ri#hteous. 66. O >ommunion whih is in me, +raise the 4"". 68. By me the ruth sin#s +raise to the ruth, the Good +raiseth the Good. 6<. O @ie, O @i#ht rom us, unto you omes this +raise and thanks#i-in#. 8?. & #i-e thanks unto thee, O Father, the o+eration or at o my Powers. 81. & #i-e thanks unto thee, O God, the +ower o my o+erations. 82. By me thy (ord sin#s +raise unto thee, reei-e by me this reasonab"e Eor -erba" sarife in words. 8. he +owers that are in me ry these thin#s, they +raise the 4"", they u"f" thy (i""% thy (i"" and >ounse" is rom thee unto thee. 8*. O 4"", reei-e a reasonab"e Sarife rom a"" thin#s. 8/. O @ie, sa-e a"" that is in us O @i#ht en"i#hten, O God the S+irit% or the Cind #uideth or eedeth the (ord % O S+irit bearin# (orkman. 8. hou art God, thy Can rieth these thin#s unto thee throu#h by the Fire, by the 4ir, by the 3arth, by the (ater, by the S+irit, by thy >reatures. 86. From eternity & ha-e ound Emeans to b"ess and +raise thee, and & ha-e what & seek, or & rest in thy (i"". 88. at. O Father, & see thou hast sun# this Son# o +raise and b"essin# with thy who"e (i""% and thereore ha-e & +ut and +"aed it in my (or"d. 8<. Hermes. Say in thy inte""i#ib"e (or"d, O Son. a"umniators% For we both ha-e now su;ient"y meditated, & in s+eakin#, thou in hearin#. 4nd now thou dost inte""etua""y know thyse" and our Father.
The Corpus Hermeticum 5000. The +ecret +ermon on the ,ountain translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: This dialogue is in many ways the culmination of the whole (orpus, summing up the theory of the Hermetic system at the same time as it provides an intriguing glimpse at the practice! The focus of the dialogue is the experience of /ebirth, which involves the replacement of twelve Tormentors within the self by ten divine Powers, leading to the awa%ening of %nowledge of the self and od! The +ecret 'ymnody+ %sections -/0) is presented as a litany for worship, to be performed twice each day, at sunrise and sunset. (t1s interesting to note that while the sunrise worship is performed facing east, the sunset worship is done to the south2 3gyptian tradition from Pharaonic times onward saw the west as the direction of death. The usual di4culties with the multiple meanings of the #reek word logos appear in the translation, compounded by "ead1s awkward style. *dditionally, one of "ead1s few evasions can be found in section -/, where he relates the twelve Tormentors to the +twelve typesoflife+. This should more simply, and more accurately, have been translated as +the twelve signs of the 5odiac+. The Theosophical distaste for astrology may well have been involved here. !"#
1. at 0ow in the Genera" Sermons, ather, thou didst s+eak in ridd"es most un"ear, on-ersin# on =i-inity% and when thou saidst no man ou"d e'er be sa-ed beore !ebirth, thy meanin# thou didst hide. Further, when & beame thy Su++"iant, in (endin# u+ the Count, ater thou hadst on-ersed with me, and when & "on#ed to "earn the Sermon E@o#os on !ebirth Eor this beyond a"" other thin#s is $ust the thin# & know not, thou saidst, that thou wou"dst #i-e it me Kwhen thou sha"t ha-e beome a stran#er to the wor"dK.
(hereore & #ot me ready and made the thou#ht in me a stran#er to the wor"di""usion. 4nd now do thou f"" u+ the thin#s that a"" short in me with what thou saidst wou"d #i-e me the tradition o !ebirth, settin# it orth in s+eeh or in the seret way. & know not, O hrie#reatest one, rom out what matter and what womb Can omes to birth, or o what seed. 2. Hermes (isdom that understands in si"ene suh is the matter and the womb rom out whih Can is born, and the rue Good the seed. at (ho is the sower, ather) For & am a"to#ether at a "oss. Hermes &t is the (i"" o God, my son. at 4nd o what kind is he that is be#otten, ather) For & ha-e no share o that essene in me, whih doth transend the senses. he one that is be#ot wi"" be another one rom God, God's Son) Hermes 4"" in a"", out o a"" +owers om+osed. at hou te""est me a ridd"e, ather, and dost not s+eak as ather unto son. Hermes his !ae, my son, is ne-er tau#ht% but when He wi""eth it, its memory is restored by God. . at hou sayest thin#s im+ossib"e, O ather, thin#s that are ored. Hene answers wou"d & ha-e diret unto these thin#s. 4m & a son stran#e to my ather's rae) Jee+ it not, ather, bak rom me. & am a trueborn son% e+"ain to me the manner o !ebirth. Hermes (hat may & say, my son) & an but te"" thee this. (hene'er & see within myse" the Sim+"e :ision brou#ht to birth out o God's mery, & ha-e +assed throu#h myse" into a Body that an ne-er die. 4nd now i am not as & was beore% but & am born in Cind. he way to do this is not tau#ht, and it annot be seen by the om+ounded e"ement by means o whih thou seest.
Iea, & ha-e had my ormer om+osed orm dismembered or me. & am no "on#er touhed, but & ha-e touh% & ha-e dimension too% and yet am & a stran#er to them now. hou seest me with eyes, my son% but what & am thou dost not understand e-en with u""est strain o body and o si#ht. *. at &nto fere ren5y and mindury hast thou +"un#ed me, ather, or now no "on#er do & see myse". Hermes & wou"d, my son, that thou hadst e'en +assed ri#ht throu#h thyse", as they who dream in s"ee+ yet s"ee+"ess. at e"" me this tooL (ho is the author o !ebirth) Hermes he Son o God, the One Can, by God's (i"". /. at 0ow hast thou brou#ht me, ather, unto +ure stu+eation. 4rrested rom the senses whih & had beore,...V"auna in ori#ina" tetW% or now & see thy Greatness identia" with thy distinti-e orm. Hermes 3-en in this thou art untrue% the morta" orm doth han#e with e-ery day. 'is turned by time to #rowth and wanin#, as bein# an untrue thin#. . at (hat then is true, hrie#reatest One) Hermes hat whih is ne-er troub"ed, son, whih annot be defned% that whih no o"or hath, nor any f#ure, whih is not turned, whih hath no #arment, whih #i-eth "i#ht% that whih is om+rehensib"e unto itse" a"one, whih doth not suDer han#e% that whih no body an ontain. at &n -ery truth & "ose my reason, ather. 9ust when & thou#ht to be made wise by thee, & fnd the senses o this mind o mine b"oked u+. Hermes hus is it, son hat whih is u+ward borne "ike fre, yet is borne down "ike earth, that whih is moist "ike water, yet b"ows "ike air, how sha"t thou this +erei-e with sense the that whih is not so"id nor yet moist, whih nau#ht an bind or "oose, o whih in +ower and ener#y a"one an man ha-e any notion and e-en then it wants a man who an +erei-e the (ay o Birth in God)
6. at & am ina+ab"e o this, O ather, then) Hermes 0ay, God orbid, my sonL (ithdraw into thyse", and it wi"" ome% wi"", and it omes to +ass% throw out o work the body's senses, and thy =i-inity sha"" ome to birth% +ur#e rom thyse" the brutish torments thin#s o matter. at & ha-e tormentors then in me, O ather) Hermes 4y, no ew, my son% nay, earu" ones and manio"d. at & do not know them, ather. Hermes orment the frst is this 0otknowin#, son% the seond one is Grie% the third, &ntem+erane% the ourth, >onu+isene% the fth, nri#hteousness% the sith is 4-arie% the se-enth, 3rror% the ei#hth is 3n-y% the ninth, Gui"e% the tenth is 4n#er% e"e-enth, !ashness% the twe"th is Ca"ie. hese are in number twe"-e% but under them are many more, my son% and ree+in# throu#h the +rison o the body they ore the man that's +"aed therein to suDer in his senses. But they de+art Ethou#h not a"" at one rom him who hath been taken +ity on by God% and this it is whih onstitutes the manner o !ebirth. 4nd... V"auna in the ori#ina" tetW the !eason E@o#os. 8. 4nd now, my son, be sti"" and so"emn si"ene kee+L hus sha"" the mery that 7ows on us rom God not ease. Heneorth re$oie, O son, or by the Powers o God thou art bein# +urifed or the artiu"ation o the !eason E@o#os. Gnosis o God hath ome to us, and when this omes, my son, 0otknowin# is ast out. Gnosis o 9oy hath ome to us, and on its omin#, son, Sorrow wi"" 7ee away to them who #i-e it room. he Power that o""ows 9oy do & in-oke, thy Se"ontro". O Power most sweetL @et us most #"ad"y bid it we"ome, sonL How with its omin# doth it hase &ntem+erane awayL
<. 0ow ourth, on >ontinene & a"", the Power a#ainst =esire. V"auna in the ori#ina" tetW his ste+, my son, is !i#hteousness' frm seat. For without $ud#ement Vother trans"ators read this Kwithout eDortKW see how she hath hased nri#hteousness away. (e are made ri#hteous, son, by the de+arture o nri#hteousness. Power sith & a"" to us that a#ainst 4-arie, Sharin# witha"". 4nd now that 4-arie is #one, & a"" on ruth. 4nd 3rror 7ees, and ruth is with us. See how the measure o the Good is u"", my son, u+on ruth's omin#. For 3n-y is #one rom us% and unto ruth is $oined the Good as we"", with @ie and @i#ht. 4nd now no more doth any torment o the =arkness -enture ni#h, but -anAuished a"" ha-e 7ed with whirrin# win#s. 1?. hou knowest now, my son, the manner o !ebirth. 4nd when the en is ome, my son, that dri-eth out the we"-e, the Birth in understandin# V"itera""y Kinte""etua" birthK, noera genesisW is om+"ete, and by this birth we are made into Gods. (ho then doth by His mery #ain this Birth in God, abandonin# the body's senses, knows himse" to be o @i#ht and @ie and that he doth onsist o these, and thus is f""ed with b"iss. 11. at By God made steadast, ather, no "on#er with the si#ht my eyes aDord & "ook on thin#s, but with the ener#y the Cind doth #i-e me throu#h the Powers. &n Hea-en am &, in earth, in water, air% & am in anima"s, in +"ants% &'m in the womb, beore the womb, ater the womb% &'m e-erywhereL But urther te"" me this How are the torments o the =arkness, when they are twe"-e in number, dri-en out by the ten Powers) (hat is the way o it, hrie#reatest one) 12. Hermes his dwe""in#+"ae throu#h whih we ha-e $ust +assed Vi.e., the human bodyW, my son, is onstituted rom the ir"e o the twe"-e ty+eso"ie, this bein# om+osed o e"ements, twe"-e in number, but
o one nature, an omniorm idea. For man's de"usion there are disunions in them, son, whi"e in their ation they are one. 0ot on"y an we ne-er +art !ashness rom (rath% they annot e-en be distin#uished. 4ordin# to ri#ht reason E"o#os, then, they Vthe we"-eW natura""y withdraw one and or a"", in as muh as they are hased out by no "ess than ten +owers, that is, the en. For, son, the en is that whih #i-eth birth to sou"s. 4nd @ie and @i#ht are unifed there, where the One hath bein# rom the S+irit. 4ordin# then to reason E"o#os the One ontains the en, the en the One. 1. at Father, & see the 4"", & see myse" in Cind. Hermes his is, my son, !ebirth no more to "ook on thin#s rom body's -iew+oint Ea thin# three ways in s+ae etended... V"auna in tetW, thou#h this Sermon E@o#os on !ebirth, on whih & did not omment in order that we may not be a"umniators o the 4"" unto the mu"titude, to whom indeed God Himse" doth wi"" we shou"d not. 1*. at e"" me, O ather his Body whih is made u+ o the Powers, is it at any time disso"-ed) Hermes Hush, sonL S+eak not o thin#s im+ossib"e, e"se wi"t thou sin and thy Cind's eye be Auenhed. he natura" body whih our sense +erei-es is ar remo-ed rom this essentia" birth. he frst must be disso"-ed, the "ast an ne-er be% the frst must die, the "ast death annot touh. =ost thou not know thou hast been born a God, Son o the One, e-en as & myse") 1/. at & wou"d, O ather, hear the Praise#i-in# with hymn whih thou didst say thou heardest then when thou wert at the 3i#ht the O#doad o Powers Hermes 9ust as the She+herd did orete"" & shou"d, my son, when & ame to the 3i#ht. (e"" dost thou haste to Kstrike thy tentK Vi.e., be ree rom the +hysia" bodyW, or thou hast been made +ure.
he She+herd, Cind o a"" masterhood, hath not +assed on to me more than hath been written down, or u"" we"" did he know that & shou"d o myse" be ab"e to "earn a"", and hear what & shou"d wish, and see a"" thin#s. He "et to me the makin# o air thin#s% whereore the Powers within me. e'en as they are in a"", break into son#. 1. at Father, & wish to hear% & "on# to know these thin#s. Hermes Be sti"", my son% hear the Praise#i-in# now that kee+s the sou" in tune, Hymn o !ebirth a hymn & wou"d not ha-e thou#ht ft so readi"y to te"", had'st thou not reahed the end o a"". (hereore this is not tau#ht, but is ke+t hid in si"ene. hus then, my son, stand in a +"ae uno-ered to the sky, ain# the southern wind, about the sinkin# o the settin# sun, and make thy worshi+% so in "ike manner too when he doth rise, with ae to the east wind. 0ow, son, be sti""L he Seret Hymnody 16. @et e-ery nature o the (or"d reei-e the utterane o my hymnL O+en thou 3arthL @et e-ery bo"t o the 4byss be drawn or me. Stir not, ye reesL & am about to hymn reation's @ord, both 4"" and One. Ie Hea-ens o+en and ye (inds stay sti""% and "et God's death"ess S+here reei-e my word E"o#osL For & wi"" sin# the +raise o Him who ounded a""% who fed the 3arth, and hun# u+ Hea-en, and #a-e ommand that Oean shou"d aDord sweet water to the 3arth, to both those +arts that are inhabited and those that are not, or the su++ort and use o e-ery man% who made the Fire to shine or #ods and men or e-ery at. @et us to#ether a"" #i-e +raise to Him, sub"ime abo-e the Hea-ens, o e-ery nature @ordL
'is He who is the 3ye o Cind% may He ae+t the +raise o these my PowersL 18. Ie +owers that are within me, hymn the One and 4""% sin# with my (i"", Powers a"" that are within meL O b"essed Gnosis, by thee i""umined, hymnin# throu#h thee the @i#ht that mond a"one an see, & $oy in 9oy o Cind. Sin# with me +raises a"" ye PowersL Sin# +raise, my Se"ontro"% sin# thou throu#h me, my !i#hteousness, the +raises o the !i#hteous% sin# thou, my Sharin#a"", the +raises o the 4""% throu#h me sin#, ruth, ruth's +raisesL Sin# thou, O Good, the GoodL O @ie and @i#ht, rom us to you our +raises 7owL Father, & #i-e hee thanks, to hee hou 3ner#y o a"" my Powers% & #i-e hee thanks, O God, hou Power o a"" my 3ner#iesL 1<. hy !eason E@o#os sin#s throu#h me hy +raises. ake bak throu#h me the 4"" into hy !eason my reasonab"e ob"ationL hus ry the Powers in me. hey sin# hy +raise, hou 4""% they do hy (i"". From hee hy (i""% to hee the 4"". !eei-e rom a"" their reasonab"e ob"ation. he 4"" that is in us, O @ie, +reser-e% O @i#htV,W i""umine it% O GodV,W ins+irit it. &t it hy Cind that +"ays the she+herd to hy (ord, O hou >reator, Bestower o the S+irit u+on a"". 2?. For hou art God, hy Can thus ries to hee throu#h Fire, throu#h 4ir, throu#h 3arth, throu#h (ater, and throu#h S+irit, throu#h hy reatures. 'is rom hy 4eon & ha-e ound +raise#i-in#% and in thy (i"", the ob$et o my searh, ha-e & ound rest. at By thy #ood +"easure ha-e & seen this +raise#i-in# bein# sun#, O ather% & ha-e set it in my >osmos too.
Hermes Say in the >osmos that thy mind a"one an see, my son. at Iea, ather, in the >osmos that the mind a"one an see% or & ha-e been made ab"e by thy Hymn, and by thy Praise#i-in# my mind hath been i""umined. But urther & myse" as we"" wou"d rom my natura" mind send +raise #i-in# to God. 21. Hermes But not unheedu""y, my son. at 4ye. (hat & beho"d in mind, that do & say. o thee, thou Parent o my Brin#in# into Birth, as unto God &, at, send reasonab"e oDerin#s. o God and Father, thou art the @ord, thou art the Cind. !eei-e rom me ob"ations reasonab"e as thou wou"d'st wish% or by thy (i"" a"" thin#s ha-e been +ereted. Hermes Send thou ob"ation, son, ae+tab"e to God, the Sire o a""% but add, my son, too, Kthrou#h the (ordK E@o#os. at & #i-e thee, ather, thanks or showin# me to sin# suh hymns. 22. Hermes Ha++y am &, my son, that thou#h hast brou#ht the #ood ruits orth o ruth, +roduts that annot die. 4nd now that thou hast "earnt this "esson rom me, make +romise to kee+ si"ene on thy -irtue, and to no sou", my son, make known the handin# on to thee the manner o !ebirth, that we may not be thou#ht to be a"umniators. 4nd now we both o us ha-e #i-en heed su;ient"y, both & the s+eaker and the hearer thou. &n Cind hast thou beome a Jnower o thyse" and our ommon Sire.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book ?.
The #ighth Book. That The )reatest #=il 0n ,an 0s The ;ot 4noing )od. 1. (hither are you arried, O Cen, drunken with drinkin# u+ the stron# (ine o &#norane) whih seein# you annot bear (hy do you not -omit it u+ a#ain) 2. Stand, and be sober, and "ook u+ a#ain with the eyes o your heart% and i you annot a"" do so, yet do as many as you an. . For the ma"ie o &#norane surroundeth a"" the 3arth, and orru+teth the Sou", shut u+ in the Body not suDerin# it to arri-e at the Ha-ens o Sa"-ation. *. SuDer not yourse"-es to be arried with the #reat stream, but stem the tide, you that an "ay ho"d o the Ha-en o Saety, and make your u"" ourse towards it. /. Seek one that may "ead you by the hand, and ondut you to the door o ruth and Jnow"ed#e, where the "ear @i#ht is that is +ure rom =arkness, where there is not one drunken, but a"" are sober and in their heart "ook u+ to him, whose +"easure it is to be seen. . For he annot be heard with ears, nor seen with eyes, nor e+ressed in words% but on"y in mind and heart. 6. But frst thou must tear to +iees and break throu#h the #arment thou wearest% the web o &#norane, the oundation o a"" Cishie% the bond o >orru+tion % the dark >o-erture% the "i-in# =eath % the sensib"e >arass, the Se+u"hre, arried about with us% the domestia" hie whih in what he "o-es us, hates us, en-ies us. 8. Suh is the hurtu" 4++are", wherewith thou art "othed, whih draws and +u""s thee downward by its own se"% "est "ookin# u+, and seein# the beauty o ruth, and the Good that is re+osed therein, thou shou"dst hate the wikedness o this #arment, and understand the tra+s and ambushes, whih it bath "aid or thee. <. hereore doth it "abour to make #ood those thin#s that seem and are by the Senses, $ud#ed and determined% and the thin#s that are tru"y, it hides, and en-e"o+eth in suh matter, f""in# what it +resents unto thee, with hateu" +"easure, that thou anst neither hear what thou shou"dst hear, nor see what thou shou"dst see.
The Corpus Hermeticum 700. The )reatest 0ll :mong ,en is 0gnorance o )od translated b ).*.+. ,ead
1. (hither stumb"e ye, sots, who ha-e so++ed u+ the wine o i#norane and an so ar not arry it that ye a"ready e-en s+ew it orth) Stay ye, be sober, #a5e u+wards with the true eyes o the heartL 4nd i ye annot a"", yet ye at "east who anL For that the i"" o i#norane doth +our o[er a"" the earth and o-erwhe"m the sou" that's battened down within the body, +re-entin# it rom ethin# +ort within Sa"-ation's harbors. 2. Be ye then not arried oD by the fere 7ood, but usin# the shoreurrent V"it., KbakurrentK or Ku+ urrentKW, ye who an, make or Sa"-ation's +ort, and, harborin# there, seek ye or one to take you by the hand and "ead you unto Gnosis' #ates. (here shines "ear @i#ht, o e-ery darkness "ean% where not a sin#"e sou" is drunk, but sober a"" they #a5e with their hearts' eyes on Him who wi""eth to be seen. 0o ear an hear Him, nor an eye see Him, nor ton#ue s+eak o Him, but on"y mind and heart. But frst thou must tear oD rom thee the "oak whih thou dost wear the web o i#norane, the #round o bad, orru+tion's hain, the ara+ae o darkness, the "i-in# death, sensation's or+se, the tomb thou arriest with thee, the robber in thy house, who throu#h the thin#s he "o-eth, hateth thee, and throu#h the thin#s he hateth, bears thee ma"ie. . Suh is the hateu" "oak thou wearest that thrott"es thee and ho"ds thee down to it, in order that thou may'st not #a5e abo-e, and ha-in# seen the Beauty o the ruth, and Good that dwe""s therein, detest the bad o it% ha-in# ound out the +"ot that it hath shemed a#ainst thee, by makin# -oid o sense those seemin# thin#s whih men think senses. For that it hath with mass o matter b"oked them u+ and rammed them u"" o "oathsome "ust, so that thou may'st not hear about the thin#s that thou shou"d'st hear, nor see the thin#s thou shou"d'st see.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book %.
The ;inth Book. : 8ni=ersal +ermon to :sclepius. 1. Hermes. 4"" that is mo-ed, O 4s"e+ius, is it not mo-ed in some thin#, and by some thin#) 2. 4s"e+ius. Ies, indeed. . Hermes. Cust not that, in whih a thin# is. mo-ed, o neessity be #reater than the thin# that is mo-ed) *. O neessity. /. 4nd that whih mo-eth, is it not stron#er than that whih is mo-ed) . 4s"e+ius. &t is stron#er. 6. Hermes. hat in whih a thin# is mo-ed, must it not needs ha-e a 0ature, ontrary to that o the thin# that is mo-ed) 8. 4s"e+ius. &t must needs. <. Hermes. &s not this #reat (or"d a Body, than whih there is no #reater) 1?. 4s"e+ius. Ies, onessed"y. 11. Hermes. 4nd is it not so"id, as f""ed with many #reat Bodies, and indeed, with a"" the Bodies that are 12. 4s"e+ius. &t is so. 1. Hermes. 4nd is not the (or"d a Body, and a Body that is mo-ed. 1*. 4s"e+ius. &t is. 1/. Hermes. hen what kind o a +"ae must it be, wherein it is mo-ed, and o what 0ature) Cust it not he muh bi##er, that it may reei-e the ontinuity o Cotion) and "est that whih is mo-ed shou"d or want o room, be stayed, and hindered in the Cotion ) 1. 4s"e+ius. &t must needs be an immense thin#, risme#istus, but o what 0ature. 16. Hermes. O a ontrary 0ature, O 4s"e+ius% but is not the 0ature o thin#s unbodi"y, ontrary to a Body. 18. 4s"e+ius. >onessed"y. 1<. Hermes. hereore the +"ae is unbodi"y% but that whih is unbodi"y, is either some =i-ine thin# or God himse". 4nd by some thin# =i-ine, & do not mean that whih was made or be#otten. 2?. & thereore it be =i-ine, it is an 3ssene or Substane but i it be God, it is abo-e 3ssene% but he is otherwise inte""i#ib"e. 21. For the frst, God is inte""i#ib"e, not to himse", but to us, or that whih is inte""i#ib"e, is sub$et to that whih understandeth by Sense. 22. hereore God is not inte""i#ib"e to himse", or not bein# any other thin# rom that whih is understood, he annot be understood by himse". 2. But he is another thin# rom us, and thereore he is understood by us.
2*. & thereore P"ae be inte""i#ib"e, it is not P"ae but God, but i God be inte""i#ib"e, he is inte""i#ib"e not as P"ae, but as a a+ab"e O+eration. 2/. 0ow e-erythin# that is mo-ed, is mo-ed, not in or by that whih is mo-ed, but in that whih standeth or resteth, and that whih mo-eth standeth or resteth, or it is im+ossib"e it shou"d be mo-ed with it. 2. 4s"e+ius. How then, O risme#istus, are those thin#s that are here mo-ed with the thin#s that are mo-ed) or thou sayest that the S+heres that wander are mo-ed by the S+here that wanders not. 26. Hermes. hat, O 4s"e+ius, is not a mo-in# to#ether, but a ountermotion, or they are not mo-ed ater a "ike manner, but ontrary one to the other% and ontrariety hath a standin# resistane o motion or resistane is a stayin# o motion. 28. hereore the wanderin# S+heres bein# mo-ed ontrari"y to that S+here whih wandereth not, sha"" ha-e one rom another ontrariety standin# o itse". 2<. For this Bear whih thou seest neither rise nor #o down, but turnin# a"ways about the same% dost thou think it mo-eth or standeth sti"") ?. 4s"e+ius. & think it mo-es, risme#istus. 1. (hat motion, O 4s"e+ius) 2. 4s"e+ius. 4 motion that is a"ways arried about the same. . But the >iru"ation whih is about the same, and the motion about the same, are both hidden by Station% or that whih is about the same orbids that whih is abo-e the same, i it stand to that whih is about the same. *. 4nd so the ontrary motion stands ast a"ways, bein# a"ways estab"ished by the ontrariety. /. But & wi"" #i-e thee onernin# this matter, an earth"y eam+"e that may be seen with eyes. . @ook u+on any o these "i-in# >reatures u+on 3arth, as Can or eam+"e, and see him swimmin#% or as the (ater is arried one way, the re"utation or resistane o his eet and hands is made a station to the man, that he shou"d not be arried with the (ater, nor sink underneath it. 6. 4s"e+ius. hou hast "aid down a -ery "ear eam+"e, risme#istus. 8. Hermes. hereore e-ery motion is in station, and is mo-ed o station. <. he motion then o the (or"d, and o e-ery materia" "i-in# thin#, ha++eneth not to be done by those thin#s that are without the (or"d, but by those thin#s within it, a Sou", or S+irit, or some other unbodi"y thin#, to those thin#s whih are without it. *?. For an inanimated Body, doth not now, muh "ess a Body i it be who""y inanimate. *1. 4s"e+ius. (hat meaneth thou by this, O risme#istus, (ood and Stones, and a"" other inanimate thin#s, are they not mo-in# Bodies)
*2. Hermes. By no means, O 4s"e+ius, or that within the Body whih mo-es the inanimate thin#, is not the Body, that mo-es both as we"" the Body o that whih beareth, as the Body o that whih is born% or one dead or inanimate thin#, annot mo-e another% that whih mo-eth, must needs be a"i-e i it mo-e. *. hou seest thereore how the Sou" is surhar#ed, when it arrieth two Bodies. **. 4nd now it is maniest, that the thin#s that are mo-ed are mo-ed in somethin#, and by somethin#. */. 4s"e+ius. he thin#s that are, O risme#istus, must needs be mo-ed in that whih is -oid or em+ty, :auum. *. Be ad-ised, O 4s"e+ius, or o a"" the thin#s that are, there is nothin# em+ty, on"y that whih is not, is em+ty and a stran#er to eistene or bein#. *6. But that whih is, ou"d not be i it were not u"" o eistene, or that whih is in bein# or eistene an ne-er be made em+ty. *8. 4s"e+ius. 4re there not thereore some thin#s that are em+ty, O risme#istus, as an em+ty Barre", an em+ty Ho#shead, an em+ty (e"", an em+ty (ine Press, and many suh "ike) *<. Hermes. O the #rossness o thy 3rror, O 4s"e+ius, those thin#s that are most u"" and re+"enished, dost thou aount them -oid and em+ty. /?. 4s"e+ius. (hat may be thy meanin#, risme#istus) /1. Hermes. &s not the 4ir a Body) /2. 4s"e+ius. &t is a Body. /. Hermes. (hy then this Body doth it not +ass throu#h a"" thin#s that are and +assin# throu#h them, f"" them) and that Body doth it not onsist o the miture o the our) thereore a"" thin#s whih thou a""est em+ty are u"" o 4ir. /*. hereore those thin#s that thou a""est em+ty, thou ou#htest to a"" them ho""ow, not em+ty, or they eist and are u"" o 4ir and S+irit. //. 4s"e+ius. his reason is beyond a"" ontradition, O risme#istus, but what sha"" we a"" the P"ae in whih the who"e ni-erse is mo-ed) /. Hermes. >a"" it inor+orea", O 4s"e+ius. /6. 4s"e+ius. (hat is that inor+orea" or unbodi"y) /8. Hermes. he Cind and !eason, the who"e, who""y om+rehendin# itse", ree rom a"" Body, undeei-ab"e, in-isib"e, im+assib"e rom a Body itse", standin# ast in itse", a+ab"e o a"" thin#s, and that a-our o the thin#s that are. /<. (hereo the Good, the ruth, the 4rhety+a" @i#ht, the 4rhety+e o the Sou", are as it were Beams. ?. 4s"e+ius. (hy then, what is God) 1. Hermes. hat whih is none o these thin#s, yet is, and is the ause o Bein# to a""% and e-ery one o the thin#s that are% or he "et nothin# destitute o Bein#. 2. 4nd a"" thin#s are made o thin#s that are, and not o thin#s that are not% or the thin#s that are not, ha-e not the nature to be ab"e to
be made% and a#ain, the thin#s that are, ha-e not the nature ne-er to be, or not to be at a"". . 4s"e+ius. (hat dost thou then say at "en#th, that God is) *. Hermes. God is not a Cind, but the >ause that the Cind is% not a S+irit, but the >ause that the S+irit is% not @i#ht, but the >ause that @i#ht is. /. hereore we must worshi+ God by these two 4++e""ations whih are +ro+er to him a"one, and to no other . For neither o a"" the other, whih are a""ed Gods, nor o Cen, nor =emons, or 4n#e"s, an anyone be, thou#h ne-er so "itt"e, #ood, sa-e on"y God a"one. 6. 4nd this He is, and nothin# e"se% but a"" other thin#s are se+arab"e rom the nature o Good. 8. For the Body and the Sou" ha-e no +"ae that is a+ab"e o or an ontain the Good. <. For the #reatness o Good, is as #reat as the 3istene o a"" thin#s, that are both bodi"y and nbodi"y, both sensib"e and inte""i#ib"e. 6?. his is the Good, e-en God. 61. See thereore that thou do not at any time, a"" ou#ht e"se Good, or so thou sha"t be im+ious, or any e"se God, but on"y the Good, or so thou sha"t a#ain be im+ious. 62. &n (ord it is oten said by a"" men the Good, but a"" men do not understand what it is% but throu#h &#norane they a"" both the Gods, and some men Good, that an ne-er either be or be made so. 6. hereore a"" the other Gods are honoured with the tit"e and a++e""ation o God, but God is the Good, not aordin# to Hea-en, but 0ature. 6*. For there is one 0ature o God, e-en the Good, and one kind o them both, rom whene are a"" kinds. 6/. For he that is Good, is the #i-er o a"" thin#s, and takes nothin# and thereore God #i-es a"" thin#s and reei-es nothin#. 6. he other tit"e and a++e""ation, is the Father, beause o his makin# a"" thin#s% or it is the +art o a Father to make. 66. hereore it bath been the #reatest and most !e"i#ious are in this "ie, to them that are wise, and we""minded, to be#et hi"dren. 68. 4s "ikewise it is the #reatest misortune and im+iety or any to be se+arated rom men, without hi"dren% and this man is +unished ater death by the =emons, and the +unishment is this, o ha-e the Sou" o this hi"d"ess man, ad$ud#ed and ondemned to a Body, that neither bath the nature o a man, nor o a woman, whih is an aursed thin# under the Sun. 6<. hereore, O 4s"e+ius, ne-er on#ratu"ate any man that is hi"d"ess% but on the ontrary, +ity his misortune, knowin# what +unishment abides, and is +re+ared or him. 8?. @et so many, and suh manner o thin#s, O 4s"e+ius, be said as a ertain +reo#nition o a"" thin#s in 0ature.
The Corpus Hermeticum 00. To :sclepius translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: This dialogue sets forth the di0erence between the physical and metaphysical worlds in the context of ree% natural philosophy! 1ome of the language is fairly technical: the "errant spheres" of sections 2 and 3 are the celestial spheres carrying the planets, while the "inerrant sphere" is that of the 4xed stars! )t+s useful to %eep in mind, also, that "air" and "spirit" are interchangeable concepts in ree% thought, and that the concept of the ood has a range of implications which don+t come across in the 5nglish word: one is that the good of any being, in ree% thought, was also that being+s necessary goal! The criticism of childlessness in section - should probably be read as a response to the &hristian ideal of celibacy, which horri6ed many people in the ancient world. !"#
1. Hermes 4"" that is mo-ed, 4s"e+ius, is it not mo-ed in somethin# and by somethin#) 4s"e+ius 4ssured"y. H 4nd must not that in whih it's mo-ed be #reater than the mo-ed) 4 &t must. H Co-er, a#ain, has #reater +ower than mo-ed) 4 &t has, o ourse. H he nature, urthermore, o that in whih it's mo-ed must be Auite other rom the nature o the mo-ed) 4 &t must om+"ete"y.
2. H &s not, a#ain, this osmos -ast, so -ast that than it there eists no body #reater) 4 4ssured"y. H 4nd massi-e, too, or it is rammed with mu"titudes o other mi#hty rames, nay, rather a"" the other bodies that there are) 4 &t is. H 4nd yet the osmos is a body) 4 &t is a body. H 4nd one that's mo-ed) . 4 4ssured"y. H O what si5e, then, must be the s+ae in whih it's mo-ed, and o what kind must be the nature o that s+ae) Cust it not be ar -aster than the osmos, in order that it may be ab"e to fnd room or its ontinued ourse, so that the mo-ed may not be ram+ed or want o room and "ose its motion) 4 Somethin#, hrie#reatest one, it needs must be, immense"y -ast. *. H 4nd o what nature) Cust it not be, 4s"e+ius, o $ust the ontrary) 4nd is not ontrary to body bodi"ess) 4 4#reed. H S+ae, then, is bodi"ess. But bodi"ess must either be some #od"ike thin# or God Himse". 4nd by Ksome #od"ike thin#K & mean no more the #enerab"e i.e., that whih is #enerated but the in#enerab"e. /. &, then, s+ae be some #od"ike thin#, it is substantia"% but i 'tis God Himse", it transends substane. But it is to be thou#ht o otherwise than God, and in this way. God is frst Kthinkab"eK Vor Kinte""i#ib"eKW or us, not or Himse", or that the thin# that's thou#ht doth a"" beneath the thinker's sense. God then annot be Kthinkab"eK unto Himse", in that He's thou#ht o by Himse" as bein# nothin# e"se but what He thinks. But he is Ksomethin# e"seK or us, and so He's thou#ht o by us.
. & s+ae is, thereore, to be thou#ht, it shou"d not, then, be thou#ht as God, but s+ae. & God is a"so to be thou#ht, He shou"d not be onei-ed as s+ae, but as ener#y that an ontain a"" s+ae. Further, a"" that is mo-ed is mo-ed not in the mo-ed but in the stab"e. 4nd that whih mo-es another is o ourse stationary, or 'tis im+ossib"e that it shou"d mo-e with it. 4 How is it, then, that thin#s down here, hrie#reatest one, are mo-ed with those that are a"ready mo-ed) For thou hast said the errant s+heres were mo-ed by the inerrant one. H his is not, O 4s"e+ius, a mo-in# with, but one a#ainst% they are not mo-ed with one another, but one a#ainst the other. &t is this ontrariety whih turneth the resistane o their motion into rest. For that resistane is the rest o motion. 6. Hene, too, the errant s+heres, bein# mo-ed ontrari"y to the inerrant one, are mo-ed by one another by mutua" ontrariety, and a"so by the s+ab"e one throu#h ontrariety itse". 4nd this an otherwise not be. he Bears u+ there Vi.e., rsa Ca$or and CinorW, whih neither set nor rise, think'st thou they rest or mo-e) 4 hey mo-e, hrie#reatest one. H 4nd what their motion, my 4s"e+ius) 4 Cotion that turns or e-er round the same. H But re-o"ution motion around same is fed by rest. For KroundthesameK doth sto+ KbeyondsameK. KBeyondsameK then, bein# sto++ed, i it be steadied in KroundsameK the ontrary stands frm, bein# rendered e-er stab"e by its ontrariety. 8. O this &'"" #i-e thee here on earth an instane, whih the eye an see. !e#ard the anima"s down here a man, or instane, swimmin#L he water mo-es, yet the resistane o his hands and eet #i-e him stabi"ity, so that he is not borne a"on# with it, nor sunk thereby. 4 hou hast, hrie#reatest one, addued a most "ear instane.
H 4"" motion, then, is aused in station and by station. he motion, thereore, o the osmos Eand o e-ery other hy"i Vi.e., materia"W anima" wi"" not be aused by thin#s eterior to the osmos, but by thin#s interior outward to the eterior suh thin#s as sou", or s+irit, or some suh other thin# inor+orea". 'is not the body that doth mo-e the "i-in# thin# in it% nay, not e-en the who"e body o the uni-erse a "esser body e'en thou#h there be no "ie in it. <. 4 (hat meanest thou by this, hrie#reatest one) &s it not bodies, then, that mo-e the stok and stone and a"" the other thin#s inanimate) H By no means, O 4s"e+ius. he somethin#inthe body, the thatwhihmo-es the thin# inanimate, this sure"y's not a body, or that it mo-es the two o them both body o the "iter and the "ited) So that a thin# that's "ie"ess wi"" not mo-e a "ie"ess thin#. hat whih doth mo-e another thin# is animate, in that it is the mo-er. hou seest, then, how hea-y "aden is the sou", or it a"one doth "it two bodies. hat thin#s, moreo-er, mo-ed are mo-ed in somethin# as we"" as mo-ed by somethin# is "ear. 1?. 4 Iea, O hrie#reatest one, thin#s mo-ed must needs be mo-ed in somethin# -oid. H hou sayest we"", O my 4s"e+iusL For nau#ht o thin#s that are is -oid. 4"one the KisnotK is -oid and stran#er to subsistene. For that whih is subsistent an ne-er han#e to -oid. 4 4re there, then, O hrie#reatest one, no suh thin#s as an em+ty ask, or instane, and an em+ty $ar, a u+ and -at, and other thin#s "ike unto them) H 4"ak, 4s"e+ius, or thy arwanderin# rom the truthL hink'st thou that thin#s most u"" and most re+"ete are -oid) 11. 4 How meanest thou, hrie#reatest one) H &s not air body)
4 &t is. H 4nd doth this body not +er-ade a"" thin#s, and so, +er-adin#, f"" them) 4nd KbodyK% doth body not onsist rom b"endin# o the KourK Ve"ementsW) Fu"", then, o air are a"" thou a""est -oid% and i o air, then o the KourK. Further, o this the on-erse o""ows, that a"" thou a""est u"" are -oid o air% or that they ha-e their s+ae f""ed out with other bodies, and, thereore, are not ab"e to reei-e the air therein. hese, then, whih thou dost say are -oid, they shou"d be ho""ow named, not -oid% or they not on"y are, but they are u"" o air and s+irit. 12. 4 hy ar#ument E"o#os, hrie#reatest one, is not to be #ainsaid% air is a body. Further, it is this body whih doth +er-ade a"" thin#s, and so, +er-adin#, f"" them. (hat are we, then, to a"" that s+ae in whih the a"" doth mo-e) H he bodi"ess, 4s"e+ius. 4 (hat, then, is Bodi"ess) H 'is Cind and !eason E"o#os, who"e out o who"e, a"" se"embrain#, ree rom a"" body, rom a"" error ree, unsensib"e to body and untouhab"e, se" stayed in se", ontainin# a"", +reser-in# those that are, whose rays, to use a "ikeness, are Good, ruth, @i#ht beyond "i#ht, the 4rhety+e o sou". 4 (hat, then, is God) 1. H 0ot any one o these is He% or He it is that auseth them to be, both a"" and eah and e-ery thin# o a"" that are. 0or hath He "et a thin# beside that isnot% but they are a"" rom thin#sthatare and not rom thin#sthatarenot. For that the thin#sthatarenot ha-e natura""y no +ower o bein# anythin#, but natura""y ha-e the +ower o the inabi"itytobe. 4nd, on-erse"y, the thin#sthatare ha-e not the nature o some time not bein#. 1*. 4 (hat say'st thou e-er, then, God is) H God, thereore, is not Cind, but >ause that the Cind is% God is not S+irit, but >ause that S+irit is% God is not @i#ht, but >ause that the @i#ht is. Hene one shou"d
honor God with these two names the Good and Father names whih +ertain to Him a"one and no one e"se. For no one o the other soa""ed #ods, no one o men, or daimones, an be in any measure Good, but God a"one% and He is Good a"one and nothin# e"se. he rest o thin#s are se+arab"e a"" rom the Good's nature% or a"" the rest are sou" and body, whih ha-e no +"ae that an ontain the Good. 1/. For that as mi#hty is the Greatness o the Good as is the Bein# o a"" thin#s that are both bodies and thin#s bodi"ess, thin#s sensib"e and inte""i#ib"e thin#s. >a"" thou not, thereore, au#ht e"se Good, or thou wou"d'st imious be% nor anythin# at a"" at any time a"" God but Good a"one, or so thou wou"d'st a#ain be im+ious. 1. hou#h, then, the Good is s+oken o by a"", it is not understood by a"", what thin# it is. 0ot on"y, then, is God not understood by a"", but both unto the #ods and some o the men they out o i#norane do #i-e the name o Good, thou#h they an ne-er either be or beome Good. For they are -ery diDerent rom God, whi"e Good an ne-er be distin#uished rom Him, or that God is the same as Good. he rest o the immorta" ones are nonethe"ess honored with the name o God, and s+oken o as #ods% but God is Good not out o ourtesy but out o nature. For that God's nature and the Good is one% one os the kind o both, rom whih a"" other kinds +roeed. he Good is he who #i-es a"" thin#s and nau#ht reei-es. God, then, doth #i-e a"" thin#s and reei-e nau#ht. God, then, is Good, and Good is God. 16. he other name o God is Father, a#ain beause He is the thatwhihmaketha"". he +art o ather is to make. (hereore hi"dmakin# is a -ery #reat and a most +ious thin# in "ie or them who think ari#ht, and to "ea-e "ie on earth without a hi"d a -ery #reat misortune and im+iety% and he who hath no hi"d is +unished by the daimones ater death. 4nd this is the +unishment that that man's sou" who hath no hi"d, sha"" be ondemned unto a body with
neither man's nor woman's nature, a thin# aursed beneath the sun. (hereore, 4s"e+ius, "et not your sym+athies be with the man who hath no hi"d, but rather +ity his misha+, knowin# what +unishment abides or him. @et a"" that has been said then, be to thee, 4s"e+ius, an introdution to the #nosis o the nature o a"" thin#s.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book $&. The Tenth Book. The ,ind to Hermes. 1. Forbear thy s+eeh, O Hermes risme#istus, and a"" to mind those thin#s that are said but & wi"" not de"ay to s+eak what omes into my mind, sine many men ha-e s+oken many thin#s, and those -ery diDerent, onernin# the ni-erse and Good% but & ha-e not "earned the ruth. 2. hereore, the @ord make it +"ain to me in this +oint % or & wi"" be"ie-e thee on"y, or the maniestation o these thin#s. . hen said the Cind how the ase stands. *. God and a"". /. God, 3ternity, the (or"d, ime, Generation, . God made 3ternity, 3ternity the (or"d% the (or"d ime, and ime Generation. 6. O God, as it were the Substane, is the Good, the Fair, B"essedness, (isdom. 8. O 3ternity, &dentity, or Se"ness. <. O the (or"d, Order. 1?. O ime, >han#e. 11. O Generation, @ie, and =eath. 12. But the O+eration o God, is Cind and Sou". 1. O 3ternity, Permanene, or @on#"astin#, and &mmorta"ity 1*. O the (or"d, !estitution, and =eay or =estrution. 1/. O ime, 4u#mentation and =iminution. 1. 4nd o Generation, \ua"ities. 16. hereore 3ternity is in God. 18. he (or"d in 3ternity. 1<. ime in the (or"d.
2?. 4nd Generation in ime. 21. 4nd 3ternity standeth about God. 22. he (or"d is mo-ed in 3ternity. 2. ime is determined in the (or"d. 2*. Generation is done in ime. 2/. hereore the S+rin# and Fountain o a"" thin#s is God. 2. he Substane 3ternity. 26. he Catter is the (or"d. 28. he Power o God is 3ternity. 2<. 4nd the (ork o 3ternity is the (or"d not yet made, and yet e-er made by 3ternity. ?. hereore sha"" nothin# be at any time destroyed, or 3ternity is inorru+tib"e. 1. 0either an anythin# +erish, or be destroyed in the (or"d, the (or"d bein# ontained and embraed by eternity. 2. But what is the (isdom o God) 3-en the Good, and the Fair and B"essedness, and e-ery :irtue, and 3ternity. . 3ternity thereore +ut into the Catter &mmorta"ity and 3-er"astin#ness% or the Generation o that de+ends u+on 3ternity, e-en as 3ternity doth o God. *. For Generation and ime, in Hea-en, and in 3arth, are o a doub"e 0ature% in Hea-en they are unhan#eab"e and inorru+tib"e, but on 3arth they are han#eab"e and orru+tib"e. /. 4nd the Sou" o 3ternity is God% and the Sou" o the (or"d 3ternity% and o the 3arth, Hea-en. . God is in the Cind, the Cind in the Sou"1 the Sou" in the Catter, a"" thin#s by 3ternity. 6. 4"" this ni-ersa" Body, in whih are a"" Bodies, is u"" o Sou", the Sou" u"" o Cind, the Cind u"" o God. 8. For within he f""s them, and without he ontains them, Auikenin# the ni-erse. <. (ithout he Auikens this +eret "i-in# thin# the (or"d, and within a"" "i-in# >reatures. *?. 4nd abo-e in Hea-en he abides in &dentity or Se"ness, but be"ow u+on 3arth he han#eth Generation. *1. 3ternity om+rehendeth the (or"d, either by 0eessity, or Pro-idene, or 0ature. *2. 4nd i any man sha"" think any other thin#, it is God that atuateth, or o+erateth this 4"". *. But the o+eration or 4t o God, is +ower insu+erab"e, to whih none may om+are anythin#, either Human or =i-ine. **. hereore, O Hermes, think none o these thin#s be"ow, or the thin#s abo-e, in any wise "ike unto God, or i thou dost thou errest rom the ruth. */. For nothin# an be "ike the un"ike, and on"y and One% nor mayest thou think that he bath #i-en o his Power to any other thin#. *. For who ater him an make anythin#, either o @ie, or &mmorta"ity% o >han#e or o \ua"ity, and himse" what other thin# shou"d he make.
*6. For God is not id"e, or then a"" thin#s wou"d be id"e % or a"" thin#s are u"" o God. *8. But there is not anywhere in the wor"d suh a thin# as &d"eness% or &d"eness is a name that im+"ieth a thin# -oid or em+ty, both o a =oer and a thin# done. *<. But a"" thin#s must neessari"y be made or done both a"ways and aordin# to the nature o e-ery +"ae. /?. For he that maketh or doth is in a"" thin#s, yet not astened or om+rehended in anythin#, nor makin# or doin# one thin#, but a"" thin#s. /1. For bein# an ati-e or o+eratin# Power and su;ient o himse" or the thin#s that are made, and the thin#s that are made are under him. /2. @ook u+on, throu#h me, the (or"d is sub$et to thy si#ht, and understand eat"y the Beauty thereo. /. 4 Body immaressib"e, than the whih, there is nothin# more anient, yet a"ways -i#orous and youn#. /*. See a"so the se-en (or"ds set o-er us, adorned with an e-er"astin# Order, and f""in# 3ternity, with a diDerent ourse. //. For a"" thin#s are u"" o @i#ht, but the Fire is nowhere. /. For the riendshi+ and ommiture o ontraries and un"ike beame @i#ht shinin# rom the 4t or O+eration o God, the Father o a"" Good, the Prine o a"" Order, and the !u"er o the se-en (or"ds. /6. @ook a"so u+on the Coon, the orerunner o them a"", the &nstrument o 0ature, and whih han#eth the Catter here be"ow. /8. Beho"d the 3arth, the midd"e o the who"e, the frm and stab"e Foundation o the Fair (or"d, the Feeder and 0urse o 3arth"y thin#s. /<. >onsider moreo-er, how #reat the mu"titude is o immorta" "i-in# thin#s, and o morta" ones a"so% and see the Coon #oin# about in the midst o both, to wit, o thin#s immorta" and morta". ?. But a"" thin#s are u"" o Sou", and a"" thin#s are +ro+er"y mo-ed by it% some thin#s about the Hea-en, and some thin#s about the 3arth, and neither o those on the ri#ht hand to the "et% nor those on the "et hand to the ri#ht% nor those thin#s that are abo-e, down. ward% nor those thin#s that are be"ow, u+wards. 1. 4nd that a"" these thin#s are made, O be"o-ed Hermes, thou needst not "earn o me. 2. For they are Bodies, and ha-e a Sou", and are mo-ed. . 4nd that a"" these shou"d ome to#ether into one, it is im+ossib"e without some thin#, to #ather them to#ether. *. hereore there must be some suh ones, and he a"to#ether One. /. For seein# that the motions are di-ers, and many, and the Bodies not a"ike, and yet one ordered switness amon# them a""% &t is im+ossib"e there shou"d be two or more Cakers. . For one order is not ke+t by many. 6. But in the weaker, there wou"d be $ea"ousy o the stron#er and thene a"so >ontentions.
8. 4nd i there were one Caker o mutab"e and morta" "i-in# wi#hts, he wou"d desire a"so to make immorta" ones, as he that were the Caker o immorta" ones, wou"d do to make morta". <. Coreo-er a"so, i there were two, the Catter bein# one, who shou"d be hie, or ha-e the dis+osin# o the ature) 6?. Or i both o them, whih o them the #reater +art) 61. But think thus that e-ery "i-in# Body bath its onsistene o Catter and Sou"% and o that whih is immorta", and that whih is morta", and unreasonab"e. 62. For a"" "i-in# Bodies ha-e a Sou"% and those thin#s that are not "i-in# are on"y matter by itse". 6. 4nd the Sou" "ikewise o itse" drawin# near her Caker, is the >ause o @ie and Bein# and Bein# the ause o @ie, is ater a manner, the ause o immorta" thin#s. 6*. How then are morta" wi#hts, other rom immorta") 6/. Or how annot he make "i-in# wi#hts that auseth immorta" thin#s and immorta"ity ) 6. hat there is some Body that doth these thin#s it is a++arent, and that he is a"so one, it is most maniest. 66. For there is one Sou", one @ie and one Catter. 68. (ho is this) (ho an it be) Other than the One God. 6<. For whom e"se an it beneft, to make "i-in# thin#s, sa-e on"y God a"one) 8?. here is thereore one God. 81. For it is a ridiu"ous thin# to oness the (or"d to be one Sun, one Coon, one =i-inity% and yet to ha-e & know not how many #ods. 82. He thereore bein# One, doth a"" thin#s in many thin#s. 8. 4nd what #reat thin# is it or God to make @ie and Sou", and &mmorta"ity, and >han#e, when thy se" dost so many thin#s) 8*. For thou both seest, s+eakest and hearest, sme""est, tastest and touhest, wa"kest, understandest, and breathest. 8/. 4nd it is not one that seeth, and another that heareth, and another that s+eaketh, and another that touheth, and another that sme""eth, and another that wa"keth, and another that understandeth, and another that breatheth, but One that doth a"" these thin#s. 8. Iet neither an these thin#s +ossib"y be without God. 86. For as thou, i thou shou"dst ease rom doin# these thin#s, were not a "i-in# wi#ht% so i God shou"d ease rom those, he were not Ewhih is not "awu" to say any "on#er God. 88. For i it be a"ready demonstrated, that nothin# an be id"e or em+ty, how muh more may be a;rmed o God) 8<. For i there be any thin# whih he doth not do, then is he Ei it were "awu" to say so im+eret.
that a"" thin#s shou"d be made or done that are done or were one done, or sha"" be done. <2. 4nd this, O best Be"o-ed, is "ie. <. 4nd this is the Fair. <*. 4nd this is the Good.
11*. But understand we"" this that & say, more bo"d"y, or it is more true% 4s a man annot "i-e without "ie, so neither an God "i-e, not doin# #ood. 11/. For this is, as it were, the @ie and Cotion o God, to mo-e a"" thin#s, and Auiken them. 11. But some o the thin#s & ha-e said, must ha-e a +artiu"ar e+"iation% nderstand then what & say. 116. 4"" thin#s are in God, not as "yin# in a +"ae% or P"ae is both a Body, and unmo-eab"e, and those thin#s that are there +"aed, ha-e no motion. 118. For they "ie otherwise in that whih is unbodi"y, than in the antasy or to a++earane. 11<. >onsider him that ontains a"" thin#s, and understand, that nothin# is more a+aious, than that whih is inor+orea", nothin# more swit, nothin# more +oweru", but it is most a+aious, most swit and most stron#. 12?. 4nd $ud#e o this by thyse", ommand thy Sou" to #o into &ndia, and sooner than thou anst bid it, it wi"" be there. 121. Bid it "ikewise +ass o-er the Oean, and sudden"y it wi"" be there% 0ot as +assin# rom +"ae to +"ae, but sudden"y it wi"" be there. 122. >ommand it to 7y into Hea-en, and it wi"" need no (in#s, neither sha"" anythin# hinder it% not the fre o the Sun, not the 4ether, not the turnin# o the S+heres, not the bodies o any o the other Stars, but uttin# throu#h a"", it wi"" 7y u+ to the "ast, and urthest Body. 12. 4nd i thou wi"t e-en break the who"e, and see those thin#s that are without the (or"d Ei there be any thin# without thou mayest. 12*. Beho"d how #reat +ower, how #reat switness thou hastL >anst thou do a"" these thin#s, and annot God) 12/. 4ter this manner thereore ontem+"ate God to ha-e a"" the who"e (or"d to himse", as it were a"" thou#hts, or inte""etions. 12. & thereore thou wi"t not eAua" thy se" to God, thou anst not understand God. 126. For the "ike is inte""i#ib"e by the "ike. 128. &nrease thy se" into an immeasurab"e #reatness, "ea+in# beyond e-ery Body% and transendin# a"" ime, beome 3ternity and thou sha"t understand God & thou be"ie-e in thyse" that nothin# is im+ossib"e, but aountest thy se" immorta", and that thou anst understand a"" thin#s, e-ery 4rt, e-ery Siene and the manner and ustom o e-ery "i-in# thin#. 12<. Beome hi#her than a"" hei#ht, "ower than a"" de+ths, om+rehend in thy se", the Aua"ities o a"" the >reatures, o the Fire, the (ater, the =ry and Coist% and onei-e "ikewise, that thou anst at one be e-erywhere in the Sea, in the 3arth. 1?. hou sha"t at one understand thy se", not yet be#otten in the (omb, youn#, o"d, to be dead, the thin#s ater death, and a"" these
to#ether as a"so times, +"aes, deeds, Aua"ities, Auantities, or e"se thou anst not yet understand God. 11. But i thou shut u+ thy Sou" in the Body and abuse it, and say, & understand nothin#, & an do nothin#, & am araid o the Sea, & annot "imb u+ into Hea-en, & know not who & am, & annot te"" what & sha"" be% what hast thou to do with God% or thou anst understand none o those Fair and Good thin#s% be a "o-er o the Body, and 3-i". 12. For it is the #reatest e-i", not to know God. 1. But to be ab"e to know and to wi"", and to ho+e, is the strai#ht way, and =i-ine way, +ro+er to the Good% and it wi"" e-erywhere meet thee, and e-erywhere be seen o thee, +"ain and easy, when thou dost not e+et or "ook or it% it wi"" meet thee, wakin#, s"ee+in#, sai"in#, tra-e""in#, by ni#ht, by day, when thou s+eakest, and when thou kee+est si"ene. 1*. For there is nothin# whih is not the &ma#e o God. 1/. 4nd yet thou sayest, God is in-isib"e, but be ad-ised, or who is more maniest than He. 1. For thereore hath he made a"" thin#s, that thou by a"" thin#s mayest see him. 16. his is the Good o God, this is his :irtue, to a++ear, and to be seen in a"" thin#s. 18. here is nothin# in-isib"e, no, not o those thin#s that are inor+orea". 1<. he Cind is seen in nderstandin#, and God is seen in doin# or makin#. 1*?. @et these thin#s thus ar orth, be made maniest unto thee, O risme#istus. 1*1. nderstand in "ike manner, a"" other thin#s by thy se", and thou sha"t not be deei-ed.
The Corpus Hermeticum 50. ,ind 8nto Hermes translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: This complex text is written as a revelation from the divine $ind the "$an 1hepherd" of (H ) to Hermes, concerning the nature of od and the universe! 6icult enough in its own right, it has been made rather more so by some of $ead+s most opa7ue prose! ) have tried to insert clari4cations where these are most needed!
ome notes on terminology may also be useful. The term *eon here, as in many of the socalled +#nostic+ writings, refers to the timeless and spaceless realm of ideal being. The word cosmos means both +order+ and +beauty+ the same root appears in the word +cosmetic+. *dditionally, the words genesis and becoming in the translation are the same word in the #reek original. 7inally, the word +inactive+ in s8uare brackets near the beginning of section -9 is "ead1s, intended to 6ll a lacuna in the text. The more usual conjecture, as he comments, is +apart from #od+. !"#
1. Cind Caster this sermon E"o#os, then, hrie #reatest Hermes, and bear in mind the s+oken words% and as it hath ome unto Ce to s+eak, & wi"" no more de"ay. Hermes 4s many men say many thin#s, and these di-erse, about the 4"" and Good, & ha-e not "earned the truth. Cake it, then, "ear to me, O Caster mineL For & an trust the e+"anation o these thin#s, whih omes rom hee a"one. 2. Cind Hear then, Cy son, how standeth God and 4"". God% 4eon% >osmos% ime% Beomin#. God maketh 4eon% 4eon, >osmos% >osmos, ime% and ime, Beomin# Vor GenesisW. he Good the Beautiu", (isdom, B"essedness is VtheW essene, as it were, o God% o 4eon, Vthe essene isW Sameness% o >osmos, Order% o ime, >han#e% and o Beomin#, @ie and =eath. he ener#ies o God are Cind and Sou"% o 4eon, "astin#ness and death"essness% o >osmos, restoration and the o++osite thereo% o ime, inrease and derease% and o Beomin#, Aua"ity. 4eon is, then, in God% >osmos, in 4eon% in >osmos% ime% in ime, Beomin#. 4eon stands frm round God% >osmos is mo-ed in 4eon% ime hath its "imits Vor is aom+"ishedW in the >osmos% Beomin# doth beome in ime.
. he soure, therore, o a"" is God% their essene, 4eon% their matter, >osmos. God's +ower is 4eon% 4eon's work is >osmos whih ne-er hath beome, yet e-er doth beome by 4eon. hereore wi"" >osmos ne-er be destroyed, or 4eon's indestrutib"e% nor doth a whit o thin#s in >osmos +erish, or >osmos is enwra++ed by 4eon round on e-ery side. Hermes But God's (isdom what is that) Cind he Good and Beautiu", and B"essedness, and :irtue's a"", and 4eon. 4eon, then, ordereth >osmos, im+artin# death"essness and "astin#ness to matter. *. For its be#innin# doth de+end on 4eon, as 4eon doth on God. 0ow Genesis Vor Beomin#W and ime, in Hea-en and u+on the 3arth, are o two natures. &n Hea-en they are unhan#eab"e and indestrutib"e, but on the 3arth they're sub$et unto han#e and to destrution. Further, the 4eon's sou" is God% the >osmos' sou" is 4eon% the 3arth's sou", Hea-en. 4nd God VisW in Cind% and Cind, in Sou"% and Sou", in Catter% and a"" o them throu#h 4eon. But a"" this Body, in whih are a"" the bodies, is u"" o Sou"% and Sou" is u"" o Cind, and Cind o God. &t Vi.e., Sou"W f""s it Vi.e., the Body o the >osmosW rom within, and rom without enir"es it, makin# the 4"" to "i-e. (ithout, this -ast and +eret @ie enir"es >osmos% within, it f""s it with a"" "i-es% abo-e, in Hea-en, ontinuin# in sameness% be"ow, on 3arth, han#in# beomin#. /. 4nd 4eon doth +reser-e this >osmos, or by 0eessity, or by Foreknow"ed#e, or by 0ature, or by
whate-er e"se a man su++oses or sha"" su++ose. 4nd a"" is this God ener#i5in#. he 3ner#y o God is Power that nau#ht an e'er sur+ass, a Power with whih no one an make om+arison o any human thin# at a"", or any thin# di-ine. (hereore, O Hermes, ne-er think that au#ht o thin#s abo-e or thin#s be"ow is "ike to God, or thou wi"t a"" rom truth. For nau#ht is "ike to hat whih hath no "ike, and is 4"one and One. 4nd do not e-er think that any other an +ossib"y +ossess His +ower% or what a+art rom Him is there o "ie, and death"essness and han#e o Aua"ity) For what e"se shou"d He make) God's not inati-e, sine a"" thin#s then wou"d "ak ati-ity% or a"" are u"" o God. But neither in the >osmos anywhere, nor in au#ht e"se, is there ination. For that KinationK is a name that annot be a++"ied to either what doth make or what is made. . But a"" thin#s must be made% both e-er made, and a"so in aordane with the in7uene o e-ery s+ae. For He who makes, is in them a""% not stab"ished in some one o them, nor makin# one thin# on"y, but makin# a"". For bein# Power, He ener#i5eth in the thin#s He makes and is not inde+endent o them a"thou#h the thin#s He makes are sub$et to Him. 0ow #a5e throu#h Ce u+on the >osmos that's now sub$et to thy si#ht% re#ard its Beauty areu""y Body in +ure +eretion, thou#h one than whih there's no more anient one, e-er in +rime o "ie, and e-eryoun#, nay, rather, in e-en u""er and yet u""er +rimeL 6. Beho"d, a#ain, the se-en sub$et (or"ds% ordered by 4eon's order, and with their -aried ourse u""f""in# 4eonL See how a"" thin#s are u"" o "i#ht, and nowhere is there fre% or 'tis the "o-e and the b"endin# o the ontraries and the dissimi"ars that doth #i-e birth to
"i#ht down shinin# by the ener#y o God, the Father o a"" #ood, the @eader o a"" order, and !u"er o the se-en wor"dorderin#sL Beho"d the Coon, orerunner o them a"", the instrument o nature, and the transmuter o its "ower matterL @ook at the 3arth set in the midst o 4"", oundation o the >osmos Beautiu", eeder and nurse o thin#s on 3arthL 4nd ontem+"ate the mu"titude o death"ess "i-es, how #reat it is, and that o "i-es sub$et to death% and midway, between both, immorta" "i-es and morta", see thou the ir"in# Coon. 8. 4nd a"" are u"" o sou", and a"" are mo-ed by it, eah in its +ro+er way% some round the Hea-en, others around the 3arth% see how the ri#ht mo-e not unto the "et, nor yet the "et unto the ri#ht% nor the abo-e be"ow, nor the be"ow abo-e. 4nd that a"" there are sub$et unto Genesis, Cy dearest Hermes, thou hast no "on#er need to "earn o Ce. For that they bodies are, ha-e sou"s, and they are mo-ed. But 'tis im+ossib"e or them to ome to#ether into one without some one to brin# them a"" to#ether. &t must, then, be that suh a one as this must be some one who's who""y One. <. For as the many motions o them a"" are diDerent, and as their bodies are not "ike, yet has one s+eed been ordered or them a"", it is im+ossib"e that there shou"d be two or more makers or them. For that one sin#"e order is not ke+t amon# Kthe manyK% but ri-a"ry wi"" o""ow o the weaker with the stron#er, and they wi"" stri-e. 4nd i the maker o the "i-es that suDer han#e and death, shou"d be another Vrom the maker o the immorta"sW, he wou"d desire to make the death"ess ones as we""% $ust as the maker o the death"ess ones, to make the "i-es that suDer death. But omeL i there be two i matter's one, and Sou" is one, in whose hands wou"d there be the distribution or
the makin#) 4#ain, i both o them ha-e some o it, in whose hands may be the #reater +art) 1?. But thus onei-e it, then% that e-ery "i-in# body doth onsist o sou" and matter, whether that body be o an immorta", or a morta", or an irrationa" "ie. For that a"" "i-in# bodies are ensou"ed% whereas, u+on the other hand, those that "i-e not, are matter by itse". 4nd, in "ike ashion, Sou" when in its se" is, ater its own maker, ause o "ie% but the ause o a"" "ie is He who makes the thin#s that annot die. Hermes How, then, is it that, frst, "i-es sub$et to death are other than the death"ess ones) 4nd, net, how is it that @ie whih knows no death, and maketh death"essness, doth not make anima"s immorta") 11. Cind First, that there is some one who does these thin#s, is "ear% and, net, that He is a"so One, is -ery maniest. For, a"so, Sou" is one, and @ie is one, and Catter one. Hermes But who is He) Cind (ho may it other be than the One God) (hom e"se shou"d it beseem to +ut Sou" into "i-es but God a"one) One, then, is God. &t wou"d indeed be most ridiu"ous, i when thou dost oness the >osmos to be one, Sun one, Coon one, and Godhead one, thou shou"dst wish God Himse" to be some one or other o a numberL 12. 4"" thin#s, thereore, He makes, in many ways. 4nd what #reat thin# is it or God to make "ie, sou", and death"essness, and han#e, when thou thyse" dost do so many thin#s) For thou dost see, and s+eak, and hear, and sme"", and taste, and touh, and wa"k, and think, and breathe. 4nd it is not one man who sme""s, another one who wa"ks, another one who thinks, and yet another one who breathes. But one is he who doth a"" these. 4nd yet no one o these ou"d be a+art rom God. For $ust as, shou"d thou ease rom these, thou wou"dst no
"on#er be a "i-in# thin#, so a"so, shou"d God ease rom them Ea thin# not "aw to say, no "on#er is He God. 1. For i it hath been shown that no thin# an inati-e be, how muh "ess God) For i there's au#ht he doth not make Ei it be "aw to say, He is im+eret. But i He is not on"y not inati-e, but +eret God, then He doth make a"" thin#s. Gi-e thou thyse" to Ce, Cy Hermes, or a "itt"e whi"e, and thou sha"t understand more easi"y how that God's work is one, in order that a"" thin#s may be that are bein# made, or one ha-e been, or that are #oin# to be made. 4nd this is, Cy be"o-ed, @ie% this is the Beautiu"% this is the Good% this, God. 1*. 4nd i thou wou"dst in +ratie understand this work, beho"d what taketh +"ae with thee desirin# to be#et. Iet this is not "ike unto that, or He doth not en$oy. For that indeed He hath no other one to share in what He works, or workin# by Himse", He e-er is at work, Himse" bein# what He doth. For did He se+arate Himse" rom it, a"" thin#s wou"d then o""a+se, and a"" must die, @ie easin#. But i a"" thin#s are "i-es, and a"so @ie is one% then, one is God. 4nd, urthermore, i a"" are "i-es, both those in Hea-en and those on 3arth, and One @ie in them a"" is made to be by God, and God is it Vi.e., God is the One @ieW then, a"" are made by God. @ie is the makin#one o Cind and Sou"% aordin#"y =eath is not the destrution o those that are atoned, but the disso"-in# o their union. 1/. 4eon, moreo-er, is God's ima#e% >osmos is 4eon's% the Sun, o >osmos% and Can, the ima#e o the Sun. he +eo+"e a"" han#e death, beause the body is disso"-ed, and "ie, when it's disso"-ed, withdraws to the unmaniest. But in this sermon E"o#os, Hermes, Cy be"o-ed, as thou dost hear, & say the >osmos a"so suDers han#e or that a +art o it eah day is made to be in the unmaniest yet it is ne'er disso"-ed.
hese are the +assions o the >osmos re-o"-in#s and onea"ments% re-o"-in# is on-ersion and onea"ment reno-ation. 1. he >osmos is a""ormed not ha-in# orms eterna" to itse", but han#in# them itse" within itse". Sine, then, >osmos is made to be a""ormed, what may its maker be) For that, on the one hand, He shou"d not be -oid o a"" orm% and, on the other hand, i He's a"" ormed, He wi"" be "ike the >osmos. (hereas, a#ain, has He a sin#"e orm, He wi"" thereby be "ess than >osmos. (hat, then, say we He is) that we may not brin# round our sermon E"o#os into doubt% or nau#ht that mind onei-es o God is doubtu". He, then, hath one idea, whih is His own a"one, whih doth not a"" beneath the si#ht, bein# bodi"ess, and yet by means o bodies maniesteth a"" ideas. 4nd mar-e" not that there's a bodi"ess idea. 16. For it is "ike the orm o reason E"o#os and mountain to+s in +itures. For they a++ear to stand out stron#"y rom the rest, but rea""y are Auite smooth and 7at. 4nd now onsider what is said more bo"d"y, but more tru"yL 9ust as man annot "i-e a+art rom @ie, so neither an God "i-e without His doin# #ood. For this is as it were the "ie and motion as it were o God to mo-e a"" thin#s and make them "i-e. 18. 0ow some o the thin#s said shou"d bear a sense +eu"iar to themse"-es. So understand, or instane, what &'m #oin# to say. 4"" are in God, but not as "yin# in a +"ae. For +"ae is both a body and immo-ab"e, and thin#s that "ie do not ha-e motion. 0ow thin#s "ie one way in the bodi"ess, another way in bein# made maniest. hink, then, o Him who doth ontain them a""% and think, that than the bodi"ess nau#ht is more om+rehensi-e, or switer, or more +otent, but it is the most om+rehensi-e, the switest, and most +otent o them a"".
1<. 4nd, thus, think rom thyse", and bid thy sou" #o unto any "and, and there more Auik"y than thy biddin# wi"" it be. 4nd bid it $ourney oeanwards% and there, a#ain, immediate"y 'twi"" be, not as i +assin# on rom +"ae to +"ae, but as i bein# there. 4nd bid it a"so mount to hea-en% and it wi"" need no win#s, not wi"" au#ht hinder it, nor fre o sun, nor auther, nor -orteswir", nor bodies o the other stars% but, uttin# throu#h them a"", it wi"" soar u+ to the "ast Body o them a"". 4nd shou"dst thou wi"" to break throu#h this as we"", and ontem+"ate what is beyond i there be au#ht beyond the >osmos% it is +ermitted thee. 2?. Beho"d what +ower, what switness, thou dost ha-eL 4nd anst thou do a"" o these thin#s, and God not do them) hen, in this way know God% as ha-in# a"" thin#s in Himse" as thou#hts, the who"e >osmos itse". &, then, thou dost not make thyse" "ike unto God, thou anst not know Him. For "ike is knowab"e unto "ike a"one. Cake, then, thyse" to #row to the same stature as the Greatness whih transends a"" measure% "ea+ orth rom e-ery body% transend a"" time% beome 3ternity V"itera""y, 4eonW% and thus sha"t thou know God. >onei-in# nothin# is im+ossib"e unto thyse", think thyse" death"ess and ab"e to know a"" a"" arts, a"" sienes, the way o e-ery "ie. Beome more "oty than a"" hei#ht, and "ower than a"" de+th. >o""et into thyse" a"" senses o a"" reatures o fre, and water, dry and moist. hink that thou art at the same time in e-ery +"ae in earth, in sea, in sky% not yet be#otten, in the womb, youn#, o"d, and dead, in aterdeath onditions. 4nd i thou knowest a"" these thin#s at one times, +"aes, doin#s, Aua"ities, and Auantities% thou anst know God. 21. But i thou "okest u+ thy sou" within thy body, and dost debase it, sayin# & nothin# know% & nothin# an% & ear the sea% & annot sa"e the sky% & know not who &
was, who & sha"" be what is there then between thy God and thee) For thou anst know nau#ht o thin#s beautiu" and #ood so "on# as thou dost "o-e thy body and art bad. he #reatest bad there there is, is not to know know God's Good% but to be ab"e to know Good, and wi"", and ho+e, is a Strai#ht (ay, the Good's own Path, both "eadin# there and easy. & thou but settest thy oot thereon, 'twi"" meet thee e-erywhere, 'twi"" e-erywhere be seen, both where and when thou dost e+et it not wakin#, s"ee+in#, sai"in#, $ourneyin#, by ni#ht, by day, day, s+eakin#, and sayin# sayin# nau#ht. For there is nau#ht that is not ima#e o the Good. 22. Hermes &s God unseen) Cind HushL (ho is more maniest than He) For this one reason hath He made a"" thin#s, that throu#h them a"" thou mayest see Him. his is the Good o God, God, this is His :irtue :irtue that He may be maniest throu#h a"". For nau#ht's unseen, e-en o thin#s that are without a body. body. Cind sees itse" in thinkin#, God in makin#. So ar these thin#s ha-e been made maniest to thee, hrie#reatest oneL !e7et !e7et on a"" the rest in the the same way with thyse", and thou sha"t not be "ed astray.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book $$. The #le=enth Book. > the Common ,ind to Tat. 1. he Cind, O at, is o the -ery 3ssene o God, i yet there be any 3ssene o God. 2. (hat kind o 3ssene that is, he a"one knows himse" eat"y.
. he Cind thereore is not ut oD, or di-ided rom the essentia"ity o God, but united as the "i#ht o the sun. *. 4nd this mind in men, is God, and thereore are some men =i-ine, and their Humanity is near =i-inity. =i-inity. /. For the #ood =emon a""ed the Gods immorta" men, and men morta" Gods. . But in the brute Beasts, or unreasonab"e "i-in# wi#hts, the Cind is their 0ature. 6. For where there is a Sou", there is the Cind, as where there is @ie, there is a"so a Sou". 8. &n "i-in# >reatures thereore, thereore, that are without !eason, the Sou" is @ie, -oid o the o+erations o the Cind. <. For the Cind is the Beneator o the Sou"s o men, and worketh to the +ro+er Good. 1?. 4nd in unreasonab"e thin#s it oo+erateth o o+erateth with the 0ature o e-eryone o them, but in men it worketh a#ainst their 0atures. 11. For the Sou" bein# in the Body, is strai#htway made 3-i" by Sorrow, and Grie and P"easure or =e"i#ht. 12. For Grie and P"easure 7ow "ike 9uies rom the om+ound Body, whereinto, when the Sou" entereth, or desendeth, she is moistened and tinted with them. 1. 4s many Sou"s thereore, as the Cind #o-erneth or o-erru"eth, to them it shows its own @i#ht, resistin# their +re+ossessions or +resum+tions. 1*. 4s a #ood Physiian #rie-eth the Body, +re+ossessed o a disease, by burnin# or "anin# it or hea"th's sake. 1/. 4ter the same manner a"so, the Cind #rie-eth the Sou", by drawin# it out o P"easure, rom whene e-ery disease o the Sou" +roeedeth. 1. But the #reat =isease o the Sou" is 4theism beause that o+inion o""oweth to a"" 3-i" and no Good. 16. hereore the Cind resistin# it +roureth Good to the Sou", as a Physiian hea"th to the Body. 18. But as many Sou"s o Cen, as do not admit or entertain the Cind or their Go-ernor, do suDer the same thin# that the Sou" o unreasonab"e "i-in# thin#s. 1<. For the Sou" bein# a >oo+erator with them, +ermits or "ea-es them to their onu+isenes, whereunto they are arried by the torrent o their 4++etite, and so tend to brutishness. 2?. 4nd as Brute Beasts, they are an#ry without reason, and they desire without reason, and ne-er ease, nor are satisfed with e-i". 21. For unreasonab"e 4n#ers and =esires, are the most eeedin# 3-i"s. 22. 4nd thereore hath God set the Cind o-er these, as a !e-en#er and !e+ro-er o them. 2. at. Here, O Father, that disourse o Fate or =estiny whih thou madest to me, is in dan#er to be o-erthrown% For i it be ata" or any man to ommit 4du"tery or Sari"e#e or do any e-i", he is +unished a"so, thou#h he o neessity do the work o Fate or =estiny.
2*. Hermes. 4"" thin#s, O Son, are the work o Fate, Fate, and without it, an no bodi"y thin#, either Good or 3-i", be done. 2/. For it is dereed by Fate, that he that "oth any e-i", shou"d a"so suDer or it. 2. 4nd thereore he "oth it, that he may suDer that whih he suDereth, beause he did it. 26. But or the +resent "et a"one that s+eeh, onernin# 3-i" and Fate, or at other times we ha-e s+oken o it. 28. 0ow our disourse is about the Cind, and what it an do, and how it diDers, and is in men suh a one, but in brute Beasts han#ed 2<. 4nd a#ain, in Brute Beasts it is not benefia", but in men by Auenhin# both their 4n#er and >onu+isenes. o. 4nd o men thou must understand some to be rationa" or #o-erned by reason, and some irrationa". 1. But a"" men are sub$et to Fate, Fate, and to Generation, and >han#es, or these are the be#innin# and end o Fate or =estiny. 2. 4nd a"" men suDer those thin#s that are dereed by Fate. Fate. . But rationa" men, o-er whom as we said, the Cind bears ru"e, do not suDer "ike unto other men, but bein# ree rom -iiousness, and bein# not e-i", they do suDer e-i". *. at. How sayest thou this a#ain, Father) 4n 4du"terer, is he not e-i") a Curderer, is he not e-i") and so a"" others. /. Hermes. But the rationa" man, O Son, wi"" not suDer or 4du"tery, but as the 4du"terer, nor or Curder, but as the Curderer. Curderer. . 4nd it is im+ossib"e to esa+e the \ua"ity o >han#e, as o Generation, but the :iiousness, he that hath the Cind, may esa+e. 6. 4nd thereore, O Son, & ha-e a"ways heard the #ood =emon say, and i he had de"i-ered it in writin#, he had muh +rofted a"" mankind For he a"one, O Son. as the frst born, God, seein# a"" thin#s, tru"y s+ake =i-ine words. & ha-e heard him say sometimes, hat a"" hin#s are one one thin#, 3s+eia""y &nte""i#ib"e Bodies, or or that a"" 3s+eia""y &nte""i#ib"e Bodies are one. 8. (e "i-e in Power, in 4t and in 3ternity. <. hereore a #ood Cind, is that whih the Sou" o him is. *?. 4nd i this be so, then no inte""i#ib"e thin# diDers rom inte""i#ib"e thin#s. *1. 4s thereore it is +ossib"e, that the Cind, the Prine o a"" thin#s% so "ikewise, that the Sou" that is o God, an do whatsoe-er it wi"". *2. But understand thou we"", or this =isourse & ha-e made to the Auestion whih thou askest o me beore, & mean onernin# Fate and the Cind. *. First, i, O Son, thou sha"t di"i#ent"y withdraw thy se" rom a"" >ontentious s+eehes, thou sha"t fnd that in ruth, the Cind, the Sou" o God bears ru"e o-er a"" thin#s, both o-er Fate and @aw and a"" other thin#s. **. 4nd nothin# is im+ossib"e to him, no not o the thin#s that are o Fate. */. hereore, thou#h the Sou" o man be abo-e it, "et it not ne#"et the thin#s that ha++en to be under Fate. Fate.
*. 4nd these thus ar, were the ee""ent sayin#s o the #ood =emon. *6. at. Cost di-ine"y s+oken, O Father, and tru"y and +roftab"y, yet "ear this one thin# unto me *8. hou sayest, that in brute Beasts the Cind worketh or ateth ater the manner o 0ature, oo+eratin# a"so with their Eim+etus in"inations. *<. 0ow the im+etuous in"inations o brute Beasts, as & onei-e, are Passions. & thereore the Cind do oo+erate with these im+etuous &n"inations, and that they are the Passions in brute Beasts, ertain"y the Cind is a"so a Passion, onormin# itse" to Passions. /?. Hermes. (e"" done, Son, thou askest nob"y, and yet it is $ust that & shou"d answer thee. /1. 4"" inor+orea" thin#s, O Son, that are in the Body, are +ossib"e, nay, they are +ro+er"y Passions. /2. 3-erythin# that mo-eth is inor+orea"% e-erythin# that is mo-ed is a Body, and it is mo-ed into the Bodies by the Cind. 0ow motion is Passion, and there they both suDer% as we"" that whih mo-eth, as that whih is mo-ed, as we"" that whih ru"eth, as that whih is ru"ed. /. But bein# reed rom the Body, it is reed "ikewise rom Passion. /*. But es+eia""y, O Son, there is nothin# im+assib"e, but a"" thin#s are +assib"e. //. But Passion diDers rom that whih is +assib"e, or that EPassion ateth but this suDers. /. Bodies a"so o themse"-es do at, or either they are unmo-ab"e, or e"se are mo-ed, and whih soe-er it be, it is a Passion. /6. But inor+orea" thin#s do a"ways at, or work, and thereore they are +assib"e. /8. @et not thereore the a++e""ations or names troub"e thee, or 4tion and Passion are the same thin#, but that it is not #rie-ous to use the more honourab"e name. /<. at. O Father. thou has de"i-ered this =isourse most +"ain"y. ?. Hermes. >onsider this a"so, O Son, hat God hath ree"y bestowed u+on man, abo-e a"" other "i-in# thin#s, these two, to wit, Cind and S+eeh, or !eason, eAua" to immorta"ity. 1. hese i any man use, or em+"oy u+on what he ou#ht, he sha"" diDer nothin# rom the &mmorta"s. 2. Iea, rather #oin# out o the Body, he sha"" be #uided and "ed by them, both into the >hoir and Soiety o the Gods, and b"essed Ones. . at. =o not other "i-in# >reatures use S+eeh, O Father) *. Hermes. 0O, Son, but on"y :oie% now S+eeh and :oie do diDer eeedin# muh% or S+eeh is ommon to a"" men, but :oie is +ro+er unto e-ery kind o "i-in# thin#. /. at. Iea, but the S+eeh o men is diDerent. O Father, e-ery man aordin# to his 0ation.
. Hermes. &t is true, O Son, they do diDer Iet as man is one so is S+eeh one a"so% and it is inter+reted and ound the same, both in 3#y+t, Persia, and Greee. 6. But thou seemest unto me, Son, to be i#norant o the :irtue or Power, and Greatness o S+eeh. 8. For the b"essed God, the #ood =emon said or ommanded the Sou" to be in the Body, the Cind, in the Sou", the (ord, or S+eeh, or !eason in the Cind, and the Cind in God, and that God is the Father o them a"". <. hereore the (ord is the &ma#e o the Cind, and the Cind o God, and the Body o the &dea, and the &dea o the Sou". 6?. hereore o the Catter, the subt"est or sma""est +art is 4ir, o the 4ir the Sou", o the Sou" the Cind, o the Cind God. 61. 4nd God is about a"" thin#s, and throu#h a"" thin#s, but the Cind about the Sou", the Sou" about the 4ir, and the 4ir about the Catter. 62. But 0eessity, and Pro-idene, and 0ature, are the Or#ans or &nstruments o the (or"d, and o the Order o Catter. 6. For o those thin#s that are inte""i#ib"e, e-ery one is but the 3ssene o them in &dentity. 6*. But o the Bodies o the who"e, or uni-erse, e-ery one is many thin#s. 6/ For the Bodies that are +ut to#ether, and that ha-e, and make their han#es into other, ha-in# this &dentity, do a"ways sa-e and +reser-e the unorru+tion o the &dentity. 6. But in e-ery one o the om+ound Bodies, there is a number. 66. For without number it is im+ossib"e there shou"d be onsistene or onstitution, or om+osition, or disso"ution. 68. But nities do both be#et and inrease 0umbers, and a#ain bein# disso"-ed, ome into themse"-es. 6<. 4nd the Catter is One. 8?. But this who"e (or"d, the #reat God, and the &ma#e o the Greater, and united unto him, and onser-in# the Order and (i"" o the Father, is the u"ness o @ie. 81. 4nd there is nothin# therein, throu#h a"" the 3ternity o the !e-o"utions, neither o the who"e, nor o the +arts whih "oth not "i-e. 82. For there is nothin# dead, that either hath been, or is, or sha"" be in the (or"d. 8. For the Father wou"d ha-e it as "on# as it "asts, to be a "i-in# thin#% and thereore it must needs be God a"so. 8*, How thereore, O Son, an there be in God, in the &ma#e o the ni-erse, in the u"ness o @ie, any dead thin#s) 8/. For dyin# is orru+tion, and orru+tion is destrution. 8. How then an any +art o the inorru+tib"e be orru+ted, or o God be destroyed) 86. at. hereore, O Father, do not the "i-in# thin#s in the (or"d die, thou#h they be +arts thereo. 88. Hermes. Be wary in thy S+eeh, O Son, and not deei-ed in the names o thin#s.
8<. For they do not die, O Son, but as om+ound Bodies they are disso"-ed. han#e =eath, but For#etu"ness, or rather Ou"tation, and "yin# hid. Or better thus. For Generation is not a >reation o @ie, but a Prodution o hin#s to Sense, and makin# them Caniest. 0either is >han#e =eath, but an Ou"tation or Hidin# o that whih was. 1?. hese thin#s bein# so, a"" thin#s are &mmorta", Catter, @ie, S+irit, Sou", Cind, whereo e-ery "i-in# thin# onsisteth. 1?*. 3-ery "i-in# thin# thereore is &mmorta", beause o the Cind, but es+eia""y Can, who both reei-eth God, and on-erseth with him. 1?/. For with this "i-in# wi#ht a"one is God ami"iar% in the ni#ht by dreams, in the day by Symbo"s or% Si#ns. 1?. 4nd by a"" thin#s "oth he orete"" him o thin#s to ome, by Birds, by Fow"s, by the S+irit, or (ind, and by an Oak. 1?6. (hereore a"so Can +roesseth to know thin#s that ha-e been, thin#s that are +resent, and thin#s to ome. 1?8. >onsider this a"so, O Son, hat e-ery "i-in# >reature #oeth u+on one +art o the (or"d, Swimmin# thin#s in (ater, @and wi#hts u+on the 3arth, F"yin# Fow"s in the 4ir. 1?<. But Can useth a"" these, the 3arth, the (ater, the 4ir, and the Fire, nay, he seeth and touheth Hea-en by his Sense. 11?. But God is both about a"" thin#s, and throu#h a"" thin#s, or he is both 4t and Power. 111. 4nd it is no hard thin#, O Son, to understand God.
112. 4nd i thou wi"t a"so see him, "ook u+on the 0eessity o thin#s that a++ear, and the Pro-idene o thin#s that ha-e been, and are done. 11. See the Catter bein# most u"" o @ie, and so #reat a God mo-ed with a"" Good, and Fair, both Gods, and =emons, and Cen. 11*. at. But these, O Father, are who""y 4ts or O+erations. 11/. Hermes. & they be thereore who""y 4ts or O+erations, O Son, by whom are they ated or o+erated, but by God) 11. Or art thou i#norant, that as the +arts o the (or"d, are Hea-en, and 3arth, and (ater, and 4ir% ater the same manner the Cembers o God, are @ie, and &mmorta"ity, and 3ternity, and S+irit, and 0eessity, and Pro-idene, and 0ature, and Sou", and Cind, and the >ontinuane or Perse-erane o a"" these whih is a""ed Good. 116. 4nd there is not any thin# o a"" that hath been, and a"1 that is, where God is not. 118. at. (hat in the Catter, O Father) 11<. Hermes. he Catter, Son, what is it without God, that thou shou"dst asribe a +ro+er +"ae to it) 12?. Or what ost thou think it to be) +erad-enture some hea+ that is not atuated or o+erated. 121. But i it be atuated, by whom is it atuated) or we ha-e said, that 4ts or O+erations, are the +arts o God. 122. By whom are a"" "i-in# thin#s Auikened) and the &mmorta", by whom are they immorta"i5ed) the thin#s that are han#eab"e, by whom are they han#ed) 12. (hether thou s+eak o Catter, or Body, or 3ssene, know that a"" these are ats o God. 12*. 4nd that the 4t o Catter is materia"ity, and o the Bodies or+ora"ity, and o 3ssene essentia"ity% and this is God the who"e. 12/. 4nd in the who"e, there is nothin# that is not God. 12. (hereore about God, there is neither Greatness, P"ae, \ua"ity, Fi#ure, or ime% or he is 4"", and the 4"", throu#h a"", and about a"". 126. his (ord, O Son, worshi+ and adore. 4nd the on"y ser-ie o God, is not to be e-i".
The Corpus Hermeticum 500. :bout The Common ,ind translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: The "common mind" discussed in this dialogue is the same $ind which appears as a divine power in other parts of the Hermetic literature! )t is identical, as well, with the "ood
6aimon" whose words are 7uoted at several points here and elsewhere! The ree% word logos which means both "word" and "reason", among other things is central to much of the argument, and it+s unfortunate that 5nglish has no way to express the same complex of meanings! The praise of reason in parts 898 is also, and e7ually, a praise of human language, and this sort of double meaning plays a part elsewhere in this and other parts of the Hermetic literature! #$
1. Hermes he Cind, O at, is o God's -ery essene Ei suh a thin# as essene o God there be and what that is, it and it on"y knows +reise"y. he Cind, then, is not se+arated oD rom God's essentia"ity, but is united to it, as "i#ht to sun. his Cind in men is God, and or this ause some o mankind are #ods, and their humanity is ni#h unto di-inity. For the Good =aimon said KGods are immorta" men, and men are morta" #ods.K 2. But in irrationa" "i-es Cind is their nature. For where is Sou", there too is Cind% $ust as where @ie, there is there a"so Sou". But in irrationa" "i-es their sou" is "ie de-oid o mind% or Cind is the inworker o the sou"s o men or #ood He works on them or their own #ood. &n "i-es irrationa" He doth oo+erate with eah one's nature% but in the sou"s o men He ounterateth them. For e-ery sou", when it beomes embodied, is instant"y de+ra-ed by +"easure and by +ain. For in a om+ound body, $ust "ike $uies, +ain and +"easure seethe, and into them the sou", on enterin# in, is +"un#ed. . O'er whatsoe-er sou"s the Cind doth, then, +reside, to these it showeth its own "i#ht, by atin# ounter to their +re+ossessions, $ust as a #ood +hysiian doth u+on the body +re+ossessed by sikness, +ain in7it, burnin# or "anin# it or sake o hea"th. &n $ust the se"same way the Cind in7iteth +ain on the sou", to resue it rom +"easure, whene omes its e-ery i"". he #reat i"" o the sou" is #od"essness% then o""oweth
any or a"" e-i" thin#s and nothin# #ood. So, then, Cind ounteratin# it doth work #ood on the sou", as the +hysiian hea"th u+on the body. *. But whatsoe-er human sou"s ha-e not the Cind as +i"ot, they share in the same ate as sou"s o "i-es irrationa". For Cind beomes oworker with them, #i-in# u"" +"ay to the desires toward whih suh sou"s are borne desires that rom the rush o "ust strain ater the irrationa"% so that suh human sou"s, $ust "ike irrationa" anima"s, ease not irrationa""y to ra#e and "ust, nor are they e-er satiate o i""s. For +assions and irrationa" desires are i""s eeedin# #reat% and o-er these God hath set u+ the Cind to +"ay the +art o $ud#e and eeutioner. /. at &n that ase, ather mine, the teahin# E"o#os as to Fate, whih +re-ious"y thou didst e+"ain to me, risks to be o-erset. For that i it be abso"ute"y ated or a man to orniate, or ommit sari"e#e, or do some other e-i" deed, why is he +unished when he hath done the deed rom Fate's neessity) Hermes 4"" works, my son, are Fate's% and without Fate nau#ht o thin#s or+ora" or Vi.e., eitherW #ood, or i"" an ome to +ass. But it is ated, too, that he who doeth i"", sha"" suDer. 4nd or this ause he doth it that he may suDer what he suDereth, beause he did it. . But or the moment, at, "et be the teahin# as to -ie and Fate, or we ha-e s+oken o these thin#s in other o our sermons% but now our teahin# E"o#os is about the Cind what Cind an do, and how it is so diDerent in men bein# suh and suh, and in irrationa" "i-es so han#ed% and then a#ain that in irrationa" "i-es it is not o a benefia" nature, whi"e that in men it Auenheth out the wrathu" and the "ustu" e"ements. O men, a#ain, we must "ass some as "ed by reason, and others as unreasonin#. 6. But a"" men are sub$et to Fate, and #enesis and han#e, or these are the be#innin# and the end o Fate. 4nd thou#h a"" men do suDer ated thin#s, those "ed by reason Ethose whom we said Cind doth #uide do not endure VaW "ike suDerin# with the rest% but, sine they'-e reed themse"-es rom -iiousness, not bein# bad, they do not suDer bad.
at How meanest thou a#ain, my ather) &s not the orniator bad% the murderer bad% and so with a"" the rest) Hermes & meant not that% but that the Cind"ed man, my son, thou#h not a orniator, wi"" suDer $ust as thou#h he had ommitted orniation, and thou#h he be no murderer, as thou#h he had ommitted murder. he Aua"ity o han#e he an no more esa+e than that o #enesis. But it is +ossib"e or one who hath the Cind, to ree himse" rom -ie. 8. (hereore &'-e e-er heard, my son, Good =aimon a"so say Eand had He set it down in written words, He wou"d ha-e #reat"y he"+ed the rae o men% or He a"one, my son, doth tru"y, as the Firstborn God, #a5in# on a"" thin#s, #i-e -oie to words E"o#oi di-ine yea, one & heard Him say K4"" thin#s are one, and most o a"" the bodies whih the mind a"one +erei-es. Our "ie is owin# to God's 3ner#y and Power and 4eon. His Cind is #ood, so is His Sou" as we"". 4nd this bein# so, inte""i#ib"e thin#s know nau#ht o se+aration. So, then, Cind, bein# !u"er o a"" thin#s, and bein# Sou" o God, an do whate'er it wi""s.K <. So do thou understand, and arry bak this word E"o#os unto the Auestion thou didst ask beore & mean about Cind's Fate. For i thou dost with auray, son, e"iminate a"" a+tious ar#uments E"o#oi, thou wi"t diso-er that o -ery truth the Cind, the Sou" o God, doth ru"e o'er a"" o'er Fate, and @aw, and a"" thin#s e"se% and nothin# is im+ossib"e to it neither o'er Fate to set a human sou", nor under Fate to set a sou" ne#"etu" o what omes to +ass. @et this so ar su;e rom the Good =aimon's most #ood words. at Iea, words di-ine"y s+oken, ather mine, tru"y and he"+u""y. But urther sti"" e+"ain me this. 1?. hou said'st that Cind in "i-es irrationa" worked in them as their nature, oworkin# with their im+u"ses. But im+u"ses o "i-es irrationa", as & do think, are +assions. 0ow i the Cind oworketh with these im+u"ses, and i the im+u"ses o "i-es irrationa" be +assions, then is Cind a"so +assion, takin# its o"or rom the +assions. Hermes (e"" +ut, my sonL hou Auestionest ri#ht nob"y, and it is $ust that & as we"" shou"d answer nob"y.
11. 4"" thin#s inor+orea" when in a body are sub$et unto +assion, and in the +ro+er sense they are themse"-es a"" +assions. For e-ery thin# that mo-es itse" is inor+orea"% whi"e e-ery thin# that's mo-ed is body. &nor+orea"s are urther mo-ed by Cind, and mo-ement's Vi.e., mo-ement isW +assion. Both, then, are sub$et unto +assion both mo-er and the mo-ed, the ormer bein# ru"er and the "atter ru"ed. But when a man hath reed himse" rom body, then is he a"so reed rom +assion. But, more +reise"y, son, nau#ht is im+assib"e, but a"" are +assib"e. Iet +assion diDereth rom +assibi"ity% or that the one is ati-e, whi"e the other's +assi-e. &nor+orea"s moreo-er at u+on themse"-es, or either they are motion"ess or they are mo-ed% but whihsoe'er it be, it's +assion. But bodies are in-arib"y ated on, and thereore they are +assib"e. =o not, then, "et terms troub"e thee% ation and +assion are both the se"same thin#. o use the airer soundin# term, howe-er, does no harm. 12. at Cost "ear"y hast thou, ather mine, set orth the teahin# E"o#os. Hermes >onsider this as we"", my son% that these two thin#s God hath bestowed on man beyond a"" morta" "i-es both mind and s+eeh E"o#os eAua" to immorta"ity. He hath the mind or knowin# God and uttered s+eeh E"o#os or eu"o#y o Him. 4nd i one useth these or what he ou#ht, he'"" diDer not a whit rom the immorta"s. 0ay, rather, on de+artin# rom the body, he wi"" be #uided by the twain unto the >hoir o Gods and B"essed Ones. 1. at (hy, ather mineL do not the other "i-es make use o s+eeh E"o#os) Hermes 0ay, son% but Vi.e., on"yW use o -oie% s+eeh is ar diDerent rom -oie. For s+eeh is #enera" amon# a"" men, whi"e -oie doth diDer in eah "ass o "i-in# thin#. at But with men a"so, ather mine, aordin# to eah rae, s+eeh diDers. Hermes Iea, son, but man is one% so a"so s+eeh is one and is inter+reted, and it is ound the same in 3#y+t, and in Persia, and in Greee. hou seemest, son, to be in i#norane o !eason's E@o#os worth and #reatness. For that the B"essed God,
Good =aimon, hath de"ared KSou" is in Body, Cind in Sou"% but !eason E@o#os is in Cind, and Cind in God% and God is Father o a"" these.K 1*. he !eason, then, is the Cind's ima#e, and Cind God's ima#e% whi"e Body is the ima#e o the Form% and Form the ima#e o the Sou". he subt"est +art o Catter is, then, 4ir Vor -ita" s+iritW% o 4ir, Sou"% o Sou", Cind% and o Cind, God. 4nd God surroundeth a"" and +ermeateth a""% whi"e Cind Surroundeth Sou", Sou" 4ir, 4ir Catter. 0eessity and Pro-idene and 0ature are instruments o >osmos and o Catter's orderin#% whi"e o inte""i#ib"e thin#s eah is 3ssene, and Sameness is their 3ssene. But o the bodies o the >osmos eah is many% or throu#h +ossession# Sameness, these om+osed bodies, thou#h they do han#e rom one into another o themse"-es, do nathe"ess kee+ the inorru+tion o their Sameness. 1/. (hereas in a"" the rest o om+osed bodies, o eah there is a ertain number% or without number struture annot be, or om+osition, or deom+osition. 0ow it is units that #i-e birth to number and inrease it, and, bein# deom+osed, are taken bak a#ain into themse"-es. Catter is one% and this who"e >osmos the mi#hty God and ima#e o the mi#htier One, both with Him unifed, and the onser-er o the (i"" and Order o the Father is f""ed u"" o @ie. 0au#ht is there in it throu#hout the who"e o 4eon, the Father's e-er"astin# !eestab"ishment nor o the who"e, nor o the +arts whih doth not "i-e. For not a sin#"e thin# that's dead, hath been, or is, or sha"" be in this >osmos. For that the Father wi""ed it shou"d ha-e @ie as "on# as it shou"d be. (hereore it needs must be a God. 1. How then, O son, ou"d there be in the God, the ima#e o the Father, in the +"enitude o @ie dead thin#s) For that death is orru+tion, and orru+tion destrution. How then ou"d any +art o that whih knoweth no orru+tion be orru+ted, or any whit o him the God destroyed) at =o they not, then, my ather, die the "i-es in it, that are its +arts) Hermes Hush, sonL "ed into error by the term in use or what takes +"ae.
hey do not die, my son, but are disso"-ed as om+ound bodies. 0ow disso"ution is not death, but disso"ution o a om+ound% it is disso"-ed not so that it may be destroyed, but that it may beome renewed. For what is the ati-ity o "ie) &s it not motion) (hat then in >osmos is there that hath no motion) 0au#ht is there, sonL 16. at =oth not 3arth e-en, ather, seem to thee to ha-e no motion) Hermes 0ay, son% but rather that she is the on"y thin# whih, thou#h in -ery ra+id motion, is a"so stab"e. For how wou"d it not be a thin# to "au#h at, that the 0urse o a"" shou"d ha-e no motion, when she en#enders and brin#s orth a"" thin#s) For 'tis im+ossib"e that without motion one who doth en#ender, shou"d do so. hat thou shou"d ask i the ourth +art Vor e"ementW is not inert, is most ridiu"ous% or the body whih doth ha-e no motion, #i-es si#n o nothin# but inertia. 18. Jnow, thereore, #enera""y, my son, that a"" that is in >osmos is bein# mo-ed or inrease or or derease. 0ow that whih is ke+t mo-in#, a"so "i-es% but there is no neessity that that whih "i-es, shou"d be a"" same. For bein# simu"taneous, the >osmos, as a who"e, is not sub$et to han#e, my son, but a"" its +arts are sub$et unto it% yet nau#ht o it is sub$et to orru+tion, or destroyed. &t is the terms em+"oyed that onuse men. For 'tis not #enesis that onstituteth "ie, but 'tis sensation% it is not han#e that onstituteth death, but 'tis or#etu"ness. Sine, then, these thin#s are so, they are immorta" a"" Catter, and @ie, and S+irit, Cind and Sou", o whih whate-er "i-eth, is om+osed. 1<. (hate-er then doth "i-e, oweth its immorta"ity unto the Cind, and most o a"" doth man, he who is both rei+ient o God, and oessentia" with Him. For with this "ie a"one doth God onsort% by -isions in the ni#ht, by tokens in the day, and by a"" thin#s doth He orete"" the uture unto him by birds, by inward +arts, by wind, by tree. (hereore doth man "ay "aim to know thin#s +ast, thin#s +resent and to ome. 2?. Obser-e this too, my son% that eah one o the other "i-es inhabiteth one +ortion o the >osmos aAuati
reatures water, terrene earth, and aery reatures air% whi"e man doth use a"" these earth, water air and fre% he seeth Hea-en, too, and doth ontat it with his sense. But God surroundeth a"", and +ermeateth a"", or He is ener#y and +ower% and it is nothin# di;u"t, my son, to onei-e God. 21. But i thou wou"dst Him a"so ontem+"ate, beho"d the orderin# o the >osmos, and see the order"y beha-ior o its orderin# Vthis is a +"ay on the word KosmosK, whih means Korder, arran#ementKW% beho"d thou the 0eessity o thin#s made maniest, and see the Pro-idene o thin#s beome and thin#s beomin#% beho"d how Catter is a""u"" o @ie% beho"d this so #reat God in mo-ement, with a"" the #ood and nob"e ones #ods, daimones and menL at But these are +ure"y ener#ies, O ather mineL Hermes &, then, they're +ure"y ener#ies, my son by whom, then, are they ener#i5ed ee+t by God) Or art thou i#norant, that $ust as Hea-en, 3arth, (ater, 4ir, are +arts o >osmos, in $ust the se"same way God's +arts are @ie and &mmorta"ity, and 3ner#y, and S+irit, and 0eessity, and Pro-idene, and 0ature, Sou", and Cind, and the =uration Vthat is, 4eon or 3ternityW o a"" these that is a""ed Good) 4nd there are nau#ht o thin#s that ha-e beome, or are beomin#, in whih God is not. 22. at &s He in Catter, ather, then) Hermes Catter, my son, is se+arate rom God, in order that thou may'st attribute to it the Aua"ity o s+ae. But what thin# e"se than mass think'st thou it is, i it's not ener#i5ed) (hereas i it be ener#i5ed, by whom is it made so) For ener#ies, we said, are +arts o God. By whom are, then, a"" "i-es en"i-ened) By whom are thin#s immorta" made immorta") By whom han#ed thin#s made han#eab"e) 4nd whether thou dost s+eak o Catter, o Body, or o 3ssene, know that these too are ener#ies o God% and that materia"ity is Catter's ener#y, that or+orea"ity is Bodies' ener#y, and that essentia"ity doth onstituteth the ener#y o 3ssene% and this is God the 4"". 2. 4nd in the 4"" is nau#ht that is not God. (hereore nor Vi.e., neitherW si5e, nor s+ae, nor Aua"ity, nor orm, nor time, surroundeth God% or He is 4"", and 4"" surroundeth a"", and +ermeateth a"". nto this !eason E@o#os, son, thy adoration and thy
worshi+ +ay. here is one way a"one to worshi+ God% it is not to be bad.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book $@. The Telth Book. His Crater or ,onas. 1. he (orkman made this ni-ersa" (or"d, not with his Hands, but his (ord. 2. hereore thus think o him, as +resent e-erywhere, and bein# a"ways, and makin# a"" thin#s, and one abo-e, that by his (i"" hath ramed the thin#s that are. . For that is his Body, not tan#ib"e, nor -isib"e, nor measurab"e, nor etensib"e, nor "ike any other body. *. For it is neither Fire, nor (ater, nor 4ir, nor (ind, but a"" these thin#s are o him, or bein# Good, he hath dediated that name unto himse" a"one. /. But he wou"d a"so adorn the 3arth, but with the Ornament o a =i-ine Body. . 4nd he sent Can an &mmorta" and a Corta" wi#ht. 6. 4nd Can had more than a"" "i-in# >reatures, and the (or"d, beause o his S+eeh, and Cind. 8. For Can beame the s+etator o the (orks o God, and wondered, and aknow"ed#ed the Caker. <. For he di-ided S+eeh amon# a"" men, but not Cind, and yet he en-ied not any, or 3n-y omes not thither, but is o abode here be"ow in the Sou"s o men, that ha-e not the Cind. 1?. at. But whereore, Father, did not God distribute the Cind to a"" men) 11. Beause it +"eased him, O Son, to set that in the midd"e amon# a"" sou"s as a reward to stri-e or. 12. at. 4nd where hath he set it) 1. Hermes. Fi""in# a "ar#e >u+ or Bow" therewith, he sent it down, #i-in# a"so a >ryer or Pro"aimer. 1*. 4nd he ommanded him to +ro"aim these thin#s to the sou"s o men. 1/. =i+ and wash thyse", thou that art ab"e, in this >u+ or Bow"% hou that be"ie-esK, that thou sha"t return to him that sent this >u+% thou that aknow"ed#est whereunto thou wert made. 1. 4s many thereore as understood the Pro"amation, and were ba+tised or dowsed into the Cind, these were made +artakers o Jnow"ed#e, and beame +eret men, reei-in# the Cind.
16. But as many as missed o the Pro"amation, they reei-ed S+eeh, but not Cind, bein# i#norant whereunto they were made, or by whom. 18. But their senses are $ust "ike to brute Beasts, and ha-in# their tem+er in 4n#er and (rath, they do not admire the thin#s worthy o "ookin# on. 1<. But who""y addited to the +"easures and desires o the Bodies, they be"ie-e that man was made or them. 2?. But as many as +artook o the #it o God, these, O at, in om+arison o their works, are rather immorta" than morta" men. 21. >om+rehendin# a"" thin#s in their Cind, whih are u+on the 3arth, whih are in Hea-en, and i there be anythin# abo-e Hea-en. 22. 4nd "itin# u+ themse"-es so hi#h, they see the Good, and seein# it, they aount it a miserab"e a"amity to make their abode here. 2. 4nd des+isin# a"" thin#s bodi"y and unbodi"y, they make haste to the One and On"y. 2*. hus, O at, is the Jnow"ed#e o the Cind, the beho"din# o =i-ine hin#s, and the nderstandin# o God, the >u+ itse" bein# =i-ine. 2/. at. 4nd &, O Father, wou"d be ba+tised and drenhed therein. 2. Hermes. 3e+t thou frst hate thy body, O Son, thou anst not "o-e thy se"% but "o-in# thy se", thou sha"t ha-e the Cind, and ha-in# the Cind, thou sha"t a"so +artake the Jnow"ed#e or Siene. 26. at. HO( meanest thou that, O Father) 28. Hermes. Beause it is im+ossib"e, O Son, to be on-ersant about thin#s Corta" and =i-ine. 2<. For the thin#s that are, bein# two Bodies, and thin#s inor+orea", wherein is the Corta" and the =i-ine, the 3"etion or >hoie o either is "et to him that wi"" hoose% For no man an hoose both. ?. 4nd o whih soe-er the hoie is made, the other bein# diminished or o-erome, ma#nifeth the at and o+eration o the other. 1. he hoie o the heter thereore is not on"y best or him that hooseth it, by deiyin# a man% but it a"so sheweth Piety and !e"i#ion towards God. 2. But the hoie o the worse destroys a man, but "oth nothin# a#ainst God% sa-e that as Pom+s or Pa#eants, when they ome abroad, annot do any thin# themse"-es, but hinder% ater the same manner a"so do these make Pom+s or Pa#eants in the (or"d, bein# sedued by the +"easures o the Body. . hese thin#s bein# so, O at, that thin#s ha-e been, and are so +"enteous"y ministered to us rom God% "et them +roeed a"so rom us, without any sarity or s+arin#. *. For God is innoent or #ui"t"ess, but we are the auses o 3-i", +reerrin# them beore the Good. /. hou seest, O Son, how many Bodies we must #o beyond, and how many hoirs o =emons, and what ontinuity and ourses o Stars, that we may make haste to the One, and on"y God.
. For the Good is not to be transended, it is unbounded and infnite% unto itse" without be#innin#, but unto us, seemin# to ha-e a be#innin#, e-en our know"ed#e o it. 6. For our know"ed#e is not the be#innin# o it, but shews us the be#innin# o its bein# known unto us. 8. @et us thereore "ay ho"d o the be#innin# and we sha"" Auik"y #o throu#h a"" thin#s. <. &t is indeed a di;u"t thin#, to "ea-e those thin#s that are austomab"e, and +resent, and turn us to those thin#s that are anient, and aordin# to the ori#ina". *?. For these thin#s that a++ear, de"i#ht us, but make the thin#s that a++ear not, hard to be"ie-e, or the hin#s that 4++ear not, are Hard to be"ie-e. *&. he thin#s most a++arent are 3-i", but the Good is seret, or hid in, or to the thin#s that a++ear or it hath neither Form nor Fi#ure. *2. For this ause it is "ike to itse", but un"ike e-ery thin# e"se% or it is im+ossib"e, that any thin# inor+orea", shou"d be made known, or a++ear to a Body. *. For this is the diDerene between the "ike and the un"ike, and the un"ike wanteth a"ways somewhat o the "ike. **. For the nity, Be#innin#, and !oot o a"" thin#s, as bein# the !oot and Be#innin#. */. 0othin# is without a be#innin#, but the Be#innin# is o nothin#, but o itse"% or it is the Be#innin# o a"" other thin#s. *. hereore it is, seein# it is not rom another be#innin#. *6. nity thereore bein# the Be#innin#, ontaineth e-ery number, but itse" is ontained o none, and be#etteth e-ery number, itse" bein# be#otten o no other number. *8. 3-ery thin# that is be#otten Eor made is im+eret, and may be di-ided, inreased, diminished. *<. But to the +eret, there ha++eneth none o these. /?. 4nd that whih is inreased, is inreased by nity, but is onsumed and -anished throu#h weakness, bein# not ab"e to reei-e the nity. /1. his &ma#e o God, ha-e & desribed to thee, O at, as we"" as & ou"d% whih i thou do di"i#ent"y onsider, and -iew by the eyes o thy mind, and heart, be"ie-e me, Son, thou sha"t fnd the way to the thin#s abo-e, or rather the &ma#e itse" wi"" "ead thee. /2. But the s+eta"e or si#ht, hath this +eu"iar and +ro+er% hem that an see, and beho"d it, it ho"ds ast and draws unto it, as they say, the @oadstone "oth &ron.
The Corpus Hermeticum 07. The Cup or ,onad
translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: This short text gives an unusually lucid overview of the foundations of Hermetic thought! The stress on re-ection of the body and its pleasures, and on the division of humanity into those with $ind and those without, are reminiscent of some of the socalled "nostic" writings of the same period! The idea that the division is a matter of choice, on the other hand, is a pleasant variation on the almost (alvinist ;avor of writings such as the &pocalypse of &dam! "ead speculates that the imagery of the &up in this text may have a distant connection, by way of unorthodox ideas about &ommunion, with the legends of the 'oly #rail. !"#
1. Hermes (ith !eason E@o#os, not with hands, did the (or"dmaker make the uni-ersa" (or"d% so that thou shou"dst think o him as e-erywhere and e-erbein#, the 4uthor o a"" thin#s, and One and On"y, who by His (i"" a"" bein#s hath reated. his Body o Him is a thin# no man an touh, or see, or measure, a body inetensib"e, "ike to no other rame. 'is neither Fire nor (ater, 4ir nor Breath% yet a"" o them ome rom it. 0ow bein# Good he wi""ed to onserate this Body to Himse" a"one, and set its 3arth in order and adorn it. 2. So down to 3arth He sent the >osmos o this Frame =i-ine man, a "ie that annot die, and yet a "ie that dies. 4nd o'er a"" other "i-es and o-er >osmos too, did man ee" by reason o the !eason E@o#os and the Cind. For ontem+"ator o God's works did man beome% he mar-e""ed and did stri-e to know their 4uthor. . !eason E@o#os indeed, O at, amon# a"" men hath He distributed, but Cind not yet% not that He #rud#eth any, or #rud#in# ometh not rom Him, but hath its +"ae be"ow, within the sou"s o men who ha-e no Cind.
at (hy then did God, O ather, not on a"" bestow a share o Cind) H He wi""ed, my son, to ha-e it set u+ in the midst or sou"s, $ust as it were a +ri5e. *. 4nd where hath He set it u+) H He f""ed a mi#hty >u+ with it, and sent it down, $oinin# a Hera"d to it, to whom He #a-e ommand to make this +ro"amation to the hearts o men Ba+ti5e thyse" with this >u+'s ba+tism, what heart an do so, thou that hast aith thou anst asend to him that hath sent down the >u+, thou that dost know or what thoudidst ome into bein#L 4s many then as understood the Hera"d's tidin#s and doused themse"-es in Cind, beame +artakers in the Gnosis% and when they had Kreei-ed the CindK they were made K+eret menK. But they who do not understand the tidin#s, these, sine they +ossess the aid o !eason on"y and not Cind, are i#norant whereor they ha-e ome into bein# and whereby. /. he senses o suh men are "ike irrationa" reatures'% and as their who"e makeu+ is in their ee"in#s and their im+u"ses, they ai" in a"" a++reiation o V"it. Kthey do not wonder atKW those thin#s whih rea""y are worth ontem+"ation. hese enter a"" their thou#ht u+on the +"easures o the body and its a++etites, in the be"ie that or its sake man hath ome into bein#. But they who ha-e reei-ed some +ortion o God's #it, these, at, i we $ud#e by their deeds, ha-e rom =eath's bonds won their re"ease% or they embrae in their own Cind a"" thin#s, thin#s on the earth, thin#s in the hea-en, and thin#s abo-e the hea-en i there be au#ht. 4nd ha-in# raised themse"-es so ar they si#ht the Good% and ha-in# si#hted it, they "ook u+on their so$ourn here as a mishane% and in disdain o a"", both thin#s in body and the bodi"ess, they s+eed their way unto that One and On"y One. . his is, O at, the Gnosis o the Cind, :ision o thin#s =i-ine% Godknow"ed#e is it, or the >u+ is God's.
Father, &, too, wou"d be ba+ti5ed. H n"ess thou frst sha"" hate thy Body, son, thou anst not "o-e thy Se". But i thou "o-'st thy Se" thou sha"t ha-e Cind, and ha-in# Cind thou sha"t share in the Gnosis. Father, what dost thou mean) H &t is not +ossib"e, my son, to #i-e thyse" to both & mean to thin#s that +erish and to thin#s di-ine. For seein# that eistin# thin#s are twain, Body and Bodi"ess, in whih the +erishin# and the di-ine are understood, the man who hath the wi"" to hoose is "et the hoie o one or the other% or it an ne-er be the twain shou"d meet. 4nd in those sou"s to whom the hoie is "et, the wanin# o the one auses the other's #rowth to show itse". 6. 0ow the hoosin# o the Better not on"y +ro-es a "ot most air or him who makes the hoie, seein# it makes the man a God, but a"so shows his +iety to God. (hereas the hoosin# o the (orse, a"thou#h it doth destroy the KmanK, it doth on"y disturb God's harmony to this etent, that as +roessions +ass by in the midd"e o the way, without bein# ab"e to do anythin# but take the road rom others, so do suh men mo-e in +roession throu#h the wor"d "ed by their bodies' +"easures. 8. his bein# so, O at, what omes rom God hath been and wi"" be ours% but that whih is de+endent on ourse"-es, "et this +ress onward and ha-e no de"ay, or 'tis not God, 'tis we who are the ause o e-i" thin#s, +reerrin# them to #ood. hou see'st, son, how many are the bodies throu#h whih we ha-e to +ass, how many are the hoirs o daimones, how -ast the system o the starourses throu#h whih our Path doth "ie, to hasten to the One and On"y God. For to the Good there is no other shore% &t hath no bounds% &t is without an end% and or &tse" &t is without be#innin#, too, thou#h unto us it seemeth to ha-e one the Gnosis. <. hereore to &t Gnosis is no be#innin#% rather is it that Gnosis doth aDord to us the frst be#innin# o its bein# known.
@et us "ay ho"d, thereore, o the be#innin#. and Auik"y s+eed throu#h a"" we ha-e to +ass. [is -ery hard, to "ea-e the thin#s we ha-e #rown used to, whih meet our #a5e on e-ery side, and turn ourse"-es bak to the O"d O"d Path. 4++earanes de"i#ht us, whereas thin#s whih a++ear not make their be"ie-in# hard. 0ow e-i"s are the more a++arent thin#s, whereas the Good an ne-er show &tse" unto the eyes, or &t hath neither orm nor f#ure. hereore the Good is "ike &tse" a"one, and un"ike a"" thin#s e"se% or [tis im+ossib"e that hat whih hath no body shou"d make &tse" a++arent to a body. 1?. he K@ike'sK su+eriority to the Kn"ikeK and the Kn"ike'sK ineriority unto the K@ikeK onsists in this he Oneness bein# Soure and !oot o a"", is in a"" thin#s as !oot and Soure. (ithout this Soure is nau#ht% whereas the Soure &tse" is rom nau#ht but itse", sine it is Soure o a"" the rest. &t is &tse" &ts Soure, sine &t may ha-e no other Soure. he Oneness then bein# Soure, ontaineth e-ery number, but is ontained by none% en#endereth e-ery number, but is en#endered by no other one. 11. 0ow a"" that is en#endered is im+eret, it is di-isib"e, to inrease sub$et and to derease% but with the Peret One none o these thin#s doth ho"d. 0ow that whih is inreasab"e inreases rom the Oneness, but suumbs throu#h its own eeb"eness when it no "on#er an ontain the One. 4nd now, O at, God's &ma#e hath been skethed or thee, as ar as it an be% and i thou wi"t attenti-e"y dwe"" on it and obser-e it with thine heart's eyes, be"ie-e me, son, thou'"t fnd the Path that "eads abo-e% nay, that &ma#e sha"" beome thy Guide itse", beause the Si#ht =i-ine hath this +eu"iar harm, it ho"deth ast and draweth unto it those who sueed in o+enin# their eyes, $ust as, they say, the ma#net draweth iron.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book $2. The Thirteenth Book > +ense and 8nderstanding. 1. Iesterday, 4s"e+ius, & de"i-ered a +eret =isourse% but now & think it neessary, in suite o that, to dis+ute a"so o Sense. 2. For Sense and nderstandin# seem to diDer, beause the one is materia", the other essentia". . But unto me, they a++ear to be both one, or united, and not di-ided in men, & mean. *. For in other "i-in# >reatures, Sense is united unto 0ature but in men to nderstandin#. /. But the Cind diDers rom nderstandin#, as muh as God rom =i-inity. . For =i-inity is rom or under God, and nderstandin# rom the Cind, bein# the sister o the (ord or S+eeh, and they the &nstruments one o another. 6. Forneither is the (ord +ronouned without nderstandin#, neither is nderstandin# maniested without the (ord. 8. hereore Sense and nderstandin# do both 7ow to#ether into a man, as i they were ino"ded one within another. <. For neither is it +ossib"e without Sense to nderstand, nor an we ha-e Sense without nderstandin#. 1?. 4nd yet it is +ossib"e Eor the ime bein# that the nderstandin# may understand without Sense, as they that antasy :isions in their =reams. 11. But it seems unto me, that both the o+erations are in the :isions o =reams, and that the Sense is stirred u+ out o s"ee+, unto awakin#. 12. For man is di-ided into a Body and a Sou"% when both +arts o the Sense aord one with another, then is the understandin# hi"ded, or brou#ht orth by the Cind +ronouned. 1. For the Cind brin#s orth a"" &nte""etions or nderstandin#s. Good ones w hen it reei-eth #ood Seed rom God% and the ontrary when it reei-es them rom =e-i"s. 1*. For there is no +art o the (or"d -oid o the =e-i", whih enterin# in +ri-ate"y, sowed the seed o his own +ro+er o+eration% and the Cind did make +re#nant, or did brin# orth that whih was sown, 4du"teries, Curders, Strikin# o Parents, Sari"e#es, &m+ieties, Stran#"in#s, throwin# down head"on#, and a"" other thin#s whih are the works o e-i" =emons. 1/. 4nd the Seeds o God are ew but Great, and Fair, and Good :irtue, and em+erane, and Piety.
&. 4nd the Piety is the Jnow"ed#e o God, whom whosoe-er knoweth bein# u"" o a"" #ood thin#s, hath =i-ine nderstandin# and not "ike the Cany. 16. 4nd thereore they that ha-e that Jnow"ed#e neither +"ease the mu"titude, nor the mu"titude them, but they seem to be mad, and to mo-e "au#hter, hated and des+ised, and many times a"so murdered. 18. For we ha-e a"ready said, hat wikedness must dwe"" here, bein# in her own re#ion. 1<. For her re#ion is the 3arth, and not the (or"d, as some wi"" sometimes say, B"as+hemin#. 2?. But the God"y or Godworshi++in# Can "ayin# ho"d on Jnow"ed#e, wi"" des+ise or tread under a"" these thin#s% or thou#h they be e-i" to other men, yet to him a"" thin#s are #ood. 21. 4nd u+on mature onsideration, he reers a"" thin#s to Jnow"ed#e, and that whih is most to be wondered at, he a"one makes e-i" thin#s #ood. 22. But & return a#ain to my =isourse o Sense. 2. &t is thereore a thin# +ro+er to Can, to ommuniate and on$oin Sense and nderstandin#. 2*. But e-ery man, as & said beore, "oth not en$oy nderstandin#% or one man is materia", another essentia". 2/. 4nd he that is materia" with wikedness as & said, reei-ed rom the =e-i"s the Seed o nderstandin#% but they that are with the Good essentia""y, are sa-ed with God. 2. For God is the (orkman o a"" thin#s% and when he worketh he useth 0ature. 26. He maketh a"" thin#s #ood "ike himse"] 28. But these thin#s that are made #ood, are in the use o O+eration, un"awu". 2<. For the Cotion o the (or"d stirrin# u+ Generations, makes \ua"ities, inetin# some with e-i"ness, and +uriyin# some with #ood. ? 4nd the (or"d, 4s"e+ius, hath a +eu"iar Sense and nderstandin#, not "ike to Can's, nor so -arious or manio"d, but a better and more sim+"e. 1. For this Sense and nderstandin# o the (or"d is One, in that it makes a"" thin#s, and unmakes them a#ain into itse"% or it is the Or#an or &nstrument o the (i"" o God. 2. 4nd it is so or#ani5ed or ramed, and made or an &nstrument by God% that reei-in# a"" Seeds into itse" rom God, and kee+in# them in itse", it maketh a"" thin#s eDetua""y and disso"-in# them, reneweth a"" thin#s. . 4nd thereore "ike a #ood Husbandman o @ie, when thin#s are disso"-ed or "oosened, he aDords by the astin# o Seed, reno-ation to a"" thin#s that #row. *. here is nothin# that it Ethe (or"d "oth not be#et or brin# orth a"i-e% and by its Cotion, it makes a"" thin#s a"i-e. /. 4nd it is at one, both the P"ae and the (orkman o @ie.
. But the Bodies are rom the Catter, in a diDerent manner% or some are o the 3arth, some o (ater, some o 4ir, some o Fire, and a"" are om+ounded, but some are more om+ounded, and some are more sim+"e. 6. hey that are om+ounded, are the hea-ier, and they that are "ess, are the hi#her. 8. 4nd the switness o the Cotion o the (or"d, makes the -arieties o the \ua"ities o Generation, or the s+iration or in7uene, bein# most reAuent, etendeth unto the Bodies Aua"ities with one u"ness, whih is o @ie. <. hereore, God is the Father o the (or"d, but the (or"d is the Father o thin#s in the (or"d. *?. 4nd the (or"d is the Son o God, but thin#s in the (or"d are the Sons o the (or"d. *1. 4nd thereore it is we"" a""ed the (or"d, that is an Ornament, beause it adorneth and beautifeth a"" thin#s with the -ariety o Generation, and indefieny o @ie, whih the unweariedness o O+eration, and the switness o 0eessity with the min#"in# o 3"ements, and the order o thin#s done. *2. hereore it is neessari"y and +ro+er"y a""ed the (or"d. *. For o a"" "i-in# thin#s, both the Sense and the nderstandin#, ometh into them rom without, ins+ired by that whih om+asseth them about, and ontinueth them. **. 4nd the (or"d reei-in# it one rom God as soon as it was made, hath it sti"", (hat 3-er it One Had. */. But God is not as it seems to some who B"as+heme throu#h su+erstition, without Sense, and without Cind, or nderstandin#. *. For a"" thin#s that are, O 4s"e+ius, are in God, and made by him, and de+end o him, some workin# by Bodies, some mo-in# by a Sou""ike 3ssene, some Auikenin# by a S+irit, and some reei-in# the thin#s that are weary, and a"" -ery ft"y. *6. Or rather, & say, that he hath them not, but & de"are the ruth, He is 4"" hin#s, not reei-in# them rom without, but ehibitin# them outward"y. *8. 4nd this is the Sense and nderstandin# o God, to mo-e a"" thin#s a"ways. *<. 4nd there ne-er sha"" be any time, when any o those thin#s that are, sha"" ai" or be wantin#. /?. (hen & say the thin#s that are, & mean God, or the thin#s that are, God hash% and neither is there anythin# without him, nor he without anythin#. /1. hese thin#s, O 4s"e+ius, wi"" a++ear to be true, i thou understand them, but i thou understand them not, inredib"e. /2. For to understand, is to be"ie-e, but not to be"ie-e, is not to understand% For my s+eeh or words reah not unto the ruth, but the Cind is #reat, and bein# "ed or onduted or a whi"e by S+eeh, is ab"e to attain to the ruth.
/. 4nd understandin# a"" thin#s round about, and fndin# them onsonant, and a#reeab"e to those thin#s that were de"i-ered and inter+reted by S+eeh, be"ie-eth% and in that #ood be"ie, resteth. /*. o them, thereore, that understand the thin#s that ha-e been said o God, they are redib"e, but to them that understand them not, inredib"e. //. 4nd "et these and thus many thin#s be s+oken onernin# nderstandin# and Sense.
The Corpus Hermeticum 05. >n Thought and +ense translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: This somewhat di0use essay covers a series of topics, starting with 'and to some extent from* the concept that the set of perceptions we call "thoughts" and the set we call "sensory perceptions" are not signi4cantly di0erent from each other! The implications of this idea play a signi4cant role in later Hermetic thought, particularly in the areas of magic and the &rt of $emory< in this tractate, though, the issues involved are barely touched, and the argument wanders into moral dualisms and the e7ually important, but distinct, idea that the (osmos is itself a divine creative power! ection -0, in which understanding is held up as the source and precondition of belief, should probably be seen as part of the same ancient debate on the roles of faith and reason that gave rise to Tertullian1s famous credo 8uia absurdum %+( believe because it is absurd+). !"#
1. & #a-e the Peret Sermon E@o#os yesterday, 4s"e+ius% today & think it ri#ht, as seAue" thereunto, to #o throu#h +oint by +oint the Sermon about Sense. 0ow sense and thou#ht do seem to diDer, in that the ormer has to do with matter, the "atter has to do with substane. But unto me both seem to be atone and not
to diDer in men & mean. &n other "i-es Vor "i-in# reaturesW sense is atoned with 0ature, but in men thou#ht. 0ow mind doth diDer $ust as muh rom thou#ht as God doth rom di-inity. For that di-inity by God doth ome to be, and by mind thou#ht, the sister o the word E"o#os and instruments o one another. For neither doth the word E"o#os fnd utterane without thou#ht, nor is thou#ht maniested without word. 2. So sense and thou#ht both 7ow to#ether into man, as thou#h they were entwined with one another. For neither without sensin# an one think, nor without thinkin# sense. But it is +ossib"e they say to think a thin# a+art rom sense, as those who any si#hts in dreams. But unto me it seems that both o these ati-ities our in dream si#ht, and sense doth +ass out o the s"ee+in# to the wakin# state. For man is se+arated into sou" and body, and on"y when the two sides o his sense a#ree to#ether, does utterane o its thou#ht onei-ed by mind take +"ae. . For it is mind that doth onei-e a"" thou#hts #ood thou#hts when it reei-es the seeds rom God, their ontraries when it reei-eth them rom the daimonia"s% no +art o >osmos bein# ree o daimon, who stea"thi"y doth ree+ into the daimon who's i""umined by God's "i#ht Vi.e., the human sou"W, and sow in him the seed o its own ener#y. 4nd mind onei-es the seed thus sown, adu"tery, murder, +arriide, and sari"e#e, im+iety, and stran#"in#, astin# down +rei+ies, and a"" suh other deeds as are the work o e-i" daimons. *. he seeds o God, 'tis true, are ew, but -ast and air, and #ood -irtue and se"ontro", de-otion. =e-otion is God#nosis% and he who knoweth God, bein# f""ed with a"" #ood thin#s, thinks #od"y thou#hts and not thou#hts "ike the many think. For this ause they who Gnosti are, +"ease not the many, nor the many them. hey are thou#ht mad and "au#hted at% they're hated and des+ised, and sometimes e-en +ut to death.
For we did say that bad must needs dwe"" on earth, where 'tis in its own +"ae. &ts +"ae is earth, and not >osmos, as some wi"" sometimes say with im+ious ton#ue. But he who is a de-otee o God, wi"" bear with a"" one he has sensed the Gnosis. For suh an one a"" thin#s, e'en thou#h they be or others bad, are or him #ood% de"iberate"y he doth reer them a"" unto the Gnosis. 4nd, thin# most mar-e"ous, 'tis he a"one who maketh bad thin#s #ood. /. But & return one more to the =isourse E@o#os on Sense. hat sense doth share with thou#ht in man, doth onstitute him man. But 'tis not e-ery man, as & ha-e said, who benefts by thou#ht% or this man is materia", that other one substantia". For the materia" man, as & ha-e said, onsortin# with the bad, doth ha-e his seed o thou#ht rom daimons% whi"e the substantia" men onsortin# with the Good, are sa-ed by God. 0ow God is Caker o a"" thin#s, and in His makin#, He maketh a"" at "ast "ike to Himse"% but they, whi"e they're beomin# #ood by eerise o their ati-ity, are un+roduti-e thin#s. &t is the workin# o the >osmi >ourse that maketh their beomin#s what they are, beou"in# some o them with bad and others o them makin# "ean with #ood. For >osmos, too, 4s"e+ius, +ossesseth senseand thou#ht +eu"iar to itse", not "ike that o man% 'tis not so manio"d, but as it were a better and a sim+"er one. . he sin#"e senseandthou#ht o >osmos is to make a"" thin#s, and make them bak into itse" a#ain, as Or#an o the (i"" o God, so or#ani5ed that it, reei-in# a"" the seeds into itse" rom God, and kee+in# them within itse", may make a"" maniest, and then disso"-in# them, make them a"" new a#ain% and thus, "ike a Good Gardener o @ie, thin#s that ha-e been disso"-ed, it taketh to itse", and #i-eth them renewa" one a#ain. here is no thin# to whih it #i-es not "ie% but takin# a"" unto itse" it makes them "i-e, and is at the same time the P"ae o @ie and its >reator.
6. 0ow bodies matter made are in di-ersity. Some are o earth, o water some, some are o air, and some o fre. But they are a"" om+osed% some are more om+osite, and some are sim+"er. he hea-ier ones are more om+osed, the "i#hter "ess so. &t is the s+eed o >osmos' >ourse that works the manio"dness o the kinds o births. For bein# a most swit Breath, it doth bestow their Aua"ities on bodies to#ether with the One P"eroma that o @ie. 8. God, then, is Sire o >osmos% >osmos, o a"" in >osmos. 4nd >osmos is God's Son% but thin#s in >osmos are by >osmos. 4nd +ro+er"y hath it been a""ed >osmos Order% or that it orders a"" with their di-ersity o birth, with its not "ea-in# au#ht without its "ie, with the unweariedness o its ati-ity, the s+eed o its neessity, the om+osition o its e"ements, and order o its reatures. he same, then, o neessity and +ro+riety shou"d ha-e the name o Order. he senseandthou#ht, then, o a"" "i-es doth ome into them rom without, inbreathed by what ontains them a""% whereas >osmos reei-es them one or a"" to#ether with its omin# into bein#, and kee+s them as a #it rom God. <. But God is not, as some su++ose, beyond the reah o senseandthou#ht. &t is throu#h su+erstition men thus im+ious"y s+eak. For a"" the thin#s that are, 4s"e+ius, a"" are in God, are brou#ht by God to be, and do de+end on Him both thin#s that at throu#h bodies, and thin#s that throu#h sou"substane make other thin#s to mo-e, and thin#s that make thin#s "i-e by means o s+irit, and thin#s that take unto themse"-es the thin#s that are worn out. 4nd ri#ht"y so% nay, & wou"d rather say, He doth not ha-e these thin#s% but & s+eak orth the truth, He is them a"" Himse". He doth not #et them rom without, but #i-es them out rom Him.
his is God's senseandthou#ht, e-er to mo-e a"" thin#s. 4nd ne-er time sha"" be when e'en a whit o thin#s that are sha"" ease% and when & say Ka whit o thin#s that areK, & mean a whit o God. For thi#s that are, God hath% nor au#ht is there without Him, nor is He without au#ht. 1?. hese thin#s shou"d seem to thee, 4s"e+ius, i thou dost understand them, true% but i thou dost not understand, thin#s not to be be"ie-ed. o understand is to be"ie-e, to not be"ie-e is not to understand. Cy word E"o#os doth #o beore thee to the truth. But mi#hty is the mind, and when it hath been "ed by word u+ to a ertain +oint, it hath the +ower to ome beore thee to the truth. 4nd ha-in# thou#ht o'er a"" these thin#s, and ound them onsonant with those whih ha-e a"ready been trans"ated by the reason, it hath e'en now be"ie-ed, and ound its rest in that Fair Faith. o those, then, who by God's #ood aid do understand the thin#s that ha-e been said by us abo-e, they're redib"e% but unto those who understand them not, inredib"e. @et so muh, then, su;e on thou#htandsense.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book $6. The Fiteenth Book > Truth to His +on Tat. 1. Hermes. O ruth, O at, it is not +ossib"e that man bein# an im+eret wi#ht, om+ounded o im+eret Cembers, and ha-in# his aberna"e onsistin# o diDerent and many Bodies, shou"d s+eak with any onfdene. 2. But as ar as it is +ossib"e, and $ust, & say, hat ruth is on"y in the 3terna" Bodies, whose -ery Bodies be a"so true.
. he Fire is fre itse" on"y, and nothin# e"se% the 3arth is earth itse" and nothin# e"se% the air is air itse" and nothin# e"se% the water, water itse" and nothin# e"se. *. But our Bodies onsist o a"" these% or they ha-e o the Fire, they ha-e o the 3arth, they ha-e o the (ater, and 4ir, and yet there is neither Fire, nor 3arth, nor (ater, nor 4ir, nor anythin# true. /. 4nd i at the Be#innin# our >onstitution had not ruth, how ou"d men either see the ruth, or s+eak it, or understand it on"y, ee+t God wou"d) . 4"" thin#s thereore u+on 3arth, O at, are not ruth, but imitations o the ruth, and yet not a"" thin#s neither, or they are but ew that are so. 6. But the other thin#s are Fa"sehood, and =eeit, O at, and O+inions "ike the &ma#es o the antasy or a++earane. 8. 4nd when the antasy hath an in7uene rom abo-e, then it is an imitation o ruth, but without that o+eration rom abo-e, it is "et a "ie. <. 4nd as an &ma#e shews the Body desribed, and yet is not the Body o that whih is seen, as it seems to be, and it is seen to ha-e eyes, but it sees nothin#, and ears, but hears nothin# at a""% and a"" other thin#s hath the +iture, but they are a"se, deei-in# the eyes o the beho"der, whi"st they think they see the ruth, and yet they are indeed but "ies. 1?. 4s many thereore as see not Fa"sehood, see the ruth. 11. & thereore we do so understand, and see e-ery one o these thin#s as it is, then we see and understand true thin#s. 12. But i we see or understand any thin# besides or otherwise than that whih is, we sha"" neither understand, nor know the ruth. 1. at. &s ruth thereore u+on 3arth, O Father) 1*. Hermes. hou ost not miss the mark, O Son. ruth indeed is nowhere at a"" u+on 3arth, O at, or it annot be #enerated or made. 1/. But onernin# the ruth, it may be that some men, to whom God wi"" #i-e the #ood seein# Power, may understand it. 1. So that unto the Cind and reason, there is nothin# true indeed u+on 3arth. 16. But unto the rue Cind and !eason, a"" thin#s are antasies or a++earanes, and o+1nions. 18. at. Cust we not thereore a"" it ruth, to understand and s+eak the thin#s that are) 1<. Hermes. But there is nothin# true u+on 3arth. 2?. at. How then is this true, hat we do not know anythin# true) how an that be done here) 21. Hermes. O Son, ruth is the most +eret :irtue, and the hi#hest Good itse", not troub"ed by Catter, not enom+assed by a Body, naked, "ear, unhan#eab"e, -enerab"e, una"terab"e Good. 22 But the thin#s that are here, O Son, are -isib"e, ina+ab"e o Good, orru+tib"e, +assib"e, disso"-ab"e, han#eab"e, ontinua""y a"tered, and made o another.
2. he thin#s thereore that are not true to themse"-es, how an they be true) 2*. For e-ery thin# that is a"tered, is a "ie, not abidin# in what it is% but bein# han#ed it shews us a"ways, other and other a++earanes. 2/. at. &s not man true, O Father) 2. Hermes. 4S ar orth as he is a Can, he is not true, Son% or that whih is true, hath o itse" a"one its onstitution and remains, and abides aordin# to itse", suh as it is. 26. But man onsists o many thin#s and doth not abide o himse" but is turned and han#ed, a#e ater a#e, &dea ater &dea, or orm ater orm, and this whi"e he is yet in the aberna"e. 28. 4nd many ha-e not known their own hi"dren ater a "itt"e whi"e, and many hi"dren "ikewise ha-e not known their own Parents. 2<. &s it then +ossib"e, O at, that he who is so han#ed, is not to be known, shou"d be true) 0o, on the ontrary, he is Fa"sehood, bein# in many 4++earanes o han#es. ?. But do thou understand the true to be that whih abides the same, and is 3terna", but man is not e-er, thereore not rue, but man is a ertain 4++earane, and 4++earane is the hi#hest @ie or Fa"sehood. 1. at. But these 3terna" Bodies, Father, are they not true thou#h they be han#ed) 2. Hermes. 3-erythin# that is be#otten or made, and han#ed is not true, but bein# made by our Pro#enitor, they mi#ht ha-e had true Catter. . But these a"so ha-e in themse"-es, somethin# that is a"se in re#ard o their han#e. *. For nothin# that remains not in itse", is rue. /. at. (hat sha"" one say then, Father, that on"y the Sun whih besides the 0ature o other thin#s, is not han#ed, but abides in itse", is ruth) . Hermes. &t is ruth, and thereore is he on"y intrusted with the (orkmanshi+ o the (or"d, ru"in# and makin# a"" thin#s whom & do both honour, and adore his ruth% and ater the One, and First, & aknow"ed#e him the (orkman. 6. at. (hat thereore doth thou a;rm to be the frst ruth, O Father) 8. Hermes. he One and On"y, O at, that is not o Catter, that is not in a body, that is without >o"our, without Fi#ure or Sha+e, &mmutab"e, na"terab"e, whih a"ways is% but Fa"sehood, O Son, is orru+ted. <. 4nd orru+tion hath "aid ho"d u+on a"" thin#s on 3arth, and the Pro-idene o the rue enom+asseth, and wi"" enom+ass them. *?. For without orru+tion, there an no Generation onsist. *1. For >orru+tion o""oweth e-ery Generation, that it may a#ain be #enerated. *2. For those thin#s that are #enerated, must o neessity be #enerated o those thin#s that are orru+ted, and the thin#s
#enerated must needs be orru+ted, that the Generation o thin#s bein#, may not stand sti"" or ease. *. 4know"ed#e thereore the frst (orkman by the Generation o thin#s. **. >onseAuent"y the thin#s that are #enerated o >orru+tion are a"se, as bein# sometimes one thin#, sometimes another For it is im+ossib"e they shou"d be made the same thin#s a#ain, and that whih is not the same, how is it true) */. hereore, O Son, we must a"" these thin#s antasies or a++earanes. *. 4nd i we wi"" #i-e a man his ri#ht name, we must a"" him the a++earane o Canhood% and a >hi"d, the antasy or a++earane o a >hi"d% an o"d man, the a++earane o an o"d man% a youn# man, the a++earane o a youn# man% and a man o ri+e a#e, the a++earane o a man o ri+e a#e. *6. For neither is a man, a man% nor a hi"d, a hi"d% nor a youn# man, a youn# man% nor an o"d man, an o"d man. *8 But the thin#s that +reeist and that are, bein# han#ed are a"se. *<. hese thin#s understand thus, O Son, as these a"se O+erations, ha-in# their de+endene rom abo-e, e-en o the truth itse". /?. (hih bein# so, & do a;rm that Fa"sehood is the (ork o ruth.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book $'. The +i9teenth Book That ;one o the Things that are can Perish. 1. Hermes. (e must now s+eak o the Sou" and Body, O Son% ater what manner the Sou" is &mmorta", and what o+eration that is, whih onstitutes the Body, and disso"-es it. 2. But in none o these is =eath, or it is a one+tion o a name, whih is either an em+ty word, or e"se it is wron#"y a""ed =eath Eby the takin# away the frst "etter, instead o &mmorta". hanatos or 4thanatos. . For =eath is destrution, but there is nothin# in the who"e wor"d that is destroyed. *. For i the (or"d be a seond God, and an &mmorta" "i-in# (i#ht, it is im+ossib"e that any +art o an &mmorta" "i-in# (i#ht shou"d die. /. But a"" thin#s that are in the (or"d, are members o the (or"d, es+eia""y Can, the reasonab"e "i-in# (i#ht.
. For the frst o a"" is God, the 3terna" and nmade, and the (orkman (orkman o a"" thin#s. 6. he seond is the (or"d, made by him, ater a ter his own &ma#e and by him ho"den to#ether, and nourished, ^nd immorta"i5ed% and as rom its own Father, e-er "i-in#. 8. So that as &mmorta", it is e-er "i-in#, and e-er immorta". <. For that whih is e-er "i-in#, diDers rom that whih is eterna". 1?. For the 3terna" was not be#otten, or made by another% and i it were be#otten or made, yet it was made by itse", not by any other, but it is a"ways made. 11. For the 3terna", as it is 3terna", is the ni-erse. 12. For the Father himse", is 3terna" o himse", but the (or"d was made by the Father, Father, e-er "i-in# and immorta". 1. 4nd as muh Catter as there was "aid u+ by him, the Father Father made it a"" into a Body, and swe""in# it, made it round "ike a S+here, endued it with \ua"ity, bein# itse" immorta", and ha-in# 3terna" Cateria"ity. 1*. he Father Father bein# u"" o &deas, sowed \ua"ities in the S+here, and shut them u+, as in a >ir"e, de"iberatin# to beautiy with e-ery \ua"ity, that whih shou"d aterwards be made. 1/. hen "othin# the ni-ersa" Body with &mmorta"ity, "est the Catter, i it wou"d de+art rom this >om+osition, shou"d be disso"-ed into its own disorder. 1. For when the Catter was inor+orea", O Son, it was disordered, disordered, and it hath here the same onusion dai"y re-o"-ed about other "itt"e thin#s, endued with \ua"ities, in +oint o 4u#mentation, and =iminution, whih men a"" =eath, bein# indeed a disorder ha++enin# about earth"y "i-in# wi#hts. 16. For the Bodies o Hea-en"y thin#s ha-e one order, whih they ha-e reei-ed rom the Father Father at the Be#innin#, and is by the instauration o eah o them, ke+t indisso"-eab"e. 18. But the instauration o earth"y Bodies, is their onsistene% and their disso"ution restores them into indisso"ub"e, that is, &mmorta". 1<. 4nd so there is made a +ri-ation o Sense, but not a destrution o Bodies. 2?. 0ow the third "i-in# wi#ht is Can, made ater the &ma#e o the (or"d% (or"d% and ha-in# by the (i"" o the Father, a Cind abo-e other earth"y wi#hts. 21. 4nd he hath not on"y a sym+athy with the seond God, but a"so an understandin# o the frst. 22. For the seond God, he a++rehends as a Body but the frst, he understands as &nor+orea", and the Cind o the Good. 2. at. 4nd doth not this "i-in# (i#ht +erish) 2*. Hermes. S+eak ad-ised"y, O Son, and "earn what God is, what the (or"d, what an &mmorta" (i#ht, and what a disso"-ab"e One is. 2/. 4nd understand that the (or"d is o God and in God% but Can o the (or"d and in the (or"d. 2. he Be#innin#, and 3nd, and >onsistene o a"", is God.
The Corpus Hermeticum 7000. That ;o >ne o #9isting Things doth Perish but ,en in #rror +peak o Their Changes as Aestructions and as Aeaths translated b ).*.+. ,ead
Notes on the text: The idea of cyclic change central to (H ))), "The 1acred 1ermon", also ta%es center stage here! & current of ancient speculation grounded in astrology held that as the planets returned after vast cycles of time to the same positions, so all events on earth would repeat themselves precisely into eternity in the future and had done so from eternity in the past! The technical technical term for this recurrence, recurrence, apocatastasis, is the word $ead translates as "restoration" in the beginning of section ! "ead footnotes this tractate as +obscure+ and +faulty+ in places, and his translation translation of the beginning of section 9 is conjectural. !"#
1. Hermes >onernin# Sou" and Body, son, we now must s+eak% in what way Sou" is death"ess, and whene omes the ati-ity in om+osin# and disso"-in# Body. For there's no death or au#ht o thin#s that are% the thou#ht this word on-eys, is either -oid o at, or sim+"y by the knokin# oD a sy""ab"e what is a""ed KdeathK, doth stand or Kdeath"essK. For death is o destrution, and nothin# in the >osmos is destroyed. For For i >osmos is seond God, a "ie Vor "i-in# reatureW that annot die, it annot be that any +art o this immorta" "ie shou"d die. 4"" thin#s in >osmos are +arts o >osmos, and most o a"" is man, the rationa" anima". 2. For tru"y frst o a"", eterna" and transendin# birth, is God the uni-ersa"s' Caker. Seond is he Kater His ima#eK, >osmos, brou#ht into bein# by Him, sustained
and ed by Him, made death"ess, as by his own Sire, "i-in# or aye, as e-er ree rom death. 0ow that whih e-er"i-eth, e-er"i-eth, diDers rom the 3terna"% or He hath not been brou#ht to bein# by another, and e-en i He ha-e been brou#ht to bein#, He hath not been brou#ht to bein# by Himse", but e-er is brou#ht into bein#. For the 3terna", in that &t is eterna", is the a"". he Father is Himse" eterna" o Himse", but >osmos hath beome eterna" and immorta" by the Father. . 4nd o the matter stored beneath it Vi.e., beneath the osmosW, the Father Father made o it a uni-ersa" body, and +akin# it to#ether made it s+heria" wra++in# it round the "ie a s+here whih is immorta" in itse", and that doth make materia"ity eterna". But He, the Father, Father, u""f""ed with His ideas, did sow the "i-es Vor "i-in# reaturesW reaturesW into the s+here, and shut them in as in a a-e, wi""in# to order orth the "ie with e-ery kind o "i-in#. So He with death"essness en"osed the uni-ersa" body, that matter mi#ht not wish to se+arate itse" rom body's om+osition, and so disso"-e into its own ori#ina" unorder. For matter, son, when it was yet inor+orate Vi.e., V i.e., not yet ormed into bodiesW, was in unorder. unorder. 4nd it doth sti"" retain down here this nature o unorder en-e"o+in# the rest o the sma"" "i-es Vor "i-in# reaturesW that inreaseandderease inreaseandderease whih men a"" death. *. &t is round earth"y "i-es that this unorder doth eist. For that the bodies o the hea-en"y ones +reser-e one order a""otted to them by the Father as their ru"e% and it is by the restoration o eah one o them this order is +reser-ed indisso"ute. he KrestorationK o o bodies on the earth is thus thus their om+osition, whereas their disso"ution restores them to those bodies whih an ne-er be disso"-ed, that is to say, whih know no death. Pri-ation, thus, o sense is brou#ht about, not "oss o bodies. /. 0ow the third "ie Can, ater the ima#e o the >osmos made, and ha-in# mind, ater the Father's wi"",
beyond a"" earth"y "i-es not on"y doth ha-e ee"in# with the seond God Vi.e., the >osmosW, but a"so hath one+tion o the frst% or o the one 'tis sensib"e as o a body, whi"e o the other it onei-es as bodi"ess and the Good Cind. at =oth then this "ie not +erish) Hermes Hush, sonL and understand what God, what >osmos is, what is a "ie that annot die, and what a "ie sub$et to disso"ution. Iea, understand the >osmos is by God and in God% but Can by >osmos and in >osmos. he soure and "imit and the onstitution o a"" thin#s is God.
Corpus Hermeticum - Book $<. The +e=enteenth Book To :sclepius to be Trul ise. 1. Beause my Son at, in thy absene, wou"d needs "earn the 0ature o the thin#s that are He wou"d not suDer me to #i-e o-er Eas omin# -ery youn# to the know"ed#e o e-ery indi-idua" ti"" & was ored to disourse to him many thin#s at "ar#e, that his ontem+"ation mi#ht rom +oint to +oint, be more easy and suessu". 2. But to thee & ha-e thou#ht #ood to write in ew words, hoosin# out the +rini+a" heads o the thin#s then s+oken, and to inter+ret them more mystia""y, beause thou hast, both more years, and more know"ed#e o 0ature. . 4"" thin#s that a++ear, were made, and are made. *. hose thin#s that are made, are not made by themse"-es, but by another. /. 4nd there are many thin#s made, but es+eia""y a"" thin#s that a++ear, and whih are diDerent, and not "ike. . & the thin#s that be made and done, be made and done by another, there must be one that must make, and do them% and he unmade, and more anient than the thin#s that are made. 6. For & a;rm the thin#s that are made, to be made by another% and it is im+ossib"e, that o the thin#s that are made any shou"d be more anient than a"", but on"y that whih is not made.
8. He is stron#er, and One, and on"y knowin# a"" thin#s indeed, as not ha-in# any thin# more anient than himse". <. For he bears ru"e, both o-er mu"titude, and #reatness, and the di-ersity o the thin#s that are made, and the ontinuity o the Fature and o the O+eration. 1?. Coreo-er, the thin#s that are made, are -isib"e, but he is in-isib"e% and or this ause, he maketh them, that he may be -isib"e% and thereore he makes them a"ways. 11. hus it is ft to understand and understandin# to admire and admirin# to think thy se" ha++y, that knowest thy natura" Father. 12. For what is sweeter than a 0atura" Father) 1. (ho thereore is this, or how sha"" we know him) 1*. Or is it $ust to asribe unto him a"one, the it"e and 4++e""ation o God, or o the Caker, or o the Father, or o a"" hree) hat o God beause o his Power% the Caker beause o his (orkin# and O+eration% and the Father, beause o his Goodness. 1/. For Power is diDerent rom the thin#s that are made, but 4t or O+eration, in that a"" thin#s are made. 1. (hereore, "ettin# #o a"" muh and -ain ta"kin#, we must understand these two thin#s, hat (hih is Cade, and Him (hih is the Caker% or there is nothin# in the midd"e, between these wo, nor is there any third. 16. hereore understandin# 4"" thin#s, remember these wo% and think that these are 4"" thin#s, +uttin# nothin# into doubt% neither o the thin#s abo-e, nor o the thin#s be"ow% neither o thin#s han#eab"e, nor thin#s that are in darkness or seret. 18. For 4"" thin#s, are but two hin#s, hat whih Caketh, and that whih is Cade, and the One o them annot de+art, or be di-ided rom the Other. 1<. For neither is it +ossib"e that the maker shou"d be without the thin# made, or either o them is the se"same thin#% thereore annot the One o them be se+arated rom the other, no more than a thin# an be se+arated rom itse". 2?. For i he that makes be nothin# e"se, but that whih makes a"one, Sim+"e, nom+ounded, it is o neessity, that he makes the same thin# to himse", to whom it is the Generation o him that maketh to be a"so 4"" that is made. 21. For that whih is #enerated or made, must neessari"y be #enerated or made by another, but without the Caker that whih is made, neither is made, nor is% or the one o them without the other, hath "ost his +ro+er 0ature by the +ri-ation o the other. 22. So i these wo be onessed, hat whih maketh, and that whih is made, then they are One in nion, this #oin# beore, and that o""owin#. 2. 4nd that whih #oeth beore, is, God the Caker, and that whih o""ows is, that whih is made, be it what it wi"". 2*. 4nd "et no man be araid beause o the -ariety o thin#s that are made or done, "est he shou"d ast an as+ersion o baseness, or
inamy u+on God, or it is the on"y G"ory o him to do, or make 4"" thin#s. 2/. 4nd this makin#, or ature is as it were the Body o God, and to him that maketh or doth, there is nothin# e-i", or f"thy to be im+uted, or here is 0othin# thou#ht 3-i" or Fi"thy. 2. For these are Passions that o""ow Generation as !ust doth >o++er, or as 3rements do the Body. 26. But neither did the >o++ersmith make the !ust, nor the Caker the Fi"th, nor God the 3-i"ness. 28. But the -iissitude o Generation doth make them, as it were to b"ossom out% and or this ause did make >han#e to be, as one shou"d say, he Pur#ation o Generation. 2<. Coreo-er, is it "awu" or the same Painter to make both Hea-en, and the Gods, and the 3arth, and the Sea, and Cen, and brute Beasts, and inanimate hin#s, and rees% and is it im+ossib"e or God to make these thin#s) O the #reat madness, and i#norane o men in thin#s that onern GodL ?. For men that think so, suDer that whih is most ridiu"ous o a""% or +roessin# to b"ess and +raise God yet in not asribin# to him the makin# or doin# o 4"" thin#s, they know him not. 1. 4nd besides their not knowin# him, they are etreme"y im+ious a#ainst him, attributin# unto him Passions, as Pride, or O-ersi#ht, or (eakness, or &#norane, or 3n-y. 2. For i he do not make or do a"" thin#s, he is either +roud or not ab"e, or i#norant, or en-ious, whih is im+ious to a;rm. . For God hath on"y one Passion, name"y Good and he that is #ood is neither +roud, nor im+otent, nor the rest, but God is Good itse". *. For Good is a"" +ower, to do or make a"" thin#s, and e-ery thin# that is made, is made by God, that is by the Good and that an make or do a"" thin#s. /. See then how he maketh a"" thin#s, and how the thin#s are done, that are done, and i thou wi"t "earn, thou mayest see an &ma#e thereo, -ery beautiu", and "ike. . @ook u+on the Husbandman, how he asteth Seeds into the 3arth, here (heat, there Bar"ey, and e"sewhere some other Seeds. 6. @ook u+on the same Can, +"antin# a :ine, or an 4++"eree, or a Fi#ree, or some other ree. 8. So doth God in Hea-en sow &mmorta"ity, in the 3arth >han#e in the who"e @ie, and Cotion. <. 4nd these thin#s are not many, but ew, and easi"y numbered or they are a"" but our, God and Generation, in whih are a"" thin#s.
The Emerald Ta&let o Herm)s Trisme*istos
Hermo+ St)l) Smara*din) , Ta&+la Smara*dina Hermetis
The #merald Tablet o Herms Trismegistos is a =er brie te9t ritten in a smbolicall rich orm common to :lchemical and apocalptic =ision te9ts. 0ts legendar pro=enance is as the te9t o an ancient +tele inscribed b the antedilu=ian ,aster Herms Trismegistos and disco=ered in the tomb o Herms b :pollonios o Tana. The #merald Tablet has or centuries held the status o Hol Book or +cripture or man Hermetists and :lchemists. D:dam Forrest
#merald Tablet 0nde9 The #=erard :nnotated Translation ($'3&! The ;eton Translation (c. $'?&! The /atin Te9t o 1ecretum 1ecretorum(c. $$3&!
'H=* 'H=* 'H=*
The #=erard :nnotated Translation ($'3&! &t is true without any "yin#, ertain and most true, that whih is inerior, or be"ow, is as that whih is su+erior or abo-e
there being one niversal matter and form of all things, di;erenced only by accident, and particularly by that great mystery of
perations thereof, is the Sun, and the mother or which supplies the place of thereo a female and Patient is the Coon% the 0urse thereo receiving in her lap all the in?uences of heat and
moisture, the ulphur and "ercury of Nature %for the pirit of #>@ moveth not but upon the 7ace of the water) is the 3arth. he (ind or 4ir as one of the links in the arried in its Be""y chain, that link superior things to them that are below. his is the Father original and fountain o a"" +eretion, and all the secret and miraculous things done in the world2 (hose ore is then +eret to perform those "iracles, and and om+"ete many more when it is turned into 3arth% that is from a volatile and un6xed thing as it was both before and in the preparation, to a most 6xed 3arth, but 8uintessential, wherein all the virtues are both concentred and doubled, nay in6nitely increased. To which purpose hou sha"t se+arate the 3arth for they being united, and the rom the Fire, subject being but one thing %like *dam and 3ve before their separation, or Plato1s 'ermaphrodite, a man and a woman joined together back to back) could not generate or beget, till all parts be separated, and purged2 and the subt"e or fne aethereal rom the thik or #ross, all haste being from 'ell, sweet"y and with muh "eisure and with a #reate dea" o wit, judgment and discretion: for to every thing there is an appointed time, and for the production of all animals, vegetables and minerals, the measure of the (gne %6re) is measured, / 3dras A, 9. *nd therefore is re8uisite both patience to persevere and expect the appointed time, and wit or judgment to 6nd, and order the 6re. &t asendeth rom 3arth to even as the rain, which in like
Hea-en, and desendeth rom manner is often cohobated Hea-en to 3arth, upon the earth2 and one part of it is by the appointment of wisdom 6xed into earth, whilst another part of earth is attenuated and dissolved2 this being the perpetual motion of wisdom itself : and by this means it aAuireth the subtilty, purity, penetrative the -irtue and +ower o a"" activity of 6re, light, heaven thin#s abo-e, and thin#s be"ow, the ?uidness, 6xedness and capableness of all in?uences, which the lower elements of 3arth and =ater have. So sha"t thou ha-e the #"ory o which consisteth in long life, the who"e wor"d health, youth, riches, wisdom and virtue, hereore sha"" a"" obsurity 7y the obscurity and darkness of rom thee the body, its distemper and sickness2 of the oul and "ind, that which ariseth from these ignorances which is cured not in the branch only but in the root, when we have put our light in a clear glass. his is the most stron# the mightiest expression of all stren#th o a"" stren#th, the power strength and e4cacy of nature which can be in sublunary things, or it wi"" o-erome any subt"e *s metals in "ercury, and the thin#, spirit of the bodies2 which though they be thin it will be congealed, and though they be volatile, it will 6x: and likewise in living weight, there is no disease so spiritual but it will root it out: and e-ery hard thin# it wi"" *s well in compact metals with +iere whom it will join inseparably, as in diseases that a;ect the solidest part of bodies. hus was the (or"d reated Therefore do the philosophers call their tone, the little world made of the same &haos, and after the same manner that
the great one was. From whene wi"" be wonderu" or 6ttings of *gents and ada+tations, Patients, and by that means strange productions in all the kingdoms of Nature, animal, vegetable and mineral2 and the manner o them is which is showed and set down this, before, and the method of operation the same: hereore am & a""ed Hermes or the thrice greatest "ercury, risme#istus ha-in# the three +arts o the *nd endowed with the +hi"oso+hy o the who"e wor"d, knowledge of the Body, oul and pirit, whereof all things consist, and of all things that are in the three kingdoms of Nature. hus endeth that whih & ha-e for whatsoever is made or s+oken o the o+eration o the done in all sublunary matters, Sun is done only by the power of the un, of whom the Psalmist saith the *lmighty hath placed his Tabernacle, it being the 7ountain of all natural heat or Nature itself in the &reatures, which is nothing but the 6nger or ordinate power of the *lmighty2 *nd the 6nger or power of #od, is #od 'imself, to whom is due all that, and in6nitely more, than the creatures can possibly ascribe unto 'im. Blessed be 'e for evermore. *men. 7inished at 7ulham on unday *ugust C, -DA0. By !.3.@.@.
The Translation o +ir 0saac ;eton (c. $'?&! is true without "yin#, ertain U most true. hat wh is be"ow is "ike that wh is abo-e U that wh is abo-e is "ike yt wh is be"ow to do ye mira"es o one on"y thin#. 4nd as a"" thin#s ha-e been U arose rom one by ye mediation o one so a"" thin#s ha-e their birth rom this one thin# by ada+tation. he Sun is its ather, the moon its mother, the wind hath arried it in its be""y, the earth its nourse. he ather o a"" +eretion in ye who"e wor"d is here. &ts ore or +ower is entire i it be on-erted into earth. Se+arate thou ye earth rom ye fre, ye subti"e rom the #ross sweet"y wth #reat indoustry. &t asends rom ye earth to ye hea-en U a#ain it desends to ye earth and reei-es ye ore o thin#s su+erior U inerior. By this means you sha"" ha-e ye #"ory o ye who"e wor"d U thereby a"" obsurity sha"" 7y rom you. &ts ore is abo-e a"" ore, or it -anAuishes e-ery subti"e thin# U +enetrates e-ery so"id thin#. So was ye wor"d reated. From this are U do ome admirab"e ada+taions whereo ye means Eor +roess is here in this. Hene & am a""ed Hermes risme#ist, ha-in# the three +arts o ye +hi"oso+hy o ye who"e wor"d. hat wh & ha-e said o ye o+eration o ye Sun is aom+"ished U ended.
The /atin Te9t o 1ecretum 1ecretorum(c. $$3&! :erum, sine mendaio, ertum, et -erissimum \uod est inerius est siut Auod est su+erius, et Auod est su+erius est siut Auod est inerius, ad +er+etranda mirau"a rei unius. 3t siut res omnes uerunt ab uno, meditatione unius, si omnes res natae ab ha una re, ada+tatione. Pater eius est so"% mater eius est "una. Porta-it i""ud -entus in -entre suo% nutri eius terra est. Pater omnis te"esmi totius mundi est hi. :irtus eius inte#ra est, si -ersa uerit in terram. Se+arabis terram ab i#ne, subti"e ab +isso, sua-iter, ma#no um in#enio. 4sendit a terra in oe"um, iterumAue desendit in terram, et rei+it -im su+eriorum et ineriorum. Si habebis #"oriam totius mundi. &deo u#iet a te omnis obsuritas. Hae est totius ortitudinis ortitudo ortis, Auia -inet omnem rem subti"em, omnemAue so"idam +enetrabit. Si mundus reatus est. Hin erunt ada+tationes mirabi"es, Auarum modus est his. &taAue -oatus sum Hermes risme#istus, habens tres +artes +hi"oso+hiae totius mundi. >om+"etum est Auod dii de o+eratione so"is.
+T>BE0 H#*,#T0C8, 70 The ,ead Translation and Commentar
The si9th e9cerpt rom the Hermetica preser=ed b the fthcentur ,acedonian ohannes o +tobi is identifed onl as Hermou e% t>n pros Tat G in his /atin translation Cardinal Patrii suggested ?f the 1tars and later ,ead oIered the less ambiguous ?f the 6ecans and the 1tars . The olloing is the #nglish translation o $%&' b ).*.+. ,ead the Theosophist prolifc esoteric scholar and ounder o the uest +ociet. --:dam Forrest
+tobJi Hermeticum /ibellus 701 > the Aecans and1 the +tars
(Patrii (p. 2?b! does not gi=e the frst third o the te9t (KK $-6! and his title > the +tars is e=identl incompleteG it is olloed b To the +ame i.e. Tat1. Te9tL +tob. Phs. 99i % under the headingL o Hermes rom the +ermon1 to Tat pp. $?3-%&G
,. $@%-22G . i $?%-%3. ,Mnard /i=re 07 ;o. =i o Fragments rom The Books o Hermes to His +on Tat pp. @3@-< under the sub-heading > the Aecans and the +tars.!
1. at. Sine in thy ormer Genera" Sermons E@o#oi, ather, thou didst +romise me an e+"anation o the Siandthirty =eans, e+"ain, & +rithee, now onernin# them and their ati-ity. Her. here's not the s"i#htest wish in me not to do so, O at, and this shou"d +ro-e the most authoritati-e sermon E"o#os and the hieest o them a"". So +onder on it we"". (e ha-e a"ready s+oken unto thee about the >ir"e o the 4nima"s, or the @ie#i-in# one, o the Fi-e P"anets, and o Sun and Coon, and o the >ir"e o eah one o these. 2. at. hou hast done so, hrie#reatest one. Her. hus wou"d & ha-e thee understand as we"" about the Si andthirty =eansa""in# the ormer thin#s to mind, in order that the sermon on the "atter may a"so be we"" understood by thee. at. & ha-e rea""ed them, ather, to my mind. Her. (e said, my son, there is a Body whih enom+asses a"" thin#s. >onei-e it, then, as bein# in itse" a kind o f#ure o a s+here"ike sha+e% so is the uni-erse onormed. at. &'-e thou#ht o suh a f#ure in my mind, $ust as thou dost desribe, O ather mine. . Her. Beneath the >ir"e o this a""embrain# rame are ran#ed the Siandthirty =eans, between this >ir"e o the ni-erse and that one o the 4nima"s, determinin# the boundaries o both these >ir"es, and, as it were, ho"din# that o the 4nima"s a"ot u+ in the air, and so defnin# it. hey share the motion o the P"anetary S+heres, and yet ha-e eAua" +owers with the main motion o the (ho"e, rosswise the Se-en. hey're heked by nothin# but the 4""enir"in# Body, or this must be the fna" thin# in the who"e #rades o motionitse" by its own se". But they s+eed on the Se-en other >ir"es, beause they mo-e with a "ess ra+id motion than the >ir"e o the 4"".
@et us, then, think o them as thou#h o (athers stationed round and wathin# o-er both the Se-en themse"-es and o'er the >ir"e o the 4""or rather o-er a"" thin#s in the (or"dho"din# to#ether a"", and kee+in# the #ood order o a"" thin#s. *. at. hus do & ha-e it, ather, in my mind, rom what thou say'st. Her. Coreo-er, at, thou shou"d'st ha-e in thy mind that they are a"so ree rom the neessities "aid on the other Stars. hey are not heked and sett"ed in their ourse, nor are they urther hindered and made to tread in their own ste+s a#ain% nor are they ke+t away rom the Sun's "i#hta"" o whih thin#s the other Stars endure. But ree, abo-e them a"", as thou#h they were inerrant Guards and O-erseers o the who"e, they ni#ht and day surround the uni-erse. /. at. =o these, then, a"so, urther eerise an in7uene u+on us) Her. he #reatest, O my son. For i they at in them, how shou"d they ai" to at on us as we""both on eah one o us and #enera""y) hus, O my son, o a"" those thin#s that ha++en #enera""y, the brin#in# into ation is rom these% as or eam+"eand +onder what & saydowna""s o kin#doms, states' rebe""ions, +"a#ues and amines, tida" wa-es and Auakin#s o the earth% no one o these, O son, takes +"ae without their ation . 0ay, urther sti"", bear this in mind. & they ru"e o-er them, and we are in our turn beneath the Se-en, dost thou not think that some o their ati-ity etends to us as we""who are assured"y their sons, or ome into eistene by their means) . at. (hat, then, may be the ty+e o body that they ha-e, O ather mine) Her. he many a"" them daimones% but they are not some s+eia" "ass o daimones, or they ha-e not some other kind o bodies made o some s+eia" kind o matter, nor are they mo-ed by means o sou", as we are mo-ed, but they are sim+"e o+erations o these Siandthirty Gods. 0ay, urther, sti"", ha-e in thy mind, O at, their o+erationsthat they ast in the earth the seed o those whom men a"" anes, some +"ayin# the +art o sa-iours, others bein# most destruti-e.
6. Further the Stars in hea-en as we"" do in their se-era" ourses bear them underworkers% and they ha-e ministers and warriors too. 4nd they in e-er"astin# on#ress with them s+eed on their ourse in _ther 7oatin#, u""f""in# a"" its s+ae, so that there is no s+ae abo-e em+ty o stars. hey are the osmi en#ine o the uni-erse, ha-in# their own +eu"iar ation, whih is subordinate, howe-er, to the ation o the hirtysirom whom throu#hout a"" "ands arise the deaths o a"" the other "i-es with sou"s, and hosts o "esser "i-es that s+oi" the ruit. 8. 4nd under them is what is a""ed the Bear$ust in the midd"e o the >ir"e o the 4nima"s, om+osed o se-en stars, and with another orres+ondin# Bear abo-e its head. &ts ener#y is as it were an a"e's, settin# nowhere and nowhere risin#, but sto++in# e-er in the se"same s+ae, and turnin# round the same, #i-in# its +ro+er motion to the @ie+roduin# >ir"e, and handin# o-er this who"e uni-erse rom ni#ht to day, rom day to ni#ht. 4nd ater this there is another hoir o stars, to whih we ha-e not thou#ht it +ro+er to #i-e names% but they who wi"" ome ater us, in imitation, wi"" #i-e them names themse"-es. <. 4#ain, be"ow the Coon, are other stars, orru+tib"e, de+ri-ed o ener#y, whih ho"d to#ether or a "itt"e whi"e, in that they'-e been eha"ed out o the earth itse" into the air abo-e the earthwhih e-er are bein# broken u+, in that they ha-e a nature "ike unto that o use"ess "i-es on earth, whih ome into eistene or no other +ur+ose than to diesuh as the tribe o 7ies, and 7eas, and worms, and other thin#s "ike them. For these are useu", at, neither to us nor to the wor"d% but, on the ontrary, they troub"e and annoy, bein# nature's by+roduts, whih owe their birth to her etra-a#ane. 9ust in the same way, too, the stars eha"ed rom earth do not attain the u++er s+ae. hey annot do so, sine they are sent orth rom be"ow% and, owin# to the #reatness o their wei#ht, dra##ed down by their own matter, they Auik"y are dis+ersed, and, breakin# u+, ai" bak a#ain on earth, aDetin# nothin# but the mere disturbane o the air about the earth. 1?. here is another "ass, O at, that o the soa""ed "on#haired stars, a++earin# at their +ro+er times, and ater a short time, beomin# one a#ain in-isib"e they neither rise nor set nor are they
broken u+. hese are the bri""iant messen#ers and hera"ds o the #enera" destinies o thin#s that are to be. hey ou+y the s+ae be"ow the >ir"e o the Sun. (hen, then, some hane is #oin# to ha++en to the wor"d, omets a++ear, and, shinin# or some days, a#ain return behind the >ir"e o the Sun, and stay in-isib"esome showin# in the east, some in the north, some in the west, and others in the south. (e a"" them Pro+hets. 11. Suh is the nature o the stars. he stars, howe-er, diDer rom the star#rou+s. he stars are they whih sai" in hea-en% the star #rou+s, on the ontrary, are fed in hea-en's rame, and they are borne a"on# to#ether with the hea-enwe"-e out o whih we a"" the Zdia. He who knows these an orm some notion "ear"y o what God is% and, i one shou"d dare say so, beomin# thus a seer or himse", so ontem+"ate Him, and, ontem+"atin# Him, be b"essed.
12. at. B"essed, in truth, is he, O ather mine, who ontem+"ateth Him. Her. But 'tis im+ossib"e, O son, that one in body shou"d ha-e this #ood hane. Coreo-er, he shou"d train his sou" beorehand, here and now, that when it reaheth there, the s+ae where it is +ossib"e or it to ontem+"ate, it may not miss its way. But men who "o-e their bodiessuh men wi"" ne-er ontem+"ate the :ision o the Beautiu" and Good. For what, O son, is that air Beauty whih hath no orm nor any o"our, nor any mass) at. >an there be au#ht that's beautiu" a+art rom these) Her. God on"y, O my son% or rather that whih is sti"" #reaterthe +ro+er name o God.
Footnotes o ).*.+. ,ead
0ote 1. 0ote 2. 0ote . 0ote *. 0ote /. 0ote . 0ote 6. 0ote 8. 0ote <.
0ote 1?. 0ote 11. 0ote 12. 0ote 1. 0ote 1*. 0ote
en tois em+rothen #enikois "o#ois. >. >. H., Ei, 1 and 6% iii Ei-, 1% and 3. -iii, 1. hese are the KHoroso+esK o P. S. 4., i, . >. a"so Ori#en, >. >e"s., -iii, /8% ! 22/, n. 1. Or ener#y. he 5odia% +eri tou 5diakou kyk"ou hQ 5o+horouo whih the seond member is +robab"y a #"oss% but see R 8 be"ow. Or s+here. Or body. hat is, the =eans. Or ni-erse. his reers to the astronomia" system under"yin# the Pytha#oreoP"atoni tradition, as, or instane, set orth a""e#oria""y and symbo"ia""y by P"ato in the amous +assa#e in he imaeus E s, >. Khe entire om+ound he Ethe =emiur#e di-ided "en#thways into two +arts, whih he $oined to one another at the entre "ike the "etter , and bent them into a iru"ar orm, onnetin# them with themse"-es and eah other at the +oint o++osite to their ori#ina" meetin# +oint% and, om+rehendin# them in a uniorm re-o"ution u+on the same ais, he made the one the outer and the other the inner ir"e. 0ow the motion o the outer ir"e he a""ed the motion o the same, and the motion o the inner ir"e the motion o the other or di-erseK E9owett's rans"ation, iii, */*, *//. he symbo"ises the KrosswiseK, whih in terms o motion may be trans"ated as Kin-erse toK. S. the =eans. he =eans. !eerrin#, +resumab"y, to the fed stars and the +"anets. !eadin# a+o or hy+oreerrin# to e"i+ses. Or ener#y. Or ener#ise.
1/. 0ote 1. 0ote 16. 0ote 18. 0ote 1<. 0ote 2?. 0ote 21.
0ote 22. 0ote 2.
0ote 2*. 0ote 2/. 0ote 2.
0ote 26.
hat is, the Se-en S+heres. he rest o the ra#ment is a"so ound in Patri55i E+. 8b, under the tit"e KO the StarsK. Or ener#y. S. the =eans. >. H., -i, 1?. ty+os. he Auestion onernin# the s+iritua" and other s+aes and their inhabitants, KO what ty+e are they)K ours with #reat reAueny in the Brue and 4skew Gnosti >odies. Or ener#ies. hoti kai eis tQn #Qn s+ermati 5ousin as ka"ousi tanas, tas men stQrious, tas de o"e+hritatas. 0either Patri55i nor Gaisord, nor Ceineke, nor (ahsmuth, nor Cnard, has a word to say on this most interestin# +assa#e. & wou"d su##est in the frst +"ae that the tet is au"ty, and that we shou"d read Kous ka"ousi anas, tous men stQrious, tous de o"e+hritatousK% and in the seond that anas is a shortened orm o itanas or itans. anas E) rom an is onneted with tanaos, Kstrethed outK, rom the root tan, $ust as itan is onneted with titainitanes thus si#niyin# the Strethers or Stri-ers. &t may, howe-er, a"so be onneted with titas EtitQsrom tin, and so mean 4-en#ers. >. 9. @aurent. @ydus, =e Censibus, i-, 1 E(. odies. See, or instane Pistis So+hia EShwart5e's rans., +. 1? K4tAue dekanoi arhontn eorumAue "eitour#oi. 1?. he =eans. stratitasso"diers% one o the most amous o the de#rees o the Cithria mysteries was that o the So"dier. See >umont EF., etes et Conuments Fi#urs re"atis au Cyst`res de Cithra EBrue""es% 18<<, 11/, and es+eia""y 116, n. 1.
0ote 28. 0ote 2<. 0ote ?. 0ote 1. 0ote 2. 0ote . 0ote *. 0ote /. 0ote . 0ote 6. 0ote 8. 0ote <. 0ote *?. 0ote *1. 0ote *2. 0ote *. 0ote **. 0ote */. 0ote *. 0ote *6. 0ote *8. 0ote *<.
he Stars+heres. he =eans. ther's. synkosmountes to +an. Or anima"s. he =eans. he Great Bear. >om+are KBeho"d the Bear u+ there that ir"es round the Po"eK. he 5odia. he @itt"e Bear. @it. ener#y. >. R 1 abo-e. S. the Bear. >. P. S. 4., ii, % i-., 1. hat is, a++arent"y, in-ent them out o their own heads ha+ha5ard. !eerrin#, +resumab"y, to the +henomena o Kshootin# starsK. +arako"outhQmataseAue""ae. See the same idea in P"utarh, =e &s. et Os., i-, /, onernin# "ie. he ometstn ka"oumenn kometn. a+ote"esmatn. @it. be"ow. manteis, seers or di-iners. asteres de astrn dia+horan eousin. he asteres are the +"anets, aero"ites and omets% the astra are the sidera,
0ote /?. 0ote /1. 0ote /2. 0ote /. 0ote /*.
si#ns o the fed stars or onste""ations. Or 7oat Eairoumenoi, "it. are raised a"ot. Or body. he 5odia% "it. the anima" si#ns, or si#ns o "i-es. >. 3. i, . Or body.
+T>BE0 H#*,#T0C8, 70 The ,ead Translation and Commentar
The si9th e9cerpt rom the Hermetica preser=ed b the fthcentur ,acedonian ohannes o +tobi is identifed onl as Hermou e% t>n pros Tat G in his /atin translation Cardinal Patrii suggested ?f the 1tars and later ,ead oIered the less ambiguous ?f the 6ecans and the 1tars .
The olloing is the #nglish translation o $%&' b ).*.+. ,ead the Theosophist prolifc esoteric scholar and ounder o the uest +ociet. --:dam Forrest
+tobJi Hermeticum /ibellus 701 > the Aecans and1 the +tars
(Patrii (p. 2?b! does not gi=e the frst third o the te9t (KK $-6! and his title > the +tars is e=identl incompleteG it is olloed b To the +ame i.e. Tat1. Te9tL +tob. Phs. 99i % under the headingL o Hermes rom the +ermon1 to Tat pp. $?3-%&G ,. $@%-22G . i $?%-%3. ,Mnard /i=re 07 ;o. =i o Fragments rom The Books o Hermes to His +on Tat pp. @3@-< under the sub-heading > the Aecans and the +tars.!
1. at. Sine in thy ormer Genera" Sermons E@o#oi, ather, thou didst +romise me an e+"anation o the Siandthirty =eans, e+"ain, & +rithee, now onernin# them and their ati-ity. Her. here's not the s"i#htest wish in me not to do so, O at, and this shou"d +ro-e the most authoritati-e sermon E"o#os and the hieest o them a"". So +onder on it we"". (e ha-e a"ready s+oken unto thee about the >ir"e o the 4nima"s, or the @ie#i-in# one, o the Fi-e P"anets, and o Sun and Coon, and o the >ir"e o eah one o these. 2. at. hou hast done so, hrie#reatest one.
Her. hus wou"d & ha-e thee understand as we"" about the Si andthirty =eansa""in# the ormer thin#s to mind, in order that the sermon on the "atter may a"so be we"" understood by thee. at. & ha-e rea""ed them, ather, to my mind. Her. (e said, my son, there is a Body whih enom+asses a"" thin#s. >onei-e it, then, as bein# in itse" a kind o f#ure o a s+here"ike sha+e% so is the uni-erse onormed. at. &'-e thou#ht o suh a f#ure in my mind, $ust as thou dost desribe, O ather mine. . Her. Beneath the >ir"e o this a""embrain# rame are ran#ed the Siandthirty =eans, between this >ir"e o the ni-erse and that one o the 4nima"s, determinin# the boundaries o both these >ir"es, and, as it were, ho"din# that o the 4nima"s a"ot u+ in the air, and so defnin# it. hey share the motion o the P"anetary S+heres, and yet ha-e eAua" +owers with the main motion o the (ho"e, rosswise the Se-en. hey're heked by nothin# but the 4""enir"in# Body, or this must be the fna" thin# in the who"e #rades o motionitse" by its own se". But they s+eed on the Se-en other >ir"es, beause they mo-e with a "ess ra+id motion than the >ir"e o the 4"". @et us, then, think o them as thou#h o (athers stationed round and wathin# o-er both the Se-en themse"-es and o'er the >ir"e o the 4""or rather o-er a"" thin#s in the (or"dho"din# to#ether a"", and kee+in# the #ood order o a"" thin#s. *. at. hus do & ha-e it, ather, in my mind, rom what thou say'st. Her. Coreo-er, at, thou shou"d'st ha-e in thy mind that they are a"so ree rom the neessities "aid on the other Stars. hey are not heked and sett"ed in their ourse, nor are they urther hindered and made to tread in their own ste+s a#ain% nor are they ke+t away rom the Sun's "i#hta"" o whih thin#s the other Stars endure. But ree, abo-e them a"", as thou#h they were inerrant Guards and O-erseers o the who"e, they ni#ht and day surround the uni-erse. /. at. =o these, then, a"so, urther eerise an in7uene u+on us) Her. he #reatest, O my son. For i they at in them, how shou"d they ai" to at on us as we""both on eah one o us and #enera""y)
hus, O my son, o a"" those thin#s that ha++en #enera""y, the brin#in# into ation is rom these% as or eam+"eand +onder what & saydowna""s o kin#doms, states' rebe""ions, +"a#ues and amines, tida" wa-es and Auakin#s o the earth% no one o these, O son, takes +"ae without their ation . 0ay, urther sti"", bear this in mind. & they ru"e o-er them, and we are in our turn beneath the Se-en, dost thou not think that some o their ati-ity etends to us as we""who are assured"y their sons, or ome into eistene by their means) . at. (hat, then, may be the ty+e o body that they ha-e, O ather mine) Her. he many a"" them daimones% but they are not some s+eia" "ass o daimones, or they ha-e not some other kind o bodies made o some s+eia" kind o matter, nor are they mo-ed by means o sou", as we are mo-ed, but they are sim+"e o+erations o these Siandthirty Gods. 0ay, urther, sti"", ha-e in thy mind, O at, their o+erationsthat they ast in the earth the seed o those whom men a"" anes, some +"ayin# the +art o sa-iours, others bein# most destruti-e. 6. Further the Stars in hea-en as we"" do in their se-era" ourses bear them underworkers% and they ha-e ministers and warriors too. 4nd they in e-er"astin# on#ress with them s+eed on their ourse in _ther 7oatin#, u""f""in# a"" its s+ae, so that there is no s+ae abo-e em+ty o stars. hey are the osmi en#ine o the uni-erse, ha-in# their own +eu"iar ation, whih is subordinate, howe-er, to the ation o the hirtysirom whom throu#hout a"" "ands arise the deaths o a"" the other "i-es with sou"s, and hosts o "esser "i-es that s+oi" the ruit. 8. 4nd under them is what is a""ed the Bear$ust in the midd"e o the >ir"e o the 4nima"s, om+osed o se-en stars, and with another orres+ondin# Bear abo-e its head. &ts ener#y is as it were an a"e's, settin# nowhere and nowhere risin#, but sto++in# e-er in the se"same s+ae, and turnin# round the same, #i-in# its +ro+er motion to the @ie+roduin# >ir"e, and handin# o-er this who"e uni-erse rom ni#ht to day, rom day to ni#ht. 4nd ater this there is another hoir o stars, to whih we ha-e
not thou#ht it +ro+er to #i-e names% but they who wi"" ome ater us, in imitation, wi"" #i-e them names themse"-es. <. 4#ain, be"ow the Coon, are other stars, orru+tib"e, de+ri-ed o ener#y, whih ho"d to#ether or a "itt"e whi"e, in that they'-e been eha"ed out o the earth itse" into the air abo-e the earthwhih e-er are bein# broken u+, in that they ha-e a nature "ike unto that o use"ess "i-es on earth, whih ome into eistene or no other +ur+ose than to diesuh as the tribe o 7ies, and 7eas, and worms, and other thin#s "ike them. For these are useu", at, neither to us nor to the wor"d% but, on the ontrary, they troub"e and annoy, bein# nature's by+roduts, whih owe their birth to her etra-a#ane. 9ust in the same way, too, the stars eha"ed rom earth do not attain the u++er s+ae. hey annot do so, sine they are sent orth rom be"ow% and, owin# to the #reatness o their wei#ht, dra##ed down by their own matter, they Auik"y are dis+ersed, and, breakin# u+, ai" bak a#ain on earth, aDetin# nothin# but the mere disturbane o the air about the earth. 1?. here is another "ass, O at, that o the soa""ed "on#haired stars, a++earin# at their +ro+er times, and ater a short time, beomin# one a#ain in-isib"e they neither rise nor set nor are they broken u+. hese are the bri""iant messen#ers and hera"ds o the #enera" destinies o thin#s that are to be. hey ou+y the s+ae be"ow the >ir"e o the Sun. (hen, then, some hane is #oin# to ha++en to the wor"d, omets a++ear, and, shinin# or some days, a#ain return behind the >ir"e o the Sun, and stay in-isib"esome showin# in the east, some in the north, some in the west, and others in the south. (e a"" them Pro+hets. 11. Suh is the nature o the stars. he stars, howe-er, diDer rom the star#rou+s. he stars are they whih sai" in hea-en% the star #rou+s, on the ontrary, are fed in hea-en's rame, and they are borne a"on# to#ether with the hea-enwe"-e out o whih we a"" the Zdia. He who knows these an orm some notion "ear"y o what God is% and, i one shou"d dare say so, beomin# thus a seer or himse", so ontem+"ate Him, and, ontem+"atin# Him, be b"essed.
12. at. B"essed, in truth, is he, O ather mine, who ontem+"ateth Him.
Her. But 'tis im+ossib"e, O son, that one in body shou"d ha-e this #ood hane. Coreo-er, he shou"d train his sou" beorehand, here and now, that when it reaheth there, the s+ae where it is +ossib"e or it to ontem+"ate, it may not miss its way. But men who "o-e their bodiessuh men wi"" ne-er ontem+"ate the :ision o the Beautiu" and Good. For what, O son, is that air Beauty whih hath no orm nor any o"our, nor any mass) at. >an there be au#ht that's beautiu" a+art rom these) Her. God on"y, O my son% or rather that whih is sti"" #reaterthe +ro+er name o God.
Footnotes o ).*.+. ,ead 0ote 1. 0ote 2. 0ote . 0ote *. 0ote /. 0ote . 0ote 6. 0ote 8. 0ote <.
en tois em+rothen #enikois "o#ois. >. >. H., Ei, 1 and 6% iii Ei-, 1% and 3. -iii, 1. hese are the KHoroso+esK o P. S. 4., i, . >. a"so Ori#en, >. >e"s., -iii, /8% ! 22/, n. 1. Or ener#y. he 5odia% +eri tou 5diakou kyk"ou hQ 5o+horouo whih the seond member is +robab"y a #"oss% but see R 8 be"ow. Or s+here. Or body. hat is, the =eans. Or ni-erse. his reers to the astronomia" system under"yin# the Pytha#oreoP"atoni tradition, as, or instane, set orth a""e#oria""y and symbo"ia""y by P"ato in the amous +assa#e in he imaeus E s, >. Khe entire om+ound he
0ote 1?. 0ote 11. 0ote 12. 0ote 1. 0ote 1*. 0ote 1/. 0ote 1. 0ote 16. 0ote 18. 0ote 1<. 0ote 2?. 0ote 21.
0ote 22. 0ote 2.
Ethe =emiur#e di-ided "en#thways into two +arts, whih he $oined to one another at the entre "ike the "etter , and bent them into a iru"ar orm, onnetin# them with themse"-es and eah other at the +oint o++osite to their ori#ina" meetin# +oint% and, om+rehendin# them in a uniorm re-o"ution u+on the same ais, he made the one the outer and the other the inner ir"e. 0ow the motion o the outer ir"e he a""ed the motion o the same, and the motion o the inner ir"e the motion o the other or di-erseK E9owett's rans"ation, iii, */*, *//. he symbo"ises the KrosswiseK, whih in terms o motion may be trans"ated as Kin-erse toK. S. the =eans. he =eans. !eerrin#, +resumab"y, to the fed stars and the +"anets. !eadin# a+o or hy+oreerrin# to e"i+ses. Or ener#y. Or ener#ise. hat is, the Se-en S+heres. he rest o the ra#ment is a"so ound in Patri55i E+. 8b, under the tit"e KO the StarsK. Or ener#y. S. the =eans. >. H., -i, 1?. ty+os. he Auestion onernin# the s+iritua" and other s+aes and their inhabitants, KO what ty+e are they)K ours with #reat reAueny in the Brue and 4skew Gnosti >odies. Or ener#ies. hoti kai eis tQn #Qn s+ermati 5ousin as ka"ousi tanas, tas men stQrious, tas de o"e+hritatas. 0either Patri55i nor Gaisord, nor Ceineke, nor (ahsmuth, nor Cnard, has a word to say on this most interestin# +assa#e. & wou"d su##est in the frst +"ae that the tet is au"ty, and that we
0ote 2*. 0ote 2/. 0ote 2.
0ote 26.
0ote 28. 0ote 2<. 0ote ?. 0ote 1. 0ote 2. 0ote . 0ote *. 0ote /. 0ote . 0ote 6. 0ote 8.
shou"d read Kous ka"ousi anas, tous men stQrious, tous de o"e+hritatousK% and in the seond that anas is a shortened orm o itanas or itans. anas E) rom an is onneted with tanaos, Kstrethed outK, rom the root tan, $ust as itan is onneted with titainitanes thus si#niyin# the Strethers or Stri-ers. &t may, howe-er, a"so be onneted with titas EtitQsrom tin, and so mean 4-en#ers. >. 9. @aurent. @ydus, =e Censibus, i-, 1 E(. odies. See, or instane Pistis So+hia EShwart5e's rans., +. 1? K4tAue dekanoi arhontn eorumAue "eitour#oi. 1?. he =eans. stratitasso"diers% one o the most amous o the de#rees o the Cithria mysteries was that o the So"dier. See >umont EF., etes et Conuments Fi#urs re"atis au Cyst`res de Cithra EBrue""es% 18<<, 11/, and es+eia""y 116, n. 1. he Stars+heres. he =eans. ther's. synkosmountes to +an. Or anima"s. he =eans. he Great Bear. >om+are KBeho"d the Bear u+ there that ir"es round the Po"eK. he 5odia. he @itt"e Bear. @it. ener#y. >. R 1 abo-e.
