Corpus Hermeticum is collection of several Greek texts from the second and third centuries, survivors from a more extensive literature, known as Hermetica. Hermetica refers to a category of popular Late Antique literature purporting to contain secret wisdom, and generally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. ...

Character of the texts

Most of the texts are presented in the form of a dialogue, a favorite form for didactic material in Antiquity. The subject-matter of Hermetic books is wide-ranging. Some deal with alchemy, magic, and related concepts. Others contain speculation reminiscent of gnosticism or Neoplatonism. It has been suggested that Greco-Roman be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... Sorcery redirects here. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century A.D. Based on the teachings of Plato and the Platonists, it contained enough unique interpretations of Plato that some view Neoplatonism as substantively different from what Plato wrote and believed. ...

Dating

While they are difficult to date with precision, the texts of the Corpus were likely composed between the first and third centuries.

During the Renaissance, these texts were all believed to be of ancient Egyptian origin, and even today some readers believe them to date from pharaonic Egypt. However, by studying the vocabulary of the texts, the classical scholar Isaac Casaubon showed in 1614 that some of the texts (mainly those dealing with philosophy) betrayed a vocabulary too recent to be so old. Recent research, while affirming the late dating, suggests more continuity with the culture of Pharaonic Egypt than had previously been thought (see Fowden, 1986), though it would be fair to assess the Corpus Hermeticum as intellectually eclectic [1]. Khafres Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. ... Isaac Casaubon (February 18, 1559 - July 1, 1614) was a classical scholar, first in France then later in England, regarded by many at the time as the most learned in Europe. ... Events April 5 - In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe. ...

Influences and style

The books now known as the Corpus Hermeticum were part of a renaissance of syncretistic and intellectualized pagan thought that took place around the 2nd century. Other examples of this cultural moment would include Neoplatonist philosophy, the Chaldaean Oracles, late Orphic and Pythagorean literature, as well as much of Gnosticism. Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ... // Events Roman Empire governed by the Five Good Emperors (96–180) – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius. ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century A.D. Based on the teachings of Plato and the Platonists, it contained enough unique interpretations of Plato that some view Neoplatonism as substantively different from what Plato wrote and believed. ... The Chaldean Oracles are a body of literature that consists mainly of Greek commentary on a single mystery_poem that was believed to have originated in Chaldea (Babylon). ... The head of Orpheus, from an 1865 painting by Gustave Moreau. ... Pythagoreanism is a term used for the esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were much influenced by mathematics and probably a main inspirational source for Plato and platonism. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Unlike some Gnostic writings, the Hermetica contain no explicit allusions to Jewish or Christian texts — and this choice seems deliberate. They do, however, contain some unconscious echoes of Biblical themes, underscoring the close if uneasy intermingling of Jewish, Greek and Egyptian currents in Hellenistic Alexandria. Unlike Orphic literature, the works of the Hermetica are unconcerned with the genealogical tedia of Greek mythology. And compared with Chaldaean Oracles and Neoplatonist philosophy, the Hermetic texts dwell far less on the technical minutiae of metaphysical philosophy: their concerns are practical in nature. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Gutenberg Bible owned by the United States Library of Congress The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hÄ“ biblos) (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Work of God, The Word, The Good Book or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βίβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, is the name used by Jews and Christians for their... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The Gutenberg Bible owned by the United States Library of Congress The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hÄ“ biblos) (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Work of God, The Word, The Good Book or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βίβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, is the name used by Jews and Christians for their... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... This article needs to be updated. ... The head of Orpheus, from an 1865 painting by Gustave Moreau. ... // Greek mythology consists in part in a large collection of narratives that explain the origins of the world and detail the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. ... The Chaldean Oracles are a body of literature that consists mainly of Greek commentary on a single mystery_poem that was believed to have originated in Chaldea (Babylon). ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century A.D. Based on the teachings of Plato and the Platonists, it contained enough unique interpretations of Plato that some view Neoplatonism as substantively different from what Plato wrote and believed. ...

The extant Greek texts dwell upon the oneness and goodness of god, urge purification of the soul, and defend pagan religious practices, such as the veneration of images. Many lost Greek texts, and many of the surviving Latin language texts, contained discussions of alchemy clothed in philosophical metaphor. And one text, the Asclepius, lost in Greek but partially preserved in Latin, contained a bloody prophecy of the end of Roman rule in Egypt and the resurgence of pagan Egyptian power. For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ...

The predominant literary form is the dialogue: Hermes Trismegistus instructs a perplexed disciple on some point of hidden wisdom. The dialogue itself is played out upon a spectral canvas of hoary temples marked with hieratic inscriptions, most of which the authors of these works would have been unable to read. Hermes Trismegistus (Greek for Hermes the thrice-greatest, Greek: Ερμης ο Τρισμεγιστος) or Mercurius ter Maximus in Latin, is the syncretism of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian Thoth. ... Development of hieratic script from hieroglyphs; after Champollion. ...

Authorship and audience

Although they often claim to be copies of Egyptian priestly texts or reports of conversations in Egyptian, Hellenisms in the language itself point to the Hermetica 's original Greek. Nevertheless, it is likely that the pseudonymous authors considered themselves Egyptians rather than Alexandrian Greeks, since there are many affirmations of the superiority of the Egyptian language, and the Asclepius contains a bloody prophecy about the expulsion of "foreigners" from Egypt. This article needs to be updated. ...

Renaissance enthusiasts often pointed to Hermetic documents as the apex of pagan thought. Several factors, however, suggest that the tracts had a more popular character. For example, Neoplatonist philosophers, who happily and prolifically quote apocryphal works of Orpheus, Zoroaster, Pythagoras and other legendary figures, almost never cite Hermes. The anti-Greek and anti-Roman attitudes present in the texts reinforce their subaltern character. The Corpus Hermeticum therefore offers us an almost unparalleled view into the religious thinking of non-elite and politically marginal pagans under the Roman Empire. Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century A.D. Based on the teachings of Plato and the Platonists, it contained enough unique interpretations of Plato that some view Neoplatonism as substantively different from what Plato wrote and believed. ... The head of Orpheus, from an 1865 painting by Gustave Moreau. ... Zoroaster, in a popular Parsi Zoroastrian depiction. ... Bust of Pythagoras, Vatican Museum, Rome Pythagoras (approximately 582 BC–507 BC, Greek: Πυθαγόρας) was an Ionian (Greek) mathematician and philosopher, founder of the mystic, religious and scientific society called Pythagoreans, and is known best for the Pythagorean theorem which bears his name. ... Hermes Trismegistus (Greek for Hermes the thrice-greatest, Greek: Ερμης ο Τρισμεγιστος) or Mercurius ter Maximus in Latin, is the syncretism of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian Thoth. ...

Another question persists: did the "Hermetists" who produced and read these books constitute a kind of "sect", comparable to Gnostic groups? Certainly, Hermetic writings were of interest to members of alternative religious communities: parts of the Hermetica appeared in the 4th-century Gnostic library found in Nag Hammadi. On the other hand, the diffuseness in style and subject matter, the widespread distribution of the texts, and also the ease with which anonymous tracts can be produced, would suggest that a great many of the texts were produced by lone individuals or small groups without formal organization. The town of Nag Hammadi in Egypt Nag Hammâdi (Arabic نجع حمادي; transliterated: Naj Hammādi) (26°03′N 32°15′E), is a town in the middle of Egypt, called Chenoboskion in classical antiquity, about 80 kilometres north-west of Luxor with some 30,000 citizens. ...

The Corpus Hermeticum in the Renaissance

Although they were still popular enough in the 5th century to be argued against by St. Augustine in the City of God vii.23–26, Hermetic texts were lost to the West during the Middle Ages. They were, however, rediscovered from Byzantine copies and popularized in Italy during the Renaissance. The impetus for this revival came from the Latin translation by Marsilio Ficino, a member of Cosimo de Medici's court, who published it in 1471, as De potestate et sapientia Dei. Note that the last three tractates contained in modern editions were missing from Ficino's manuscript. They were translated independently from another manuscript, by Ficino's contemporary Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447-1500), and first printed in 1507. The availability of Hermetica provided a seminal force in the development of Renaissance thought and culture, having had a profound influence over alchemy and modern magic, as well as having an impact on philosophers such as Giordano Bruno and Pico della Mirandola, Ficino's student. Aurelius Augustinus, Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430) was one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. ... This article is about the work by St. ... Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, for many a symbol of the changes of the Western culture during the Renaissance Western culture refers to the culture of western Europe and the Americas that has developed in modern times. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... In the traditional view, the Renaissance is understood as a historical age that was preceded by the Middle Ages and followed by the Reformation. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Domenico Ghirlandaio. ... Cosimo di Giovanni de Medici (April 10, 1389 - August 1, 1464), was the first of the Medici political dynasty, effective rulers of Florence during most of the Italian Renaissance; also know as Cosimo the Elder and Cosimo Pater Patriae. ... This article is about the year 1471, not the BT caller ID service accessible by dialling 1-4-7-1. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... Giordano Bruno. ... Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (February 24, 1463 – November 17, 1494) was an Italian Renaissance humanist philosopher and scholar. ...

John Everard's historically important 1650 translation into English of the Corpus Hermeticum, entitled The Divine Pymander in XVII books (London, 1650) was from Ficino's Latin translation, but is no longer considered scholarly reliable. The modern standard editions are the by A.D. Nock & A.-J. Festugière (Greek and French, 1946, repr. 1991) and Brian P. Copenhaver (English transl. only, 1992). The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Contents of the Corpus Hermeticum

The following are the titles given to thirteen of the eighteen tracts, as translated by G.R.S. Mead.

1. Poemandres, the Shepherd of Men
2. To Asclepius
3. The Sacred Sermon
4. The Cup or Monad
5. Though Unmanifest God Is Most Manifest
6. In God Alone Is Good And Elsewhere Nowhere
7. The Greatest Ill Among Men is Ignorance of God
8. That No One of Existing Things doth Perish, but Men in Error Speak of Their Changes as Destructions and as Deaths
9. On Thought and Sense
10. The Key
11. Mind Unto Hermes
12. About the Common Mind
13. The Secret Sermon on the Mountain

The Following are the titles given by the Blackmask.com edition. Poemandres, also known as Poemander Is a Chapter in the Corpus Hermeticum. ...

1. The First Book
2. The Second Book. Called Poemander
3. The Third Book. Called The Holy Sermon
4. The Fourth Book. Called The Key
5. The Fifth Book
6. The Sixth Book. Called That in God alone is Good
7. The Seventh Book. His Secret Sermon in the Mount Of Regeneration, and # the Profession of Silence. To His Son Tat
8. The Eighth Book. That The Greatest Evil In Man, Is The Not Knowing God
9. The Ninth Book. A Universal Sermon To Asclepius
10. The Tenth Book. The Mind to Hermes
11. The Eleventh Book. Of the Common Mind to Tat
12. The Twelfth Book. His Crater or Monas
13. The Thirteenth Book. Of Sense and Understanding
14. The Fourteenth Book. Of Operation and Sense
15. The Fifteenth Book. Of Truth to His Son Tat
16. The Sixteenth Book. That None of the Things that are, can Perish
17. The Seventeenth Book. To Asclepius, to be Truly Wise

Poemandres, also known as Poemander Is a Chapter in the Corpus Hermeticum. ...

See also

• Hermeticism
• Hermetism
• Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Hermes Trismegistus depicted as Caucasian in a medieval rendering. ... Hermetism was the religion of the philosophical elite of Ancient Egypt. ... Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, in Egyptian costume, performs a ritual of Isis (not a Rite of the Golden Dawn). ...

References

• Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius in a New English Translation, with Notes and Introduction by Brian P. Copenhaver (Editor) ISBN 0521425433
• The Egyptian Hermes : a historical approach to the late pagan mind by Fowden, Garth. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire] ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1986.
• Thrice Great Hermes: Studies in Hellenistic Theosophy and Gnosis, Volume II translated by G.R.S. Mead (London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1906).

External links

• Everard's translation The Divine Pymander in XVII books at Adam McLean's Alchemy Web Site
• G.R.S. Mead's translation of The Corpus Hermeticum at The Gnostic Society Library
• Jeremiah Genest, "Corpus Hermeticum"