Kore Kosmou E-Book

Hermes Trimegistus

• Herausgeber: Harmakis Edizioni
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Apparently the earliest of the Hermetic writings is the Kore Kosmou or Virgin of the World. It has more connection with the earlier mythology of Egypt than the other works, Isis and Horus are the teacher and taught; Thoth, Imhotep, and Ptah are all named; and Egypt is the happy center of all the world. As such Egyptian detail is absent from works of the first or second century BC, it would be reasonable to put the Kore Kosmou earlier. The Egyptian forms of the names of the gods imply an earlier translation than that of the other works. What seems to stamp the period is an allusion in sect. 48, where the central land of Egypt is described as "free from trouble, ever it brings forth, adorns and educates, and only with such weapons wars on men and wins the victory, and with consummate skill, like a good satrap bestows the fruit of its own victory upon the vanquished." It would seem impossible for the allusion to the government of a satrap to be preferred by an Egyptian, except under the Persian dominion. We must go back to the days of wise and righteous rule of Persia, 525-405 BC, to reach a possible wise satrap. It is probable that the reference is to the events of the conquest by Cambyses in 525, followed by the enlightened reign of Darius, beginning in 521, soon after which, about 518, the satrap Aryandes attacked Cyrene, and brought back much spoil into Egypt. Thus within a few years of the conquest of Egypt, a good satrap bestowed the fruits of victory upon the vanquished. This would throw the Kore Kosmou back to about 510 BC, but in any case we must, by this allusion to a satrap, date it within a century after that.  

Leseprobe

Hermes Trismegistus

Kore Kosmou

The Virgin of the World

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Direttore Editoriale Paola Agnolucci

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Edizione a cura di Paola Agnolucci

2018

© Impaginazione ed elaborazione grafica: Paola Agnolucci

ISBN: 9788894965223

Introduction

Hermes Trismegistus, “the thrice greatest Hermes” is the name given by the Greeks to the Egyptian god Thoth or Tehuti, the god of wisdom, learning, and literature. Thoth is alluded to in later Egyptian writings as “twice very great” and even as “five times very great” in some popular scripts of the third century BC.

To Hermes was attributed, as “scribe of the gods”, the authorship of all sacred books which were thus called “Hermetic” by the Greeks. These, according to Clemens Alexandrinus, were forty-two in number and were sub-divided into six sections: the first dealt with priestly education, the second with temple ritual, and the third with geographical matter. The fourth division taught astrology. The fifth consisted of hymns in honor of the gods and a text-book for the guidance of Kings, while the sixth was medical. It is probable that they represent much of the accumulated wisdom of Egypt, attributed in the course of ages to the great god of wisdom.

As “scribe of the gods” Thoth was also the author of all sacred writing. Hence by a convenient fiction the name of Hermes was placed at the head of an extensive cycle of mystic literature, produced in post-Christian times. Most of this Hermetic or Trismegistic literature has perished, but all that remains of it has been gathered and translated into English. It includes the “Poimandres”--virgin of the world--, “the Perfect Sermon” or the “Asclepius”, excerpts by Stobacus, and fragments from the church fathers and from the philosophers, Zosimus and Fulgentius.

These writings have been neglected by theologians, who have dismissed them as the offspring of third century Neo-Platoism. According to the generally accepted view they were eclectic compilations, combining neo-Platonic philosophy, Philonic Judaism and Kabalistic theosophy in an attempt to supply a philosophic substitute for Christianity.

By an examination of early mystery writings and traditions it has been proved with some degree of certainty that the main source of Trismegistic tracts is the wisdom of Egypt, and that they “go back in an unbroken tradition of type and form and context to the earliest Ptolemaic times.” (c.300 BC)

Mr. G. R. S. Mead, author of “Thrice Greatest Hermes,” says in an illuminating passage: “The more one studies the best of these mystical sermons, casting aside all prejudices, and trying to feel and think with the writers, the more one is conscious of approaching the threshold of what may well have been the best of the mystery traditions of antiquity. Innumerable are the hints of the greatnesses and immensities lying beyond that threshold.”

Hermetic Writings

Apparently the earliest of the Hermetic writings is the Kore Kosmou or Virgin of the World. It has more connection with the earlier mythology of Egypt than the other works, Isis and Horus are the teacher and taught; Thoth, Imhotep, and Ptah are all named; and Egypt is the happy center of all the world. As such Egyptian detail is absent from works of the first or second century BC, it would be reasonable to put the Kore Kosmou earlier. The Egyptian forms of the names of the gods imply an earlier translation than that of the other works.

What seems to stamp the period is an allusion in sect. 48, where the central land of Egypt is described as “free from trouble, ever it brings forth, adorns and educates, and only with such weapons wars on men and wins the victory, and with consummate skill, like a good satrap bestows the fruit of its own victory upon the vanquished.” It would seem impossible for the allusion to the government of a satrap to be preferred by an Egyptian, except under the Persian dominion.

We must go back to the days of wise and righteous rule of Persia, 525-405 BC, to reach a possible wise satrap. It is probable that the reference is to the events of the conquest by Cambyses in 525, followed by the enlightened reign of Darius, beginning in 521, soon after which, about 518, the satrap Aryandes attacked Cyrene, and brought back much spoil into Egypt. Thus within a few years of the conquest of Egypt, a good satrap bestowed the fruits of victory upon the vanquished. This would throw the Kore Kosmou back to about 510 BC, but in any case we must, by this allusion to a satrap, date it within a century after that.

The Origin of All Things

Beginning with the principle “that every nature which lies underneath should be co-ordered and fulfilled by those that lie above,” this is carried out by the diverse production of heavenly souls, and next of sacred animals. The souls rebel and are then embodied as men, and the gods form the world for them.

The evils of man are righted by the Divine Efflux, Osiris and Isis, and the nature of man is explained. Such is the argument of the work, obscured by magnificent images and phrases. The various beliefs which are stated or implied give a body of ideas, which we can thus date as underlying the rest of Hermetic literature.