SECTION VIII.

CHAP. I.
Leaving, therefore, these particulars, you wish in the next place that I would unfold to you “ What the Egyptians conceive the first cause to he ; whether intellect, or above intellect ; ivhether alone, or subsisting with some other or others; whether incorporeal, or corporeal; and whether it is the same with the Demiurgus, or is prior to the Demiurgus ? Likewise, whether all things are from one principle, or from many principles; whether they have a knowledge of matter, or of primary corporeal qualities; and whether they admit matter to be unbegotten, or to be generated ? ” 1, therefore, will in the first
place relate to you the cause why in the hooks of the ancient writers of sacred concerns many and various opinions concerning these things are circulated, and also why among those that are still living, and are renowned for their wisdom, the opinion on this subject is not simple and one. I say then, that as there are
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memj essences, and these differing from each other, the all-various multitude of the princi- ples of these, and which have different orders, were^ delivered by different ancient priests. As Seleucus * narrates, therefore, Hermes de- scribed the principles that rank as wholes in two myriads t of books ; or, as we are informed by Manetho J, he perfectly unfolded these principles in thre£ myriads six thousand five hundred and twenty five volumes. But diffe- rent ancient writers differently explained the partial principles of essences. It is necessary, however, by investigation to discover the truth about all these principles, and concisely to un- fold it to you as much as possible. And, in the first place, hear concerning that which is the first subject of your inquiry.
* Porphyry, in lib. ii. De Abstinentia, mentions Seleucus the theologist, and Suidas says that Seleucus the Alexan- drian wrote 100 books concerning ihe Gods.
t These books (^i^Aoi) were most probably nothing more than short discourses, such as the treatises now are which are circulated as written by Hermes, and which, as lambli- chus informs us, contain Hermaic doctrines.
I A great priest, a scribe of the Adyta in Egypt, by birth a Sebanite, and an inhabitant of Heliopolis, as he relates of himself.
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CHAP. II.
Prior to truly existing beings and total prin- ciples [or principles that rank as wholes], there is one God, prior to [that deity who is generally believed to he] the first God and king,* im- moveable, and abiding in the solitude of his own unity. For neither is the intelligible con- nected with him, nor any thing else ; but he is established as the paradigm of the God who is the father of himself, is self begotten, is father alone, and is truly good. For he is something even greater and prior to this, is the fountain of all things, and the mot of the first intelligible forms. But from this one deity, the God who is sutficient to himself, unfolds himself into
♦I .
light. For this divinity, also, is the principle and God of Gods, ajmonad from the one, prmr to essence, and the principle of essence. For from him entity and essence are derived ; and hence, also, he is denominated the principle of intelligibles. These, therefore, are the most ancient principles of all things, which Hermes
* In the original, irpioros Kai tov irptuTov Oeov Kai /^acriAews, which Gale translates, prior etiam primo Deo, et rege [sole]. But the addition of sole in his translation is obviously most unappropriate and false : for lamblichus is evidently speak- ing of a deity much superior to the sun.
arranges prior to the etherial, empyrean, and celestial Gods. He likewise delivered to us the history of the empyrean Gods in one hun- dred books ; of the etherial in an equal num- ber ; and of the celestial in a thousand books.
CHAP. III.
According to another order, however, he arranges the God Emeph* prior to, and as the leader of, the celestial Gods. And he says that this God is an intellect, itself intellectually perceiving itself, and converting intellections to itself. But prior to this, he arranges the im- partible one, which he says is the first para- digm, and which he denominates Eicton. In this, also, is contained that which is first intel- lective, and the first intelligible, and which is to be worshiped through silence alone. Besides these, also, other leaders preside over the fabri- cation of visible natures. For the demiurgic intellect, who is the curator of truth and wisdom,
..r w,!.v ■■■••
desce^ing into generation, and leading the power of occult reasons into light, is called in
* For Hixrjcf) here, Gale conjectures that we should read Kvrj was celebrated with an extraordinary degree of veneration by the Egyptian Thebans.
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the Egyptian tongue Amon ; but in conse- quence of perfecting all things with veracity and artificially, he is called Ptha. The Greeks, however, assume Ptha for Vulcan, solely direct- ing their attention to the artificial peculiarity of the God. So far, also, as he is effective of ffood he is called Osiris ; and he has other appellations through other powers and ener- gies. With the Egyptians, therefore, there is another domination of the whole elements in generation, and of the powers contained in them ; four of these powers being male and four female, which they attribute to the sun. And there is, likewise, another government of the whole of nature about generation, which they assign to the moon.'^’" But dividing the heavens into two, or four, or twelve, or six-and- thirty parts, or the doubles of these, they give to the parts a greater or less number of rulers. And over all these they place one ruler, who transcends all the rest. Thus, therefore, the doctrine of the Egyptians concerning princi- ples, proceeding from on high as far as to the last of things, begins from. one principle, and descends to a multitude which is governed by this one ; and every where an indefinite nature
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\
Hence the moon is said by Proclus to be avToirrov rrjs v(re(Ds ayaXfia, the self-visible statue or image of nature.
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is under the dominion of a certain definite measure, and of the supreme unical cause of all things. But God produced matter by di- viding materiality from essentiality;* and this being vital, the Demiurgus receiving, fabricated from it the simple and impassive spheres. But he distributed in an orderly manner the last of it into generable and corruptible bodies.
CHAP. lY.
These things, therefore, having been accurately discussed, the solution of the doubts which you have met with in certain books will be mani- fest. For the hooks ivhich are circulated under the name of Hermes contain Hermaic opinions, though they frequently employ the language of the philosophers : for th^y were translated from the Egypt
* Proclus in Tim. p. 117, cites what is here said as the doctrine of the Egyptians, and also cites for it the authority of lamblichus. But his words are, Kai fi-qv Kai r] t(ov AiyvTTTt(x)V TrapaSocris Ta avra Trepi avT7] r](TLV. o yi TOt 6e.LO ovcrioT'qro^ rrjv vXorrjTa Trapayecrdai jSovkerai. i. e. ” More- over the doctrine of the Egyptians asserts the same things concerning matter. For the divine lamblichus relates that Hermes also produces matter from essentiality.”
ian tongue hy men who were not un-
i 1.
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shilled in ‘philosophy. But Chseremon/"' and any others who have at all discussed the first causes of mundane natures, have unfolded the last rulers of these. And such as have written concerning the planets, the zodiac, the decans, horoscopes, and what are called powerful and leading planets, these have unfolded the parti- ble distributions of the rulers. The particulars, also, contained in the Calendars comprehend a certain very small part of the Hermaic arrange- ments. And the causes of such things as per- tain to the phases or occulations of the stars, or to the increments and decrements of the moon, are assigned by the Egyptians the last of all. The Egyptians, likewise, do not . say tfiaf all things , are physicpLl. F or they separate the life of the soul and the intellectiial life from nature, not only in the universe, but also in us. And admitting intellect and reason to subsist by themselves, they say that generated essences were thus fabricated. They likewise arrange the Demiurgus as the primary father of things in generation ; and they acknowledge the ex-
* This is most probably the Chaeremon who is said by Porphyry, in lib. iv. De Abstinentia, to be a lover of truth, an accurate writer, and very conversant with the Stoic phi- losophy.” Totavra /xcv ra Kar KiyvirTiov^ vtt av8po X.aXr]9ov^ re Kat aKpifSovs, evre tois ^rmKoi^ Trpayp.aTLKW- Tara cf3iXocrocf>Yj(ravTO
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istence of a vital power, prior to the heavens, and subsisting in the heavens. They also establish a pure intellect above the world, and one impartible intellect in the whole world, and another which is distributed into all the spheres. And these things they do not survey by rnere reason alone, but through the sacer- dotal theurgy, they announce that they are able to ascend to more elevated and universal essences, and to those that are established above ^Fate, viz. to God and the Demiurgus ; neither employing matter, nor assuming any other thing besides, except the observation of a suitable time.
CHAP. Y.
This deific and anagogic path Hermes, indeed, narrated, but Bitys, the prophet of King Am- mon,'“ explained it, having found it in the adyta of Saist in Egypt, written in hieroglyphics;
* This was the ninth king in the twenty-sixth dynasty of the Saitan kings,
t This city is mentioned by Plato in the Timgeus, who represents Critias as saying “ that there is a certain region of Egypt, called Delta, about the summit of which the streams of the Nile are divided, and in which there is a province called Saitical.” He adds, “ of this province the
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and the same prophet also delivered the name of God, which pervades through the whole world."^^ But there are, likewise, many other coarrangements of the same things ; so that you do not appear to me to act rightly in re- ferring all things with the Egyptians to physi- cal causes. For there are, according to them, many principles and many essences : and also supermundane powers, which they worship through sacerdotal sanctimony. To me, there- fore, these " things appear to aJfford common auxiliaries to the solution of all the remaining
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greatest city is Sais, from which also King Amasis derived his origin. The city has a presiding divinity, whose name is, in the Egyptian tongue, Neith, but in the Greek Athena, or Minerva.” It is singular that Gale, who is not deficient in philology, though but a smatterer in philosophy, should have omitted to remark in his notes this passage of Plato.
* Proclus, in MS. Comment, in Alcibiad. cites one of the Chaldean oracles, which says.
(f.-v t
'f icf
TTOpdlUOV OVVOfia TO 8’ €V aTTCLpOtS
Ko(T/X.06S evdpUiCTKOV.
i. e. " There is a transmitting name which leaps into the in- finite worlds.” And in his MS. Scholia in Cratyl. he quotes another of these oracles, viz.
AAAa e^iv ovvopa (repvov aKOLp/t]T(p aX.iyyt, Kocrjuots €v6p(ji(TKov, KpaLTTvrjv 8ta rraTyoos evarrjv.
i. e
There is a venerable name with a sleepless revolution, leaping into the worlds through the rapid reproofs of the father.”
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inquiries. But since it is necessary not to leave any one of them uninvestigated, we shall add them to these problems, and examine them on all sides, in order that we may see where there is any thing futile in your opinions.
CHAP. VI.
You say, therefore, “ that according to many of the Egyptians, that which is in our power de- pends on the motion of the stars'’ What the truth, however, is respecting this, it is neces- sary to unfold to yon from the Hermaic con- ceptions. For man, as these writings say, has two souls. And one, indeed, is derived from the first intelligible, and participates of the - power of the Demiurgus ; but the o^er is im- parted from the circulation of the celestial bo- dieg, to which the soul that sees God returns. These things, therefore, thus subsisting, the soul that descends to us from the worlds fol- lows the periods of the worlds ; but that which is intelligibly present from the_ intelligible, transcends the genesiurgic motion, and through this a liberation from fate, and the ascent to the intelligible Gods, are effected. §.uph the- urgy, likewise, a^ leads to an unbegotten nature is perfected conformably to a life of this kind.
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CHAP. VII.
Hence that of which you are dubious is not true, ''that all things are hound with the in- dissoluble bonds of Necessity” which we call Fate. For the soul has ^a proper principle of circumduction to the intelligible, and of a sepa- ration from generated natures : and also of a contact with real beiner, and that which is di- vine. "Nor must ive ascribe fate to the Gods, ivhom ive ivorship in temples and statues, as the dissolvers of fate” For the Gods, indeed, dis- solve fate ; but the last natures which proceed from them, and are complicated with the gene- ration of the world and with body, give com- pletion to fate. Hence we very properly wor- ship the Gods with all possible sanctity, and the observance of all religious rites, in order that they may liberate us from the evils im- pending from fate, as they alone rule over necessity through intellectual persuasion. But neither are all things comprehended * in the nature of fate, but there is another principle of the soul, which is superior to all nature and generation, and through which we are capable of being united to the Gods, of transcending
* For €)(€Tai in this place, I read 7re/)ie;(€Tat.
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the mundane order, and of participating eternal life, and the energy of the supercelestial Gods. Through this principle, therefore, we are able to liberate ourselves from fate. For when the more excellent parts of us energize, and the soul is elevated to natures better than itself/'^ then it is entirely separated from things which detain it in generation, departs from subor- dinate natures, exchanges the present for an- other life, and gives itself to another order of things, entirely abandoning the former order with which it was connected.
CHAP. VIII.
What then, is it not possible for a man to‘ liberate himself [from fate] through the Gods that revolve in the heavens, and to consider the same as the leaders of fate, and yet as
* Gale, in his translation of this part, has entirely mis- taken the meaning of lamblichus, which he frequently does in other places. For the words of lamblichus are, oray yap Srj ra j3eX.Tiova tcjv ev 7]pLtv evepyy, Kai irpo'S ra KpeiTTOva avayerai avT7]s rj i'vxV i version of Gale is " quando
enim pars nostri melior operari incipiat, et ad sui portionem meliorem recolligatur anima.” For ra KpeiTTova is not the better part of the soul ; but when the better parts of the soul energize, the soul is then intimately converted to itself, and through this conversion is elevated to superior natures.
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those that bind our lives with indissoluble bonds ? Perhaps nothing prevents this from being the case. For if the Gods comprehend in themselves many essences and powers, there are also in them other immense differences and contrarieties. Moreover, this also may be said, that in each of the Gods, though such as are visible, there are certain intelligible princi- ples through which a liberation to souls from mundane generation is effected. But if some one leaves only two genera of Gods, viz. thip^. mundane and supermundane, the liberation to souls will be effected through the supermun- dane Gods. These things, therefore, are more accurately discussed in our treatise Concerning the Gods, in which it is shown who are the ana- gogic Gods, and according to what kind of powers they are so ; how they liberate from fate, and through what sacred regressions ; and what the order is of mundane nature, and how the most perfect intellectual energy rules over this. So that what you add from Homer, “that the Gods are flexible,” it is not holy to assert. For the works of the sacred ceremonies of re- ligion have Jong since been defined by pure and
intellectual laws. Subordinate natures, also,
*' -
are Jiberated through a greater order and power ; and when we abandon inferior natures, we are transferred into a more excellent allot-
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ment. This, however, is not effected contrary to any original sacred law, so as to cause the Gnds to be changed, through a sacred operation b^ng afterwards performed ; but from the first divinity sent souls hither, in order that they might again return to him. Neither, therefore, is any mutation produced through a reascent of this kind, nor do the descents and ascents of
souls oppose each other. For as generation and this universe are suspended from an intel- lectual essence ; thus, also, in the orderly dis-
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tribution of souls, the liberation from generation
^ - „ j, I ‘
accords with the care employed by them about
generation.
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