The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind PDF
Preview The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind
’A^i^r^tki-'' w»V THE EGYPTIAN HERMES GARTH FOWDEN ip pgr - , t r 'jlL^ m 11f »*3 V w ffi l TH E E G Y PTIA N H ERM ES 1 THE EGYPTIAN HERMES A HISTORICAL APPROACH TO THE LATE PAGAN MIND GARTH FOWDEN Center for Greek and Roman Antiquity National Research Foundation, Athens PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Chichester, West Sussex Copyright © 1986 by Cambridge University Press All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fowden, Garth. The Egyptian Hermes: a historical approach to the late pagan mind / Garth Fowden. p. cm.— (Mythos) Originally published: Carhbridge, Cambridgeshire; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986. With new pref. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-691-02498-7 (pbk.) 1. Hermetism. 2. Hermes, Trismegistus. 3. Egypt— Religion. 4. Paganism— History. I. Title. II. Series: Mythos (Princeton, N.J.) BF1591.F75 1993 135 4 92-37534 - — dc20 First Princeton Paperback printing, with corrections and a new preface, 1993 Reprinted by arrangement with Cambridge University Press Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 Printed in the United States of America nOAYMNIAI TToaSeOouCTiv f]iioov al MoOaai ai/v ‘Ep|if| Aoyicp t6s vja/x^S 1 Contents Abbreviations page ix 1993 Preface to the edition xjii Preface (1986) xxi Introduction: The texts 1 PART I MODES OF CULTURAL INTERACTION 1 The durability of Egypt 1 g The gods of Egypt 14 Hermes Trismegistus 22 The Hermetica gi 2 Translation and interpretation 45 Aretalogies of Isis and Asclepius 45 Manetho and Chaeremon 52 Books of Thoth and technical Hermetica 57 Instructions and philosophical Hermetica 68 PART II THE WAY OF HERMES 3 Magister omnium physicorum 75 Sympatheia 75 Magic 79 Occult properties and alchemy 87 Astrology 91 4 Religio mentis 95 The philosophical paideia 97 Gnosis 104 5 Towards a via universalis 116 Technique and philosophy: interactions 116 Zosimus of Panopolis 120 Pre-Iamblichan theurgy 126 Iamblichus of Apamea 131 vii Contents 6 Hermetism and theurgy 142 The role and understanding of ritual 142 Bity* i5o PART III THE MILIEU OF HERMETISM 7 Hermetism in Egypt ^ The evidence of the Hermetica 156 First-century Alexandria - and beyond 161 Temples and priests tgg Upper Egypt l68 Late antique Alexandria ryy The milieu of Hermetism: a socio-intellectual description rgg 8 Aegypti sacra deportata j^g Conclusion „. „ Appendix: Earliest testimonies to the name ‘Hermes Trismegistus’ 2Ig Bibliography 218 Index 237
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