11.7.06
Pater philosophorum
Hermes Trismegistus - Pater philosophorum
The dissemination of the Corpus Hermeticum
Thoth and Hermes
For the Egyptians, Thoth was a versatile god. Initially, he was worshipped as a lunar god and many of his functions were derived by association. As the moon is illuminated by the sun, so Thoth derived his authority from the fact that he was the scribe of the sun god Re. From a lunar god he eventually also became the god of time, seasonal change, the cosmic order and the rhythm of daily life. He was the inventor of script, the God of letters and esoteric knowledge. As such he was called 'the mysterious one' or 'the unknown one'. Because of his magical powers he was looked upon as a physician and guide of the souls to the kingdom of the Gods.
The Greeks in Egypt identified Thoth with Hermes, who was also associated with the moon, medicine and the underworld. He was the messenger of the Gods and the interpreter of the divine will. Hermes became Hermes Trismegistus through his assimilation with Thoth. He derived his title 'Thrice-greatest' from his Egyptian predecessor, whose eptithet 'great' was repeated twice or three times by way of superlative (cf. Fowden).
Hermes Trismegistus was regarded as a God, a king, or a priest and prophet, who was to have lived in Egypt around the time of Moses. He was also credited with the talents and inventions of Thoth, including the hieroglyphs. His teachings were inscribed in this holy language on the 'pillars of Hermes'. Philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato were to have derived their wisdom from the hieroglyphs.
These notions were still current in late-classical times. Tertullian (ca 160 - ca 220) respectfully calls Hermes 'magister omnium physicorum'. Jamblichus (ca 275 - ca 330) describes in De Mysteriis Aegyptiorum a type of philosophy as 'the way of Hermes' and notes that the Egyptian philosopher was reputed to have been the author of a great many books.
The dissemination of the Corpus Hermeticum
Thoth and Hermes
For the Egyptians, Thoth was a versatile god. Initially, he was worshipped as a lunar god and many of his functions were derived by association. As the moon is illuminated by the sun, so Thoth derived his authority from the fact that he was the scribe of the sun god Re. From a lunar god he eventually also became the god of time, seasonal change, the cosmic order and the rhythm of daily life. He was the inventor of script, the God of letters and esoteric knowledge. As such he was called 'the mysterious one' or 'the unknown one'. Because of his magical powers he was looked upon as a physician and guide of the souls to the kingdom of the Gods.
The Greeks in Egypt identified Thoth with Hermes, who was also associated with the moon, medicine and the underworld. He was the messenger of the Gods and the interpreter of the divine will. Hermes became Hermes Trismegistus through his assimilation with Thoth. He derived his title 'Thrice-greatest' from his Egyptian predecessor, whose eptithet 'great' was repeated twice or three times by way of superlative (cf. Fowden).
Hermes Trismegistus was regarded as a God, a king, or a priest and prophet, who was to have lived in Egypt around the time of Moses. He was also credited with the talents and inventions of Thoth, including the hieroglyphs. His teachings were inscribed in this holy language on the 'pillars of Hermes'. Philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato were to have derived their wisdom from the hieroglyphs.
These notions were still current in late-classical times. Tertullian (ca 160 - ca 220) respectfully calls Hermes 'magister omnium physicorum'. Jamblichus (ca 275 - ca 330) describes in De Mysteriis Aegyptiorum a type of philosophy as 'the way of Hermes' and notes that the Egyptian philosopher was reputed to have been the author of a great many books.
# posted by alvaro @ 1:07 a. m. 
