Hermetica, Vol. 1: The Ancient Greek and Latin Writings Which Contain Religious or Philosophic Teachings Ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus [Paperback]

Walter Scott (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1570626308 | ISBN-13: 978-1570626302 | Publication Date: May 1, 2001

First published in 1924, this classic four-volume work contains various Greek and Latin writings of religious or philosophic teachings ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus, with Walter Scott's extensive notes, commentary, and addenda.

It is said that these teachings are records of private, intimate talks between a teacher and one or two of his disciples. The setting was in Egypt under the Roman Empire, among men who had received some instruction in Greek philosophy, and especially the Platonism of the period, but were not content with merely accepting and repeating the cut-and-dried dogmas of the orthodox philosophic schools and sought to build up, on a basis of Platonic doctrine, a philosophic religion that would better satisfy their needs.

Included here are the libelli of the Corpus Hermeticum, the Asclepius, the Hermetic excerpts in the Anthologium of Stobaeus, and other fragments. The entire text is produced in the original Greek or Latin, with an English translation on facing pages.

Volumes II, III, and IV of Hermetica, which contain Scott's notes on the work, his commentary, and testimonia, extensive addenda, and indices, are also published by Shambhala.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Having Scott's translation available again is a welcome event."— Gnosis Magazine --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English, Greek, Latin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570626308
• ISBN-13: 978-1570626302
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #246,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good., September 24, 2000

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Caligastia145 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hermetica, Vol. 1: The Ancient Greek and Latin Writings Which Contain Religious or Philosophic Teachings Ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus (Paperback)

This is a pretty fascinating book, containing the works attributed to Hermes in English as well as the non-translated version, revealing one version on one page and the other version on the next page; Thus, when one reads the book, they find the non-translated version on one page and the English version on the other page, with footnotes and stuff to help out. Overall, a good book, and it gives some understanding of the thinking of the ancient Magickians and other Occultists. Worth getting, overall.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The core teachings of Gnosis, May 30, 2004

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OAKSHAMAN "oakshaman" (Algoma, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hermetica, Vol. 1: The Ancient Greek and Latin Writings Which Contain Religious or Philosophic Teachings Ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus (Paperback)

I am going to review this volume because I read every single English word of it, cover-to-cover. I admit that I didn't read the corresponding original language text, because my Latin was never all that good, and I have no Greek. I wish that I did, though. Just in English translation I can see where these teachings transport you to an entirely different sort of mind-set, an entirely different world.

Indeed, you will either come to develop a sort of intuitive understanding of the spiritual principles being discused here, or you will simple give up in disgust and dismiss it as meaningless and incomprehensible. Perhaps it is incomprehensible to modern sensibility, but it is far from meaningless. If you are familiar with Plato and Plotinus it will help. I also find that a familiarity with the concept of the Tao helps with understanding what is meant by Kosmos. I suppose that there could be esoteric teachings encoded and hidden in the original text, but personally I find the exoteric spiritual and metaphysical speculations to be quite interesting and valuable in their own right.

There was a reason that these teachings were preserved through so many centuries, while so much else was consigned to flames or left to rot....

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For those interested in the ancient Egyptian-Hellenistic-Pontus-Bithynian Arts, November 13, 2011

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Betty C. Rostro "Betty Catalina Rostro" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hermetica, Vol. 1: The Ancient Greek and Latin Writings Which Contain Religious or Philosophic Teachings Ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus (Paperback)

This is a book to read. It survived the Ceasars, thank God. It must then be read for the sake of tradition. At least some have sought to maintain this long and lost tradition(s). We thank the Socrates Chrestus flourished somewhat, god bless Hellenism and the work of Alexander the Great.