Thrice Greatest Hermes (3 Volumes) [Paperback]

G. R. S. Mead (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992 | ISBN-10: 1564591867 | ISBN-13: 978-1564591869

Studies in Hellenistic Theosophy and Gnosis Being a Transaction of the Extant Sermons and Fragments of the Trismegistic Literature with Prolegomena, Commentaries, and Notes; All three volumes are combined into one book. These volumes might be described as the preparation of materials to serve for the historic, mythic, and mystic consideration of the Origins of Christianity. The serious consideration of the matter contained in these pages will, enable the attentive reader to outline in his mind, however vaguely, some small portion of the environment of infant Christianity, and allow him to move a few steps round the cradle of Christendom. Partial Contents: Vol. 1: Remains of the Trismegistic Literature; History of the Evolution of Opinion; Thoth the Master of Wisdom; Popular Theurgic Hermes-Cult; Main Source of the Trismegistic Literature; An Egyptian Prototype of the Main Features of the Poemandres Cosmogony; Myth of Man in the Mysteries; Philo of Alexandria; Plutarch: Concerning the Mysteries of Isis and Osiris; Hermas and Hermes ; Concerning the on-Doctrine; Seven Zones and their Characteristics; Plato: Concerning Metempsychosis; Disciples of Thrice-Greatest Hermes. Vol. 2: Poemandres, the Shepherd of Men; General Sermon; Sacred Sermon; Cup or Monad; In God Alone is Good; Greatest Ill Among Men is Ignorance of God; But Men in Error Speak of Their Changes as Destructions and as Deaths; On Thought and Sense; The Key; Mind Unto Hermes; About the Common Mind; Secret Sermon on the Mountain. Vol. 3: Excerpts by Stob us; Of Piety and True Philosophy; Ineffability of God; Of Truth; God, Nature and the Gods; Of Matter & Time; Energy and Feeling; Justice; Providence and Fate; Of Soul; Power of Choice; Of Isis to Horus; From Aphrodite ; References and Fragments in the Fathers; Justin Martyr; Clement of Alexandria; Tertullian; Cyprian; Augustine; Cyril of Alexandria; References and Fragments in the Philosophers; Zosimus; Jamblichus; Julian the Emperor; Fulgentius the Mythographer.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 850 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564591867
• ISBN-13: 978-1564591869
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,160,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful Inquiry...Spiritual Questing...Mystic Light..., January 20, 2003

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"acominatus" (Johnson City, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thrice Greatest Hermes (3 Volumes) (Paperback)

This volume by G. R. S. Mead, published in 1906,
contains 3 books in one. The first volume (or book)
is titled: Prolegomena -- and contains: The Remains
of the Trismegistic Literature/The History of the
Evolution of Opinion/Thoth the Master of Wisdom/
The Popular Theurgic Hermes-Cult in the Greek Magic
Papyri/The Main Source of the Trismegistic Literature
According To Manetho High Priest of Egypt/An Egyptian
Prototype of the Main Features of the Poemandres'
Cosmogony/The Myth of Man in the Mysteries/Philo of
Alexandria and the Hellenistic Theology/Plutarch:
Concerning the Mysteries of Isis and Osiris/"Hermas"
and "Hermes"/Concerning the Aeon Doctrine/The Seven
Zones and Their Characteristics/Plato: Concerning
Metempsychosis/The Vision of Er/Concerning the
Crater or Cup/The Disciples of Thrice-Greatest
Hermes.
The second volume (or book) contained in this
one volume is: Sermons -- and contains: I Corpus
Hermeticum; and II The Perfect Sermon; or the

Asclepius (English translations of these works --
with copious, useful footnotes).
The third volume (or book) contained in this
one volumes is: Excerpts and Fragments -- and
contains: (I) Excerpts by Strobaeus; (II) References
and Fragments in the [Church] Fathers -- which
includes Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Clement of
Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian, Arnobius,
Lactantius, Augustine, Cyril of Alexandria,
Suidas, Anonymous; and (III) References and
Fragments in the [Pagan] Philosophers -- which
includes Zosimus, Jamblichus, Julian the
Emperor, Fulgentius the Mythographer.
And finally, there is a Conclusion.
This is an excellent compendium of useful and
provocative readings and sources. The reader
may then want to branch out and read other
compilations and introductions to the Hermetica
(such as Brian P. Copenhaver, Cambridge Univ.
Press) or concentrate also on Gnosticism, such
as the works of Kurt Rudolph (GNOSIS, Harper/
San Francisco) or Hans Jonas (THE GNOSTIC
RELIGION, Beacon Press).
G. R. S. Mead in a faith-full man, but he is
also an in-clusionist. He sees the great mystics
and illuminators and God-filled questers as all
being "Sons of God" -- with not just one particular
one being more "divine" than another. But this is
a God-centered group, not a demonic one. Each man
has the divine spirit -- the spark of the eternal
light -- within him, and the degree to which he
listens to it and is guided by it serves as the
touchstone of his insight and his piety.