Customer Reviews

Wisdom of the Pagan Philosophers (Wisdom of the Masters)

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This was a disappointing book. It's only 64 pages, and each page has a single quotation on it - nothing in-depth, no context, nothing. It might be cute as a gift book to someone, but doesn't have much value on its own.

If you are looking for an extensive, scholarly discusion on the teachings of the pagan philosophers, then you might be dissappointed by this little book. However, if you are looking for a small, beautifully illustrated and designed, art book, that also happens to be packed with truly profound spiritual wisdom, then you couldn't do better. Infact, if I wanted to cheer a friend up, I would send this little book to them as a gift, instead of wasting their time with some beautiful, but meaningless, greeting card. What this little book lacks in size it more than makes up in weight of meaning.

This is a collection of wisdom teachings organised under The One, Lovers of Wisdom, Know Thyself, Ethics, and Death and Reincarnation. There are sayings from Pythagoras, Plato, Epictetus, Aurelius, Plotinus, Hermes Trismegistus, etc., etc., etc.

Perhaps most importantly, Freke and Gandy clearly get across the reality that the great philosophers were not "dry as dust" scholastics. These men were powerful spiritual teachers; true lovers of the goddess Sophia.

Freke and Gandy have edited a thought-provoking little art-book compendium of the best and most concise axiums of the Deists. It is not really a kid's book, but a mini-book, well worth the think necessary to read and reflect on its quotations and marvel at the art work. My only real objection is the use of the use of the word pagan in the title. Pagan is Latin for "country" and it has the connotation of "hick" or supertitious. It meant not of the imperial City(Rome), and thus, after Constantine's official adoption of Christianity as the state religion, not directly derived from the Judeo-Christian tradition. But Lucian and Marcus Aurelius would have been shocked to have heard themselves described as "pagan". Recommended for adults and mature children. Dietz H. Ziechmann (No, I am not under 13, but where else could I post a review?)

The ancient Pagan philosophers were charismatic sages who taught a perennial wisdom which is as inspiring today as it was to the ancients. "Know Your Self" is their profound teachings contained within this extraordinary little book.