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The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Hermeticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius Paperback – January 30, 2004

by Clement Salaman (Author), Dorine van Oyen (Author), William D. Wharton (Author),

4.7 286 ratings

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Paperback edition of the recent translation of the esoteric masterpiece, including the first English translation of The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius

• A resource for scholars and religious seekers alike

• The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius provides new insights into the actual workings of the gnostic spiritual path

The Corpus Hermeticum, a powerful fusion of Greek and Egyptian thought, is one of the cornerstones of the Western esoteric tradition. A collection of short philosophical treatises, it was written in Greek between the first and third centuries C.E. and translated into Latin during the Renaissance by the great scholar and philosopher Marsilio Ficino. These treatises were central to the spiritual work of hermetic societies in Late Antique Alexandria (200-700 C.E.) and aimed to awaken gnosis, the direct realization of the unity of the individual and the Supreme.

In addition to this new translation of The Corpus Hermeticum, which seeks to reflect the inspirational intent of the original, The Way of Hermes includes the first English translation of the recently rediscovered manuscript of The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius, a collection of aphorisms used by the hermetic student to strengthen the mind during meditation. With the proper mental orientation, a state of pure perception can be achieved in which the true face of God appears. This document is of enormous value to the contemporary student of gnostic studies for its insights into the actual workings of this spiritual path.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Corpus Hermeticum is a key work standing between ancient Greek civilization and the dawn of Christianity. This work dates from the very beginning of the First Millennium. This important work was previously available to the English reader only in Sir Walter Scott's rather loose and inaccurate translation. The translators of this edition have been at the forefront of the much-acclaimed volumes of translations of The Letters of Marsilio Ficino, the father of the Florentine Renaissance, who himself first translated the Hermetica into Latin. This translation has a much greater accuracy and feel for the subject than Scott's translation. This edition also includes the first published translation by Professor Mahe of The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius from a recently re-discovered Greek manuscript in the Bodleian Library." (Stephen Hill, Watkins Books)

"By all standards, The Way of Hermes is the kind of contribution students of Hermeticism have been waiting for, for a long time.The Way of Hermes is a small book that will not be read quickly, and will take a lifetime to understand." (Institute for Hermetic Studies, Feb 2006)

From the Back Cover

HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

"The excellence of the soul is understanding; for the man who understands is conscious, devoted, and already godlike." Hermes to Tat"My discourse leads to the truth; the mind is great and guided by this teaching is able to arrive at some understanding. When the mind has understood all things and found them to be in harmony with what has been expounded by the teachings, it is faithful and comes to rest in that beautiful faith."Hermes to AsclepiusThe Corpus Hermeticum, a powerful fusion of Greek and Egyptian thought, is one of the cornerstones of the Western esoteric tradition. A collection of short philosophical treatises, it was written in Greek between the first and third centuries A.D. and translated into Latin during the Renaissance by the great scholar and philosopher Marsilio Ficino. These writings, believed to be the writings of Hermes Trismegistus, were central to the spiritual work of Hermetic societies in Late Antique Alexandria (200-700 A.D.), and aimed to awaken gnosis, the direct realization of the unity of the individual and the Supreme. In addition to this new translation of The Corpus Hermeticum, which seeks to reflect the inspirational intent of the original, The Way of Hermes includes the first English translation of the recently rediscovered manuscript of The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius, a collection of aphorisms used by the hermetic student to strengthen the mind during meditation. With the proper mental orientation, a state of pure perception can be achieved in which the true face of God appears. This document is of enormous value to the contemporary student of gnostic studies for its insights into the actual workings of this spiritual path.CLEMENT SALAMAN is the editor of the English translation of The Letters of Marsilio Ficino. DORINE VAN OYEN is a lecturer on Hermetic studies in Amsterdam. WILLIAM D. WHARTON teaches Classical history, languages, and philosophy in Boston. JEAN-PIERRE MAHE is Correspondent of the Acad魩e des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, Paris.

About the Author

Clement Salaman is the editor of the English translation of The Letters of Marsilio Ficino. Dorine van Oyen is a lecturer on hermetic studies in Amsterdam. William D. Wharton teaches classical history, languages, and philosophy in Boston. Jean-Pierre Mahé is correspondent of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, Paris.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Corpus Hermeticum

Book 1
Poimandres to Hermes Trismegistus

1. Once, when mind had become intent on the things which are, and my understanding was raised to a great height, while my bodily senses were withdrawn as in sleep, when men are weighed down by too much food or by the fatigue of the body, it seemed that someone immensely great of infinite dimensions happened to call my name and said to me:
'What do you wish to hear and behold, and having beheld what do you wish to learn and know?'

2, 'Who are you?' said I.
He said, 'I am Poimandres the Nous of the Supreme. I know what you wish and I am with you everywhere.'

3. 'I wish to learn,' said I, 'the things that are and understand their nature and to know God. O how I wish to hear these things!'
He spoke to me again. 'Hold in your Nous all that you wish to learn and I will teach you.'

Book 4
Hermes to Tat

1. H--Since the Creator made the whole cosmos, not with hands but by the Word, understand that he is present and always is, creating all things, being one alone, and by his will producing all beings. For such is his body: intangible, invisible, immeasurable, indivisible, like nothing else. It is not fire, nor water, nor air, nor breath, but through it all things exist.

2. Being supremely good, he set it up in dedication to that One alone, and he wished to adorn the earth as the form of the body of God. He sent down man, a mortal being, from an immortal being. The cosmos rules over the life of living beings and man rules over the cosmos by means of speech and Nous. For man became the witness of God's work, and he worshipped the Creator and came to know him.

Book 5
Hermes to Tat

5. O that you could grow wings and fly up into the air, and that, poised between earth and heaven, you might see the firmness of earth, the liquidity of the sea, the course of the rivers and the free flow of the air, the piercing fire, the revolution of the stars, the swiftness of the heavenly movement encircling all these things. What most blessed vision, O son, to behold all that in one moment; the unmoving being moved, the unmanifest being made manifest through what it creates! This is the very order of the universe and this is the beauty of the order.

8. No one says that a statue or a portrait has come into being without a sculptor or a painter; then has this work come into being without a creator? What blindness! What sacrilege! What mindless arrogance! My son Tat, never deprive the works of creation of their creator. He is greater than anything the name of God implies, so great is the Father of all; for He is single and His work is just this: to be Father.

Book 6
Hermes to Asciepius

4. And I am thankful to God for putting even a taste of the knowledge of the Supreme Good into my Nous, because this Good cannot exist in the world. For the world is the sum total of evil; God the unlimited goodness, or rather goodness the limitless God. For the excellencies of beautiful things are round His true nature, and appear in some way even more pure and simple, for they are of God. One must have courage to say, O Asclepius, that the essence of God, if indeed He has an essence, is beauty; but no beauty and goodness are to be found in the things of the cosmos. For all things which fall under the eye are images and, as it were, paintings. But what does not fall under the eye is chiefly the excellence of beauty and goodness. And just as the eye cannot see God, so it cannot see beauty and goodness. For these are the attributes of God, perfect and complete, belonging to Him alone, they are His very own, inseparable and most beloved; either God loves them or they love God.

From Hermes Trismegistus to Asciepius: Definitions
2
3. Earth is the support of the world, the basis of the elements, the nurse of the living (beings), the receptacle of the dead; for (it comes) last after fire and water, since it became what (it is) after fire and water. What is the power of the world? To keep up for ever the immortal (beings), such as they came into being, and to always change the mortal.

4. Water is a fecund essence, the support of earth, as a nutritive essence.

5. Fire is a sterile essence, the duration of the immortal bodies and the destruction of the mortal: an infertile substance, in as much (it belongs to) the destructive fire which makes (things) disappear; and the perpetuation of the immortal (beings), since what cannot be consumed by fire is immortal and indestructible, but the mortal can be destroyed by fire.

6. Light is a good, a clear vision, (which makes) appear all of the visible (things). The essence of fire is burning. However, fire is one (thing) and light is another one. For what fire has reached shall be destroyed, but light appears just as it is by itself. Every move of soul is perceived by Nous; since it is some (kind of) energy, breath performs (it).

3
1. Nothing is uninhabited by God, for where heaven is, God (is) too, and where the world is, heaven (is) too. I think that God is in heaven, and heaven in the world.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Inner Traditions; Now in Paperback edition (January 30, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 132 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0892811862
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0892811861
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.38 x 0.3 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #58,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #60 in Philosophy Metaphysics
- #85 in Occultism
- #92 in New Age Mysticism (Books)

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4.7 286 ratings

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Rama Narayan

Incredible

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2020

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I am a scholar of Religion, with expertise in the Hindu and Christian traditions, but I am also very familiar with the History of Philosophy from the Pre-Socratics to Plato to Augustine to the Scholastics to the Moderns and to the 19th and 20th century post-Kant philosophy. Recently, I have been studying more of the Gnostic Scriptures from Nag Hammadi, and I recently came across Hermes, Thoth, and the relation between Ancient Egypt and Platonic philosophy and Hinduism. Truly, this is an amazing resource! The rendition is so poetic and filled with emotional fervor for the ultimate reality. I'm amazed at how close the teachings in this book are to Advaita Vedanta mixed with a Platonic understanding of Nous. Really great!

45 people found this helpful

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Bruno Orsini ft Spotty Coniglietto.

Legit and complete. The lack of the chapter XV is legit.

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2024

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I got it used as i often do for books, for different reasons than merely saving money....
To whom affirms that this translation is bad because there's no chapter XV, that is exactly how the Corpus Hermeticum is supposed to be, for the following reason, as explained by Copenhaver:
"The Chapter no. XV of early modern editions was once filled with an entry from the Suda (a tenth-century Byzantine encyclopedia) and three excerpts from Hermetic works preserved by Joannes Stobaeus (fl. fifth century), but this chapter was left out in later editions, which therefore contain no chapter XV.
Thats no more chapter XV in the Corpus Hermeticus.
Not in this translation, nor in the Copenhaver translation, or in any other recent ttranslation.
If you want you can do your diligent search and find the hidden text...

2 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Great translation for a practitioner

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2022

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If you are looking for a more academic work, go with the Copenhaver translation. If you're a practitioner and you just want to get started on the path, this book is perfect. The translation is very clear and well-executed, and the ideas expressed are profound.

11 people found this helpful

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Deo Gratias

Light of Thrice-Great Hermes

Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2015

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If you are a true student of spiritual matters, this book is indispensible. It coincides nicely with whatever religious tradition you come from, and opens up new vistas to ancient wisdom. This should be on the bookshelf of any Western thinker alongside the Bible, Plato, and Shakespeare. The edition is beautiful: their stated goal is to give a faithful translation that retains the conversational teacher-student dynamic of this pastoral text. I could think of many more nice things to say about this collection of the light of Thrice-Great Hermes.

7 people found this helpful

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Pat

A must have for those studying Hermeticism

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2023

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If you are studying Hermeticism this is a must-read.

One person found this helpful

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Jazmin Dey

Lovely translation

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2021

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The media could not be loaded.

This is the first translation of the Corpus Hermeticum that I have read. It’s a small book, with plenty of space in the margins for notes as well as extra blank pages on the back of the book.

5 people found this helpful

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Thorny

Excellent, readable translation

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2020

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For anyone with an interest in alchemy or ancient spiritual thinking, this book is a must for every library; it is the very foundation of the Western alchemical tradition, spurred the renaissance, and indirectly established the Western scientific approach, though most scientists today would be loathe to admit it. There are also helpful and revealing sections on scholarship.

2 people found this helpful

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RevRalph

Great ancient history

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2022

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Was expecting a thicker book, but good things come in small formats.

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Top reviews from other countries

Sky

One of my favourites!

Reviewed in Canada on February 5, 2024

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I can’t stress enough how good this book is. I’ve had a rather profound awakening in my life of late and one of the things that came out of it was a pull towards hermeticism.
As a result I ordered several books on the subject that were recommended during a YouTube presentation. I hadn’t planned on starting with this one, but it arrived first and wasn’t too big so I was like, “what the heck, I’ll just start here”. So glad I did. Honestly one of the best books I have ever read. It meshes perfectly with my awakened experience and I feel very honoured to have received it. It’s a beautiful translation!
Unless someone is dogmatically married to a separate belief system making them overly critical and closed minded, I could not fathom anyone not appreciating this work.

One person found this helpful

João Carlos Simonetti

Excellent

Reviewed in Brazil on June 25, 2023

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The book is excellent. The vendor is very trustworthy

Love

The most interesting book of Hermetism

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2023

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Makes you understand the God principle, the sale god as in religious perspective... And also how destiny controls us. Small book to read and very deep

Adam

Excellent and readable translation.

Reviewed in Australia on August 26, 2021

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Probably my favorite translation to just sit and read. Other versions translate the word "Nous" as Mind, but it is so much more. Leaving it as Nous adds an extra element to the text in my eyes. Excellent work.

Ty Keller

Amazing

Reviewed in Canada on May 14, 2016

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An amazing modern rendering of the Corpus Hermeticum and the Divine Pymander. I have read the 18th century texts, and though great, the modern translations make memorization much easier. In this way, it enables one to more easily live the principles contained herein. Worth the money!

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