Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. I — G. R. S. Mead (1906)

1 Kroll, ii. 344 ; Riess, Frag. 33.

2 Riess, Frag. 1.

3 ovpavoftartlv.

4 So R. (5) completes a lacuna.

5 0o-fi— presumably a parallel with the Bath-kol of Talmudic
Rabbinism.

substantial presence, who guided Nechepso on his way through the heaven-space.

It is, moreover, exceedingly probable that the magnificent spectacle of the star-spheres l to which Vettius refers, speaking of it as "the most transcendent and most blessed vision (Oewpia) of all," was taken directly from the same source.

With this we may compare the wish of Trismegistus that Tat might get him the wings of the soul and enjoy that fair sight,2 and the seeing of it by Hermes himself through the Mind.3

All of which proves the existence of books in Greek in middle Ptolemaic times treating in the same manner of identical subjects with those contained in our Trismegistic literature.

MANETHO THE BELOVED OF THOTH

When, then, the sovereignty of Egypt passed into the hands of the Diadochi of Alexander, and the Ptolemies made Alexandria the centre of learning in the Greek world, by the foundation of the ever-famous Museum and Library and Schools in their capital, there arose an extraordinary enthusiasm for translating, paraphrasing, and summarising into Greek of the old scriptures and records of the nations. The most famous name of such translators and compilers and comparative theologians is that of Manetho,4 who introduced the

1 The same rapturous vision of the soul after death is translated by Seneca (Cows, ad Marciam, 18, 2) from Poseidonius (135-(?)51 B.C.), who also clearly derived it from the same Egyptian Hellenistic literature.

2 0. H., v. (vi.) 5.

3 C. H., xi. (xii.) 6, 7 ; also Stob., Eel, i. 49 (386, 3, W.).

4 There are some dozen variants in the spelling and accenting of this name in Greek transliteration ; in Egyptian we are told it means " Beloved of Thoth " (Mai en Thoth).

treasures of Egyptian mysticism, theology, mythology, history, and chronology to the Grecian world. Moreover, seeing that the veracity and reliability of Manetho as a historian is with every day more and more accepted as we become better acquainted with the monuments, he seems to have done his work loyally enough.

Manetho was contemporary with the first two Ptolemies; that is to say, he lived in the last years of the fourth and the first half of the third century B.C. He was a priest of Heliopolis (On),1 and was thoroughly trained in all Greek culture2 as well as being most learned in the ancient Wisdom of Egypt.3 Manetho not only wrote on historical subjects, but also on the mystic philosophy and religion of his country, and it is from his books in all probability that Plutarch and others drew their information on things Egyptian. Manetho derived his information from the hieroglyphic inscriptions in the temples4 and from the rest of the priestly records ; but unfortunately his books are almost entirely lost, and we only possess fragments quoted by later writers.

THE LETTER OF MANETHO TO PTOLEMY PHILADELPHIA

One of these quotations is of great importance for our present enquiry. It is preserved by Georgius

1 Plutarch, De Is. et Osir., ix. and xxviii.

2 Josephus, C. Apion., i. 14.

3 Julian, De Animalium Natura, x. 16.

4 Budge, op. sup. cit., i. 332, says : "A tradition says Solon, Thales, and Plato all visited the great college at Heliopolis, and that the last-named actually studied there, and that Manetho the priest of Sebennytus, who wrote a history of Egypt in Greek for Ptolemy II., collected his materials in the library of the priesthood of Ra."