Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. II (the Corpus Hermeticum) — G. R. S. Mead (1906)
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And just as the Intelligible World,4 holding the Sensible in its embrace, fills it [all] full, distending it with forms of every kind and every shape — so, too, the Sun distendeth all in Cosmos, affording births to all, and strengtheneth them.
When they are weary or they fail, He takes them in His arms again.
13. And under Him is ranged the choir of daimons — or, rather, choirs ; for these are multitudinous and very varied, ranked underneath the groups of Stars,5 in equal number with each one of them.
So, marshalled in their ranks, they are the ministers of each one of the Stars, being in their natures good, and bad, that is, in their activities (for that a daimon's essence is activity) ; while any rectangular figure, and also of groups of stars as in Eratosth. apud Strab., II. i. 35 ; v. 36 (Lex. Sophocles) j compare al r&v irxivQtuv viroypa.(j>ai, the fields, or spaces, into which the Augurs divided the heavens, templa, or regiones coeli (Lex. Liddell and Scott).
3 Or genus. 4 Or Cosmos.
5 M TO.S rwv ao-repwv irXivOiSas. ir\ii>9is = ir\ivQiovt and is used of
some of them are [of] mixed [natures], good and bad.
14. To all of these has been allotted the authority o'er things upon the Earth ; and it is they who bring about the multifold confusion of the turmoils on the Earth — for states and nations generally, and for each individual separately.
For they do shape our souls like to themselves, and set them moving with them, — obsessing nerves, and marrow, veins and arteries, the brain itself, down to the very heart.1
15. For on each one of us being born and made alive, the daimons take hold on us — those [daimones] who are in service at that moment [of the wheel] of Genesis, who are ranged under each one of the Stars.2
For that these change at every moment ; they do not stay the same, but circle back again.
These, then, descending through the body * to the two parts4 of the soul, set it5 awhirling, each one towards its own activity.
But the soul's rational part is set above the lordship of the daimons — designed to be receptacle of God.
1 Lit. viscera. 2 Cf. P. S. A., xxxv. 2.
3 Cf. C. H., xiii. (xiv.) 7.
4 The two irrational parts, " passion " and " desire "
5 The soul.
16. Who then doth have a Ray shining upon him through the Sun within his rational part — and these in all are few — on them the daimons do not act ; for no one of the daimons or of Gods has any power against one Ray of God.
As for the rest, they are all led and driven, soul and body, by the daimons — loving and hating the activities of these.
The reason (logos), [then,] is not the love that is deceived and that deceives.1
The daimons, therefore, exercise the whole of this terrene economy,2 using our bodies as [their] instruments.
And this economy Hermes has called
Heimarmene.3
17. The World Intelligible,4 then, depends from God; the Sensible from the Intelligible [World].
The Sun, through the Intelligible and the Sensible Cosmos, pours forth abundantly the stream from God of Good, — that is, the demiurgic operation.
And round the Sun are the Eight Spheres, dependent from Him — the [Sphere] of the
1 This Eros is the lower love (cf. G. H., i. 18 : " love, the cause of death "), not the Divine Love who inspires Hermes in " The Perfect Sermon" and who is mentioned G. H., xviii. 14.
3 Or, Fate ; cf. G. H., i. 9 ; and P. S. A., xix.
4 Or, Intelligible Cosmos.
Non-wandering Ones, the Six [Spheres] of the
Wanderers, and one Circumterrene.
And from the Spheres depend the daimones ; and from these, men.
And thus all things and all [of them] depend from God.1
18. Wherefore God is the Sire of all; the Sun's [their] Demiurge; the Cosmos is the instrument of demiurgic operation.
Intelligible Essence regulateth Heaven ; and Heaven, the Gods ; the daimones, ranked underneath the Gods, regulate men.
This is the host 2 of Gods and daimones.3
Through these God makes all things for His own self.
And all [of them] are parts of God ; and if they all [are] parts — then, God is all.
Thus, making all, He makes Himself; nor ever can He cease [His making], for He Himself is ceaseless.4
Just, then, as God doth have no end and no beginning, so doth His making have no end and no beginning.6
1 Cf. P. S. A., iv. 1 n. ; and xix.
2 Or army, or hierarchy. Compare the "soldier" degree of the Mithriaca.
3 Cf. G. H., x. (xi.) 22 ; and P. S. A., v. 1.
* Qf G. H., xiv. (xv.), 7 and 5.