Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. III — G. R. S. Mead (1906)
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
ment, first subordination to their system as a whole, and then subordination to their respective spheres.1 And that in each of these spheres there is a host 2 on the same level3 with each, you may infer from the extremes.4 For if the Fixed Sphere"5 has a host on the same level as itself, and Earth has a host of earthy animals,6 just as the former a host of heavenly animals,7 it is necessary that every whole B should have a number of «mimals on the same level with itself ; indeed it is because of the latter fact that they are called wholes. The intermediate levels, however, are outside the range of our senses, the extremes only being visible, the one through the transcendent brilliance of its nature, the other through its kinship with ourselves." 9
It is evident that we are here dealing with what are known to Theosophical students as the "planetary chains " of our system, and that therefore these Spheres are not the physical planets ; the visible planets are but a very small portion of the globes of these chains, of some of which there are no globes at all visible. The ascription therefore of the "influence" of these Spheres to the sun, moon, and five of the visible planets is at best a makeshift, a " correspondence," or a " symbolism."
1 Or, as one would say in modern Theosophical terms, to their planetary chains.
2 Hierarchy. 3 a^oro^ov.
4 That is to say, we may infer from the fixed stars (or suns) and from the globes which we can see (i.e. the visible planets), the manner of those we cannot see.
6 The sphere of fixed stars or suns.
6 That is to say, all the visible globes (vulgo planets) of our system as a whole. An "animal" means a "living thing"; so that here " earthy animals " mean the living vehicles of the heavenly beings which we so erroneously call " heavenly bodies."
7 That is to say, suns or solar systems.
8 Here whole means plane.
9 That is to say, the brilliant light of the suns in space, and the reflected light of the physical globes of the planetary spheres of our system. See Proclus, Commentarius in Platonis Timceum, Bk. iv., p. 279 D, E, p. 676, ed. Schneider (Vratislavise, 1847). The passage is very dim cult to translate because of its technical nature. Taylor, in his translation (London, 1820, ii. 281, 282), misses nearly every point.
III.
JULIAN THE EMPEKOR
Text: ap. Cyril, Contra Julianum, v. 176; Migne, col.
770 A. See also Neumann (C. I.), Juliani Imperatoris
Librorum contra CJiristianos quce supersunt (Leipzig, 1880),
p. 193.2
THE DISCIPLES OF WISDOM
That God, however, has not cared for the Hebrews only, [but rather] that in His love for all nations He hath bestowed on them [sc. the Hebrews] nothing worth very serious attention, whereas He has given us far greater and superior gifts, consider from what will follow. The Egyptians, counting up of their own race the names of not a few sages, can also say they have had many who have followed in the steps3 of Hermes. I mean of the Third Hermes who used to come down 4 [to them] in Egypt. The Chaldseans [also can tell of] the [disciples] of Cannes and of Belus ;
1 Julian the Emperor reigned 360-363 A.D. It was during the last year of his reign that he wrote Contra Christianas.
2 Also Taylor (Thomas), The Arguments of the Emperor Julian against the Christians (London, 1809), p. 36.
3 Lit. " from the succession " (StaHoxys).
4 4ifKf>oir'fi(favros) — " to come habitually to " ; &n0o/T7jcm is used of the " coming upon one," or inspiration of a God.
and the Greeks of tens of thousands [who have the Wisdom] from Cheiron.1 For it is from him that they derived their initiation into the mysteries of nature, and their knowledge of divine things ; so that indeed [in comparison] the Hebrews seem only to give themselves airs about their own [attainments].
Here we learn from Julian that the Third Hermes, the Hermes presumably of our Sermons, was known, by those initiated into the Gnosis, to be no physical historical Teacher, but a Teaching Power or Person, who taught from within spiritually.