Corpus Hermeticum in Latin and English

Every process of initiation is a period of learning on several levels, and the most important of them is of course that of the Spirit-Soul -- the Mind -- the gnostic plane. The Corpus Hermeticum explores these levels, using didactical dialogues between a Master and his Disciple, in a language precise and almost modern, and yet occasionally poetic and heartfelt. Sometimes it reminds the Platonic dialogues on their highest philosophical level, while still remaining quite understandable for everybody ...The Corpus Hermeticum is one of the oldest documents of western philosophy, revered by all connoisseurs of this discipline: It conveys the timeless wisdom of Initiates in their quest for truth about God as Creator, about the World as His Creation, and about Man with his cosmic destiny, mission and universal responsibility. As a first term for the authorship of the Corpus Hermeticum we consider Alexandria between ca. 150 b.C. and ca. 250 a.D. -- This is the period when elements of Arabian, Babylonian, Hebrew, Hellenistic and Neoplatonic elements were interweaved and harmonized. -- There even are some echoes from Lao-Dse and the Upanishads.The text of the Corpus Hermeticum was originally written in Greek, then translated into Latin by the Initiate Marsilio Ficino of Florence in 1468, and printed for the first time in 1471. Modern science wants parts of it to be of a patristic nature, disregarding its salvation of Hermetic traditions of old. Sometimes excessively generous translators and editors redacted the text, neglecting its precise and often amazing stylistic subtleties.The present translation instead follows - to the best of knowledge, and strictly verbally - even the most challenging and problematical passages, firmly obeying the refined grammatical rules of Latin and its classical abbreviatures, throughout this rich text. This book is pleasant to read - also because uncertain idioms are accompanied by the original term in Latin for comparison.The present new book thus satisfies the wish for a new, reliable translation, and therefore will fill a long regretted gap especially because in our modern time the messages of this venerable scripture of antique Mysteries are of renewed actuality for both researchers and seekers today. A plethora of linguistic, historical, cosmological and mythological facts at the end of the book will be welcomed especially by all lovers of original esoteric texts.