Iamblichus on the mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans,...

And the strong massy gates, through which we pass

In our first course, are bound with chains of brass.

Those men the first who of Egyptian birth

Drank the fair water of Nilotic earth,

Disclosed by actions infinite this road,

And many paths to God Phœnicians show’d.

This road th’ Assyrians pointed out to view,

And this the Lydians and Chaldeans knew.”

For Εβραιων in this oracle I read Χαλδαιων, because I have no doubt that either Aristobulus the Jew, well known for interpolating the writings of the Heathens, or the wicked Eusebius as he is called by the Emperor Julian, have fraudulently substituted the former word for the latter.

129. Prayers of this kind are such as those of which Proclus speaks in Tim. p. 65, when he says, “The cathartic prayer is that which is offered for the purpose of averting diseases originating from pestilence, and other contagious distempers, such as we have written in our temples.” Καθαρτικαι δε (ευχαἰ, επι αποτροπαις λοιμικων νοσημοτων, ἢ παντοιων μολυσμων’ οιας δε και εν τοις ιεροις εχομεν αναγεγραμμενας.

130. Porphyry, in lib. ii. De Abstinentia, mentions Seleucus the theologist, and Suidas says that Seleucus the Alexandrian wrote 100 books concerning the Gods.

131. These books (βιβλοι) were most probably nothing more than short discourses, such as the treatises now are which are circulated as written by Hermes, and which, as Iamblichus informs us, contain Hermaic doctrines.

132. A great priest, a scribe of the Adyta in Egypt, by birth a Sebanite, and an inhabitant of Heliopolis, as he relates of himself.

133. In the original, πρωτος και του πρωτου θεου και βασιλεως, which Gale translates, prior etiam primo Deo, et rege [sole]. But the addition of sole in his translation is obviously most unappropriate and false: for Iamblichus is evidently speaking of a deity much superior to the sun.

134. For Ημηφ here, Gale conjectures that we should read Κνηφ Kneph: for Plutarch says that the unbegotten Kneph was celebrated with an extraordinary degree of veneration by the Egyptian Thebans.

135. Hence the moon is said by Proclus to be αυτοπτον της φυσεως αγαλμα, the self-visible statue or image of nature.

136. Proclus in Tim. p. 117, cites what is here said as the doctrine of the Egyptians, and also cites for it the authority of Iamblichus. But his words are, και μην και η των Αιγυπτιων παραδοσις τα αυτα περι αυτης (της υλης) φησιν. ο γε τοι θειος Ιαμβλιχος ιστορησεν οτι και Ερμης εκ της ουσιοτητος την υλοτητα παραγεσθαι βουλεται., i. e. “Moreover the doctrine of the Egyptians asserts the same things concerning matter. For the divine Iamblichus relates that Hermes also produces matter from essentiality.”

137. This is most probably the Chæremon who is said by Porphyry, in lib. iv. De Abstinentia, “to be a lover of truth, an accurate writer, and very conversant with the Stoic philosophy.” Τοιαυτα μεν τα κατ’ Αιγυπτιους υπ’ ανδρος φιλαληθους τε και ακριβους, εντε τοις Στωϊκοις πραγματικωτατα φιλοσοφησαντος μεμαρτυρημενα.

138. This was the ninth king in the twenty-sixth dynasty of the Saitan kings.

139. This city is mentioned by Plato in the Timæus, who represents Critias as saying “that there is a certain region of Egypt, called Delta, about the summit of which the streams of the Nile are divided, and in which there is a province called Saitical.” He adds, “of this province the greatest city is Saïs, from which also King Amasis derived his origin. The city has a presiding divinity, whose name is, in the Egyptian tongue, Neith, but in the Greek Athena, or Minerva.” It is singular that Gale, who is not deficient in philology, though but a smatterer in philosophy, should have omitted to remark in his notes this passage of Plato.

140. Proclus, in MS. Comment, in Alcibiad. cites one of the Chaldean oracles, which says,

——πορθμιον ουνομα το δ’ εν απειροις

Κοσμοις ενθρωσκον.

i. e. “There is a transmitting name which leaps into the infinite worlds.” And in his MS. Scholia in Cratyl. he quotes another of these oracles, viz.

Αλλα εστιν ουνομα σεμνον ακοιμητῳ στροφαλιγγι,

Κοσμοις ενθρωσκον, κραιπνην δια πατρος ενιπην.

i. e. “There is a venerable name with a sleepless revolution, leaping into the worlds through the rapid reproofs of the father.”

141. For εχεται in this place, I read περιεχεται.

142. Gale, in his translation of this part, has entirely mistaken the meaning of Iamblichus, which he frequently does in other places. For the words of Iamblichus are, οταν γαρ δη τα βελτιονα των εν ημιν ενεργῃ, και προς τα κρειττονα αναγεται αυτης η ψυχη; and the version of Gale is “quando enim pars nostri melior operari incipiat, et ad sui portionem meliorem recolligatur anima.” For τα κρειττονα is not the better part of the soul; but when the better parts of the soul energize, the soul is then intimately converted to itself, and through this conversion is elevated to superior natures.

143. Viz. The science of calculating nativities.

144. i. e. The joint risings and settings.

145. i. e. Through a period of 300,000 years; and Procl. in Tim. lib. iv. p. 277, informs us that the Chaldeans had observations of the stars which embraced whole mundane periods. What Proclus likewise asserts of the Chaldeans is confirmed by Cicero in his first book on Divination, who says that they had records of the stars for the space of 370,000 years; and by Diodorus Siculus, Bibl. lib. xi. p. 118, who says that their observations comprehended the space of 473,000 years.

146. “We say,” says Hephestion, “that a star is the lord of the geniture, which has five conditions of the lord of the nativity in the horoscope; viz. if that star receives the luminaries in their proper boundaries, in their proper house, in their proper altitude, and in the proper triangle.” He also adds, “and if besides it has contact, effluxion, and configuration.” See likewise Porphyry in Ptolemæum, p. 191.

147. According to the Egyptians every one received his proper dæmon at the hour of his birth; nor did they ascend any higher, in order to obtain a knowledge of it. For they alone considered the horoscope. See Porphyry apud Stobæum, p. 201, and Hermes in Revolut. cap. iv.

148. In the original ενταυθα δε ουν και η της αληθειας παρεστι θεα, και η της νοερας επιστημης. But instead of η της νοερας απιστημης, which appears to me to be defective, I read η κτησις της νοερας επιστημης.

149. For θεωτος here, I read θεωτερος.

150. In the original, by a strange mistake, των θνητων is inserted here instead of των νοητων, which is obviously the true reading. The version of Gale also has intelligibilium.

151. i. e. Man, considered as a rational soul, connected with the irrational life; for this man has dominion in the realms of generation.

152. See the second edition of this work in Nos. XV. and XVI. of the Pamphleteer.

153. i. e. Of natures which are not connected with body.