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Hermes Trismegistus · A Sacred Discourse §1a-4

Creation of the Cosmos and Generation of Living Beings

Passage 1 of 1 · Greek

Summary

The chunk describes the creation of the cosmos and the activity of nature by God, followed by the generation of living beings, including humans, under the divine celestial movements and their cycle of life and death.

§1aἈρχὴ τῶν ὄντων ὁ θεός, καὶ νοῦ[ς] καὶ φύσεωϲ καὶ ὕλη⟨ς⟩, σοφία⟨ς⟩ εἰς δεῖξιν ⟨ποιήσας πάντ⟩α, πάντων ὢν ἀρχή· ⟨⟨καὶ⟩⟩ το⟨ῦ⟩ θε[ι]ο῀Υ [[καὶ]] ⟨⟨ἐνέργεια⟩⟩ ἡ φύσις [καὶ] [[ἐνέργεια]], κατ᾽ ἀνάγκη⟨ν⟩ καὶ τέλος καὶ ἀνανέωσιΝ ⟨ἐνεργοῦσα⟩.
God is the beginning of the things that exist, and of intellect, nature, and matter, having made all things for the manifestation of wisdom, being the beginning of all; and nature is the activity of God, acting according to necessity, end, and renewal.
§1bἦν γὰρ σκότος [[ἄπειρον ἐν ἀβύσσῳ, καὶ ὕδωρ ⟨⟨ἄπειρον⟩⟩, καὶ πνεῦμα λεπτὸν νοερόν, δυνάμει θείᾳ ⟨. . . . ⟩ον τὰ ἐν χάει.
For there was boundless darkness in the abyss, and boundless water, and a subtle, intelligent spirit, by divine power [ruling] the things in chaos.
⟨⟨ἀδιορίστων δὲ ὄντων ἁπάντων καὶ ἀκατασκευάστων,⟩⟩ ἀνείθη δὴ φῶς ἅγιον· [[καὶ ἐπάγη ὑπ᾽ ἄμμῳ ἐξ ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας]] ⟨καὶ ἐγένετο τὰ⟩ στοιχεῖα [καὶ θεοὶ πάντες]. [[καταδιαιροῦσι φύσεως ἐνσπόρου]]
When all things were indefinite and unformed, holy light was sent forth, and it was solidified under the sand out of the moist substance, and the elements [and all the gods] came into being. [They partition] the seminative nature...
§2a[[ἀδιορίστων δὲ ὄντων ἁπάντων καὶ ἀκατασκευάστων] ⟨⟨τῶν ⟨γὰρ⟩ ὅλων διορισθέντων⟩⟩ ἀπεχωρίσθη τὰ ἐλαφρὰ εἰς ὕψος, ⟨⟨ἀνακρεμασθέντοϲ ⟨τοῦ πυρὸς τῷ⟩ πνεύματι ὀχεῖσθαι· ⟩⟩ καὶ τὰ βαρέα ⟨κατηνέχθη, καὶ⟩ ἐθεμελιώθη ὑφ᾽ ὑγρᾷ ⟨οὐσίᾳ⟩ ἄμμοϲ, ⟨⟨καὶ ἐπάγη ⟨ἡ ξηρὰ⟩ [ὑπ᾽ ἄμμῳ] ἐξ ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας. ⟩⟩ [πυρὶ] [[τῶν ὅλων διορισθέντων]] [καὶ] [[ἀνακρεμασθέντων πνεύματι ὀχεῖσθαι]].
When all things were indefinite and unformed, when the whole was distinguished, the light things separated into the height, [the fire] being suspended so as to be carried by the spirit; and the heavy things [were carried down], and the sand was established under the moist [substance], and [the dry land] was solidified out of the moist substance [under the sand]. [By fire] [when the whole was distinguished] [and] [when they were suspended so as to be carried by the spirit].
§2b⟨⟨καὶ διηρθρώθη ⟨ἡ πυρίνη οὐσία⟩ σὺν τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ θεοῖς· ⟩⟩ καὶ ὤφθη ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐν κύκλοις ἑπτά, καὶ θεοὶ [ταῖς] ἐν ἄστρων ἰδέαις ὀπτανόμενοι σὺν τοῖς αὐτῶν σημείοις ἅπασι· [[καὶ διηρθρώθη σὺν τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ θεοῖς]] καὶ περιε⟨ι⟩λίχθη τὸ [περικύκλιον] α⟨ἰθ⟩έρι⟨ον⟩ κυκλίῳ δρομήματι, πνεύματι θείῳ ὀχούμενον.
And [the fiery substance] was articulated with the gods in it; and heaven appeared in seven circles, and the gods appearing in the forms of stars with all their signs; [and was articulated with the gods in it]; and the [surrounding] ethereal [sphere] was wound around in a circular course, carried by the divine spirit.
§3aἀνῆκε δὲ ἕκαστος θεὸς διὰ τῆς ἰδίας δυνάμεως τὸ προσταχθὲν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐγένετο θηρία τετράποδα καὶ ἑρπετὰ καὶ ἔνυδρα καὶ πτηνά, [καὶ πᾶσα σπορὰ ἔνσπορος] καὶ χόρτος καὶ ἄνθους παντὸς χλόη, ⟨⟨κατὰ διαίρεσι⟨ν⟩ φύσεωΝ ἔνσπορα,⟩⟩ τὸ σπέρμα τῆς παλιγγενεσίας ἐν ἑαυτοῖς [ε]σπερμοΓοΝοῦντα[ς].
And each god sent forth by his own power what was commanded to him; and there came to be four-footed beasts, creeping things, water-dwellers, and winged things, [and every seminative seed], and grass, and the green of every flower, [having seeds according to the division of nature], harboring the seed of rebirth in themselves.
§3b⟨. . . ⟩ τε γεινέσεις τῶν ἀνθρώπων, [εἰς ἔργων θείων γνῶσιν, καὶ φύσεως ἐνεργούσΗc μαρτυρίαν, [καὶ πλῆθος ἀνθρώπων] καὶ πάντων τῶν ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν δεσποτείαν, καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἐπίγνωσιν] εἰς τὸ αὐξάνεσθαι ἐν αὐξήσει καὶ πληθύνεσθαι ἐν πλήθει.
And [there came to be] generations of men, [for the knowledge of divine works, and the testimony of active nature, [and the multitude of men], and the dominion over all things under heaven, and the recognition of good things], for increasing in increase and multiplying in multitude.
καὶ πᾶσαν ἐνσαρκ⟨ο⟩ῖ ψυχὴν διὰ δρομήματος θεῶν ἐγκυκλίων, παρασκεγάϲας εἰς κατοπτ⟨ε⟩ίαν οὐρανοῦ [καὶ δρομήματος οὐρανίων θεῶν] ⟨⟨καὶ πάντων τῶν ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν δεσποτείαν⟩⟩, καὶ ⟨⟨εἰς γνῶσιν θείας δυνάμεως⟩⟩ [ἔργων θείων] καὶ φύσεως ἐνεργείας ⟨⟨μαρτυρίαν⟩⟩, εἴς τε σημείω⟨σιν⟩ ἀγαθῶν [[εἰς γνῶσιν θείας δυνάμεως]], μοίρας ⎡ὀχλουμένης⎤ γνῶναι ἀγαθῶν καὶ φαύλων, καὶ πᾶσαν [ἀγαθῶν] δαιδαλουργίαν εὑρεῖν.
And [He] embodied every soul through the course of the revolving gods, preparing them for the contemplation of heaven [and of the course of the heavenly gods] [and the dominion over all things under heaven], and [for the knowledge of divine power] [divine works] and the [testimony] of the activity of nature, and for the indication of good things [for the knowledge of divine power], to know the good and the bad of the troubled fate, and to discover every [good] craftsmanship.
§4⟨ὑπ⟩άρχε⟨ι⟩ τε αὐτοῖϲ βιῶσαί τε καὶ ἀφ⟨αν⟩ισθῆναι πρὸς μοῖραν δρομήματος ⟨ἐγ⟩κυκλίων θεῶν, καὶ ἀναλυθῆναι εἰς ⎡ο⎤ ⟨. . . . καὶ οἱ μὲν ὀνομαστοὶ⟩ ἔσονται, μεγάλα ἀπομνημονεύματα τεχνουργημάτων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καταλιπόντες· ⟨τῶν δὲ πολλ⟩ῶν ⟨τὰ⟩ ὀνόματα ⟨ὁ⟩ χρόνοϲ ἀμαυρώσει.
And it belongs to them to live and to pass away according to the fate of the course of the revolving gods, and to be dissolved into [...] [And some] shall be [renowned], leaving great memorials of their handiwork on earth; but the names of [the many] time shall obscure.
καὶ πᾶσαν γένεσιν ἐμψύχου σαρκὸς καὶ καρποῦ σπορᾶς [καὶ πάσας τεχνουργίας] ⟨διαδέξεται φθορά⟩· τὰ ⟨δὲ⟩ ἐλαττούμενα ἀνανεωθήσεται [ἀνάγκῃ] [καὶ ἀνανεώσει] θεῶν [καὶ φύσεως] ⟨ἐγ⟩κυκλίωΝ ἐναριθμίῳ δρομήματι.
And [destruction shall succeed] every generation of living flesh, and of the fruit of seed [and all handiwork]; but what is diminished shall be renewed [by necessity] [and by the renewal] of the gods [and of nature] by the numerical course of the revolving ones.
το⟨ῦ⟩ γὰρ θε[ι]ο῀Υ ⟨ἐκκρέμαται⟩ ἡ πᾶσα κοσμικὴ σύγκρασις, φύσει ἀνανεουμένη· ἐν γὰρ τῷ θε[ι]ῷ καὶ ἡ φύσις καθέστηκεν.
For from God [hangs] the entire cosmic mixture, being renewed by nature; for in God nature also is established.

Notes

  1. 1aσοφίας εἰς δεῖξιν — The genitive σοφίας functions as an objective genitive dependent on the noun δεῖξιν ("manifestation"), meaning "for the manifestation of wisdom."
  2. 1bἀδιορίστων δὲ ὄντων ἁπάντων καὶ ἀκατασκευάστων — The adjectives ἀδιορίστων and ἀκατασκευάστων form a genitive absolute construction with the participle ὄντων and the subject ἁπάντων, indicating the background circumstances for the main clause.
  3. 2aἀνακρεμασθέντος ... ὀχεῖσθαι — The genitive absolute ἀνακρεμασθέντος ("having been suspended") is followed by the infinitive ὀχεῖσθαι ("to be carried") expressing purpose. τῷ πνεύματι functions as a dative of instrument.
  4. 3bεἰς τὸ αὐξάνεσθαι ... καὶ πληθύνεσθαι — The preposition εἰς with the neuter singular accusative article το is joined with the present passive (or middle) infinitives αὐξάνεσθαι and πληθύνεσθαι to express purpose ("in order to..."). The cognate additions ἐν αὐξήσει and ἐν πλήθει suggest a Hebraistic/Septuagintal stylistic influence.
  5. 4ὑπάρχει τε αὐτοῖς βιῶσαί τε καὶ ἀφανισθῆναι — The verb ὑπάρχει ("belongs to / is available") takes the dative αὐτοῖς ("to them") and the infinitives βιῶσαι and ἀφανισθῆναι as its grammatical subjects, forming the construction "it is their lot to live and to pass away."

Cite this passage

Hermes Trismegistus, A Sacred Discourse §1a-4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1286.tlg003.humanitext-grc1:1a-4

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