Philosophy as ‘holy religion’ (sancta religio). The essence of hermetic philosophy in Asclepius, sive dialogus Hermetis Trismegisti

The Hermetic text Asclepius, sive dialogus Hermetis Trismegisti is a Latin translation of the lost Greek Hermetic treatise Logos teleios , known to Lactantius (cf. Lactantius, Divinae Institutiones , IV 6, 4).¹ The Latin dialogue has come down to us

in the corpus of work of Apuleius of Madaura, but contemporary scholars, however, question Apuleius’ authorship.2

Outstanding researcher of the Hermetic writings Walter Scott distinguishes three parts in Asclepius: ‘Asclepius I (De homine)’, ‘Asclepius II (De origine mali)’ and ‘Asclepius III (De cultu deorum)’.3 According to Scott, the author of Asclepius I was probably an Egyptian, who had received a Hellenic education in Alexandria.4 Scott is inclined to think that the author was a contemporary of Clement of Alexandria, who was teaching in that city between A.D. 190 and 200 (Scott 1924, 55). Scott is convinced that “the religious fervour of the writer is characteristic of his Egyptian nationality; but there is nothing in his dogmas that cannot be derived from Greek philosophy” (Scott 1924, 54). Scott suggested that this Greek writer may have been one of Ammonios Saccas’ disciples. In the Introduction to his Hermetica Scott wrote: “There is no external evidence that Ammonius Saccas was in any way connected with the Hermetism; but seeing that (1) Plotinus is known to have been strongly influenced by Ammonius Saccas, and (2) there is much in the teachings recorded in the Hermetica that approximates to the philosophic religion of Plotinus, we may fairly put these two facts together, and infer that the Hermetic teachers were men of the same type as Ammonius Saccas. Indeed, it is not impossible that in some few of the extant Hermetica we have specimens of the teaching of Ammonius Saccas, set down in writing (and ascribed to Hermes) by on of his pupils. There is no evidence for that; but at any rate we are justified in saying that the teaching of Ammonius Saccas must have closely resembled that which we find in some of the Hermetica.” (Scott 1924, 2). Some researchers believe that in Alexandria there was the religious community of the followers of the Philosophy of Hermes Trismegistus.5

According to Scott, “the Latin translation may be dated between 353 and 426” or “between about 280 and 426”.6 Scott is inclined to think that ”the translator was either Victorinus or someone of who had much in common with him”.7

According to Fowden, “the Asclepius is a compilation of materials from various sources, loosely linked together”.⁸ Ferguson expresses a similar opinion in his Introduction to Scott’s Hermetica (vol. IV).⁹ According to Parri, however, the Asclepius is not any compilation, but it is the autonomous and complete proposal of a single author.¹⁰

The analysis of the Asclepius , as far as the philosophical content of the dialogue is concerned, leads to a conclusion that handwriting tradition which includes this writing among the works of Apuleius (a philosopher, a mage and a poet) is not entirely in the wrong. Augustine of Hippo was probably of a similar opinion. As Moreschini noted, Augustine quotes the Asclepius as part of a polemical discourse with Apuleius.¹¹ The Italian scholar supports Carcopino’s and Ma-hé’s thesis saying that the author of the Latin translation was of North African origin.¹² Fowden holds a similar opinion.¹³

Generally speaking, a large portion of the philosophical content in the Asclepius fits in with the Apuleius’ Middle Platonism philosophy.14 Also, the very understanding of philosophy expressed in Asclepius, as well as its overall message, is close to the spirituality of both Apuleius and Middle Platonism in general. Plenty of philosophical concepts from the Asclepius, both of greater and lesser importance, especially anthropological, theological (including a close to Hermetic philosophy doctrine of mysterious, intangible, incomprehensible God) and ethical ones (together with “homoiosis theo”, all Platonists’ principal doctrine), can be found in the texts written by the philosopher from Madaura.15 Nevertheless, the abovementioned concurrences do not evidence that Apuleius was the author of the Latin translation, particularly if we consider easily noticeable language differences which do not support this idea.16 These concurrences, however, can point to shared spiritual and philosophical heritage, something like “cultural koine of platonic-stoic type” (“koiné culturale pagana tipo platonico-stoico”), as defined by Moreschini17, and possibly also to certain ideological interlinkage among these currents, specifically between Middle Platonism and Hermetic Philosophy.18

The meaning and essence of philosophy in the Asclepius

In Chapter XIV of Asclepius , Hermes Trismegistus describes in one sentence how Hermetism defines philosophy: “To adore the godhead with simple mind and soul and to honor his works, also to give thanks to god's will (which alone is completely filled with good), this is a philosophy unprofaned by relentlessly curious thinking” ( Asclepius , XIV).¹⁹

A bit earlier, in Chapter XII, he says that philosophy consists only in perpetual contemplation of the divinity and “holy religion”: quae sola est in cognoscenda divinitate frequens obtutus et sancta religio ( Asclepius , XII).

Moving away from any mathematical disciplines²⁰, Hermes brings philosophy into the realm of mental contemplation of the harmony of the universe and spiritual communion with God, the creator of this universe ( Asclepius , XIII).²¹ It is not difficult to surmise that the ambitions of philosophy understood in such a way go far beyond the borders of theories and doctrines, which are scientific to lesser or greater extent, stepping into the deepest and most secret areas of human personality, into the territory of its divine spirit. They also go beyond – a thing worth noting – the abilities of ordinary earthly creatures. Nonetheless, according to Hermes Trismegistus, a human being is neither an ordinary creature, nor an earthly one, even though he or she lives on Earth temporarily. Hermes Trismegis-tus’ philosophy, however greatly it may value human cognition and knowledge, finds its essence in spiritual experience. For the aim of this philosophy is not to complete education but reach heaven ( Asclepius , XI).

Philosophising in Trismegistus’ manner – if one can put it that way – has its starting point in discovering and experiencing human divinity ( Asclepius , X).²² At the same time, discovering and experiencing one’s own divinity solves the problem, vague up to this point, of human peculiar longing for plenitude and happiness. It finally becomes explicit that it is longing for one’s own spiritual divinity, deeply hidden in bodily structures. Another thing that clarifies is the human feeling of strange unfamiliarity towards one’s own body and everything connected with it (cf. Asclepius , VI - XII).²³ Simultaneously, the human final vocation becomes clear – it aims at spiritual heavenly Kingdom (cf. Asclepius , XI). At the same time, Hermes is aware that not everyone will be able to discover and fulfil their divine vocation, for a variety of reasons, but mostly as a consequence of surrendering to the domination of senses, a result of human ignorance and lack of awareness ( Asclepius, XXII).²⁴

Admittedly, gaining knowledge, metaphysical and theological in particular, is part of philosophy propagated by Trismegistus. The essence of this philosophy, however, as well as its primary tool, is the contemplation of immortal matters. Hermes supplements this contemplation with an admiration for cosmic harmony (Asclepius, XIII).25 Nevertheless, this contemplation is in no way a means of gain- ing theoretical knowledge. It is mainly a tool of man’s spiritual conversion. Focusing fully on spiritual and divine reality, as this is what contemplation consists in, leads to discovering and comprehending one’s own spirituality and divinity, and, as a result, to spiritual conversion and transformation, rebirth (cf. Asclepius, XI; XXIX).26 Within such a meaning, contemplation, as well as philosophy in general, has cathartic power. It can purge man’s soul of all sensual addictions, and consequently bring him only one step away from salvation, from the heavens. Thereby, Trismegistus’ philosophy had been dressed in mysterial array. It is worth repeating that philosophy became a spiritual mystery, one in which the purification of soul (eradicating sensual addictions) and, at the same time, the transformation of a man into a divine creature take effect. This transformation, though, does not consist in dressing man in certain externally imposed “divine attire”; it is a completely self-triggered process based on discovering one’s own divinity and exposing it on top of one’s own personality. For man has been god from the very outset of his existence, yet his divinity has been drowned out by senses run amuck. God – as highlighted by Trismegistus – has been supporting man in the process of spiritual conversion: according to Trismegistus, he willingly reveals himself in front of all people. Although he does not reveal his nature, neither his place of dwelling, he still enlightens them with the intelligence of his mind. However, he behaves in such a way only towards those who turned their back on sin and live in hope for future immortality (Asclepius, XXIX; XXII). God bestows himself on man in the act of illumination, but only to an extent that is necessary for man’s spiritual development. Whereby the need for man’s ethical preparation for such illumination is clearly pointed out therein, what is mainly connected with a kind of separation from the world of sensual desires.27

It is not difficult to notice that Trismegistus is not the originator of the abovementioned philosophical motifs. They were present as early as in Platonism, in- cluding the Platonism of Apuleius.28 Platonism possibly emphasizes the need for intellectual preparation for philosophy more strongly than Hermetism, and, together with illumination, placed in the range of noesis, it introduces love delight, which for Plato becomes a fully-fledged tool of philosophy, while for Trismegistus it is not noticed in such a role at all. It is love discussed here but the meaning of it is different from Plato’s. Hermes replaces the whole existing cult religion– immersed in its rites and essentially having little in common with God – with reciprocal love, the one felt by people for gods (cf. Asclepius, XLI).29 As a personal relation bonding man with God, love (the religious one) plays a substantial part in man’s spiritual life, yet it is not a tool of philosophy, rather its consequence. Owing to philosophical contemplation, man discovers God, admires and falls in love with him. In Platonism, however, it is love, love for beauty, at first in its sensual, and then spiritual emanation, leads to God as the absolute beauty.30 It is the other way round for Trismegistus, though. Love for God and his creatures is born from the cognition, or rather the experience of God. While getting to know God, we get to know his Beauty and Goodness. God is the sublimation of all beauty and goodness (Asclepius, XX).31

Hermes Trismegistus’ philosophy has got one particular feature, though, which cannot be found in Plato’s or Apuleius’ philosophy and which distinguishes the former from the latter. It stands out from the very first pages of Asclepius. Namely, Trismegistus’ philosophy is not his creation. God (there is Cupid mentioned in the text) only used the philosopher’s lips ( Asclepius , I). Trismegis-tus reveals here what God allowed him to reveal. Trismegistus himself seems to suggest it as well at the beginning of Chapter XIX, when he says that he reveals

“divine mysteries” (divina mysteria). In Chapter XXXII he thanks God for the light by which divinity can be seen (Asclepius, XXXII).32 Before the conversation he makes it clear that it is not intended for other people (Asclepius, I; XXXII).33 It can be gathered particularly from the way the conversation is announced, but also from the place where it is held among Hermes, Asclepius and King Ammon – a kind of unspecified sanctuary, dedicated most probably to God the Creator himself. Hermes announces the conversation as something momentous and sacred. Aware of the weightiness of the secrets he is about to disclose to his interlocutors, he forbids Asclepius to invite strangers to it (his cautiousness is similar to Plato’s discretion, known from Letter VII, in revealing his views to wider audience (Plato, Epistulae, VII, 341 E)34, as well as the mysteriousness of Mysteries (Asclepius I; XXXII).35 The conversation, almost entirely in a form of Hermes Trismegistus’ lec- ture, culminates in a thanksgiving prayer to God Almighty and God the Father, what confirms its divine and sacred character. The prayer takes on the proportions of an example of genuine piety. Trismegistus clearly snorted at Asclepius when the latter had set his mind on offering up traditional sacrifice, and then showed him that for God it is sufficient to receive man’s love and admiration. Love and thanksgiving prayers – this is how piety propounded by Hermes should be manifested. The prayer preached by him is of thanksgiving character:

“We thank you, supreme and most high god, by whose grace alone we have attained the light of your knowledge; holy name that must be honored, the one name by which our ancestral faith blesses god alone, we thank you who deign to grant to all a father's fidelity, reverence and love, along with any power that is sweeter, by giving us the gift of consciousness, reason and understanding: consciousness, by which we may know you; reason, by which we may seek you in our dim suppositions; knowledge, by which we may rejoice in knowing you. And we who are saved by your power do indeed rejoice because you have shown yourself to us wholly. We rejoice that you have deigned to make us gods for eternity even while we depend on the body. For this is mankind's only means of giving thanks: knowledge of your majesty. We have known you, the vast light perceived only by reason. We have understood you, true life of life, the womb pregnant with all coming-to-be. We have known you, who persist eternally by conceiving all coming to be in its perfect fullness. Worshipping with this entire prayer the good of your goodness, we ask only this, that you wish us to persist in the love of your knowledge and that we never be cut off from such a life as this” ( Asclepius , XLI).³⁶

It can be presumed that this unique aspect of Trismegistus’ philosophy was bestowed upon it by the author of the Asclepius, who sanctified the views included therein and gave them the features of a divine revelation. It is characteristic motive of all books of Corpus Hermeticum. The Hermetic philosophy appears here as a divine revelation (cf. CH I, 1-5).37 This makes the essence of hermetic initiation become the experience of the Mystery of God, the mystery of his existence and goodness (God’s paternal goodness is a recurring motif of Greek Corpus Her-meticum38), and also the mystery of man (the mystery of his divine, spiritual na-ture)39. It is naturally connected with contemplation (CH I, 1-5)40 and silence, “ho- ly silence” (cf. CH I, 30; X, 5; XIII, 8; 2)41, and the necessity of keeping the secret (cf. CH I, 16; X, 5-6). This leads to getting to know oneself which naturally entails getting to know God (cf. CH I, 19-22; XIII, 19).42

For all that, Hermes Trismegistus’ revelation neither revokes, nor diminishes the cognitive abilities of individuals, a thing worth noting. Instead, it appreciates people’s education and upbringing (see: Asclepius , XXII). Trismegistus highly esteems man’s cognitive abilities, also as far as recognizing ethical goodness and evil is concerned (see: Asclepius , VI-VII; X-XIII; XVI; XVIII; XXII). He does not even shut for a man the opportunity to get to know God, although he rather saves it for the sake of the act of illumination, and only in respect of a limited extent of divinity ( Asclepius , XXIX).⁴³

Although Asclepius takes the form of a dialogue, it in fact presents something that can be called a revelation. Reitzenstein compares it to mysteries and thinks that it portrays a certain kind of initiation, very similar to those characteristic of ancient mysteries.44 Contrary to that, Scott does not recognize any initiation in this work, but rather “religious or philosophic teachings ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus” which are “the modification of a fundamentally Platonic system of thought by an intermixture of Stoic physics”.45 But Scott also thinks that “some at least of the Hermetic writers felt themselves to be inspired by God.”46

Moreschini, though not fully agreeing with Reitzenstein, holds the opinion that the Asclepius is indeed a revelation, one that offers gnosis to those being initiated, but that it is also a theosophical treatise,⁴⁷ yet – as he adds later – not in a traditional sense.⁴⁸ According to the words of the Italian scholar, it mainly shows “a revelation, gnosis, salvation, reserved for the fair ones”.⁴⁹ What is new in it, as the Italian scholar continues, consists mostly in the optimistic vision of man’s destiny and nature the work depicts.⁵⁰ Also Sfamenti Gasparro beliefs that Hermetic treaties contain a kind of philosophical and religious revelation.⁵¹ Frances Yates writes in his famous book that:

„The Hermetic treatises, which often take the form of dialogues between master and disciple, usually culminate in a kind of ecstasy in which the adept is satisfied that he has received an illumination and breaks out into hymns of praise. He seems to reach this illumination through contemplation of the world or the cosmos, or rather through contemplation of the cosmos as reflected in his own Nous or mens which separates out for him its divine meaning and gives him a spiritual mastery over it, as in the familiar gnostic revelation or experience of the ascent of the soul through the sphere of the planets to become immersed in the divine.”52