The ''Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius'' is a collection of

aphorism An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by tra ...

s attributed to the legendary

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

figure

Hermes Trismegistus Hermes Trismegistus (from grc, Wiktionary:Ἑρμῆς, Ἑρμῆς ὁ Τρισμέγιστος, "Hermes the Thrice-Greatest"; Classical Latin: la, label=none, Mercurius ter Maximus) is a legendary Hellenistic figure that originated as a Syn ...

(a syncretic combination of the Greek god

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...

and the Egyptian god

Thoth Thoth (; from grc-koi, Θώθ ''Thṓth'', borrowed from cop, Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ ''Thōout'', Egyptian: ', the reflex of " eis like the Ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a ...

), most likely dating to the first century CE. According to

Jean-Pierre Mahé Jean-Pierre Mahé (, 21 March 1944, Paris) is a French Oriental studies, orientalist, philologist and historian of Caucasus, and a specialist of Armenian studies. Kh. Karadelyan, « Մահե, Ժան-Պիեր Հանրի Մարի » (« Mahé, Jean-P ...

, these aphorisms contain the core of the teachings which are found in the later Greek religio-philosophical ''

Hermetica The ''Hermetica'' are texts attributed to the legendary Hellenistic figure Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. These texts may vary widely in content and purpose, but are usually subd ...

'' (writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus).

Dating

The work has mainly been preserved in a sixth-century CE

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

translation, but the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

original likely goes back to the first century CE. As such, it is the oldest of the religio-philosophical ''

'', which were mainly written between c. 100 and c. 300 CE. The main argument for the early dating of the ''Definitions'' is the fact that some of its aphorisms are cited in multiple independent Greek Hermetic works..

References

Bibliography

Editions and translations

* (critical edition of the Armenian text) * (English translation, with introduction)

Secondary literature

* * * * {{cite journal, last1=van den Broek, first1=Roelof, author-link=Roel van den Broek, date=1985, title=Review: Hermès en Haute-Égypte, journal=Vigiliae Christianae, volume=39, issue=4, pages=403–406, jstor=1583779 , url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1583779 (review of Mahé 1978–1982) Hermetica 1st-century books Armenian literature