{"collection":"Gnosticism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/gno/th1/th124.htm","path":"gno/th1/th124.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/gno/th1/th124.htm","text":"Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. 1, by G.R.S. Mead, [1906]\n2. They say that when Rhea 3 secretly united with Kronos, Helios on sensing 4 it imprecated her not to bring forth in month or year. 5\n3. That Hermes being in love with the Goddess, came to conjunction [with her]; then playing draughts 6 against Selene, 7 and winning 8 the seventieth of each\nof the lights, he con-duced from all 1 five days and in-duced them into the three hundred and sixty [days]\u2014which Egyptians call the \u201cnow in-duced,\u201d 2 and keep as birthdays of the Gods. 3\n4. [And they say] that on the first Osiris was born, and that a voice fell out 4 together with him on his being brought forth\u2014to wit: \u201cThe Lord of all forth comes to light.\u201d\n5. But some say that a certain Pamyl\u0113, 5 being moistened 6 from the holy [place] of Zeus, heard a voice directing her to proclaim with outcry that \u201cGreat King Good-doing Osiris is born\u201d; and that because of this she nursed Osiris, Kronos entrusting him to her, and they keep with mystic rites the Pamylia in his honour, similar to the Phallephoria. 7\n6. And on the second [they say] Arou\u0113ris [was born]\u2014whom they call Apollo, and some call Elder Horus. 8\nOn the third that Typhon, neither in season nor in place, but breaking through with a blow, leapt forth through her side. 9\nOn the fourth that Isis was born in all moist [conditions].\nOn the fifth Nephthys, whom they name End and Aphrodit\u0113, while some [call] her also Victory.\n7. And [they say] that Osiris and Arou\u0113ris were from Helios, Isis from Hermes, and Typhon and Nephthys from Kronos, and therefore the kings considering the third 1 of the \u201cinduced\u201d [days] nefast, used neither to consult nor serve themselves till night. 2\n8. And [they say] that Nephthys was married to Typhon; 3 but Isis and Osiris being in love with each other, united even before they were born, down in the Womb beneath the Darkness. 4\n9. Some, moreover, say that Arou\u0113ris thus came to birth, and that he is called Elder Horus by Egyptians, but Apollo by Greeks.\nXIII. 1. And [they say] that when Osiris was king, he straightway set free the Egyptians from a life from which they could find no way out and like unto that of wild beasts, 5 both setting fruits before them, and laying down laws, and teaching them to honour the Gods.\n2. And that subsequently he went over the whole earth, clearing it, 6 not in the least requiring arms, but drawing the multitude to himself by charming them with persuasion and reason (logos), 7 with song and every art the Muses give; 8 and that for this\ncause he seems to the Greeks to be the same as Dionysus. 1\n3. And [they say] that while he was away, Typhon attempted no revolution, owing to Isis keeping very careful guard, and having the power 2 in her hands, holding it fast; but that when he [Osiris] came back, he made with art a wile for him, con-juring seventy-two men, and having as co-worker a queen coming out of \u00c6thiopia, whom they call As\u014d. 3\n4. But that after measuring out for himself in secret the body of Osiris, 4 and having devised, according to the size, 5 a beautiful and extraordinarily ornamented chest, 6 brought it into the banqueting hall. 7\n5. And that when they were delighted at the sight and wondered, Typhon, in sport, promised to give the chest to him who could make himself exactly equal to it by laying himself down in it. 1\n6. And that when all were trying, one after another, since no one fitted, Osiris stepped in and laid himself down.\n7. And they who were present running up, dashed on the lid, and, after some [of them] had closed it down with fastenings, and others had poured hot lead over it, they carried it out to the River, 2 and let it go into the Sea by way of the Tanitic 3 mouth, which [they say] Egyptians call even to this day by a hateful and abominable name.\n8. These things they say were done on the seventeenth of the month Athur, 4 in which [month] the Sun passes through the Scorpion; it being the eight-and-twentieth year of Osiris\u2019 reign.\n9. Some, however, say that he had lived and not reigned so long. 5\nXIV. 1. And as the Pans and Satyrs 6 that inhabit round Chemmis 7 were the first to sense the\npassion 1 [of Osiris], and give tongue concerning what was being done, [they say] that on this account sudden disturbances and emotions of crowds are even unto this day called \u201cpanics.\u201d\n2. But when Isis 2 sensed it, she cut off one of her curls, and put on a mourning dress, whence the city to this day bears the name Kopt\u014d. 3\nBut others think the name signifies privation, 4 for they say that koptein is to de-prive.\n3. And [they say] that she, wandering about in every direction, and finding no way out, never approached any one without accosting him; nay, she asked even little children whom she happened to meet, about the chest.\n4. And they happened to have seen, and showed the mouth 5 through which the friends of Typhon let the vessel 6 go into the Sea.\n5. Because of this [they say] Egyptians believe that little children have prophetic power, and they especially divine from the sounds of their voices, when playing in the holy places and shouting about anything.\n6. 7 And [they say] that when [Isis] was aware that\n[paragraph continues] Osiris in ignorance had fallen in love and united himself with her sister 1 as with herself, and seeing as proof the honey-clover 2 wreath which he had left behind with Nephthys, she sought for the babe\u2014(for she [N.] exposed it immediately she bore it, through fear of Typhon 3).\n7. And after it was found with toil and trouble\u2014dogs 4 guiding Isis to it it\u2014was reared and became her guard and follower, being called Anubis, and is said to guard the Gods, as their dogs men.\nXV. 1. It was from him she got intelligence about the chest:\u2014that after it had been wave-tossed out by the Sea to the Byblos 5 country, the land-wash had gently brought it to rest in a certain heather-bush.\u201d 6\n2. And the heather-bush, in a short time running up into a most beautiful and very large young tree, enfolded, and grew round it, 7 and hid it entirely within itself.\n3. And the King, 8 marvelling at the greatness of the\ntree, after cutting off the branches, and rounding off the trunk that surrounded the coffin without its being seen, 1 set it up as the prop of his roof.\n4. And they say that on her hearing of these things by the daimonian spirit of a voice, 2 Isis came to Byblos, and, sitting down at a fountain-head, downcast and weeping, held converse with no one else, but she embraced and showed affection to the maids of the Queen, curling 3 their hair and exhaling from herself on their skin a marvellous fragrance.\n5. And when the Queen saw her maids, longing for the ambrosia-smelling hair and skin of the stranger came upon her.\nAnd so when she had been sent for and had become an inmate [of the palace, the Queen] made her nurse of her little one.\n6. And the name of the King, they say, was Malkander, 4 while her name according to some was Astarte, according to others Sa\u014dsis, and according to others Nemanous, 5\u2014or whatever is the name for which the Greek equivalent would be Athena\u00efs. 6\nXVI. 1. And [they say] that instead of giving it 1 the breast, Isis reared the little one by putting her finger 2 into its mouth, and that at night she burnt round 3 the mortal [elements] of its body, and, turning herself into a swallow, flew round the pillar and twittered a dirge; until the Queen, through spying [on her] and crying out 4 when she saw the babe being burnt round, deprived it of its immortality. 5\n2. That when the Goddess revealed herself, she claimed for herself the pillar of the roof; and, taking it down with the greatest care, she cut away the heather-tree from round it, then wrapping this 6 up in fine linen, and pouring the juices of sweet herbs over it, 7 she placed it in the hands of the royal couple; and even unto this day the people of Byblos venerate the wood 8 lying in the holy place of Isis.\n3. As for the coffin, she flung herself round it, and kept moaning so long, that the younger of the little ones of the king died away; 1 and, taking the elder with herself, and placing the coffin on a boat, she sailed away.\n4. And when the River Ph\u00e6drus 2 raised too rough a wind 3 just after dawn, 4 waxing wrath, she dried up his stream.\nXVII. 1. And [they say] that when first she found solitude and was by herself, she opened the chest, and laying her face on his face, she kissed [him] and shed tears.\n2. And that when the little one came up in silence from behind and understood, on sensing it she turned herself about, and passionately gave him an awe-ful look. And the little one could not hold himself up against the awe of her, and died.\n3. But some say [it was] not thus, but, as it has been said before, 5 that he fell out 6 into the river.\n4. And he has honours owing to the Goddess, for the Maner\u014ds 7 whom Egyptians hymn at their symposia is he.\n5. While others relate that the boy was called Pal\u00e6stinos 8 or Pelousios, and that the city 9 was named after him when it was founded by the Goddess; and that the Maner\u014ds who is hymned was the first to discover the art of the Muses. 10\n6. But some say that it is the name of no one, but a manner of speech for men drinking and feasting,\u2014with the meaning \u201cMay such and such things be present in becoming measure!\u201d For the Egyptians on every such occasion shout out this, it being indicated to them by \u201cManer\u014ds.\u201d\n7. Just as, doubtless, also their being shown the image of a dead man carried round in a small wooden coffin, is not a reminder of the Osirian passion, as some suppose; but it is in order to exhort them while filled with wine to make use of things present, in that all will very presently be such [as it], that they bring in an unpleasing after-revel.\nXVIII. 1. And [they say] that when Isis had gone a journey to her son Horus, who was being reared at Boutos, 1 and had put away 2 the chest, 3 Typhon, taking his dogs 4 out by night towards the moon, came upon it; and recognising the body, tore it into fourteen pieces, and scattered them abroad.\n2. And Isis [they say] on learning this, searched for them in a papyrus skiff (baris) sailing away through the marshes; 5 whence those who sail in papyrus hulls are not injured by the crocodiles, either because they 6 fear or rather revere the Goddess. 7\n3. And it is because of this [they say] that many tombs of Osiris are spoken of in Egypt 1\u2014through her performing burial rites on meeting with each piece.\n4. Some, however, say no; but that making herself images [of them] she distributed these to each city, 2 as though she were giving it the [whole] body, in order that it might have honours from the multitude, and that even if Typhon should get the better of Horus, he might renounce his search for the true tomb when many were spoken of and pointed out.\n5. Now, the only one of the parts of Osiris which Isis did not find was that which causes awe; for that it was cast straightway into the River, and the scaly-coat, 3 and the devourer, 4 and the sharp-snout 5 ate it up\u2014which [they say] among fishes are considered specially expiate; 6 and that Isis, making herself a counterfeit instead of it, consecrated the phallus; in honour of which the Egyptians keep festival even to this day. 7\nXIX. 1. Thereafter Osiris, coming to Horus out of\nthe Invisible, 1 worked through him and trained him for the fight.\n2. He then put this test question to him: \u201cWhat does he consider fairest?\u201d And when he said: \u201cHelping father and mother in ill plight,\u201d\u2014he asked a second: \u201cWhat animal does he think most useful for those who go out to fight?\u201d\n3. And when Horus said \u201cHorse,\u201d he marvelled at him, and was quite puzzled why he did not say \u201cLion\u201d rather than \u201cHorse.\u201d 2\n4. Accordingly Horus said: \u201c\u2018Lion\u2019 is a needful thing to one requiring help, but \u2018Horse\u2019 [can] scatter in pieces the foe in flight and consume him utterly.\u201d 3\nThus hearing, Osiris rejoiced that Horus was fitly prepared.\n5. And it is said that as many were changing over to the side of Horus, Th\u016b\u0113ris, 4 Typhon\u2019s concubine, came too; and that a certain serpent pursuing after her was cut in pieces by those round Horus. 5 And to-day on this account they cast down a small rope and cut it in pieces for all to see. 6\n6. The fight lasted for many days, and Horus won. Nevertheless, when Isis received Typhon in bonds, she did not make away with him. Far from it; she unbound him and let him go.\n7. Horus, however, did not bear this temperately; but, laying hands on his mother, he drew off the crown from her head. Whereupon Hermes 1 crowned her with a head-dress of cow-horns.\n8. And [they say] that also when Typhon got the chance of bringing a bastardy suit against Horus, and Hermes was counsel for the defence, Horus was judged legitimate by the Gods. 2\nAnd that [afterwards] Typhon was fought under in two other fights.\n9. And that Isis brought forth from her union with Osiris after his death 3 Harpocrates 4\u2014who missed the month and was weak in his limbs from below upwards. 5\n278:3 The Mother of the Gods\u2014\u201cFlowing,\u201d that is, motion pure and simple, unordered or chaotic.\n278:4 In the most primitive meaning of the word \u03b1\u1f30\u03c3\u03b8\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd\u2014from \u221a\u03b1\u03b9\u03c3, lengthened form of \u03b1\u03b9 (compare \u1f00\u0390\u03c9).\n278:5 \u03bc\u03b7\u03bd\u1f76 \u03bc\u03b7\u03c4\u1fbd \u1f10\u03bd\u03b9\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u1ff7. Both words are connected with roots meaning \u201cone\u201d in ancient dialects; \u03bc\u1f74\u03bd = \u03bc-\u03b5\u1f76\u03c2 (\u00c6ol.) and \u1f14\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 = an-nus (Lat.). Cf. \u03b5\u1f35\u03c2, \u03bc-\u03af\u03b1, \u1f15\u03bd; hence \u1f10\u03bd\u03b9-\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2 = \u201cone-same.\u201d The Goddess, therefore, apart from the Sun, could only bring forth in a day.\n278:6 \u03c0\u03ad\u03c4\u03c4\u03b9\u03b1,\u2014\u03c0\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3\u03cc\u03c2 was an oval-shaped stone for playing a game like our draughts; it was also used for the board on which the game was played, divided by 5 straight lines each way, and therefore into 36 squares.\n278:7 Sc. the moon.\n278:8 Or \u201ctaking away.\u201d\n279:1 Sc. the lights.\n279:2 \u1f10\u03c0\u03b1\u03b3\u03bf\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2\u2014or \u201cnow intercalated.\u201d\n279:3 This is an exceedingly puzzling statement. The \u201clights\u201d cannot be the \u201clights\u201d of the moon, of which there were 30 phases. It more probably has some connectipn with 360, the 70th of which works out at 5\u22c5142857\u2014a number not so very far removed from our own calculations. The \u201ceach\u201d in the text may thus be an error.\n279:4 A voice from heaven, a Bath-kol, proceeding from the Womb of Rhea.\n279:5 \u03c0\u03b1\u03bc\u03af\u03bb\u03b7\u2014presumably a play on \u03c0\u1fb6\u03bd (all) and \u1f55\u03bb\u03b7 (matter).\n279:6 \u1f51\u03b4\u03c1\u03b5\u03c5\u03bf\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03b7\u03bd\u2014presumably by the Great Moistener; it is, however, generally translated \u201cdrawing water.\u201d\n279:7 That is the \u201cPhallus-Bearing.\u201d\n279:8 Eg. Heru-ur.\n279:9 \u03c0\u03bb\u03b5\u1fe6\u03c1\u03b1\u2014meaning in man radically \u201crib\u201d; also side of a square, and root of a square (or cubic) number. Typhon would be represented by the diagonal.\n280:1 That is, the birthday of Typhon.\n280:2 A strange sentence; but as the kings were considered Gods, they probably worshipped themselves, or at least their own ka, and consulted themselves as oracles.\n280:3 Presumably as being opposite, or as hating one another.\n280:4 Cf. liv. 4.\n280:5 Metaphors reminiscent of the symbolism of the so-called Book of the Dead.\n280:6 Sc. of wild beasts; but may also mean \u201csoftening it,\u201d when Osiris stands for Water, and again \u201cmaking it mild,\u201d or \u201ccivilising it.\u201d\n280:7 He himself being the Logos.\n280:8 \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03ba\u1fc6\u03c2\u2014music, in the modern meaning of the term, was only one of the arts of the Muses, the nine daughters of Zeus.\n281:1 \u0394\u03b9\u03cc-\u03bd\u03c5\u03c3\u03bf\u03c2\u2014that is, \u201che of the Mount (\u03bd\u1fe6\u03c3\u03b1) of Zeus.\u201d\n281:2 That is \u201csovereignty.\u201d\n281:3 Probably the prototype of the Alchemical Azoth. \u00c6thiopia was the land of the black folk south of Egypt, the land par excellence of the black magicians as opposed to the good ones of the Egyptians (this, of course, being the Egyptian point of view). The Osiris-myth was in Egyptian, presumably, as easily interpretable into the language of magic and con-juration as into other values. Compare the Demotic folk-tales of Khamuas, in Grifiith\u2019s Stories of the High Priests of Memphis, for how this view of it would read in Egyptian. \u00c6thiopia would also mean the Dark Earth as opposed to the Light Heaven.\n281:4 The \u201cbody of Osiris\u201d may mean the cosmos (great or little), as the \u201cbody of Adam,\u201d its copy in the Kabalah.\n281:5 Or, \u201caccording to the greatness\u201d\u2014using \u201cgreatness\u201d in its Gnostic signification, as here meaning the great cosmos and also the cosmic body of man.\n281:6 In Pythagorean terms, \u201can odd-ly ordered rectangular encasement\u201d\u2014referring, perhaps, to a certain configuration of cosmic permanent atoms. But see the plate which Isaac Myer calls \u201cA Medieval Idea of the Makrokosm, in the Heavenly Zodiacal Ark,\u201d but which intitles itself \u201cForma Exterior Arc\u00e6 No\u00eb ex Descriptione Mosis.\u201d This is a coffin, and within it lies the dead Christ. The plate is prefixed to p. 439 of Myer\u2019s Qabbalah (Philadelphia, 1888). It also presumably refers to the \u201cgerm\u201d of the cosmic robe of the purified man, the \u201crobe of glory.\u201d In mysticism the metaphors cannot be kept unmixed, for it is the apotheosis of syncretism.\n281:7 Lit., the \u201cdrinking together,\u201d referring perhaps to the conjunction of certain cosmic forces, and also microcosmically to souls in a state of joy or festivity or bliss, prior to incarnation.\n282:1 That is, prove the \u201cpermanent atoms\u201d were his own\u2014if we think in terms of reincarnation.\n282:2 Sc. the Sacred Nile, Great Jordan, etc., the Stream of Ocean, which, flowing downwards, is the birth of men, and upwards, the birth of Gods.\n282:3 \u03c4\u03b1\u03bd-\u03b9\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u1fe6\u2014probably a word-play connected with \u221a\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd, \u201cto stretch,\u201d and so make tense or thin, or expand, and so the \u201cwidestretched mouth of the Great River.\u201d Cf. the Titans or Stretchers.\n282:4 Copt. Hath\u014dr\u2014corr. roughly to November.\n282:5 Cf. xlii. 4.\n282:6 Two classes of elemental existences.\n282:7 That is \u0226pu, the Panopolis of the Greeks; the name Chemmis, the modern Akhm\u012bm, is derived from an old Egyptian name. See Budge, op. cit., ii. 188.\n283:1 \u03c0\u03ac\u03b8\u03bf\u03c2\u2014the technical term of what was enacted in the mystery-drama.\n283:2 As Mother Nature.\n283:3 Meaning \u201cI cut\u201d; and in mid. \u201cI cut or beat the breast,\u201d as a sign of mourning.\n283:4 \u201cThe depriving things of their power\u201d or \u201cnegation\u201d; Osiris being the fertilising or generative or positive power.\n283:5 Sc. the way or passage. In little children the life force is not sexually polarised.\n283:6 \u1f00\u03b3\u03b3\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bf\u03bd\u2014a vase or vessel of any kind, hence funerary urn or even coffin; but \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b3\u03b3\u03af\u03b6\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd means \u201cto pour from one vessel into another,\u201d and \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b3\u03b3\u03b9\u03c3\u03bc\u1f78\u03c2 is the Pythagorean technical term for metempsychosis or palingenesis.\n283:7 This paragraph, which breaks the narrative, is introduced to give the myth of the birth of Anubis.\n284:1 Sc. Nephthys.\n284:2 Meli-lote\u2014lotos in Greek stands for several plants; it might be translated as \u201choney-lotus.\u201d Cf. xxxviii. 5.\n284:3 Her legitimate spouse.\n284:4 A term used frequently among the Greeks (who presumably got the idea elsewhere) for the servants, agents, or watchers of the higher Gods; thus the Eagle is called the \u201cwinged dog\u201d of Zeus \u00c6sch., Pr., 1022). \u201cDog,\u201d as we have seen (xi. 1, n.) signifies a power of the World, Soul or Great Animal, also of individual souls.\n284:5 That is, \u201cPapyrus.\u201d This Byblos was a \u201ccity in the Papyrus Swamps of the Delta.\u201d (So Budge, op. cit., ii. 190.)\n284:6 \u1f10\u03c1\u03b5\u03af\u03ba\u03b7\u2014probably a play on the root-meaning of \u1f10\u03c1\u03b5\u03af\u03ba\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd, \u201cto quiver,\u201d is intended. The Egyptian er\u012bca was taller and more bushy than ours. Or it may be the tamarisk; elsewhere it is called a mulberry-tree.\n284:7 Sc. the \u201ccoffin\u201d\u2014perhaps here signifying what has lately been called the \u201cpermanent atom\u201d in man.\n284:8 The ruler of the form-side of things.\n285:1 On the erroneously called \u201cGnostic\u201d gems, the lopped trunk is a frequent symbol; the lopped \u201cfive-branched,\u201d presumably.\n285:2 Notice the three stages of awareness: (i.) the babbling of children; (ii.) the intelligence given by the dog; (iii.) the daimonian spirit of a voice (Heb. Bath-kol).\n285:3 Isis, when she first lost Osiris, cut off a curl (xiv. 2).\n285:4 Apparently, though curiously, a play on the Semitic MLK or Malek, \u201cking,\u201d and the Greek andr, \u201cman\u201d\u2014that is, \u201cking of men.\u201d\n285:5 Or \u201cNeman\u014ds.\u201d The names seem to have been impartially maltreated by the copyists; thus we find such variants as Aspart\u0113, Sooses, Neimano\u00eb.\n285:6 There was among the ancients an art of name-translation, as Plato tells us in the Story of Atlantis, in which the Atlantic names he says, were translated into Greek by Solon or by the priests of Sa\u00efs. Here, I believe, there is also a word-play intended. Isis, as we have seen, was pre-eminently Nurse, \u03c4\u03af\u03c4\u03b8\u03b7, a further intensification of the intensified \u03c4\u03af-\u03b8\u03b7; from \u221a\u03b8\u03b1, \u201csuckle\u201d; the common form of \u201cnurse\u201d was \u03c4\u03b9-\u03b8\u03ae-\u03bd\u03b7. On the contrary, \u1f00\u03b8\u03b7\u03bd\u03b1\u0390\u03c2 is a daughter or derivative of \u1f00-\u03b8\u03ae-\u03bd\u03b7, one who does not give suck; for Athena was born from the head and was the virgin goddess par excellence. Mythologically, Athenais was wife of Alalkomeneus, the eponymous hero of a city in B\u0153otia, where was a very ancient temple of Athena. In the Pindaric ode quoted in S. (1) of chapter, \u201cMyth of Man in the Mysteries,\u201d Alalkomeneus is given as one of the equivalents for the \u201cfirst man.\u201d\n286:1 The child\u2019s name was Diktys, according to viii. 2.\n286:2 The \u221a\u03b4\u03b5\u03ba in \u03b4\u03ac\u03ba\u03c4\u03c5\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 is said to be the same as that in \u03b4\u03ad\u03ba\u03b1, \u201cten,\u201d and \u201cten\u201d is the number of \u201cperfection.\u201d\n286:3 Or \u201caway.\u201d\n286:4 Lit., \u201ccroaking\u201d like a raven, to match the \u201ctwittering\u201d of the swallow.\n286:5 This presumably hints that Isis, as the Divine Mother, endeavours to make all perfect and sound, while the earthly mother prevents this.\n286:6 Sc. the er\u012bca.\n286:7 Cf. John xix. 40: \u201cSo they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in fine linen together with sweet herbs.\u201d\n286:8 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03be\u03cd\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u2014the term used repeatedly in the New Testament for the cross.\n287:1 Or \u201cswooned,\u201d or lost consciousness.\n287:2 \u03c6\u03ac\u03b9\u03b4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2\u2014lit., Bright, Beaming, Shining\u2014that is, the Sun-stream.\n287:3 Or \u201cbreath\u201d (\u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u1fe6\u03bc\u03b1).\n287:4 That is \u201cat sun-rise.\u201d\n287:5 Cf. viii. 2.\n287:6 Sc. of the boat of Isis.\n287:7 \u039c\u03b1\u03bd-\u03ad\u03c1\u03c9\u03c2. I fancy this is a play, in conjunction with the \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1-\u03bc\u03b1\u03bd-\u03b8\u03ac\u03bd-\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1, and \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf-\u03b8\u03ac\u03bd-\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 (the \u201cunderstanding\u201d and \u201cdying away\u201d) above; the name would then mean either \u201clove of understanding\u201d or \u201cunderstanding of love.\u201d\n287:8 \u03c0\u03b1\u03bb\u03b1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03bd\u03cc\u03c2\u2014perhaps a play on \u03c0\u03b1\u03bb\u03b1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03c2, \u201ca wrestler\u201d; hence a \u201crival\u201d or \u201csuitor.\u201d\n287:9 Pelusium; the Pelusian was the eastern mouth of the Nile.\n287:10 See note on xii. 1.\n288:1 Generally supposed to stand for the city But\u014d, but may be some word-play. Can it be connected with Bo\u014dtes, the Ploughman\u2014the constellation Arcturus\u2014the voyage being celestial; that is, a movement of the world-soul or change of state in the individual soul? Budge (p. 192) gives its Egyptian equivalent as Per-Uatchit, i.e. \u201cHouse of the Eye.\u201d\n288:2 Lit., from her feet.\n288:3 Lit., vessel; may also mean \u201ccell.\u201d\n288:4 Vulg., \u201chunting.\u201d\n288:5 \u1f15\u03bb\u03b7\u2014a probable play on the \u03b4\u03b9-\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd (\u201ctear to pieces\u201d) above.\n288:6 Sc. the crocodiles.\n288:7 It is remarkable how that every now and then Plutarch inserts apparently the most na\u00efve superstitions without a word of explanation. They cannot be all simply irresponsible on dits. It is, perhaps, not without significance that the \u201cchest\u201d is first of all drifted to the Papyrus country, and that the baris of Isis should be made of papyrus. It seems almost as if it symbolised some \u201cvehicle\u201d that was safe from the \u201ccrocodile\u201d of the deep. In other words, the skiffs are not paper boats and the crocodiles not alligators.\n289:1 \u201cAnd Egypt they say is the body\u201d to quote a refrain from Hippolytus concerning the \u201cGnostics.\u201d\n289:2 Presumably of the fourteen sacred ones.\n289:3 \u03bb\u03b5\u03c0\u03b9\u03b4\u03c9\u03c4\u03cc\u03bd.\n289:4 \u03c6\u03ac\u03b3\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd.\n289:5 \u1f40\u03be\u03cd\u03c1\u03c5\u03b3\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd.\n289:6 Anthropologically, \u201ctaboo.\u201d\n289:7 What these \u201cfourteen parts\u201d of Osiris may be is beyond the sphere of dogmatism. I would suggest that there may be along one line some connection with those seeds of life which have lately been called \u201cpermanent atoms\u201d; and along another line, that of the birth of the Christ-consciousness, there may be a series of powers derived from past incarnations.\n290:1 Hades.\n290:2 The \u201cHorse\u201d may symbolise purified passion, and \u201cLion\u201d a certain receptive power of the mind.\n290:3 The white \u201cHorse\u201d was presumably opposed to the red \u201cAss\u201d of Typhon, as the purified vehicle of the soul contrasted with the impure. \u201cLion\u201d was one of the grades in the Mithriac Mysteries; it was a sun-animal.\n290:4 Eg. Ta-urt (Budge, op. cit., p. 193).\n290:5 That is, by the Companions of Horus (or Disciples of the Christ)\u2014a frequent scene in the vignettes of the Book of the Dead.\n290:6 That is, in the public mystery processions.\n291:1 The symboliser as well as the interpreter of the Gods.\n291:2 Cf. liv. 3.\n291:3 Or it may mean \u201ccompletion\u201d (\u03c4\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5\u03c4\u03ae\u03bd).\n291:4 In Eg. \u1e24eru-p-khart, i.e., \u201cHorus the Younger.\u201d\n291:5 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd \u03b3\u03c5\u03af\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2\u2014but, presumably, not from above downwards.","title":"Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. 1: IX. Plutarch: Concerning ...","type":"page"}