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Original fileThe Pyramid of Horus and the Virtues
Kircher oedipus aegyptiacus 8 horus virtues
About This Work
The composition is framed within a square and centered on a large, inverted triangle divided into three sectors numbered 1, 2, and 3. At the top apex of this triangle, within a circle, is the word 'Intellectus' alongside the partial word 'He-moph'. A circle to the lower left is labeled 'Sapientia' (paired with 'Ph'), and a circle to the lower right is labeled 'Verus Virtus' (paired with 'Am'). At the bottom center, below the main structure, is a complex circular emblem consisting of multiple concentric rings surrounding a central disc inscribed with the name 'Horus'.
This diagram is from Athanasius Kircher's 'Oedipus Aegyptiacus', a massive synthesis of Hermetic, Egyptological, and Christian syncretic thought. It illustrates Kircher's attempt to map Egyptian theology onto a Neoplatonic framework, viewing the deities and virtues of antiquity as manifestations of a single, divine cosmic order.
Inscriptions(Latin)
Intellectus He-moph OESIS 1 2 3 Ph Sapientia Am Verus Virtus Horus
Translation
Intellect / Hemoph / [O]esis (referencing Isis/Osiris context) / 1 2 3 / Ph(ronesis) / Wisdom / Am(or) / True Virtue / Horus.
Connected Texts
Athanasius Kircher, Oedipus Aegyptiacus
This print is an original illustration found in Kircher's 1652–1654 compendium on Egyptian hieroglyphs and esoteric knowledge.