GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

“PHILOSOPHY*,” says Hierocles ¹, “is the purification and perfection of human life. It is the purification, indeed, from material irrationality, and the mortal body; but the perfection, in consequence of being the resumption of our proper felicity happiness or blessedness, and a re-ascent to the divine likeness. To effect these two is the province of Virtue and Truth; the former exterminating the immoderation of the passions; and the latter introducing the divine form to those who are naturally adapted to its reception.”

Of philosophy thus defined, which may be compared to a luminous pyramid, terminating in Deity, and having for its basis the rational soul of man and its spontaneous unperverted conceptions,—of this philosophy, august, magnificent, and divine, Plato may be justly called the primary leader and hierophant a priest who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric principles, through whom, like the mystic light in the inmost recesses of some sacred temple, it first shone forth with occult hidden or secret and venerable splendor ². It may indeed be truly said of the whole of this philosophy, that it is the greatest good which man can participate: for if it purifies us from the defilements of the passions and assimilates makes us like us to Divinity, it confers on us the proper felicity of our nature. Hence it is easy to collect

¹ original Greek: Φιλοσοφια εστι ζωης ανθρωπινης καθαρσις, και τελειοτης· καθαρσις μεν, απο της υλικης αλογιας, και του θνητοειδους σωματος· τελειοτης δε, της οικειας ευζωιας αναληψις, προς την θειαν ομοιωσιν επαναγουσα. Ταυτα δε πεφυκεν αρετη και αληθεια μαλιστα απεργαζεσθαι· η μεν την αμετριαν των παθων εξοριζουσα· η δε το θειον ειδος τοις ευφυως εχουσι προσκτωμενη. “Philosophy is the purification and perfection of human life: purification, indeed, from material irrationality and the mortal-like body; but perfection, the recovery of its own well-being, leading back to the divine likeness. Virtue and truth are naturally most capable of effecting these things: the former by banishing the immoderation of the passions; the latter by acquiring the divine form for those who are naturally well-disposed.” Hierocles in Commentary on the Golden Verses of Pythagoras, p. 9. edition by Needham.

² In the mysteries the ancient Greek religious rites, such as the Eleusinian Mysteries a light of this kind shone forth from the adytum the innermost, most sacred sanctuary of a temple where only priests were allowed of the temple in which they were exhibited.