The Hermetic Writings, Volume 1

ASCLEPIUS

In a similar sense, Christian writers spoke of themselves as inspired by the πνεῦμα θεοῦ (spirit of God) or ἅγιον πνεῦμα (Holy Spirit).

religiosa pietate (religious piety). I suspect these words depend on videatur ("seems"); the fervent piety of Hermes' utterance proves it is "more divine." If this is the meaning, the placement is awkward, perhaps shifted.

Quem (that is, the discourse) si intellegens ⟨deum⟩ videris. (If, understanding it, you shall have seen ⟨God⟩). It seems necessary to insert "God" as an object, as one cannot "see a discourse."

eris omnium bonorum tota mente plenissimus. (You will be most full of all goods with your whole mind). See Corpus Hermeticum IX. 4 a: "He who has known (God), having become full of all good things, possesses divine insights." It is assumed that the gnosis (knowledge) of God involves His actual presence in the soul. As God is the Good, all goods are comprised in Him.

Alterum enim alterius consentaneum esse dinoscitur. (For one thing is known to be in agreement with the other). What are these two things? Likely "seeing God" and "being full of goods," or perhaps the "one Good" and "all goods."

1 b. ad eius nomen multa meminimus a nobis esse conscripta. (By his name, we remember that many things have been written by us). The author of this passage knew a large body of Hermetic writings, including documents titled Hermes to Ammon, Hermes to Tat, and Hermes to Asclepius. Thus, by the time this Prologue was written, most of the religious Hermetica known in the fourth century AD existed. We conclude the original Asclepius III was written around AD 270, and the composite Perfect Discourse was known to Lactantius around AD 310. The redactor who joined these documents must have worked between AD 270 and 310.