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Episode 136·iamblichus

The 'Greater Kinds', Souls, and Kosmos: Iamblichus' Philosophy, Part II

Listen on SHWEP16 sources in collection · 15 translated

Primary Sources

Commentary on Plato's Timaeus

Proclus · 1360 · Greek · 1060 pages
Fully translated

Commentary on Plato's Timaeus

Proclus · 1400 · Greek · 355 pages
Fully translated

On the Mysteries

Ficino · 1497 · Latin · 40 pages

In this masterwork of Neoplatonic synthesis, Marsilio Ficino navigates the treacherous waters between Epicurean indulgence and Stoic austerity. He argues that the human soul is not merely a passenger in the body, but an indivisible spark capable of transforming physical sensation into intellectual '

Fully translated

On the Mysteries of the Egyptians

Iamblichus; Proclus; Porphyry; trans. Marsilio Ficino · 1497 · Latin · 381 pages

This work defends traditional religious practice against the skepticism of philosophers like Porphyry. Iamblichus asserts that the gods are not swayed by human emotions, but rather that rituals align the human soul with a pre-existing divine order. He defines the universe as a singular, living organ

Fully translated

On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians

Iamblichus | Proclus | Porphyry · 1516 · Latin · 550 pages

Edited and translated by the Renaissance visionary Marsilio Ficino, 'Mysteries of Egypt' brings together the most influential voices of late antiquity—Iamblichus, Porphyry, and Proclus—alongside the mystical revelations of Hermes Trismegistus. The text argues that divine knowledge is not a product o

Fully translated

The Divine Pymander, Asclepius, and On the Mysteries

Hermes Trismegistus | Jamblichus | Proclus · 1532 · Latin · 237 pages

This monumental synthesis of Hermetic and Neoplatonic thought offers a radical roadmap for the soul’s ascent from the sensory 'multitude' to the intellectual 'One.' By weaving together the revelations of Hermes Trismegistus with the rigorous defenses of Iamblichus and the metaphysical depth of Procl

Fully translated

Pymander. Asclepius. On the Mysteries of the Egyptians. On Plato's Alcibiades, on the Soul and the Daemon. On Sacrifice.

Hermes Trismegistus|Jamblichus|Proclus · 1532 · Latin · 336 pages

This seminal volume brings together the core texts of the Hermetic and Neoplatonic traditions, asserting a unified lineage of 'ancient theology' (Prisca Theologia) that flows from Hermes Trismegistus to Plato. Readers will encounter bold claims about the human condition: that we are 'twofold' beings

Fully translated

On the Mysteries of the Egyptians - Pimander - Asclepius

Iamblichus / Hermes Trismegistus / Porphyry · 1532 · Latin · 556 pages

This volume serves as a primary manual for understanding the mechanics of theurgy and the nature of the soul. It moves beyond simple philosophy to outline how ritual acts as a bridge between the mortal realm and the intelligible world. The authors argue that the soul is not a prisoner of the body bu

Fully translated

On the Mysteries (De Mysteriis)

Iamblichus / Marsilio Ficino · 1570 · Latin · 558 pages

This volume presents the definitive Neoplatonic defense of ritual as a tool for spiritual transformation. It shifts the focus from mere intellectual debate to the practical application of sacred symbols. Iamblichus posits that man exists as a unique bridge between the material and the eternal. The t

Fully translated

Commentary on Plato's Timaeus

Proclus Diadochus · 1820 · Greek/Latin · 965 pages

This commentary serves as the definitive architecture of Neoplatonic thought, mapping the procession of all things from the One down to the physical realm. Proclus argues that the universe is not a product of blind chance but a living, ordered image sustained by divine providence. He treats the Tima

Fully translated

Commentary on the Timaeus

Proclus (Thomas Taylor, trans.) · 1820 · English · 496 pages

Proclus offers a breathtakingly dense metaphysical defense of Plato’s cosmology, positioning the soul as the critical 'middle nature' bridging the eternal and the material. By weaving together Pythagorean mathematics, Orphic theology, and rigorous dialectic, he argues that the cosmos is not a random

Fully translated

On the Mysteries (Thomas Taylor trans.)

Iamblichus | Taylor, Thomas (trans.) · 1821 · English · 405 pages

In this foundational work of Neoplatonic thought, Iamblichus (writing as the Egyptian priest Abammon) offers a powerful rebuttal to the idea that religion is merely a human invention or a series of emotional delusions. By framing divine knowledge as an innate, eternal part of the soul's essence that

Fully translated

On the Months

John Lydus (ed. Roether) · 1827 · Latin · 390 pages

This text operates as a bridge to a vanished intellectual era. Lydus compiles fragments from sources now lost to time, organizing them into a map of the Roman year. He treats time as a physical and spiritual architecture, connecting the simple act of marking days to Pythagorean number theory and the

Fully translated

Commentary on Plato's Timaeus, Vol. I

Proclus (ed. Ernst Diehl) · 1903 · Greek · 347 pages

Proclus’s commentary on the Timaeus represents the pinnacle of Neoplatonic cosmology, offering a rigorous metaphysical map of the sensible world. He argues that the universe is not a chaotic assembly of matter, but a unified organism positioned between the eternal and the temporal through the 'middl

Fully translated

Commentary on Plato's Timaeus, Volume II

Proclus (ed. Ernst Diehl) · 1904 · Greek · 543 pages

Ernst Diehl’s landmark edition of Proclus’ commentary is more than a philological triumph; it is a gateway to the ancient world’s most sophisticated interpretation of cosmic origins. By tracing the 'genealogy' of the text through the libraries of Renaissance cardinals and Byzantine scribes, Diehl re

Fully translated

The Eighth Book of Moses

Various · 2005 · Greek

The Eighth Book of Moses is a masterpiece of Greco-Egyptian syncretism, blending Hebrew tradition with Hermetic ritual to present a unique vision of divine creation and human empowerment. At its heart lies a startling cosmogony: a deity whose laughter creates light, water, and the soul itself. The t

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