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Episode 93·June 6, 2020·hermetica

Henny Fiska Hagg on Clement's Apophatic Writing

We speak with Professor Henny Fiskå Hägg about the apophatic theory and writing-practice of Clement of Alexandria, one of antiquity's finest exponents of the art of writing about that-about-which-nothing-can-be-written.

Listen on SHWEP57 sources in collection · 57 translated

Primary Sources

Republic, Laws, and Timaeus

Plato · -375 · Greek · 706 pages

In this profound synthesis of 'Republic,' 'Laws,' and 'Timaeus,' Plato bridges the gap between the earthly and the divine. He argues that virtue is not merely a behavior, but a liberation of the soul achieved through alignment with the celestial sphere and the internalizing of 'common conceptions.'

69% translated

The New Testament

Anonymous · 894 · Syriac · 522 pages
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Twenty-four Dialogues of Plato

Plato · 895 · Greek · 869 pages
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Pal.gr.173

Plato · 950 · Greek · 358 pages

Pal.gr.173 functions as a practical manual for the soul. It moves beyond abstract theory to confront the actual stakes of living well in an unjust world. You will encounter a Socratic method that values clear thinking over popularity and moral integrity over political safety. The text forces a confr

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On Paradoxical Machines

Anthemius of Tralles · 950 · Greek · 432 pages

In 'On Paradoxical Machines,' Anthemius of Tralles offers a rare synthesis of high Euclidean theory and the practical grit of Byzantine engineering. As one of the master architects of Constantinople, Anthemius argues that the most profound challenges of the physical world—from the construction of bu

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Urb.gr.31

Plato · 1000 · Greek · 326 pages

Plato presents a brutal inquiry into the nature of justice and the health of the human soul. He argues that justice is not a social compromise but a requirement for inner harmony. You will discover why political leadership requires a rare, philosophical rigor that society almost always rejects. The

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Vat.gr.126

Thucydides · 1050 · Greek · 400 pages

This text provides a cold, clinical autopsy of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides rejects supernatural explanations to focus exclusively on political mechanics and military strategy. He argues that the growth of Athenian power made conflict with Sparta a mathematical certainty. By studying his accoun

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Plato . Platon . Platonis Dialogi

Plato · 1150 · Greek · 508 pages

This collection captures the urgent, living spirit of Socratic inquiry at its most potent. Plato argues that we must abandon the distractions of the physical realm to grasp eternal truths. He warns that writing creates a dangerous illusion of wisdom by substituting memorized facts for internal under

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Diversorum scriptorum Opera varia . Diaphoron syngrapheon Erga diaphora . Titulum corrige Platonis Opera omnia cum prolegomenis

Plato · 1350 · Greek · 1098 pages

Plato’s work functions as a complete framework for human conduct and cosmic understanding. He moves beyond simple dialogue to categorize the structure of reality, linking music, numbers, and political virtue to the divine. Each page challenges the reader to distinguish between fleeting sensory opini

73% translated

Cologny, Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cod. Bodmer 136

Plato · 1400 · Greek · 359 pages

In this legendary account of Socrates’ final day, Plato (narrated through Phaedo) investigates the profound relationship between the soul, the divine, and the morality of existence. The text presents a startlingly calm Socrates who argues that humans are the 'possessions of the gods,' framing life a

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Plato De legibus . Platonos Nomoi . Ac praeterea alii eiusdem [Platonis] Dialogi tum gnesioi, tum nothoi, Definitiones, et epistolae

Plato · 1450 · Greek · 712 pages

This work represents the peak of Plato's political thought, moving beyond abstract theories of justice to the mechanics of statecraft. He argues that laws are empty without the internal habits of virtue that only education can provide. Plato forces the reader to confront the reality that excess and

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Plato, Cratylus and Secular Florilegium

Plato · 1501 · Greek · 131 pages

This work presents an unflinching look at the architecture of a well-lived life. It asserts that true virtue is not an action but a deliberate choice to align the soul with divine reason. By dismantling the common obsession with physical gratification, the text demands that we prioritize the health

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The Bible: Epistle to the Romans

Unknown · 1512 · Latin · 644 pages
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The Complete Works of Plato Translated by Marsilio Ficino

Plato; Ficino, Marsilio (translator) · 1518 · Latin · 796 pages

This collection serves as a portal to the mind of Plato as seen through the eyes of one of the 15th century's most influential thinkers. Ficino treats philosophy not as a sterile academic exercise but as a medicine for the soul. He constructs an argument for the harmony between pagan wisdom and Chri

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The Newe Testament (Tyndale, 1526)

William Tyndale · 1526 · English · 288 pages

William Tyndale’s 1526 New Testament is a landmark of both faith and linguistics, representing the first English translation from the original Greek. Bypassing the religious establishment of his day, Tyndale offers a perspective centered on personal repentance and the 'law of love' rather than rigid

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Complete Extant Works

Clement of Alexandria · 1551 · Greek · 505 pages

This collection serves as a direct challenge to the foundations of ancient religious life. Clement strips away the veneer of pagan mythology, exposing its deities as merely mortal men and its temples as burial grounds. He argues that Greek philosophy, while incomplete, provides the essential logical

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The Complete Works of Plato

Plato (Ficino translation) · 1557 · Latin · 718 pages

This monumental edition of Plato’s *Opera Omnia* is more than a translation; it is a sacred bridge between Greek antiquity and Renaissance humanism, curated by Marsilio Ficino to harmonize philosophy with divine religion. Within these pages, readers will find the 'divine' Plato—a thinker who argues

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The Bible

Unknown · 1564 · Dutch · 920 pages
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The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ (Douay-Rheims, 1582)

Gregory Martin (trans.) · 1582 · Greek · 812 pages
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The Complete Works of the Divine Plato

Plato; trans. Marsilio Ficino · 1590 · Latin · 916 pages

This 1590 edition of Plato’s 'Complete Works' serves as a spiritual and intellectual map of the human condition, viewed through the transformative Neoplatonic lens of Marsilio Ficino. Synthesizing classical dialectic with religious piety, the text argues that the ultimate end of man is to achieve a

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Extant Works

Clement of Alexandria · 1592 · Greek · 471 pages

Clement does not view the world of Greek philosophy as an enemy to his faith. Instead, he treats it as a classroom where humanity learns to recognize the truth found in Christ. He argues that Greek thinkers were essentially students of Hebrew prophecy who failed to grasp the full picture. This colle

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The Holy Bible: Authorized Version 1611 (Facsimile)

King James / A.W. Pollard (ed.) · 1611 · English · 1660 pages

This volume moves past the legend to show the 1611 Bible as a product of intense human conflict and state control. It documents how translators risked their lives while competing factions struggled to dictate the precise wording of scripture to serve their own religious agendas. Readers will see tha

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Works in Greek and Latin

Clement of Alexandria · 1616 · Greek · 814 pages

Clement treats the entirety of human existence as a classroom for the soul. He claims that Greek philosophy contains fragments of divine truth, though it ultimately fails to reach the goal of salvation. Instead, he proposes the Word of God as the true Instructor who heals the passions and guides hum

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Plato Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus

Plato · 1683 · Greek · 618 pages

Plato documents the final days of his teacher, Socrates, as he confronts a city that wants him dead. The text moves from the courtroom to the prison cell, eventually shifting into deep metaphysical inquiry. It argues that philosophy is nothing less than the practice of dying. By rejecting passive wr

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Erasmus: New Testament with Greek Text and Annotations

Desiderius Erasmus · 1705 · Latin · 666 pages

A text by Desiderius Erasmus. About the author (Desiderius Erasmus): Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch humanist, Christian theologian, and pioneering p...

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Bible, or the Contents of the Old and New Testaments

Unknown · 1719 · Dutch · 177 pages

This 17th-century devotional serves as both a luxury object of 'miniature book craftsmanship' and a rigorous theological manual for the steadfast believer. Writing from the heart of The Hague, the author synthesizes centuries of Christian doctrine into a portable treasure, defending the Trinity and

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The Holy Bible

Unknown · 1726 · German · 954 pages
Fully translated

The New Testament

Unknown · 1753 · German · 1162 pages
Fully translated

Complete Plato (Thomas Taylor trans.)

Plato | Taylor, Thomas (trans.) · 1804 · English · 2850 pages

Thomas Taylor’s 'Complete Plato' is a monumental achievement that offers more than a mere translation; it provides the 'key' to the Platonic system through the profound insights of ancient Neoplatonic commentators. Taylor argues that philosophy is a divine discipline designed to lead the soul away f

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Introduction to Plato

Taylor, Thomas · 1804 · English · 52 pages

Thomas Taylor’s 'Introduction to Plato' is a profound reclamation of ancient Neoplatonic wisdom, asserting that Plato’s work is a systematic, scientific ladder to the divine rather than mere literary dialogue. Taylor boldly positions the 'One' as a superessential principle that transcends even the C

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Biblia Sacra Vulgatae: Clementine Vulgate Latin Bible

Jerome (Sixtine-Clementine edition) · 1804 · Latin · 1019 pages

This 1804 Venice edition of the Biblia Sacra Vulgatae stands as a monument to ecclesiastical history and structural precision. Authorized by the successive mandates of Popes Sixtus V and Clement VIII, this version represents the definitive Sixtine-Clementine standard that shaped Catholic liturgy for

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The Library (Bibliotheca)

Photius I, Patriarch of Constantinople · 1824 · Greek · 604 pages

The Bibliotheca acts as a filter for the ancient world. Photius records what was worth reading and what was dangerous to believe, blending literary criticism with cold-eyed political analysis. He documents the tension between pagan wisdom and Christian dogma, tracking how ideas evolve from their ori

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Codex Vaticanus: Novum Testamentum Graece

Angelo Mai (ed.) · 1857 · Greek · 544 pages

The Codex Vaticanus serves as the bedrock of modern textual criticism. By providing the Greek text alongside a record of the fierce academic struggle to translate and verify it, this book exposes the high stakes of biblical scholarship in the 19th century. Mai’s work confronts the reader with the ra

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Greek Patrology, Vol. 8: Clement of Alexandria I

Clement of Alexandria · 1857 · Greek · 709 pages
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Works of Plato

Plato · 1858 · English · 585 pages

Plato’s 'The Laws' represents a monumental shift in the philosopher's journey, moving from the idealism of his youth toward a rigorous, practical exploration of legislation and social order. Translated by George Burges in 1880, this edition provides a meticulous 'literal version' that preserves the

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Greek New Testament

Tischendorf, Constantin von · 1869 · Greek · 1002 pages

Constantin von Tischendorf’s critical edition of the Greek New Testament is a monumental pillar of biblical scholarship, offering a text meticulously scrubbed of centuries of scribal drift. Moving beyond the traditional 'Received Text,' Tischendorf utilizes his groundbreaking discovery of Codex Sina

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Works, Vol. I (Dindorf, Oxford)

Clement of Alexandria · 1869 · Greek · 522 pages

Clement of Alexandria presents a bold vision where Greek philosophy serves as a mere prelude to the ultimate truth of the Logos. He argues that while poets like Orpheus and Sophocles caught sparks of divinity, only the Christian Way offers a complete transformation of human nature. This text is not

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Ante-Nicene Christian Library, Vol. 23: Origen Contra Celsum

Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson (eds.) · 1872 · English · 637 pages

This volume captures one of the most significant debates in Western history. Origen faces Celsus, a brilliant pagan critic who attacks the Christian faith as a dangerous, superstitious sect. Origen does not retreat. Instead, he systematically deconstructs the claims of Greek philosophy to show that

73% translated

Dialogues of Plato, Vol. 4 (Parmenides, Theaetetus, Sophist)

Plato · 1875 · English · 612 pages

In these late dialogues, Plato moves away from simple abstractions to confront the messy reality of how we think and speak. He challenges the reader to categorize the world through the dialectical method, turning a critical eye toward the relationship between sensory perception and absolute truth. B

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Greek New Testament (Novum Testamentum Graece)

Constantin von Tischendorf · 1877 · Greek · 479 pages

This edition represents the culmination of Tischendorf's life work in biblical textual criticism. He argues that the standard biblical texts of his time were based on relatively recent and flawed manuscripts. By prioritizing the oldest uncial codices, including his own discovery of Codex Sinaiticus,

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Phaedo

Plato · 1890 · Greek · 320 pages

The Phaedo captures the final conversation of a man facing his own execution with absolute calm. Socrates argues that the philosopher spends their entire life preparing for death because the body acts as a prison for the truth. He maintains that true knowledge belongs only to the soul, which must ev

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The Republic

Plato · 1894 · Greek · 520 pages

Most people act justly only because they fear the consequences of getting caught. Plato guts this assumption by creating a theoretical city where justice is defined not by laws, but by the internal harmony of the individual soul. He argues that political stability requires rulers who hate power and

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Coptic New Testament

George William Horner (ed.) · 1898 · Coptic · 644 pages

This work is a rigorous attempt to preserve the exact syntax of the Coptic New Testament while rendering it into English. Horner rejects stylistic flow in favor of a token-based system that maps English words directly to their Coptic counterparts. The text moves beyond mere translation by documentin

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Hexaglot Bible: Hebrew, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, English, German, French

Various · 1901 · Multiple (Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic) · 710 pages

Experience the Bible like never before through a monumental six-language parallel edition that bridges ancient manuscripts and modern translations. Discover the intricate genealogy of Jesus Christ by comparing the Hebrew, Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac texts side-by-side with modern European master

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Works of Plato (Republic, Timaeus, Critias)

Plato · 1902 · Greek · 562 pages

Plato, the architect of Western philosophy, invites readers into a series of intellectual battles that remain startlingly modern. In these pages, he dismantles the cynical view that 'might makes right' and proposes a revolutionary vision of an ideal state where gender is no barrier to leadership and

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New Testament in Syriac (Peshitta)

British and Foreign Bible Society · 1905 · Syriac · 372 pages

The New Testament in Syriac (Peshitta) is more than a translation; it is a scholarly monument and a spiritual treasure of the Early Church. Published by the British and Foreign Bible Society, this text presents the revised scholarship of G.H. Gwilliam alongside unique Syriac 'Discourses' and 'Tablet

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Clement of Alexandria I: Protrepticus and Paedagogus

Clement of Alexandria · 1905 · Greek · 448 pages
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Plato: Laches, Protagoras, Meno, Euthydemus

Plato · 1906 · Greek · 710 pages

Plato’s dialogues remain the standard for critical thinking because they force the reader to defend their own assumptions. This collection captures Socrates at his most agile, moving from the definition of courage to the nature of knowledge itself. You will see him challenge the Sophists, whose reli

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Clement of Alexandria II: Stromata I-VI

Clement of Alexandria · 1906 · Greek · 560 pages

Clement argues that all wisdom originates from a singular divine source. He asserts that Greek philosophy serves as a vital tool for the believer, provided it is treated as a preparation rather than the final destination. The text demands intellectual rigor and warns against the vanity of mere debat

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Works (Laws, Definitions)

Plato · 1907 · Greek · 618 pages
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Coptic New Testament, Sahidic Dialect (Vol. 3)

George William Horner (ed.) · 1908 · Coptic · 436 pages

The 'Coptic New Testament, Sahidic Dialect (Vol. 3)' is a rigorous academic achievement that provides a window into the 2nd-century Egyptian Church’s scriptural tradition. Edited by George William Horner, this volume presents the Sahidic Coptic text of the Gospel of John alongside a literal English

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Clement of Alexandria III: Stromata VII-VIII, Excerpts, and Who is the Rich Man that Shall be Saved?

Clement of Alexandria · 1909 · Greek · 916 pages

This volume functions as the ultimate key to the library of a brilliant mind. Clement of Alexandria does not merely cite pagan authors; he reframes their concepts of virtue, cosmology, and ethics to construct a Christian framework. He demands that his readers move beyond simple faith toward a rigoro

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Codex Sinaiticus: New Testament (Facsimile)

Helen & Kirsopp Lake · 1911 · Greek · 337 pages

This monumental work offers more than a simple reproduction; it is a meticulous investigation into the physical and historical DNA of the Christian scriptures. Kirsopp and Helen Lake navigate the high-stakes world of 19th-century archaeology and palaeography to settle the long-standing debate over w

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Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, and Phaedrus

Plato · 1913 · Greek · 615 pages

This collection captures the final days of history's most famous provocateur. Socrates turns his own trial into a masterclass on how to live and die with integrity. He dismantles the hollow arguments of his accusers and shows that true wisdom starts with the admission of ignorance. The text forces y

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Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 2 (Clement of Alexandria)

Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson (eds.) · 1913 · English · 650 pages

This collection captures the intellectual and moral intensity of the second century. Writers like Clement of Alexandria, Tatian, and the mysterious author of The Shepherd of Hermas dismantle pagan philosophy to clear the ground for a new, Christian worldview. They argue that true knowledge requires

87% translated

The Library of Photius (English)

Photius I; J.H. Freese (trans.) · 1920 · English · 276 pages

The Library of Photius, also known as the Bibliotheca or Myriobiblon, is a cornerstone of the Byzantine Renaissance and one of the most important works of literary criticism in history. Written as a series of summaries for his brother while on a diplomatic mission, Photius reviews 279 books, spannin

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Plato: Statesman and Philebus

Plato · 1925 · Greek · 482 pages

Plato does not merely lecture; he forces his readers to think alongside his characters. In these texts, he argues that the best kind of power is not found in static codes but in the flexible, living intelligence of the expert. He dismantles the idea that pleasure or intellect alone can anchor a huma

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