An Introduction to The Corpus Hermeticum

The Corpus Hermeticum are Egyptian-Greek wisdom texts from which are mostly presented as dialogues in which a teacher enlightens a disciple. The texts form the basis of Hermeticism. They discuss the divine, the cosmos, mind, and nature. Some touch upon alchemy, astrology, and related concepts.

Their supposed author, a mythical figure named Hermes Trismegistus, was thought to be a contemporary of Moses. The Hermetic philosophy was regarded as an ancient theology, parallel to the revealed wisdom of the Bible, supporting Biblical revelation and culminating in the Platonic philosophical tradition.

There are obvious connections and common themes linking each of these traditions, although each had its own answer to the major questions of the time.