Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Poimandres

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Poimandres

Poimandres (Greek: Ποιμάνδρης; also known as Poemandres, Poemander or Pimander) is a chapter in the Corpus Hermeticum.

Contents

Etymology

Originally written in Greek, the title was formerly understood to mean "Man-Shepherd" from the words ποιμήν and ἀνήρ, but recent studies on its etymology have shown that it is actually derived from the Egyptian phrase Peime-nte-rê meaning "Knowledge of Re" or "Understanding of Re".

Description

It is also a sort of deity, or attribute of God as nous or "mind" as expressed in the following translations

To quote (John Everard translation):

Then said I, "Who art Thou?" "I am," quoth he, "Poemander, the mind of the Great Lord, the most Mighty and absolute Emperor: I know what thou wouldest have, and I am always present with thee."

And in the G. R. S. Mead translation:

And I do say: Who art thou? He saith: I am Man-Shepherd [Ποιμάνδρης], Mind of all-masterhood; I know what thou desirest and I’m with thee everywhere.

And in the translation by Salaman, Van Oyen and Wharton:

"Who are you?" said I. He said, "I am Poimandres the Nous of the Supreme. I know what you wish and I am with you everywhere."

References

Poimandres Wikipedia