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Poimander

Poimander, also known as Poimandres, is the opening tractate of the Corpus Hermeticum, a collection of late antique Greek and Latin writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Most scholars date the text to the 2nd or 3rd century CE in the Hellenistic-Roman world of Egypt. The work introduces the broader Hermetic corpus' themes of divine mind, cosmic creation, and human destiny.

Structured as a dialogue, it presents Hermes Trismegistus in conversation with the divine mind referred to

Textual features: The Poimander survives in Greek and Latin recensions, and its language and themes influenced

Influence and reception: The Hermetic corpus, beginning with Poimander, resurfaced in the Latin Middle Ages and

as
Poimandres,
the
“Shepherd
of
Men.”
The
divine
interlocutor
reveals
his
nature
as
the
cosmic
mind
or
Nous
and
explains
the
creation
of
the
material
world
as
an
emanation
from
the
One.
The
narrative
describes
how
the
divine
thought
contends
with
and
orders
matter,
fashioning
the
heavens
and
the
earth;
humanity
is
formed
in
the
image
of
the
divine,
and
the
soul
seeks
knowledge
(gnosis)
of
its
origin
to
return
to
the
divine
source.
later
Hermetic,
Gnostic,
and
Neoplatonic
thought.
The
work
emphasizes
ascent
through
contemplation
and
the
purification
of
the
soul
as
a
path
to
self-knowledge
and
unity
with
the
divine.
Renaissance,
shaping
ideas
about
hermetic
wisdom,
cosmology,
and
the
hierarchy
of
reality.
In
scholarship,
Poimander
is
studied
as
a
foundational
Hermetic
text
that
frames
the
relationship
between
divine
intellect,
creation,
and
human
destiny.