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Poimandres

Poimandres, also known as Poemandres or Poimander, is the first tractate of the Hermetic corpus known as the Corpus Hermeticum. The title, meaning “shepherd of men” in Greek, refers to a revelation given to Hermes Trismegistus by a divine mind named Poimandres. The tractate is typically dated to the early centuries of the common era and draws on earlier Hellenistic and Egyptian religious and philosophical traditions.

In this dialogue, Hermes Trismegistus receives a theophany from Poimandres, who discloses a cosmology and a

Poimandres is a foundational document for Hermetic thought, shaping later interpretations of theology, cosmology, and anthropology

path
for
human
salvation.
The
story
presents
a
transcendent
One
from
which
emanates
a
series
of
levels
of
reality,
including
the
Nous
(mind),
the
World-Soul,
and
the
material
world.
Creation
is
described
as
a
procession
of
these
emanations
rather
than
a
single
act,
and
the
human
being
is
seen
as
a
composite
of
a
divine
spark
and
a
mortal
body.
The
text
emphasizes
the
unity
of
the
divine,
the
intelligibility
of
the
cosmos,
and
the
possibility
of
gnosis—the
self-knowledge
and
knowledge
of
the
divine
source—as
a
means
of
liberation.
within
the
tradition.
It
influenced
medieval
and
Renaissance
esotericism,
including
alchemical
and
magical
currents,
and
remains
a
central
source
for
studies
of
Hermeticism
and
its
legacy.