EXCERPTS BY STOB^EUS. 133 



OF HERMES FROM THAT TO TAT. 

 (Stobceus, Physica, 469; Mrineke, i. 129). 



Asdepius. Since in the former general discourse thou 

 promisedst l to inform me concerning the thirty-six Decans, 

 now inform me concerning them and the energy of these. 



Hermes. There is no grudging, Tat ! and this should 

 be the most principal and most elevated discourse of all ; 

 but do you understand accordingly. We spake to thee 

 concerning the Zodiacal Circle, and of that also bearer of 

 animals (a), and of the five planets and Sun and Moon, 

 and of the circle of each of these. 



Asdepius. For Thou spakedst thus, Trismegistus ! 



Hermes. Thus I wish thee having remembered those, 

 to understand also concerning the thirty-six Decans, that 

 the discourse also concerning these may be well known 

 to thee. 



Asdepius. I remember, Father ! 



Hermes. We affirmed somewhere, Child ! Body to be 

 comprehensive (6) of all these things; apprehend then 

 <also mentally of it, as a circularly formed figure ; for thus 

 also exists the Universe. 



Asdepius. Such sort of figure I understand thus as thou 

 sayest, O Father ! 



Hermes. Under the circle then of this the Body have 

 been ordered the thirty-six Decans middle between the 

 circle of the Universe and of the Zodiac, setting bounds 

 between (c) both the circles, and as it were easing (d) that 



(a) ao<popov. (&) 7TSpisx,Ti)toy. (c) %fopi'ovToi$. (d) *ov< 



1 No such promise is to be found in any of the genuine works of 

 Hermes which have as yet come to light, but the following is found 

 in the " Asclepius," ch. viii. : " The Ousiarque of Heaven or of all that 

 is comprised under that name is Zeus, for it is by Heaven that Zeus 

 gives life to all things. The Ousiarque of the Sun is the light, for 

 it is from the disk of the Sun that we receive the benefit of the light. 

 The thirty-six Horoscopes of the fixed constellations have for Ousi- 

 arque or Prince him whom they name Pantomorphos or Omniform, 

 because he gives divers forms to divers species." 



