This is the first book to analyze systematically crucial aspects of ancient Greek philosophy in their original context of mystery, religion, and magic. The author brings to light recently uncovered evidence about ancient Pythagoreanism and its influence on Plato, and reconstructs the fascinating esoteric transmission of Pythagorean ideas from the Greek West down to the alchemists and magicians of Egypt, and from there into the world of Islam.

Parmenides, the ancient Greek poet who is known as the father of logical thought, has been a decisive influence in shaping the whole course of Western philosophy and is a crucial figure in determining how we understand the ancient world. But there are some disturbing details in his own poetry, together with occasional remarks made by other ancient writers, that have always cast a long shadow of doubt over the standard view of him as a purely rational thinker. Then, in (...) the 1950s, a series of inscriptions was unearthed at Parmenides' hometown in southern Italy which has thrown a totally new light on the nature and purpose of his philosophy. This book brings the key evidence together and presents a new picture of him as priest, initiate and healer. (shrink)

The aim -- The journey -- The goal -- The view -- The endless joy.

In fragment 38 Diels–Kranz, Empedocles turns to describe the creation of ‘everything that we now see’: γαî τε κα πντος πςλυκμων δ' γρς ρ ιτν δ' αθρ σΦγγων περ κκλον παντα. Here, as so often with Empedocles, the influence of Zeller and Diels has proved decisive in determining later interpretations of the text. They understood the words ιτν δ' αθρ as meaning ‘and Titan aither’; ‘; the text has been mistranslated ever since. In fact the conjunction δ is never postponed. (...) This means that—as scholars earlier in the nineteenth century well understood—‘Titan” must be an item on its own, distinct from the aither: earth and wavy sea and moist aer, Titan and aither binding everything in its circular grip. (shrink)

Few things can be more confusing, or confused, than the ancient reports about Empedocles' astronomy. Attempts in the modern literature at resolving the difficulties invariably either add to the confusion, or end by urging the need to ‘acknowledge the insufficiency of our data and suspend judgment’. In fact, as we will see, it is possible not only to reconstruct Empedocles' own ideas but also to retrace the history of their subsequent misunderstanding.