/lit/ - Literature

If you were tasked to compile a "pagan bible", what books would you choose and why ?

If we had listened to him, we would have the spiritual wealth of china and india now, he was essentially steering the breadth of our local traditions (hellenic, egyptian, syrian, persian) into a syncretic form of what you'd find in india or china on the basis of universalism, christianity trivialized this real genuine universal subject that existed at that time and has split this world into "the west", "eastern europe" and "the middle east", even though they all share the same lineages regarding the wisdom traditions that spawned them, what a mess

>>20112121
Neoplatonism is middle eastern
>Plotinus (/plɒˈtaJnəs/; Greek: Πλωτῖνος, Plōtînos; c.204/5 – 270) was a major Hellenistic Greek[7][8] philosopher born and raised in Roman Egypt, regarded by modern scholarship as the founder of Neoplatonism.[1][2][3][4]

>Eunapius reported that Plotinus was born in Lyco, which could either refer to the modern Asyut in Upper Egypt or Deltaic Lycopolis, in Lower Egypt.[1][2][3][4] This has led to speculations that he may have been either native Egyptian, Hellenized Egyptian,[10] Greek, or Roman.[11]

>Three distinct phases in classical neoplatonism after Plotinus can be distinguished: the work of his student Porphyry; that of Iamblichus and his school in Syria; and the period in the fifth and sixth centuries, when the Academies in Alexandria and Athens flourished.[4]

>Porphyry of Tyre (/ˈpɔːrfJri/; Greek: Πορφύριος, Porphýrios; Arabic: فرفوريوس, Furfūriyūs; c.234 – c.305 AD) was a Phoenician[1] Neoplatonic philosopher born in Tyre, Roman Syria[2]

>Iamblichus (/aJˈæmblJkəs/; Greek: Ἰάμβλιχος Iámblichos; Safaitic: 𐩺𐩣𐩴𐩫 /yamlik/ “[the deity] reigns”; c. AD 245 – c. 325) was a Syrian[1][2] Neoplatonist philosopher of Arab origin.[3][4] He determined the direction that would later be taken by Neoplatonic philosophy.

>The Roman emperor Julian, not content with Eunapius' more modest eulogy that he was inferior to Porphyry only in style, regarded Iamblichus as more than second to Plato, and claimed he would give all the gold of Lydia for one epistle of Iamblichus.

Are there any textbooks from the ancient world written in Greek still extant? I’m trying to read Iamblichus’ De Mysteriis and am getting filtered really bad. On the same note, what books would help me get a good grasp on what Iamblichus is saying? I’m reading him because I spent a year studying Kant and realized the futility of pure reason in metaphysics so I think Theurgy could be a way to actual metaphysical knowledge.

Are there any textbooks from the ancient world written in Greek still extant? I’m trying to read Iamblichus’ De Mysteriis and am getting filtered really bad. On the same note, what books would help me get a good grasp on what Iamblichus is saying? I’m reading him because I spent a year studying Kant and realized the futility of pure reason in metaphysics so I think Theurgy could be a way to actual metaphysical knowledge.

Do you people ever go beyond Plato? Like have you tried reading Plotinus or Iamblichus or Porphyry or Proclus? Or can none of you get beyond the dialogues?

Reminder that just like Christianity Neoplatonism is Middle Eastern

>Plotinus (/plɒˈtaJnəs/; Greek: Πλωτῖνος, Plōtînos; c.204/5 – 270) was a major Hellenistic Greek[7][8] philosopher born and raised in Roman Egypt, regarded by modern scholarship as the founder of Neoplatonism.[1][2][3][4]

>Eunapius reported that Plotinus was born in Lyco, which could either refer to the modern Asyut in Upper Egypt or Deltaic Lycopolis, in Lower Egypt.[1][2][3][4] This has led to speculations that he may have been either native Egyptian, Hellenized Egyptian,[10] Greek, or Roman.[11]

>Three distinct phases in classical neoplatonism after Plotinus can be distinguished: the work of his student Porphyry; that of Iamblichus and his school in Syria; and the period in the fifth and sixth centuries, when the Academies in Alexandria and Athens flourished.[4]

>Porphyry of Tyre (/ˈpɔːrfJri/; Greek: Πορφύριος, Porphýrios; Arabic: فرفوريوس, Furfūriyūs; c.234 – c.305 AD) was a Phoenician[1] Neoplatonic philosopher born in Tyre, Roman Syria[2]

>Iamblichus (/aJˈæmblJkəs/; Greek: Ἰάμβλιχος Iámblichos; Safaitic: 𐩺𐩣𐩴𐩫 /yamlik/ “[the deity] reigns”; c. AD 245 – c. 325) was a Syrian[1][2] Neoplatonist philosopher of Arab origin.[3][4] He determined the direction that would later be taken by Neoplatonic philosophy.

>The Roman emperor Julian, not content with Eunapius' more modest eulogy that he was inferior to Porphyry only in style, regarded Iamblichus as more than second to Plato, and claimed he would give all the gold of Lydia for one epistle of Iamblichus.

>So they set out in the summer season. Now he happened to be bathing and the others were bathing with him, and they were using the same insistence, whereupon Iamblichus smiled and said:
>"It is irreverent to the gods to give you this demonstration, but for your sakes it shall be done." There were two hot springs smaller than the others but prettier, and he bade his disciples ask the natives of the place by what names they used to be called in former times. When they had done his bidding they said: "There is no pretence about it, this spring is called Eros, and the name of the one next to it is Anteros."
>He at once touched the water with his hand----he happened to be sitting on the ledge of the spring where the overflow runs off----and uttering a brief summons he called forth a boy from the depth of the spring.
>He was white-skinned and of medium height, his locks were golden and his back and breast shone; and he exactly resembled one who was bathing or had just bathed.
>His disciples were overwhelmed with amazement, but Iamblichus said, "Let us go to the next spring," and he rose and led the way, with a thoughtful air. Then he went through the same performance there also, and summoned another Eros like the first in all respects, except that his hair was darker and fell loose in the sun. Both the boys embraced Iamblichus and clung to him as though he were genuinely their father.
Why did the water take shape of two boys in this passage, what's the meaning of it?

Why are you wasting your time on this shill board instead of practicing acts of theurgy?