Canon Status
Not canonical in any tradition.
Date & Provenance
Composed in Greek in the 2nd–3rd century CE; translated into Armenian in the medieval period.
Language & Manuscripts
Armenian manuscripts (6 copies, 13th–16th centuries).
Why It Matters for Study
Preserves Hermetic definitions and teachings in Armenian translation, including the Definitions of Hermes to Asclepius. Important for understanding the transmission of Hermeticism in the Christian East.
" God is the mind of the cosmos, and the cosmos is the body of God." — Armenian Hermetic Fragments (paraphrase)
Read the Text & External Resources
Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.
- " God is the mind of the cosmos, and the cosmos is the body of God." — Armenian Hermetic Fragments (paraphrase) " God is the mind of the cosmos, and the cosmos is the body of God." — Armenian Hermetic Fragments (paraphrase)
External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.
Further Reading
Mahé, J.-P. Hermès en Haute-Égypte. Presses de l'Université Laval, 1978–1982.
Litwa, M. D. Hermetica II. Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Armenian Hermetic Fragments — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetica|Background and discussion.;; Hermetica II — Cambridge University Press|https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/hermetica-ii/|Litwa's translation and commentary.