Canon Status
Not canonical in any tradition.
Date & Provenance
Composed in Greek in Alexandria, Egypt, in the 1st–3rd century CE.
Language & Manuscripts
Greek text preserved in the same manuscripts as CH I.
Why It Matters for Study
Discusses the importance of knowledge and the dangers of ignorance, emphasizing that ignorance is the greatest evil.
" Ignorance is the greatest evil, and knowledge is the greatest good." — Corpus Hermeticum VII (paraphrase)
Read the Text & External Resources
Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.
- " Ignorance is the greatest evil, and knowledge is the greatest good." — Corpus Hermeticum VII (paraphrase) " Ignorance is the greatest evil, and knowledge is the greatest good." — Corpus Hermeticum VII (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
Copenhaver, B. P. Hermetica. Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Festugière, A.-J. La Révélation d'Hermès Trismégiste. Les Belles Lettres, 1944–1954.
Corpus Hermeticum VII — Sacred Texts|https://www.sacred-texts.com/gno/th1/index.htm|G. R. S. Mead's translation.;; Corpus Hermeticum — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Hermeticum|Background and discussion.