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 nature of regeneration, the rebirth of the soul, and the ascent to the divine. One of the most important texts for understanding Hermetic spirituality.
" Unless you first hate your body, you cannot love yourself." — Corpus Hermeticum XIII 1
Read the Text & External Resources
Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.
- " Unless you first hate your body, you cannot love yourself." — Corpus Hermeticum XIII 1 " Unless you first hate your body, you cannot love yourself." — Corpus Hermeticum XIII 1
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 XIII — 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.