For we preserve as sacred to those divinities, a perpetual fire in our temples; since this element is most similar to their lucid frames.
But with respect to fumigations from herbs produced by the earth, they called the censer or pan, in which the herbs were burnt, ϑυμιατήριος, and to perform sacrifice ϑύειν, and the sacrifices themselves ϑυσίαι all which we have erroneously interpreted, as if these words were p.
48 signatures of that error, which afterwards crept in among us; and hence it is that we call the worship consisting from the slaughter of animals ϑυσίαι.
Indeed so great was the care of the ancients, in retaining their pirmæval customs, that they uttered imprecations against those who deserted the old manner, and introduced a new one: and therefore they called those herbs with which we now fumigate αρωμάτα, aromatics.
But the antiquity of the above mentioned fumigations will be perceived by him who considers that even now many odorous kinds of wood, cut into fragments, are employed in sacrifice.
From whence it happened that the earth now bearing trees together with grass, its earliest production, men at first eating the fruits of oaks, burned only a few of these in sacrifices to the Gods, on p.
49 account of the rarity of such sustenance; but sacrificed a multitude of the leaves.
Afterwards human life passed to a gentle diet, and sacrifices were performed with nuts; from whence the proverb originated, ἄλις δρυὸς, enough of the oak.
"But among the fruits of Ceres, after the first appearance of leguminous barley, mankind were accustomed to sprinkle it, made into an entire mass, in their first sacrifices.
Afterwards breaking the barley, and diminishing the nutriment into meal, having concealed the instruments of so great a work, which afford divine assistance to human life, they approached these as certain sacred concerns.
But they cast the first fruits of the barley (when bruised into meal) and which was more esteemed than when whole, into the fire, in sacrifice to the Gods: from whence even now, at the conclusion of the sacrifice, we make use of p.
50 meal mixed with wine and oil.
By this custom indeed we indicate from whence, and from what beginnings sacrifices have increased to the present state: but, at the same time, we do not consider why such things are performed.
Mankind proceeding from these small beginnings, and the earth yielding an abundant supply of corn and various fruits, they judged that the first produce of all the rest should be offered in sacrifices, with a view of pleasing the various orders of the Gods: selecting many things for this purpose, and mingling not a few others with these, if they possessed any thing beautiful, and on account of its odoriferous nature accommodated to divine sensation.
With some of these, formed into garlands, they encircled the statues of the Gods; and others they sacrificed with fire.
Likewise to the Gods as the proper causes, they poured p.
51 forth the divine drops of wine, and honey, and oil, when their uses were first discovered.
"The truth of the preceding account appears to be confirmed by the procession celebrated even now at Athens, in honour of the sun and the hours.
Themes
◆Correspondencecosmology
The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.
The text posits a similarity between the physical element of fire and the nature of the divine beings.
Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.
It describes ritual practices involving material offerings like herbs, wine, and fire intended to engage divine sensation and please the gods.
The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.
[auto] The passage explicitly characterizes the body as 'dark folds,' a 'pestiferous region,' and a source of 'base defilements' that hinder the soul's purity.
Fragments of divine light or spirit trapped inside material bodies, awaiting liberation and return to their source.
[auto] The soul is described as living immaterially within material concerns and preserving itself amidst defilements, akin to a divine element trapped in matter.