The ''Chaldean Oracles'' are a set of spiritual and philosophical texts widely used by

Neoplatonist Neoplatonism is a version of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a series of thinkers. Among the common id ...

philosophers from the 3rd to the 6th century CE. While the original texts have been lost, they have survived in the form of fragments consisting mainly of quotes and commentary by Neoplatonist writers. They were likely to have originally formed a single mystery-poem, which may have been in part compiled, in part received via trance, by Julian the Chaldean, or more likely, his son, Julian the Theurgist in the 2nd century CE. Later Neoplatonists, such as

Iamblichus Iamblichus ( ; ; ; ) was a Neoplatonist philosopher who determined a direction later taken by Neoplatonism. Iamblichus was also the biographer of the Greek mystic, philosopher, and mathematician Pythagoras. In addition to his philosophical co ...

and

Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor (, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity. He set forth one of th ...

, rated them highly. The 4th-century emperor Julian (not to be confused with Julian the Chaldean or Julian the Theurgist) suggests in his ''Hymn to the Magna Mater'' that he was an initiate of the God of the Seven Rays, and was an adept of its teachings. When Christian Church Fathers or other

Late Antiquity Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early Middle Ages. Late antiquity as a period was popularized by Peter Brown (historian), Peter Brown in 1971, and this periodiza ...

writers credit "the Chaldeans", they are probably referring to this tradition. The ''Chaldean Oracles'' show an affinity with

gnostic Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek: , romanized: ''gnōstikós'', Koine Greek: �nostiˈkos 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among early Christian sects. These diverse g ...

teachings of their time. They describe the transcendent First Paternal Intellect which includes the mediating World-Soul, a female Power (

Hecate Hecate ( ; ) is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, or snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. She is variously associat ...

) similar to Sophia. Fiery emanations from the First Intellect produce the Second Intellect, the

Demiurge In the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy, the Demiurge () is an artisan-like figure responsible for fashioning and maintaining the physical universe. Various sects of Gnostics adopted the term '' ...

, who comprehends the cosmos as well as himself, and creates Matter. Farthest from the Highest God (First Father / Intellect) is a dense shell of matter from which the enlightened soul must emerge, shedding its bodily garments. A combination of ascetic conduct and correct ritual are recommended to free the soul from the confines of matter, and to defend it against the demonic powers lurking in the realms between Gods and mortals.

Origin

The exact origins of the ''Chaldean Oracles'' are unknown, but are usually attributed to Julian the Theurgist and/or his father, Julian the Chaldean.

Chaldea Chaldea () refers to a region probably located in the marshy land of southern Mesopotamia. It is mentioned, with varying meaning, in Neo-Assyrian cuneiform, the Hebrew Bible, and in classical Greek texts. The Hebrew Bible uses the term (''Ka� ...

is the classical Greek term for

Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...

, transliterating

Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...

n ''Kaldū'', which referred to an area southeast of Babylonia near the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. It is not known whether Julian the Chaldean was actually of Eastern descent, or whether the term "Chaldean" had by his time come to mean "magician" or practitioner of mysterious arts. His son, Julian the Theurgist, served in the Roman army during

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( ; ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors ...

' campaign against the

Quadi The Quadi were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people during the Roman era, who were prominent in Greek and Roman records from about 20 AD to about 400 AD. By about 20 AD they had a kingdom centred in the area of present-day western Slovakia, north ...

. Julian claimed to have saved the Roman camp from a severe drought by causing a rainstorm. At least four other religious groups also claimed credit for this rainstorm. The circumstances surrounding the writing of the ''Oracles'' are also mysterious, the most likely explanation being that Julian uttered them in poetic stanzas during a trance, suggesting divine inspiration.Majercik, Ruth. ''The Chaldean Oracles: Text, Translation and Commentary''. Studies in Greek and Roman Religion, vol. 5. Prometheus Trust, 2013 (1st edn., Leiden: Brill, 1989; Greek text, English introduction). No original documents containing the ''Oracles'' are extant, and what we know of the text has been reconstructed from fragments and quotes by later neoplatonist philosophers, as well as Christian philosophers influenced by Platonism. Neoplatonists including Porphyry,

, and

wrote extensive commentaries on the Oracles, all lost. The most extensive surviving commentary was written by the Christian philosopher

Michael Psellus Michael Psellos or Psellus (, ) was a Byzantine Greek monk, savant, writer, philosopher, imperial courtier, historian and music theorist. He was born in 1017 or 1018, and is believed to have died in 1078, although it has also been maintained tha ...

in the eleventh century, useful for interpreting the surviving excerpts from the Oracles. Whether or not they were composed by Julian himself, or whether Julian compiled them from actual Chaldean originals, the oracles are mainly a product of

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

syncretism Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various school of thought, schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or religious assimilation, assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the ...

as practiced in the cultural melting-pot of

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, embodying the principal features of "Chaldean philosophy". They were held in high esteem throughout Late Antiquity, and by the later followers of

neoplatonism Neoplatonism is a version of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a series of thinkers. Among the common id ...

, although frequently disputed by

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...

. Some doctrines of the ''Oracles'' have been attributed to

Zoroaster Zarathushtra Spitama, more commonly known as Zoroaster or Zarathustra, was an Iranian peoples, Iranian religious reformer who challenged the tenets of the contemporary Ancient Iranian religion, becoming the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism ...

Importance of the ''Oracles''

The ''Chaldean Oracles'' were considered to be a central text by many later neoplatonist philosophers, nearly equal in importance to

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

's '' Timaeus''. Scholars, beginning with F. Cumont, have described the ''Oracles'' as "the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

of the Neoplatonists".

Hellenistic civilization In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

fused a Hellenic core of religious belief and social organization with Persian-Babylonian ("

n"), Israelite and Egyptian cultures, including their mystery cults and wisdom-traditions. Hellenistic thinkers philosophized and harmonized this polyglot mythology, cult tradition, oracular utterance, and initiatory lore. The philosophy attributed to these Babylonian, Persian, and Semitic cultures was believed to preserve the most ancient traditional wisdom. Another Alexandrian attempt to philosophize and synthesize ancient religion produced the writings attributed to

Hermes Trismegistus Hermes Trismegistus (from , "Hermes the Thrice-Greatest") is a legendary Hellenistic period figure that originated as a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.A survey of the literary and archaeological eviden ...

. The ''Chaldean Oracles'' are a parallel endeavour on a smaller scale, to philosophize the wisdom of Chaldea.

Metaphysics of the ''Oracles''

The metaphysical schema of the Chaldean Oracles begins with an absolute transcendent deity called the Father, whose Power produces Intellect. This Intellect contemplates purely intellectual Forms in the realm of the Father, and dually creates and governs the material realm. This dual aspect of Intellect is the Demiurge. The Oracles further posit a boundary between the intellectual and the material realms, personified as

. As a barrier or membrane, Hecate separates the purely intellectual fire of the Father from the material fire of the cosmos, and mediates all divine influence upon the lower realm. From Hecate is derived the World-Soul, which in turn emanates Nature, the governor of the sub-lunar realm. From Nature is derived Fate, which can enslave the baser human soul. The goal of existence is to purify the baser soul from all contact with Nature and Fate by a life of austerity and contemplation. Salvation is achieved by an ascent through the planetary spheres, casting off the various baser aspects to become pure intellect. Beneath the Intelligible Triad of Father, Magna Mater or Hecate, and Intellect lie the three successively descending worlds, Empyrean, Ethereal, and Elemental, respectively governed by a Second, Third, and Fourth Demiurgic Intellect. An additional Elemental World is ruled by Hypezokos or Flower of Fire. The ''Chaldean Oracles'' were first translated into English by Thomas Stanley in 1662, and popularized by Thomas Taylor in 1797 and Isaac Preston Cory in 1832. They were taken up in the 19th-century esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn, which in 1895 published Taylor's translation in William Wynn Westcott's edition under the title 'The Chaldaean Oracles of Zoroaster', as part of the Golden Dawn's 'Collectanea Hermetica' series.

State of the text

The original poem has not come down to us in any connected form, and is known through quotations in the works of the neoplatonists, especially

Damascius Damascius (; ; 462 – after 538), known as "the last of the Athenian Neoplatonists", was the last scholarch of the neoplatonic Athenian school. He was one of the neoplatonic philosophers who left Athens after laws confirmed by emperor Jus ...

. Wilhelm Kroll published an edition, ''De oraculis Chadaicis'' in 1894 arranging all known fragments in order of subject with a Latin translation, and this is the basis of most later scholarly work, including the study by Hans Lewy (1956), a Greek-French edition of the Oracles by Edouard des Places in 1971 and the currently standard (though not critical) edition in Greek and English by Ruth Majercik in 1989. None of these purport to be a reconstruction of the original poem but only of the surviving fragments. Summaries of the poem (and of the related "Assyrian Oracles", not known from elsewhere) were composed by

Michael Psellos Michael Psellos or Psellus (, ) was a Byzantine Greeks, Byzantine Greek monk, savant, writer, philosopher, imperial courtier, historian and music theorist. He was born in 1017 or 1018, and is believed to have died in 1078, although it has also b ...

, and attempts have been made to arrange the surviving fragments in accordance with these summaries: Westcott's translation (above) is an example of such an attempt. These reconstructions are not generally regarded as having scholarly value, but sometimes surface in theosophical or occult use.

Notes

References

*Des Places, Édouard, ''Oracles chaldaïques'', 3rd edn. Revised and corrected by A. Segonds, Paris 1996 (Greek text, facing French translation; introduction and notes; also contains editions of works by Psellos on the Chaldaean oracles). *Dillon, J.M. ''The Middle Platonists''. Ithaca: Cornell University Press 1977. *Fernández Fernández, Álvaro,
La teúrgia de los Oráculos Caldeos: cuestiones de léxico y de contexto histórico
'. Doctoral thesis, directed by José Luis Calvo Martínez. Granada: Universidad de Granada, 2011. *Johnston, Sarah Iles. ''Hekate Soteira: A Study of Hekate's Roles in the Chaldean Oracles and Related Literature''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. *Lewy, Hans. ''Chaldean Oracles and Theurgy: Mystic Magic and Platonism in the Later Roman Empire'', 3rd edn. Revised by Michel Tardieu. Paris: Institut des Études Augustiniennes, 2011 (2nd edn. 1978; 1st edn. 1956). * Seng, H., ''Un livre sacré de l'Antiquité tardive: les Oracles chaldaïques''. Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études, Sciences Religieuses 170. Turnhout: Brepols, 2016,

External links

''De Oraculis Chaldaicis''
edited by Wilhelm Kroll, (in German) with a Latin translation
''Collection of the Chaldean Oracles''
collected and translated by Thomas Taylor (neoplatonist)
''Echoes from the Gnosis: The Chaldæan Oracles''
by G.R.S. Mead

edited and revised by Sapere Aude. William Wynn Westcott, with an introduction by L. O. Percy Bullock, (1895) * Fernández Fernández, Álvaro (2013)
«En búsqueda del paraíso caldaico»
''’Ilu: revista de ciencias de las religiones'', vol. 18: p. 57-94. * Fernández Fernández, Álvaro (2015)
«La ἴυγξ mediadora: ornitología, magia amorosa, mitología y teología caldaico-neoplatónica»
''Cuadernos de Filología Clásica. Estudios griegos e indoeuropeos'', vol. 25: p. 223-271. * Fernández Fernández, Álvaro (2019)
«Neologismos caldaicos (I) : notas sobre καναχισμός, ἀείπολος, προπόρευμα, μηναῖος y ἐπιβήτης»
''Les Études classiques'', vol. 86, no. 3-4: p. 311-316. * Fernández Fernández, Álvaro (2021)
Review of
Helmut Seng (Hg.), ''Oracula Chaldaica Latine'', Heidelberg, Universitätsverlag Winter, 2021, ''Revue des sciences philosophiques et théologiques'', vol. 105: p. 340-346. {{Authority control 2nd-century books Ancient Greek poems Classical oracles Greek literature (post-classical) Hellenistic philosophy and religion Hermeticism History of magic Ancient Greek Neoplatonic texts Occult books Chaldea Middle Platonism