The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius: 1.2
There are therefore three worlds altogether; two monads: one intelligible, and one as Form, and besides these a third as Plenitude. The whole multitude belongs to (these) three worlds, two (of which) are visible: the sensible and the dissoluble world, (which is) man, and besides these, the intelligible, that is God. (He) is not visible, but is apparent in visible things.
Translation choices
- [the sensible and] - I removed this phrase immediately following "two monads" as a possible intrusion. Mahé chose to read this as "two monads (make up) the sensible". It is a more conservative choice but has two weaknesses: firstly, we already know the two monads from the immediately preceding paragraph (the intelligible and Man as Form), and secondly it disrupts the twice-repeated pattern of I.2 (three worlds, two of which are X: A, B, and besides these, C).
- "and besides these" - the conjunction used here is different from a simple "and", meant to contrast the two previous items with the final one on the list. Mahé omits this in the English translation.
Definitions
- "Plenitude" - πλήρωμα, the cosmos as the complete and full image of God.
- "multitude" - πλῆθος, multiplicity, the opposite of μονάς, monad/unit
- "visible" - ὁρατός, visible to the eye
- "apparent" - φανερός, manifest through its effects, here an opposite of visible
Interpretation
As in the previous paragraph, we see two triads, one of which concerns Man as Form and the other one the dissoluble man. Furthermore, the triads both have the same form: two elements sharing one category, and the third one set apart from them. Thus we get God and Man as Form (monads) contrasted with the cosmos as Plenitude (a unity only as totality, not as a simple monad), followed by cosmos and man (visible) contrasted with God (not visible, but apparent).