On the Mysteries

A Letter by the Same Iamblichus

to Porphyry

Since the philosopher Porphyry has submitted the Egyptian priest Abammon to a mathematical inquiry, and claims that he will philosophize according to their own proper traditions, Iamblichus is eager to respond. He corrects Porphyry's pride and easily assumes the persona of an Egyptian, one Abammon. He chooses language appropriate to that character, and he composes his reply using Greek subject matter and Greek terms. The inscription itself—The Response of the Teacher Abammon to Porphyry’s Letter to Anebo, and the Resolution of the Difficulties Contained Within—reflects this.

note

A woodcut depicts a cross embellished with decorative, leaf-like flourishes.

(+) The divine Iamblichus is recognized by those who are trained, through his own unique idioms. By his excellence regarding divine and intelligible matters, he stands as a protector worthy of his name. Therefore, it is no vain task for us to restore his philosophical works. Since the writings produced by him are most godlike theoprepestata worthy of God/godlike, but the danger We read Latin ...? your own assistance? toward most blessed? in their order? manuscript/hand metacheirison handle/manage, he does not engage in a contest of proofs against those who strictly attend to philosophy, proposing questions. I, however, resolve them for them, truly, through this ameivomenon responsive letter. It seems to have been written to him alone, answering him with the precious gifts bestowed by the gods upon all. They are not striving for glory and praise, but rather for these things, and the fact that they have not occurred to the famous among the many holy and blessed ones of ours, having obtained them through the very directives of the so-called hierogrammateis sacred scribes themselves. These scribes, possessing undisturbed? knowledge of the things within them, themselves understand, through the very intelligible? flight from the new, living, and beautiful canons? alone.