Poimandres (also known as Poemandres, Poemander or Pimander) is the first tractate in the Corpus Hermeticum, named after its main character Poimandres, the nous of a supreme deity.

Etymology

Originally written in Greek, the title was formerly understood to mean "shepherd of men" from the words ποιμήν and ἀνήρ. For example, this is how Zosimus of Panopolis interpreted the name. Others, such as F. Ll. Griffith, proposed that it is actually derived from the Coptic phrase ⲡⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉ ⲣⲏ peime nte rē meaning "the knowledge of Re" or "the understanding of Re". Yet another theory is that the name ultimately derives from the name of the popular deified Egyptian pharaoh Amenemhet III, whose name was transliterated into Greek as various forms including Πορεμανρῆς. Poimandros (Ποίμανδρος) of Greek mythology was the son of Chaeresilaus and Stratonice.

Description

The character Poimandres can be considered to be a sort of deity, or attribute of God as nous or "mind" as expressed in the following translations. John Everard translation: G. R. S. Mead translation: Brian P. Copenhaver translation: Salaman, Van Oyen and Wharton translation: