(c. 582-507 b.c.e.) by T. Apiryon Added to the list of Saints in 1929/30 e.v. Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, music theorist, initiate of the Orphic Mysteries and religious cult leader. See Part III of The Heart of the Master. Pythagoras was born at Samos, the great-grandson of the philosopher Hippasos. In his studies, he travelled
Comments Off on Pythagoras(c. 216-276 e.v.) by T. Apiryon Also known as Mani or Manichaeus; Persian philosopher and religious teacher, founder of the Gnostic religion of Manichaeism (see Chapter 201 of Liber Aleph). Crowley’s placement of Mani in this position is curious. Mani was a later teacher than Basilides, Valentinus and Bardesanes. Also, whereas these teachers considered themselves
Comments Off on Manes(flourished c. 35 e.v.) by T. Apiryon Samaritan founder of the Simonian sect of Gnostics, contemporary of the Apostles and of Philo Judaeus of Alexandria. Little is known of Simon or the Simonians, most of the information we have about him is from his enemies, and is probably highly distorted. They described him variously as
Comments Off on Simon Magus(born c. 4 b.c.e., vanished c. 96 e.v.) by T. Apiryon Also known as Apollon, and Apollonius of Tyana. Cappadocian philosopher of the Pythagorean school. See Part III of The Heart of the Master. Born into the noble family of Tyana, Apollonius was educated by a Pythagorean philosopher in Tarsus. In his later youth, disgusted
Comments Off on Apollonius TyanaeusAlgernon Charles Swinburne(1837-1909 e.v.) by T. Apiryon English lyric poet and critic; Crowley’s primary poetic influence. Viewed by many of his contemporary Victorians as blasphemous and depraved, Swinburne is now recognized as one of England’s greatest poets and critics, and as one of the greatest parodists of all time. His intoxicating poetry, whether in English,
Comments Off on SwinburneFrançois Rabelais(1494-1553 e.v.) by T. Apiryon French Franciscan (later Benedictine) friar, classical scholar, physician, humanist and humorist, the author of the monumental, revolutionary satire Gargantua and Pantagruel, contemporary of Ulrich von Hutten and Paracelsus, and one of the greatest writers in the history of Europe. The works of Rabelais are included in Section 2 of
Comments Off on RabelaisMarcus Valerius Martialis(c. 43-117 e.v.) by T. Apiryon Also known as Martial. Roman poet, satirist, and master of the epigram; contemporary of Apollonius of Tyana. One of the great influences on Crowley, the satyric poet. Martial was born of Celtic stock in the little Spanish town of Bilbilis, and came to Rome at the age
Comments Off on Martialis(84-54 b.c.e.) by T. Apiryon The first great Roman lyric poet, noted for his sincere, elegant, and passionate eroticism, the model for the medieval tradition of the art of courtly love. One of the great influences on Crowley the lyric poet. Catullus was born into a wealthy family of Celtic descent in the town of
Comments Off on CatullusPublius Vergilius Maro (70-19 b.c.e.) by T. Apiryon Also known as Vergil or Virgil. A poet of Rome under the Emperor Augustus, Vergil was the author of two collections of scholarly, beautiful, and prophetic poems, the Eclogues and the Georgics; but was most famous for the great epic, The Aeneid, an account of the wanderings
Comments Off on Vergilius(c. 1200 b.c.e./mythic) by T. Apiryon Known in Roman mythology as Ulysses. Greek hero; king of Ithaca; son of Laertes (some say of Sisyphus) and Anticlea, husband of Pênelopê. A leading hero of the Trojan War, who proposed the idea of the Trojan Horse. In contrast to the physical strength of Hêraclês, Odysseus’s heroism was
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