On the Mysteries

Iamblichus' defense of theurgy, written in the form of a reply to Porphyry's Letter to Anebo, argues that union with the divine is achieved through ritual action sanctioned by the gods rather than by philosophical reasoning alone. This edition, translated by Emma C. Clarke, John M. Dillon and Jackson P. Hershbell, presents the Greek text with facing translation and notes. It is a primary source for late Neoplatonism and the theory of ritual magic.