References to the concept of the Golden Chain

From Anthroposophy

Although Homer only uses once - in the Iliad - the image of a golden chain hanging from heaven and connecting the human and the divine, this image has inspired all traditions since, with Plato before and Macrobius after Christ, upto the middle ages with Ficino and Valeriano upto Kirchweger and Goethe.

Though the Golden Chain or 'Catena Aurea' was coined by Homer and was used as a reference from the Old Greek throughout the middle ages, it really flows into the processes of Alchemy such as we find in Rosecrucian and Hermetics tradition, and in fact we find symbolic references even in the Bible.

Homer's golden chain is an important image and concept, also for this website to provide a modern education on its meaning and the spiritual reality it represents. Therefore is worthwhile to appreciate this tradition, and the fact this metaphoric image has inspired generations for more than 2000 years.

Illustrations

Schema FMC00.536 illustrates a spiritual scientific cosmogony with various representations dating from the middle ages. The various spheres represent the planes or worlds of consciousness with the seven planetary spheres and the fixed stars, the spiritual hierarchies and the Logos or 'god'.

This representation takes the human kingdom perspective on Earth as the center, and shows how creation is made up of these spiritual hierarchies and their influences from the various worlds. It is therefore a graphical way to depict an understanding of the make up of the cosmos and the Golden Chain, and what underlies the Cosmic fractal.

Sources and commentary on the full-sized versions will be added on the Schema variants and topic page (to be added).

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Schema FMC00.075 combines illustrations from Rosecrucian and Hermetic and alchemical traditions: observe the Golden Chain and the 'raining down' on the upper left, the Sun and Moon as Father and Mother (see Emerald Table below) and how their 'two streams' gives rise to the four elements (middle picture) from whose combination follow the three alchemical processes in nature (below right and left).

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Schema FMC00.537 shows the seven pointed star or septagram, a famous symbolic representation of a worldview and cosmogony in the esoteric language used in hermetics and alchemy. With cosmogony is referred to the coming-into-existence of all kingdoms of nature, see also Golden Chain and Cosmic fractal. The illustration appears from around 1600 onwards and was reproduced in different versions by various authors.

The seven pointed star is also referred to by the acrostic or word composition in the ring: VITRIOL for 'Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem' which, translated freely, means 'visit the interior of the Earth and by rectifying you will find the hidden stone'. See also Schema FMC00.075 on References to the concept of the Golden Chain.

The illustration contains the four elements, the seven planetary influences modulating what is called on this site the two etheric streams sun and moon (see also Emerald tablet), condensing (see triangle, re Alchemy) to mineral earth below,, all from the single energy in the middle. The drawing thus illustrates in synthetic form the relation between one, two, three, four, seven.

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Lecture coverage and references

Christ-Jesus

said

I am the living bread of life that came down from heaven.

The Tabula Smaragdina Hermetic or Emerald Table:

It is true, certain, and without falsehood, that whatever is below is like that which is above; and that which is above is like that which is below: to accomplish the one wonderful work. As all things are derived from the One Only Thing, by the will and by the word of the One Only One who created it in His Mind, so all things owe their existence to this Unity by the order of Nature, and can be improved by Adaptation to that Mind.

Its Father is the Sun; its Mother is the Moon; the Wind carries it in its womb; and its nurse is the Earth. This Thing is the Father of all perfect things in the world. Its power is most perfect when it has again been changed into Earth. Separate the Earth from the Fire, the subtle from the gross, but carefully and with great judgment and skill. It ascends from earth to heaven, and descends again, new born, to the earth, taking unto itself thereby the power of the Above and the Below. Thus the splendor of the whole world will be thine, and all darkness shall flee from thee. This is the strongest of all powers, the Force of all forces, for it overcometh all subtle things and can penetrate all that is solid. For thus was the world created, and rare combinations, and wonders of many kinds are wrought.

Hence I am called Hermes Trismegistus having mastered the three parts of the wisdom of the whole world. What I have to say about the masterpiece of the alchemical art, the Solar Work, is now ended.

Homer - Iliad

In the Iliad (often dated around 8th centiury BC), Homer speaks about the chain that links earth and heaven, and by which humans may ascend to the realm of the gods. In this passage Zeus declares that all the gods and goddesses together could not, with a golden chain, drag him from on high, but that if he pulled, he would drag them, with earth and sea, would then bind the chain round the summit of Olympus, and all the rest would hang aloft. Quote from Iliad (Hom. Il. 8.18):

If I see anyone acting apart and helping either Trojans or Danaans, he shall be beaten beyond the limits of universal order [kosmos] ere he come back again to Olympus; or I will hurl him down into dark Tartaros far into the deepest pit under the earth, where the gates are iron and the floor bronze, as far beneath Hades as heaven is high above the earth, that you may learn how much the mightiest I am among you. Try me and find out for yourselves.

Hang me a golden chain from heaven, and lay hold of it all of you, gods and goddesses together - tug as you will, you will not drag Zeus the supreme counselor from heaven to earth; but were I to pull at it myself I should draw you up with earth and sea into the bargain, then would I bind the chain about some pinnacle of Olympus and leave you all dangling in the mid firmament.

So far am I above all others either of gods or men.

Plato

Plato (427-347 BC) has two or three quotes either literally or more descriptively to the concept of the golden chain, the most often quotes not necessarily the most interesting: (Theaet. 153c)

it learns nothing and forgets what it has learned?

Theaetetus: Certainly.

Socrates: Then the good, both for the soul and for the body, is motion, and rest is the opposite?

Theaetetus: Apparently.

Socrates: Now shall I go on and mention to you also windless air, calm sea, and all that sort of thing, and say that stillness causes decay and destruction and that the opposite brings preservation? And shall I add to this the all-compelling and crowning argument that Homer by “the golden chain”1 refers to nothing else than the sun,

Neoplatonists Proclus and Procopius

A discussion of the metaphors of the Golden Chain in the Neoplatonist school of Athens is given in John Glucker's 'Antiochus and the Late Academy' (1978), examples are:

  • Proclus (412-485) in the commentary on Timaeus, described the Hermaic chain as a demiurgic emanation of reason and harmony' stretching from heaven to earth, to describe the unbroken vertical connection with the first principles (noetic sources of the demiurgic descent) and the horizontal or historical succession of the qualified masters and interpreters.
  • Procopius (500-570) in his work on buildings 'De aedificiis', describes dome of Hagia Sophia as seemingly suspended from the golden chain of heaven
Macrobius

Macrobius (370-430) in his most influential book 'Commentary on the dream of Scipio'

Since from the supreme good, mind arises, and from mind, soul, and since this in turn creates all subsequent things and fills them all with life, and since this single radiance illumines all and is reflected in each, as a single face might be reflected in many mirrors placed in a series; and since all things follow in continuous succession, degenerating to the very bottom of the series, the attentive observer will discover a connection of parts from the supreme God to the last dregs of things, mutually linked together and without a break. This is Homer's golden chain, which God, he says, bade hang down from heaven to earth. Having said that, Homer asserts that Man alone among earthly creatures has a common fellowship of mind, or soul, with heaven and the stars.

Pietro Valeriano

Pietro Valeriano (1477-1558) made a round-up of interpretations in Hieroglyphica' (1556). This book - the first modern study of Egyptian hieroglypshs - was a classic, a very popular book in Europe, represented seven times over 120 years in Latin, translated early on in French and Italian. In this book, under the heading 'Homerica Aurea Catena' he writes:

There can be no doubt that this golden chain .. signifies, according to the testimony of Macrobius and Lucian, the connection between human and divine beings, and the bond by which God when he pleases draws us to himself, where we could never ascend by our own efforts: such that he wishes to show that his spirit is directed by God, may appropriately depict this chain hanging from a star and drawing him to it

More
  • To illustrate the image of the golden chain and its symbolism may pop up everywhere, here's an example of a golden chain appearing in Anthony van Dyck's self-portret painting 'Self-Portrait with a Sunflower' (around1632-1633). See interpretation John Peacock's 'The Look of Van Dyck: The Self-Portrait with a Sunflower and the Vision of the Painter' (2006)

Discussion

Related pages

References and further reading

  • John Glucker: 'Antiochus and the Late Academy' (1978)
  • John Peacock : 'The Look of Van Dyck: The Self-Portrait with a Sunflower and the Vision of the Painter' (2006)