"The Hymns of Orpheus" is a collection of hymns and verses attributed to the legendary Greek musician and poet Orpheus, translated and compiled by the 18th-century English philosopher and scholar Thomas Taylor. Orpheus was considered a master of music and poetry in ancient Greek mythology, and his works were revered as sacred texts.Taylor's translation of the hymns was part of a larger effort to revive interest in ancient Greek philosophy and religion in 18th-century England. Taylor believ...

"Philosophy," says Hierocles, "is the purification and perfection of human life. It is the purification, indeed, from material irrationality, and the mortal body; but the perfection, in consequence of being the resumption of our proper felicity, and a reascent to the divine likeness. To effect these two is the province of Virtue and Truth; the former exterminating the immoderation of the passions; and the latter introducing the divine form to those who are naturally adapted to its receptio...

The Orphic Hymns are a set of pre-classical poetic compositions, attributed to the culture hero Orpheus, himself the subject of a renowned myth. In reality, these poems were probably composed by several different poets. Reminiscent of the Rig-Veda, the Orphic Hymns contain a rich set of clues about prehistoric European mythology. This translation by Thomas Taylor, a British neo-Platonist classicist, is of additional interest for its introduction and extensive footnotes, which discuss in gr...

The Library of Alexandria is an independent small business publishing house. We specialize in bringing back to live rare, historical and ancient Books. This includes manuscripts such as: classical fiction, philosophy, science, Religion, folklore, mythology, history, literature, politics and sacred texts, in addition to Secret and esoteric subjects, such as: occult, freemasonry, alchemy, hermetic, shamanism and ancient knowledge. Our Books are available in digital format. We have approximat...

In offering to the public a new edition of Mr. Thomas Taylor’s admirable treatise upon the Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries, it is proper to insert a few words of explanation. These observances once represented the spiritual life of Greece, and were considered for two thousand years and more the appointed means for regeneration through an interior union with the Divine Essence. However absurd, or even offensive they may seem to us, we should therefore hesitate long before we venture to lay...

A quirky, creepy fantasy set in Eerie-on-Sea finds a colorful cast of characters in hot pursuit of a sea monster thought to convey a surprising gift.It’s winter in the town of Eerie-on-Sea, where the mist is thick and the salt spray is rattling the windows of the Grand Nautilus Hotel. Inside, young Herbert Lemon, Lost and Founder for the hotel, has an unexpected visitor. It seems that Violet Parma, a fearless girl around his age, lost her parents at the hotel when s...

There's a storm raging in Eerie-on-Sea. Has the mighty Gargantis come back from the deep...?When an ancient bottle is found washed up on the beach after a ferocious electrical storm, all the residents of Eerie-on-Sea seem to want it ... but should they in fact fear it? Legend has it that the bottle contains an extraordinary secret that spells doom for the whole of Eerie-on-Sea. Could it be true that the vast sea creature Gargantis has awoken from her slumb...

"Philosophy," says Hierocles, "is the purification and perfection of human life. It is the purification, indeed, from material irrationality, and the mortal body; but the perfection, in consequence of being the resumption of our proper felicity, and a reaction to the divine likeness.

In the fourth tale in this beloved series, villainous Sebastian Eels returns to Eerie-on-Sea, thrusting Herbie and Violet into a new adventure involving a missing girl, a spooky wax museum, and a dangerous clockwork robot.Herbie Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, and his fearless friend Violet Parma have unearthed many secrets in their village of Eerie-on-Sea: secrets lurking beneath the waves, lapping onto the beaches, and lying behind locked doo...

In this fifth and final tale, the arrival of a team of cryptozoologists sets off a series of events that could reveal the deepest secrets of Eerie-on-Sea—and the truth about shipwrecked orphan Herbert Lemon.It’s Midwinter again in Eerie-on-Sea, when legend claims the terrifying Malamander emerges to hunt—and search for its long-lost mate. It’s the anniversary of daring Violet Parma’s arrival in Eerie; a year later, she still hasn’t found her missing parents, just a...

At the very beginnings of the Archaic Age, the great singer Orpheus taught a new religion that centred around the immortality of the human soul and its journey after death. He felt that achieving purity by avoiding meat and refraining from committing harm further promoted the pursuit of a peaceful life. Elements of the worship of Dionysus, such as shape-shifting and ritualistic ecstasy, were fused with Orphic beliefs to produce a powerful and illuminating new religion that found expression...

In "A Solemn Caution Against the Ten Horns of Calvinism," Thomas Taylor meticulously examines the theological intricacies of Calvinism, engaging with its doctrines through a critical and analytical lens. The text is dense with historical references and theological debate, illustrating how Calvinist perspectives can be both alluring and perilous. Taylor's literary style is direct and persuasive, evoking the polemical tradition of 17th-century English dissenters. He deftly addresses ten spec...