Prisca theologia · the ancient theology

The Renaissance belief in a single true theology given to humanity at the beginning and handed down through a line of sages — Hermes, Zoroaster, Orpheus, Pythagoras, Plato — of which every later religion holds a piece. It is why Ficino translated Hermes first.

The engine of every syncretism on this bench, and the thing this app declines to do. The belief is generous and it is false, and its falseness has consequences: it lets a 1652 diagram, a 1908 principle-list and a 1919 chakra chart all be presented as ancient. Tehiru's alternative is duller and better — date everything, and let the resemblances be interesting on their own.