The religious and philosophical assimilations of Helios in the Greek Magical Papyri

Abstract

This paper examines the religious and philosophical assimilations of the god Helios expressed in the Greek magical papyri. It assesses the religious construction of Helios through his various assimilations with gods from other religious systems and with abstract epithets and philosophical concepts. Questions to be addressed are: How these manifold assimilations and the notions of many-namedness and manyformedness "of Helios, and his various transformations, could" be paralleled with or influenced by the tensions of contemporary religious and philosophical currents in relation to the "concept of one and many , or the manifold one transcending" plurality. And do the religious and philosophical assimilations of Helios reflect coherent religious attitudes?