The Golden Chain of Homer is a symbolic concept originating from a passage in Book VIII of the Iliad, where Zeus, in a moment of divine authority, threatens the other gods with a golden chain, asserting his supreme power over them and the cosmos. This image of a golden chain suspended from heaven to earth was not interpreted literally by ancient philosophers but was instead developed into a profound philosophical and spiritual metaphor over time. The Middle Platonists and later Neo-Platonists, particularly Proclus, interpreted the chain as a cosmic symbol representing the interconnected hierarchy of being, linking the divine Supreme God down through all levels of existence to the lowest material realm. This concept was further elaborated by Macrobius in his commentary on the Somnium Scipionis, where he identifies the Homeric golden chain with the continuous, unbroken succession of all things, from the highest divine principle to the "last dregs of things," forming a seamless connection between the divine and the material world.
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the Catena Aurea Homeri, or the Golden Chain of Homer.
"Universal fire became a vapor of immense extent, which by further inspissation became chaotic water, and out of this Chaotic Water the Creator separated the Light, that is: separated the Universal invisible fire into Light. Thus we see here that Universal, at first invisible fire manifested in two Principles, Light and Humidity. Therefore out of Light and Water, God has created all Things. Water was the first condensation or corporification of the Universal fire, which water nevertheless in its center was, and remains fire, full of life and activity, and the more so, as it was assisted by its Equal, the Light, separated out of it, as much as was necessary for the creating of all immaterial and material Beings, and in success of time for their maintenance. Of the separated Light we have spoken before, we have now to consider its first body Humidity or water. This water differs it regard to Rarefaction or Density; if rarefied to a certain degree it constitutes air, that is fire predominating above water, but if condensed to a degree it becomes Humid water, or Humidity predominating above fire. Nevertheless, in both, that is in their Center lays concealed fire or the Universal spirit." — The Golden Chain of Homer by Anton Josef Kirchweger
- A cross over a circle combined, set over a circle with a point in it. The cross over a circle is the traditional symbol for Earth (as is the quartered circle), representing the precedence of matter (cross) over spirit (circle). This is placed over the symbol for the Sun, the source of all light and Light, the representative of God in the planets. Matter takes place over God, a confusion of process and manifestation. Chaos.
- A circle with a line connecting its top vertex to its center. The line represents the active, divine spirit descending from God into matter, but the process is incomplete. Vital essence without a basis, pure Mercury. Spiritual form needing though yet without body.
- A circle with a line passing through its vertical diameter. The process of spirit has completed penetrating matter. This is also the alchemical symbol for niter, also called nitrogen in modern chemistry, an essential vital substance that descends in the air from spirit. This is spirit that has a body. The masculine essence, light, the Logos, the active agent, also called Sulfur.
- A circle with a line passing through its horizontal diameter. Spirit, having fully penetrated matter, now starts to become penetrated by matter. This symbol is also the alchemical symbol for salt, the essence of stability and solidity, the pure matter used in alchemical processes. The female essence, darkness, the Anima Mundi, the passive agent.
- A quartered circle, also called the Sun Cross or Sun Wheel. Matter has become totally permeated by spirit, and spirit by matter. Niter and salt united. Life in its totality and the union of material and spiritual forces. Mankind. The primary substance of all things that are manifested. The prime material that can be worked in any direction for any purpose, the basis for Azoth.
- A circle with a line passing through its horizontal diameter and a line from its top vertex to its center. Life, having become the complete union of matter and spirit, of salt and niter, now begins retracting itself from matter in its entirety. The animal world that mankind separates himself from and rises above. Volatile forces.
- A circle with a line passing through its horizontal diameter and a vertical line passing through the horizontal line not connected to the outer circle. The rise of mankind to higher states of spirituality, not grounded by matter though still a part of it. The plant world that mankind separates himself though makes use of.
- A circle with a line passing through its horizontal diameter and a line from its bottom vertex to its center. The attainment of the Great Work, or of eternal life, by mankind, allowing himself to abide within the world of matter though not being a part of it anymore. Freedom from material darkness. The mineral world that mankind separates himself though rests upon.
- A circle with a line from its bottom vertex to its center. Mankind begins the process of returning to his primordial state and reunion with God, retracting himself from the world of matter entirely, leaving behind the spheres of manifestation to return to the divine Source. Pure spiritual essence, broken down into its most basic state, extracted from chaos. Spiritual form without need for a body.
- A circle with a point in it, set over a cross under a circle combined. This represents God (Sun, circle with central point) set over matter (circle and cross, but inverted to show Venus); matter has become completely at peace and subject to the rule of spirit, a state of divine love between Above and Below. The return of mankind to God, the conjunction and reunion with the divine Source, the goal of the wise, the Quintessence, the Stone of the Philosophers.
This idea was adopted and expanded upon in alchemical and Hermetic traditions, where the chain became a representation of the process of spiritual and material transformation, progressing from chaos to the perfection of spirit and matter, culminating in the divine.
In alchemical imagery, such as the famous illustration by Basil Valentine, the chain is depicted as a series of circles corresponding to astrological bodies and elements, symbolizing the stages of spiritual evolution from elemental chaos to quintessence.
A chain of elemental transformations from elemental chaos to quintessence (the perfection of spirit and purity of matter). Each symbol refers a transitional step from one form of mater to the next. The first is chaos, the next is spirit without form, then spirit in contact with form, then form that accepts spirit, the the union of form and spirit which is life, then the ascension of life to higher forms, then life that comprehends spirit, then the ascension of life beyond physical form, then becoming divine, and finally becoming wholly divine.
In alchemy, these transformations were understood to be manifest in physical phenomena and the ability to understand and manipulate those phenomena would allow an alchemist to understand (or control) transformation of body and spirit (for example, to create a substance that could remove all impurities from any substance or spirit, the philosopher's stone; or remove impurity from the living to make them immune from death - the elixir of life).
The metaphor also appears in the works of Lucian, who used the image of a golden chain to describe the power of oratory and inspiration, drawing followers to a speaker in the same way Zeus draws the gods.
