ABSTRACT
The ‘perennial philosophy’ as understood by George Gemisttos Plethon is a rational conception of the world, shared by all the people who rely on their reason, and identical throughout different ages of history. Although in his works on the Chaldaean Oracles Plethon draws upon Platonist Michael Psellos’ commentary he does not follow it slavishly, but makes his own use of it. In contrast, Plethon restores the Oracles emphatically to ancient Greek thought, and places them in a more appropriate context, claiming that the doctrine they contain is in accord most notably with the Pythagoreans and Platonists. Plethon’s work thus gives an impression of a meticulous study of Psellos’ text thanks to which he was able to edit, rearrange and write a commentary on his own version of the Oracles. The Prayer to the One God is presumably also an early text.
