Esoteric Orientalism Part I: Ancient Barbarian Sages

In this episode of SHWEP (The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast), Earl Fontainelle introduces the concept of "Esoteric Orientalism" by exploring the complex relationship between the West and the East, particularly focusing on ancient Greece and its interactions with Mesopotamia and Egypt. The episode examines how the Greeks viewed and interpreted Eastern cultures, often through a lens of both respect and chauvinism, and how this "Orientalism" influenced the development of Western esoteric traditions. Fontainelle discusses the role of ancient barbarian sages like Zoroaster, Hermes Trismegistus, and Moses, and how they were incorporated into Greek thought, often with little understanding of their original cultural contexts, to lend authority to Greek ideas, setting the stage for understanding Platonic Orientalism and its impact on the history of Western Esotericism. The episode sets up a discussion for the next episode on the origins of sciences in the Ancient Near East.