Hermes Trismegistus's Biography(Books)(Photos)

Hermes Trismegistus (Greek "thrice-great Hermes"; Latin:
Mercurius ter Maximus) is the representation of the

They believed in a 'Prisca Theologia', the doctrine that a
single, true, theology exists, which threads through all

syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the
Egyptian god Thoth. In Hellenistic Egypt, the Greeks

religions, and which was given by God to man in antiquity
and passed through a series of prophets, which included

recognised the congruence of their god Hermes with the
Egyptian god Thoth. Subsequently the two gods were

Zoroaster and Plato. In order to demonstrate the verity of
the 'priscia theologia' Christians appropriated the Hermetic

worshipped as one in what had been the Temple of Thoth in
Khemnu, which the Greeks called Hermopolis.

teachings for their own purposes. By this account Hermes
Trismegistus was either, according to the fathers of the

Both Thoth and Hermes were gods of writing and of magic in

Christian church, a contemporary of Moses or the third in a
line of men named Hermes, i.e. Enoch, Noah and the Egyptian

their respective cultures. Thus, the Greek god of
interpretive communication was combined with the Egyptian

priest king who is known to us as Hermes Trismegistus, or
"thrice great" on account of being the greatest priest,

god of wisdom as a patron of astrology and alchemy. In
addition, both gods were psychopomps; guiding souls to the

philosopher and king.

afterlife. And there is also a connection with the Egyptian
Priest and Polymath Imhotep.

This last account of how Hermes Trismegistus received the
appellation "Trismegistus," meaning "Thrice Great," is

A Mycenaean Greek reference found on a Linear B clay tablet

derived from statements in the The Emerald Tablet of Hermes
Trismegistus, that he knows the three parts of the wisdom of

at Pylos to a deity or semi-deity called ti-ri-se-ro-e,
Trisheros (the "thrice or triple hero") could be connected

the whole universe. The three parts of the wisdom are
alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. The pymander, from which

to the later epithet "thrice wise Trismegistus", applied to
Hermes/Thoth. On the same Tn 316 tablet as well as other

Marsilio Ficino formed his opinion, states that "they called
him Trismegistus because he was the greatest philosopher and

Linear B tablets, found in Pylos and Knossos, appears the
name of the deity "Hermes" as E-MA-A, but not in any

the greatest priest and the greatest king."

apparent connection with the "Trisheros". This
interpretation of poorly understood Mycenaean material is

Another explanation, in the Suda (10th century), is that "He
was called Trismegistus on account of his praise of the

disputed, since Hermes Trismegistus is not referenced in any
of the copious sources before he emerges in Hellenistic

trinity, saying there is one divine nature in the trinity.

Egypt.

Modern occultists suggest that some Hermetic texts may be of
Pharaonic origin, and that the legendary "forty-two

essential texts" that contain the core Hermetic religious
beliefs and philosophy of life remain hidden in a secret

in the minutes of a meeting of the council of the Ibis cult,
held in 172 BCE near Memphis in Egypt. Fowden however

library.

asserts that the earliest occurrence of the name was in the
Athenagora by Philo of Byblos circa 64–141 ce. another

In some trance "readings" of Edgar Cayce, Hermes or Thoth
was an engineer from the submerged Atlantis, who also built,

explanation is that the name is derived from an epithet of
Thoth found at the Temple of Esna, "Thoth the great, the

great, the great." The date of his sojourn in Egypt in his
last incarnation is not now known, but it has been fixed at

The book Kybalion, by authors dubbed "The Three Initiates,"

the early days of the oldest dynasties of Egypt, long before
the days of Moses. Some authorities regard him as a

addresses Hermetic principles.

contemporary of Abraham, and some Jewish traditions go so
far as to claim that Abraham acquired a portion of his

Within the occult tradition, Hermes Trismegistus is
associated with several wives, and more than one son who

mystical knowledge from Hermes himself (Kybalion).

took his name, as well as more than one grandson. This
repetition of given name and surname throughout the

Many Christian writers, including Lactantius, Augustine,
Giordano Bruno, Marsilio Ficino, Campanella and Giovanni

generations may at least partially account for the legend of
his longevity, especially as it is believed that many of his

Pico della Mirandola considered Hermes Trismegistus to be a
wise pagan prophet who foresaw the coming of Christianity.

children pursued careers as priests in mystery religions.