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Hermes Trismegistus
legendary · Egypt (legendary)
Description
Hermes Trismegistus is a legendary Hellenistic period figure that originated as a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. He is the purported author of the Hermetica, a widely diverse series of ancient and medieval pseudepigraphica that laid the basis of various philosophical systems known as Hermeticism.
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Work / contribution | Significance |
|---|---|
| Origin and identity | Hermes Trismegistus may be associated with the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. |
| The epithet "thrice great" | Fowden asserts that the first datable occurrences of the epithet "thrice great" are in the Legatio of Athenagoras of Athens and in a fragment from Philo of Byblos c. |
| Hermetic writings | During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Hermetica enjoyed great prestige and were popular among alchemists. |
| Islamic tradition | Faivre (1995) has pointed out that Hermes Trismegistus has a place in the Islamic tradition, although the name Hermes does not appear in the Qur'an. |
| Baháʼí writings | Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith, identifies Idris with Hermes in his Tablet on the Uncompounded Reality. |