Hermes Trismegistus
The legendary author and founder of Hermetic wisdom.
Hermes Trismegistus, the 'thrice-great Hermes,' is the legendary author of the Hermetic texts. He may be a legendary figure combining the Greek Hermes with the Egyptian Thoth, or a historical teacher, or a lineage of teachers. His name represents the Hermetic tradition itself.
Therefore I am called Hermes Trismegistus, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world.
Hermes Trismegistus represents the synthesis of Greek and Egyptian wisdom.
The Emerald Tablet
Written about in
- What Hermeticism says about teachers and lineage
The founder may be a legend, a blend of the Greek Hermes with the Egyptian Thoth, a single teacher, or a succession of them. The library says as much rather than choosing, and the name now stands for the tradition itself.