Hermes Trismegistus
- Anastasia Vasileiou
- Apr 4
- 5 min read
A Legacy Beyond Myth
According to ancient tradition, Hermes was born in Cyllene, Arcadia, as the son of Maia, daughter of Atlas, king of the Peloponnesus, and Zeus. His wife was Herse, daughter of Cecrops, king of Athens, and his son was known as Tat among the ancient Egyptians or Cephalus among the Greeks.
Hermes' inner circle included several renowned figures of Greek antiquity: Atlas, his wife Pleione, and their seven daughters—the Pleiades—Alcyone, Merope, Celaeno, Electra, Sterope, Taygete, and, of course, Hermes' mother, Maia. Other close figures included Cronus, Rhea-Cybele-Aphrodite, Helios, Dionysus, Demeter, and many others who shaped the ancient Greek world.
Today, Hermes remains shrouded in myth, but the time has come to present this great sage of antiquity in his true form.
Hermes: A Divine Symbol and a Keeper of Esoteric Knowledge
Russian scholars from the Academy of Sciences of Moscow have written:
"The ancient gods, including Hermes, were symbols of natural forces. The Egyptians called him Thoth and revered him as the 'God of Letters'."
They further emphasize:
"Hermes is both a divine and a human figure. As a god, he represents the planet Mercury. As a man, he was a great initiate and guardian of esoteric traditions. The Greeks who settled in Egypt called him 'Trismegistus' (Thrice Great)."
Ancient records, including those of Manetho, place Hermes in the era of the gods, around 9000 BCE, though some scholars argue that his legacy stretches back even further, possibly as early as 25,000 BCE.
The Egyptians credited Hermes with writing forty-two books dedicated to esoteric wisdom. The Greeks acknowledged him as the messenger of Zeus, as reflected in Homer’s Odyssey:
"Hermes, my messenger, go and tell Calypso my decree—that the indomitable Odysseus must return to his homeland."
The Celts also revered Hermes, naming him Mercury, the lord of the roads. Julius Caesar, in his memoirs, wrote:
"Of all the gods, the Gauls revere Hermes the most. His images are abundant in Gaul, for they regard him as the ruler of travel and commerce."
Hermes Trismegistus: The Philosopher-King and Teacher of Nations
Historically, Hermes served as the chief scribe of the Greek Emperor Cronus, a trusted advisor to Zeus and Dionysus, and a mentor to rulers and deities alike.
The Egyptian god Osiris—who was often equated with Dionysus—had Hermes Trismegistus as his teacher, as noted by Cyril of Alexandria. Likewise, Eusebius records that Hermes acted as the viceroy of Cronus in Egypt and his royal scribe:
"When Cronus arrived, he entrusted all of Egypt to the god Thoth so that it might be ruled in his name. Cronus relied on Hermes Trismegistus as his counselor and assistant, for he was indeed his scribe."
The philosopher Stobaeus credited Hermes Trismegistus with pioneering philosophy, science, and medicine among the Egyptians and Indians. He wrote forty-two books, thirty-six of which contained philosophical and cosmological knowledge, while six focused on medicine.
These texts spread across the ancient world, influencing Zoroaster in Persia, Moses among the Hebrews, Orpheus in Greece, the Brahmins and Buddha in India, Lao Tzu in China, and many others.
It is said that Moses' philosophical and medical knowledge was derived from Hermetic teachings that he studied in Egypt. The Genesis account of creation in the Hebrew Bible is believed to be a direct adaptation of Hermes Trismegistus' cosmology, as further discussion in subsequent texts will reveal.
Even H. Halley, an American preacher, admits:
"Who wrote the hymn of creation in the Bible? Moses incorporated it into the scriptures, but without a doubt, it was written much earlier. It appears that Moses used sources from preceding eras."
Hermes: The Architect of Civilization
Cyril of Alexandria also records that during Hermes’ regency in Egypt, the land was cultivated through irrigation canals, divided into agricultural plots, and introduced to arithmetic, algebra, geometry, astronomy, writing, and legal systems—all knowledge brought by the Greeks.
Suida describes Hermes as the founder of Trinitarian theology, stating:
"This wise man flourished before Pharaoh. He was called 'Trismegistus' because he proclaimed the Trinity, declaring that in the Three there is One divinity."
Hermes was regarded as the greatest intellect on Earth, described in Greek tradition as the savior of souls, the scribe of Cronus, and the mentor of Dionysus.
In Egyptian tradition, Hermes is recorded as the teacher of Osiris and the god of wisdom and writing. In ancient Indian texts, he is described as the teacher of the gods and the foremost Master of Science and theosophy, honored by the Asuras as Brihaspati.
Chinese tradition identifies Hermes as the advisor to the Great Mother Empress of Xi Wang Mu, introducing monotheism under the title Fu Xi, and civilizing the Chinese people. An ancient text states:
"Before the arrival of the Celestial Kings, the people of China lived like animals. They wore animal skins, ate raw meat, and did not know their fathers... But when Fu Xi arrived, with the help of a learned queen, he taught the people marriage, music, writing, painting, and how to cultivate silk."
In Japan, Hermes is preserved in legend as the god Thor, a name also used by the ancient Germanic tribes.
In Jewish tradition, Hermes is identified as Abram (Avram). However, this is not the biblical Abraham, who lived around 1800 BCE, but rather Hermes Trismegistus, the Greek sage of the "age of the gods," dating back to 9000 BCE. The Carians and Phrygians of Asia Minor called him Imbramo, a name possibly linked to the island of Imbros.
Ultimately, the religions of China, Japan, India, Egypt, and the Hebrews can trace their roots back to the Greek monotheistic tradition of Hermes Trismegistus Imbramo.
The Ascension of Hermes
Ancient tradition shrouds Hermes' death in mystery, describing his ascension to the heavens. Stobaeus recounts that before departing, Hermes entrusted his sacred philosophical and scientific works to his son, Tat-Cephalus:
"When he wished to communicate with his kin, he ascended to the stars. His successor was his son, Tat."
In a moment of spiritual revelation, Hermes, convinced of the existence of a Supreme Mind-God, fell to his knees and prayed:
"Let every gate of the cosmos open to me.
Let all of nature listen to my hymn.
Open, O Earth, let the trees stand still.
I will praise the Lord of Judgment, the All, the One.
Open, O Heavens; winds, be still.
The Circle of the Immortals, hear my words.
For I will praise the Creator of all things!"
With this magnificent hymn, Hermes Trismegistus praised the Primordial God—without beginning or end, eternal in existence.
A towering intellect, initiated into the mysteries of creation through divine revelation, he knelt before the vision of the Unknown God.
Misunderstood by later generations, his wisdom was shrouded in myth. He emerged in an era of materialism, where humanity worshipped nature but lacked awareness of a Supreme Mind governing the cosmos.
Devoted to his quest, Hermes sought to illuminate this transcendent force, engaging in a silent dialogue with the Creator.
He was granted divine insight, a sacred mission—to lift humanity from spiritual darkness into the light of divine truth.
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