Talk:Hermes Trismegistus

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The Greek name is completely illegible from the version of Netscape I am using; it looks like a series of question marks. Compare this:

Michael Hardy 23:02 Mar 9, 2003 (UTC)

I should have repaired the Greek, if your system contains the proper fonts it should display propery. The math Greek letters are prettier than the & code Greek letters, but I don't think you can get uppercase with them. -- IHCOYC 02:24 Mar 27, 2003 (UTC)

There was also a King Hermaios, last king of (West?) Bactria around 100-70 BC. An arabic source says that Hermes Trismegistus was a "persian" king that was dethroned and then he escaped to Egypt. The account fits nicely here, as the Ptolemaic Egypt was at this time the only appropiate place for an hellenistic ruler to go.

Real kings, philosophers and ancient scientist tend to get deified or made into gods and legends. Zeus was probably a real living person and king too, I believe. It is a phenomena of ancient societies everywhere.--Jondel 23:27, 23 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Or it could just be early folk etymology. It may even be a metaphor for how the beliefs got to Egypt (i.e. by travelling with settlers/refugees from bactria to egypt). --81.156.179.151 22:52, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Concluding words 'and the like' a bit disparaging, must be a better way of saying etc.

Thoth is Greek as well. The Egyptian name for Thoth is DJHUTY or DJHOWTEY. Manly Hall in his book "Secret Teachings of All Ages" writes that "...he was known to the Jews as "Enoch"...". Aknxy 22:29, Sep 23, 2004 (UTC)

The better way of saying "etc." is "et cetera" --81.156.179.151 22:54, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Hermes /Toth was an engineer from the destroyed Atlantis and was an incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Something I'd like to add but need comments on.: An Edgar Cayce reading indicates that Toth or Hermes was an incarnation of Jesus Christ. He built the Great Cheops Pyramid.See List of incarnations of Jesus Christ, according to Edgar Cayce --Jondel 01:54, 24 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Before Jesus was born in the first place? Isnt that a bit silly? --81.156.179.151 22:53, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Jesus said before Abraham was,' I am '. Are you contradicting him?--Jondel 04:32, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I suspect Cayce was thinking instead of Brian Boitano. I'm not exactly sure if Cayce's speculations are notable enough to warrant inclusion, but if so that business ought to be clearer. Smerdis of Tlön 11:38, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)

To 81.156.179.151 , sorry for being to confrontational/ antagonistic. I respect your beliefs but I would like to invite you to discuss more (if you are willing to the limits). To Smerdis if it is voted -not encyclopedic/notable , I will comply and not push to have the list of reincarnations of JC on wikipedia. Boitano? The figure skater or character in South Park?Don't see the connection. --Jondel 00:20, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

"When Brian Boitano built the pyramids, he beat up Kubla Khan." I thought everyone knew. Smerdis of Tlön 02:32, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I wish I could have seen that episode of South Park here in Tokyo. I enjoy it but the videos available for rent are limited.--Jondel 02:41, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Latin name

Mercurius Ter Maximus. Alexander 007 11:42, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Irrelevant?

Aside from employing the name "Trismegistus", does the following have any relevance here at all?

"Trismegistus" is the name of the fourth volume of the anime series .hack//Liminality, the last and most pivotal section of the ".hack" video game/anime/novel multi-marketting lore. It came coupled along with the fourth PS2 game in the series, .hack//QUARANTINE (Japanese: .hack//絶対包囲 Vol.4 [Absolute Encirclement – Vol.4])."

[edit] Greek, again

I believe the Greek should be ῾Ερμῆς Τρισμέγιστος, or ῾Ερμῆς ὁ Τρισμέγιστος with the breath and stress marks. Khirad^talk 00:48, 3 January 2006 (UTC)

According to Copenhaver, the earliest recorded instance (whether in Egyptian or Greek) is actually 'Hermes megistou kai megistou theou magalou' - Thoth thrice great, or, more accurately, two superlative forms of great followed by a positive form of the same word. See, Brian Copenhaver, Hermetica, Cambridge University Press, 1992, p xiv. I didn't put it in Greek letters as I can't do that presently. Sorry. Maybe someone else can do this?

Morgan Leigh 11:57, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "He has also been identified with Enoch"

This statement is limited to Swedenborgians, is it not? A confusion of The Vision with the Book of Enoch? This unsourced statement shouldn't bev in the opening paragraph. Anyone have anything clearer to say on this pretended connection? --Wetman 05:16, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

The identification with Enoch is discussed (though not endorsed) by William Baldwin in his Treatise of Morall Philosophie of 1547. But Enoch is just one among several Biblical figures with whom an identification has been suggested: others that I've seen include Joseph and Moses.Hce1132 13:26, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

http://www.library.rochester.edu/camelot/TEAMS/jwsfrm2.htm -76.22.99.215 06:44, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Removed

I have removed this;

Occultist etymology has connected the two, making of Moses a truncated name and positing a full name, Thothmoses. This is presented in the royal hostage thesis below.

Because there is no mention of any royal hostage thesis anywhere in this article. Morgan Leigh 00:09, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

There was one in an earlier article version circa 2003, the royal hostage theory is one that explained Moses' non-Hebrew name as an abbreviation for Thothmoses ... - Sparky 04:48, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

I looked through the history, but couldn't find it (I might have missed it). Do you know if the theory goes by another name or where we can find a citation? It sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it. —Viriditas | Talk 05:14, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

It was there. odd. All I traced was the below -

Hermes Trismegistus is the latin name for "Hermes the thrice-greatest" derived from Ερμης ο Τρισμεγιστος, the Greek name of the Egyptian god Thoth (the god of wisdom and writing). Sometimes referred to as the god, sometimes as a man contemporary to Moses, who was son of the god. According to some, the historic Moses' full name as a royal hostage was Thothmoses. - Sparky 06:54, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Minor edit

I removed the reference to HT being the founder of the Order of Hermes in the Ars Magica game because he simply isn't. In the Ars Magica game the Order of Hermes has 13 Founders, and none of them are HT. This may not be true in M:tA, which is now owne3d by a different company, where the history of the Order of Hermes differs.