The Corpus Hermeticum

The Corpus Hermeticum is a collection of 17 Greek writings traditionally attributed to the mythical Hellenistic figure Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. The treatises were originally composed between approximately the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, and the collection arrived in Greek and Latin. The text forms the core of the Hermetic tradition and was first compiled by medieval Byzantine editors. Its Latin translation by Marsilio Ficino in the 15th century was a seminal impetus in the development of Renaissance thought and culture, affirming the doctrine of the 'prisca theologia' (ancient theology), which posits a single, true theology present in all religions. The collection's authenticity, which was questioned in the late 17th century, was later substantiated by the discovery of Coptic manuscripts at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945.

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