Hermetism
HERMETISM designates the pagan corpus (written for the most part in the region of Alexandria) of the so-called Hermetica, which contains the pagan writings called Corpus Hermeticum (second and third centuries CE) attributed to the legendary figure Hermes Trismegistos (also Trismegistus), otherwise called Mercurius. Neo-Alexandrian Hermetism (henceforth often referred to as Hermetism also) designates the various philosophically and/or esoterically oriented adaptations and commentaries which that corpus has given rise to, particularly in the modern period (i.e., from the Renaissance up to the present time). Neo-Alexandrian Hermetism constitutes one of the modern esoteric currents and is the subject of most of this article. The term Hermeticism, which is more vague, frequently has been used as a synonym for esotericism and alchemy.
The Corpus Hermeticum had a strange destiny. In the Middle Ages, besides the Asclepius, only a few rare extracts were known, and yet their supposed author Hermes Trismegistos, clouded by an aura of mystery, never ceased to be a subject of great interest. Not until the dawn of the Renaissance did the writings come back to light, a rediscovery that gave rise to a considerable amount of interest.
Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages
The Corpus Hermeticum (henceforth referred to as C.H.)
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