Classical Data about Hermes Thot Trismegistus
- the origins of Hermes -

The Encyclopedia Britanica at 'Herm..' give a set of definitions which can be assemble together
and depicts the origin of (the name of) the Greek god Hermes and how it continued into Trismegistus

	Development of Hermes 0 BC --------- Hermes Trismegistus 300 BC ------ Hermopolis Magna ---------------see Hermocrates (Sicily) 1,000 BC ---- Hermon & Hermes 1,200 BC ---- Amarna/Atonism 2,000 BC ---- Hermonthis
Caption - Development of Hermes more detailed :

Beginning 2000 B.C. the uniting Kings are issued from Hermonthis (in the neighbourghood of Thebes).

In 1250 B.C, for a instant, Atonism, attempting for a larger unification, moves the capital North (Amarna).

After the apparent failure of Atonism, the unification is said to have extended North up to the limit of Hermon;
meanwhile, beyond this herma, on another highest mount (Cyllene in Arcadia) the legend assigns Hermes' birth.
Actually, the limited unification is driven by Ramses, and its conspiracy type of regime: Ramses' Quades International is based on a hidden alliance with Israel and virtually includes the Hittites - that the picture does not indicate for soon after, they fall into decline, yelding way to Greece (from 1000 B.C)

The fourth development occurs after the Classic Athens, when Alexander's conquested territory matches the previous Atonic project and when the Greek Ptolemeans built Hermopolis on the site of Amarna.

The animation does not show the fifth development, which locates Hermocrates in Sicily - triggering Rome, as Hermon triggered Athens.

This logical series of steps and path gives a sound explanation and description of a string of Hermetic references. which is later on carried along with Hermes Trsimegistus' industry.

Literature - The historical origins and political meaning of Hermes :

Hermes avec Apollo et Orphee sont les nom de divinites grecques, identiques sur bien des points - l'invention de la harpe ou de la cithara n'etant pas des moindres. En realisant des harmoniques (des notes accordees ensembles), en comparaison avec une melodie (la flute et les notes ordonnees une par une), elle a represente une entreprise d'union politique entre les cites, les peuples, ou les langues.

Hermes, Apollo and Orpheus are Greek divinities, often associated. One of their common gift was the invention of the cithara or the lyre. For they acheive Harmony (ensemble of notes, tuned together), in comparison with the Melody (as with the flute and the series of notes, organized one by one), it has represented the course of a political union between cities, people, or languages.

J'ai souvent entendu demander d'ou vient ce nom 'Hermes' et ce qu'il signifie? Les linguistes s'entendent sur l'origine du mot dans 'herma' ou 'herm" qui signifie une pile de pierres, un mont ayant fonction de borne, la marque d'une frontiere, quelque fois un ballast. Mais il est surprenant que le nom de ce dieu connu pour etre mobile, leger et rapide, dynamique et voyageur, soit celui de ce qui est le plus lourd, inerte et immuable a la place d'une frontiere, immobile et limitant les communications. Il est par consequent attendu que nous le retrouvions, dans la realite, ou ses incarnations, au coeur des paradoxes de l'histoire.

I have often heard say: Where does the hermes name come from, an what does it mean? Linguists agree together that the word comes from 'herma' or 'herm' which indicates a heap of stones, a stack which serves as a landmark, the sign of a frontiere or sometimes a ballast. However it is surprising, for this god is known to be mobile, swift and rapid, messenger and dynamic. His name is that which is the heaviest, inert and immutable, a limit and an obstacle against communication. Consequently, one expects that, in reality and/or when he is incarnated, he will be found at the core of the paradoxs in history.

Nous commencons par nous demander: Y a-t-il un mont qui fasse echo a l'indice luiguistic dans la geographie de l'influence d'Hermes?
Certes, la tradition et son savoir accademique enseigne que le lieu de naissance d'Hermes est le Mont Cylene, le plus haut sommet d'Arcadie (Peloponese - voire illustration). Mais une attention flottante, sinon voyageuse, s'accroche a ce qui se tient de la maniere la plus ostentatoire, non loin de la Grece. A la frontiere entre les anciens Hittites et la Palestine, s'eleve le plus haut sommet de la region, qui s'appelle le Mont Hermon.
Non seulement la coincidence linguistique entre Hermes et Hermon nous arrete mais le surnom lui-meme de cette montagne est remarquable; elle est populairement connue comme Le Lieu Interdit, ce qu'on dirait en termes modernes, Le Lieu du Refoule. Comme ce qui est "refoule" se remarque d'emerger ailleurs, a quelque distance et "associe" d'une maniere toujours paradoxale - nous nous trouvons face a une circonstance appropriee pour l'origine du voyageur Hermes associe a son nom inerte. C'est une possibilite qui s'affirme encore plus avec la legende dudit Mont Hermon qui l'indique comme la limite Nord-Ouest de la conquete Israelite du temps de Moise et Joshua. En d'autres termes c'est la borne, herma, qui marque le lieu ou Moise s'arrete... et ou commence l'expression interdite de son extension grecque.

First, we begin by asking ourselves: Is there a mount which would echo the linguistic clue in the geographical area of the Hermetic influence?
Tradition and Academic knowledge teach that the Hermes' birth place is Mount Cyllene, the highest montain of Arcadia (Peloponese, see picture) - yet an associative and travelling awareness stops where a most highest place stands, not far from Greece: at the frontier, between ancient Hittites (pre-Greece) and Palestine, we find the highest mount of the area, which is called Mount Hermon.
Not only the lingusitic coincidence between Hermes and Hermon is striking, moreover, the nickmane of this montain is remarkable; it is popularly known as The Forbidden Place - that is, in modern idiom, The Place of Repression. Since what is repressed typically emerges at some place nearby, always associated with a charge of paradox, we find there an appropriate circumstance for the origin of the Traveller Hermes and his inert name. This possibility is even more supported with the legend which is associated to the said Mount Hermon; it is renowned as the northwestern limit of Israelite conquest in Moses' and Joshua's times. In other words, it is the landmark, the herma, which designates the place where Moses stops... and where begins the forbidden expression of his Greek influence.

Une fois que nous avons repere, a la frontiere entre les lieux d'influence Egeens et Arabes, la borne symbolique qui supporterait l'association entre Moise et Orphee, Hermes, voire Oedipe ou l'Apollon solaire, nous sommes invites par l'Encyclopedia Britanica a continuer notre exploration plus au sud, en Afrique, ou nous apprenons que, pres de Thebes, une cite (une "maison") d'ou des pharaons d'une certaine tradition etaient issus, porte le nom d'Hermonthis.
Le rois couronnes a Hermonthis, vers 2000 B.C. etaient particulirement associes au processus d'unification des provinces Egyptiennes, succedant a une phase de morcellement. Nous apprenons aussi que cette 'maison' royale etait un lieu consacre au culte solaire.

Once that, at the frontier bewteen the two areas of Aegean and Arab influences, the symbolic landmark is located, which supports the association between Moses and Orpheus, Hermes, even Oedipus ou the Solar Apollo, we continue to follow the Encyclopedia Britanica which indicates, further South, in Africa, a royal city ('House') near Thebes, named Hermonthis, where, in 2,000 B.C. a certain tradition of pharaos were usually crowned. These kings issued from Hermonthis were especially active in processes of unification, that they applied to the Egyptian provinces ('Nomes') after periods of divisions. The Encyclopedia also mentions that Hermonthis was devoted to a Solar cult.

Nous apprenons donc qu'avec Hermonthis, un monocentrisme solaire, politique et unificateur etait etabli a Thebes, ce qui le lie necessairement a l'ulterieure 18em Dynastie qui migra, en 1200 avJC vers Assiut/Asmunhien/Amarna avec l'Atonisme pour projet politique d'unifier, cette fois-ci, l'isthme et la jonction Eurasie-Afrique. Cette tentative menee par Akhnaton - selon toute vraissemblance secondairement connu sous le nom de Moise - fut donc prolongee de maniere refoulee a partir de la limite du mont Hermon en suivant la legende Grecque d'Hermes.
Cette serie logique donne bien plus de sens a l'histoire que toutes les descriptions eparses et souvent incoherentes de nos academiciens. Il y a de bonnes raisons de croire qu'elle fut la racine originelle du developpement qui a lieu, a partir de 1000 avJC, autour de la mer Egee [aa]. Pareille logique corrobore d'ailleurs la presence mediatrice d'Hermes dans le decours ulterieur de la Grece elle-meme.
Nous savons que durant cette phase de la civilisation (Athenes), la federation des cites Egeennes conduite depuis l'ile de Delos (siege du culte d'Apollon, c'est a dire Hermes solaire) rencontra sa limite dans la secession Sicilienne. Cette deroute Athenienne est a l'origine de la centrale affaire de Socrates; tandis qu'au meme moment, en Sicile, c'est au nom d'un Hermocrates que l'independance (qui allait favoriser le developpement de Rome) fut acquise. Ayant une fois encore migre, l'activite hermetique allait repeter entre les Ptolemees et la conquete Romaine, la meme structure que celle qui avait eu lieu entre Egypte et Israel, c'est a dire de Hermontis a Hermon.

So we learn that, with Hermonthis, a politic and unifying solar monocentrism, was established in Thebes - which necessarily links it with the ulterior 18th Dynasty which moved, in 1,200 B.C., towards Assiut/Asmunhein/Amarna, with the Aton political project for a larger unification, including this time the isthmus and the Eurasian-African junction. This endeavor that was lead by Akhnaton - apparently secondarily known as Moses - has thus continued under a repression, from the limit of Mount Hermon, re-emerging in the active form of the Greek Hermes.
This logical series gives a better meaning for History than most of the partial and often contradictories solutions offered by scholars. There are good reasons to believe that it stands at the foundation of a development which start from 1,000 B.C. around the Aegean Sea [aa]. The same logic corroborates agaib the mediation activity of Hermes in the late development of Greece.
We know that during this civilization pase (Athens), the federation of the Aegean cities, established from Delos (the island at the center of the Cyclades which based the cult of Apollo, the Solar Hermes), found its end with the secession of Sicily. This Athenian breakdown is a the root of Socrates' central affair; meanwhile, at the same time in Sicily, it was a Hermocrates who conquired independance (of which aftermath the development of Rome would follow). With this migration again, the Hermetic activity was set to repeat, between the Ptolemeans and the Roman conquest, the same strucure that had previously taken place between Egypt and Israel, as it is illustrated from Hermonthis to Hermon.

Il est possible que de comprendre cette logique hermetique demande un petit effort, ou une qualite qui n'est pas toujours presente chez le lecteur. Elle eclaircit toutefois pourquoi - une fois amputee de sa memoire esoterique (Castration des Hermes) - la Grece re-integra le berceau Egyptienne. Alexandre et ses successeurs etablirent alors, en association avec celui de Thoth, le culte d'Hermes en Egypte, a Hermopolis Magna, en proximite de la capitale de l'Atonisme anterieurement erigee par Akhnaton. Elle explique aussi pourquoi, selon quelle necessite, la supremacie ulterieure de Rome, quatre siecles plus tard, reduisit a son tour cette Grece terminale, echouee en Egypte.

It is possible that an effort is required in order to understand this logic, or even some quality that is not developed in every readers. However it makes simple why - once Greece was amputated from its esoteric memory (Castration of the Hermesses), it re-integrated the Egyptian cradle. In association with the cult of Thoth, Alexander and his successors established the cult of Hermes in Egypt, nearby the capital of Atonism previously created by Akhnaton, at Hermopolis Magna. This is also the explanation why, and from which necessity, four centuries later, the dominant expension of Rome eventually took over the declining Greece in Egypt.

Nous trouvons donc que la boucle qui lie les termes Hermonthis, Amarna, Hermon, Hermes, Hermocrates and Hermopolis Magna font un seul phenomene qui s'est deroule dans le temps formateur de la scene primitive de la civilization qui suivra, sous la forme de la Chretiente. A l'origine de cette phase suivante, c'est a Ashmunhein (le nom d'Hermopolis Magna quand elle succombe sous l'influence Romaine) que l'enfant Jesus trouvera refuge (et initiation) lors de sa fuite initiale en Egypte. Ensuite, son enseignement reprend la triple equation latente depuis le Mont Hermon. Les premiers Peres de l'Eglise en temoignent avec la reference a un Hermes "Trois fois Maitre", Trismegistus, associe a un roi d'Egypte que la Renaissance, avec Bruno comme Socrates, identifie a la fois a Moise et Orphee.
C'est alors que la civilisation entre dans sa phase moderne, ou elle repete a nouveau la structure originelle.

We conclude that the loop which links Hermonthis, Amarna, Hermon, Hermes, Hermocrates and Hermopolis Magna constitutes one integral phenomenon, which developed during the creative phase of the Primal Scene of the civilization which results as Christianity. At the beginning of the second phase, it is in Ashmunhein (the name of Hermopolis Magna when is succumbs to Rome) that the young Jesus finds refuge (and initiation) with his family in their flight to Egypt. Later on, his teaching resumes the triple equation which had remained latent since Mount Hermon. The early Fathers of Christianity took in charge the reference of Hermes Trismegistus, described as a Triple Master and historical king of Egypt. It is Giordano Bruno during the Renaissance who is put to death, as Socrates earlier.
Bruno was the representant of the tradition that Hermes Trismegistus was Moses and Orpheus as well. It is from this point that civilization enters its modern phase, and repeats once again its founding structure.

Excerpts and summary from the Encyclopaedia Britanica (in blue, thoughts and comments)

Hermonthis - near Thebes in Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile - was the seat of a sun cult and the original home of the rulers of Thebes c. 2160-2040.
This was far before Greece as we know its begining by 1000 B.C. Hermonthis may be a modern name, in English, for this ancient place - yet the coincidence occurs in the present time, 'beyond time' as it is known of the laws which rule the Unconscious. The following link with Hermon must therefore by considered.

Hermon, also means 'Forbidden Place'. It is the highest point on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea and a sacred land in ancient Hittite, Palestian and Roman times when it represented the northwestern limit of Israelite conquest under Moses and Joshua.
North of this limit, is the domain of the third dimension of Akhnaton-Moses-Oedipus - we know also that a herm (herma, sub) is a landmark for a border. During the time of Akhnaton-Moses, we are told by Sophocles that the Akhnaton's Egyptian successors wanted to use his body, 'better dead than alive', in order to make a mark for the border between Egypt and Israel (South border of Israel). If Akhnaton escaped - as Sophocles says - Hermon makes a landmark for the North border of Israel that he crossed in his flight.

Hermes, was a Greek god, son of Zeus & Maia. Later, the Roman Mercury identified Hermes. The word Hermes seems derived from Herma, meaning in Greek a heap of stones (a mount, a land mark, a pyramid, a ballast). His early cult was in Arcadia, where Mt. Cyllene was his said birthplace. He is associated with fertitily, ithyphallism, protection of herds and nature. He appears also as a messenger of the gods, a dream god, a conductor of the dead to Hades, a traveller. Apollo was his counterpart; like him, he was a patron of music, inventor of the cithara.
The sacred number of Hermes is 4.
The cithara represents the harmonics of many sounds - like the policy of Atonism intending to unite the many cities and people. The island of Apollo, who is the Greek Solar god, at the center of the Cyclades, is Delos; there was animated and kept the political Leagues which united the Aegean world. With Hermonthis and Hermon, we known better how the early Greek founded the divinity Hermes in relation with an Egyptian sun cult.

Hermocrates, the leader of Syracuse/Sicily who save the city from conquest by the Athenians, between 415-413 B.C.
The end of Athen (and of its Delos Leagues) is announced when some data and/or power, leaked and migrated toward Sicily; this is well documented with Socrate's affair. It is noticeable that it is the democrat Hermocrates (meaning 'the writing of Hermes') who drives this move, which seems repeating an earlier one, when data and/or power, leaked and migrated the same way, toward Israel, thus announcing the end of Egypt beginning indeed after Akhnaton's disapearance.

Hermopolis Magna, was also known as the Hare City, the capital of the Hare nome (the 15th province of Upper Egypt). The great deity workshipped there was Thoth, god of learning and patron of scribes.
Anxious after the loss of Sicily, by 400 B.C., Greece expended towards Asia and Egypt (which was at that time extincted). The fact that they came back to Egypt is shown in their establishment of the cult of Hermes in the Hare City which was the ancient site of Akhnaton's city. Hermes therefore, represents the traveller Akhnaton, whose solar cult steeming from Hermonthis had moved to Greece and returned to its Atonian place (Amarna).

Hermes Trismegistus, became the name of the Egyptian god Thot - thus the reputed author or source of the Hermetic writings (said Corpus Hermeticum or Hermetica). 'Trismegistus' meaning Thrice-Great represents a development from the Egyptian 'aa aa' (a late hieroglyph meaning "great great"). Once the Greek rationalism became distrusted, the distinction between science and religion broke down and Hermes Thot represented a divinely revealed wisdom. His writings fall in two main classes: a 'popular' (alchemy) and a 'learned' (theology) Hermetism.
Trismegistus is a certain incarnation of a spirit which is eternal. The legend said that it was not the first time that Hermes or Thoth was active on Earth. When Akhnaton bears this activity, he historically sliced his identity into three operations. Our scholars admit today that the Gnosis that he transmitted was made of two classes - yet they remarkably ignore their own, which is science. Actually the Hermetic writings fall at least in three: popular, religious, scientific - this is accorded to its quality known to be thrice.

Corpus Hermeticum (Hermetic writings) is made chiefly of 17 treatises which represent the works of revelation ascribed to Hermes Thot, Trismegistus, as the inventor and patron of writings and all that depends or results from writing. The Hermetic science was intensely utilitarian. Its aim was the deification or rebirth of human through the knowledge - "Gnosis" - of the one trancendent God, the world, and humans. It is unlikely that there was any well-defined Hermetic community or 'Church'.
Noticing that it is the Christian world which is responsible for the contemporary development of science and tehcnology, the utilitarian Gnosis of Trismegistus seems to remarkably echoe the idea of resurrection in its actual development of a science of ecology and genetics.

Hermit, one who retire from society and retires to the wilderness. Paul of Thebes, in abour 250 A.D. has been considered as the first hermit.
This is just an interesting name.

Georg Hermes, was a Roman Catholic theologian who originated in 1819-1829, a system which attempted to demonstrate the rational necessity of Christianity. His "Catholic Dogma" - inspired by I.Kant and J.G.Fichte - was placed by the Vatican on its Index of Forbidden Books in 1835.
This is another interesting coincidence.

Charles Hermite, mathematician who applied, in 1858, elliptic functions to provide the first solution to the general equation of the fifth degree - the quintic equation.
This is very interesting, in relation with the above said number, as the sacred number of Hermes. As Psychoanalysis has shown, in this spiritual level, the number four (Lacan, Four Discourses) is found in the number three (Freud, Oedipus complex ). The Quintescence (the Fifth Essence) has its own story - that I shall soon insert here.

Hermeticism (not Hermetism) is a poetic movement originating in Italy in the early 20th century. Its works were characterised by unorthodox structure, illogical sequences. Its poetry and poetic theory are originated with Novalis and E.A.Poe. This movement was named by F.Flora after Hermes Trismegistus, patron of occult symbolic works and inventor of a magic airtight seal. Amongst its followers, S.Quasimodo won the Nobel Prize in 1959 with his powerful socially commited works.
This is where we find the typical messages which have been described by the initiate and movie maker J.Cocteau in his Orpheus.

Hermes is also the name for a minor planet - an asteroid whose eccentric orbit brings it nearer the Earth than any other observed cosmic bodies. It was discovered in our time, in 1937. In January 1938 it approaches within about 485,000 miles of Earth; announcement of this near passage occasioned some popular fear that it might collide with Earth.
This is twice the distance between Earth and the moon - rather close as a matter of fact. The encyclopedia does not give the frequency of Hermes' cycle. This time, it is just interesting enouch to see that 1938 was the date for the publishing of Freud's Moses and Monotheism - which represents with little doubt a moment when civilization has missed just for a close distance, the identification of Hermes on Earth.

NOTE this series of definitions extracted from the encyclopedia covers nearly all the words beginning here with 'herm'. Of course there is also the famous word 'hermaphrodite' - which comes from Hermes and Aphrodite - meaning a being partly male, partly female. Another noticeable name is 'Hermeneutics' which is remarkably related to the interpretation of the hidden meanings of the Bible. Scholars usualy do not relate this term to Trismegistus. There are a few other words that I did not collect - Hermesianax, the hermit crab, also an humming bird, the Hermitage, the Hermit Shale Formation, a fireworm and Hermosillo in Mexico. They are minors elements; so one can consider that the above series represent the whole corpus of this encyclopedia information.

aa - Ce n'est pas dire que "tout" vient d'Egypte, d'Afrique ou d'Hermonthis. J'effectue ici une prospection analytique, qui inclue par ailleurs l'influence reciproque et croisee, telle que je la suppose, par exemple, avec l'influence Cretoise sur l'experience Atonnienne, voire l'origine Egeenne de Nefertiti. La vision d'une Afrique qui se serait developpee sans une relation a l'Europe, depuis des millions d'annees, est aussi peu planetaire que celle inverse d'une Europe, ou de quelque part de l'ecosysteme sans intelligence, sans relation ou sans vie.