The secret history of Hermes Trismegistus : hermeticism from ancient to modern times /

Supported by a solid translation by Lorton, Ebeling (Egyptology, Univ. of Heidelberg) offers a careful and remarkably concise presentation of the history of Hermeticism based on all extant primary sources that name Hermes Trismegistus as their author, explicitly or implicitly. Demonstrating mastery of both primary texts and secondary sources, the author has constructed a convincing account of the origin, development, and influence of this esoteric tradition, from its legendary Egyptian birth to the semiotics of Umberto Eco and philosophy of Heinrich Rombach in the 20th century. In addition to offering this very helpful guide, which includes lapidary synopses of the primary texts, the author is the first to recognize that by the early modern period two distinct subtraditions existed within Hermeticism, one philosophical-theological and the other alchemical. This reviewer's only caveats are the level of presentation, which will be challenging for all but the most advanced undergraduates, and minor flaws in the final editing (including typos and several infelicities and mistakes in translation). Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. E. S. Steele University of Scranton