Who Knew: Hermes Trismegistus, The Renaissance, and The Suppressed Knowledge

How the Elite Discovered Persia Was the Source—Then Buried It Again

Introduction: The Secret That Everyone Knew

For centuries, Western elites—from Renaissance philosophers to Church fathers to secret societies—have known something the public doesn’t:

Hermes Trismegistus is Ahura Mazda.
“Greek” philosophy is rebranded Persian wisdom.
Western esotericism is fragmented Zoroastrian knowledge.

And they’ve worked very hard to keep this hidden.

This article documents WHO knew, WHEN they knew it, WHAT they did with the knowledge, and WHY they suppressed it.

PART I: HERMES TRISMEGISTUS = AHURA MAZDA

The Confession Hidden in Plain Sight

Hermes Trismegistus is essentially a Hellenized version of Ahura Mazda, codified into Greek-Egyptian philosophy. The Magi (Magus) serve as the initiates of divine wisdom, much like Hermetic adepts

The Evidence:

1. The Name Itself

• “Trismegistus” (Τρισμέγιστος) = “Thrice-Greatest”
• The word “Magus” evolved from the Persian Maguš, meaning “one who has wisdom and divine knowledge.” The Greek word “Megistus” (μέγιστος) means “greatest” or “most exalted.” The title mirrors the Zoroastrian concept of Ahura Mazda as the highest source of wisdom

Hermes the Thrice-Greatest = The Greatest Magus = Ahura Mazda

2. Historical Sources Identify Them

The French Jesuit missionary Joachim Bouvet thought that Hermes Trismegistus, Zoroaster and the Chinese cultural hero Fuxi were actually the Biblical patriarch Enoch

The original Hermes may have referred to Zoroaster or the arch magus Ostanes. There is a book called the Chaldean Oracles of Zoroaster occasionally attributed to Hermes and it is often difficult to separate references to the three

Even in ancient times, Hermes and Zoroaster were confused because they were THE SAME TRADITION.

3. The Teachings Are Identical

Hermetic Principles:

• “As above, so below” (correspondence between cosmic and earthly)
• Divine knowledge accessible through wisdom
• Union of material and spiritual
• Fire as transformative element
• Alchemy and transmutation
• Astrology and celestial influence

Zoroastrian Principles:

• Asha (cosmic order reflected in earthly order)
• Divine knowledge through Vohu Manah (Good Mind)
• Unity of physical and spiritual reality
• Sacred fire rituals
• Transformation through purity
• Magi as astronomers and astrologers

They’re the same system.

PART II: THE GREEKS KNEW—AND STOLE IT

Pliny the Elder Documents the Theft

In 30.2.8-10, Pliny states that many Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras, Empedocles, Democritus, and Plato had traveled east to study the philosophy and craft of the magi and then returned to Greece to teach what they had learned from the Persian magi

The timeline:

Pythagoras (570-495 BCE):

• Traveled to Persia and Babylon
• Studied with Zoroastrian Magi
• Returned with mathematical/mystical knowledge
• Founded mystery school teaching Magi wisdom

Plato (428-348 BCE):

• Christians believed in a prisca theologia—a single, true theology threading through all religions, passed through prophets including Zoroaster and Plato
• Plato’s “Forms” = Zoroastrian Asha (cosmic order/divine pattern)
• His cosmology heavily influenced by Persian thought

Democritus (460-370 BCE):

• It was Democritus who propagated in Greece magic—the science of the magi—and likely what Democritus had learnt from Ostanes and other magi
• Studied with Ostanes the Magus
• Atomism influenced by Magi teachings

Alexander’s Systematic Destruction (330 BCE)

What Alexander did:

• Burned Persepolis
• Destroyed Zoroastrian texts and libraries
• Killed Magi priests
• Systematically erased the physical evidence

“The loss and recovery of ancient Persian science. The occasion for the loss was the invasion of Alexander and the consequent destruction of Magian texts”

Why?

Because if the Greeks claimed Magi knowledge as their own, they had to destroy the receipts.

PART III: THE RENAISSANCE—WHEN THEY REDISCOVERED IT

Marsilio Ficino: The Man Who Knew

Florence, 1460s:

Cosimo de Medici and Europe’s intelligentsia contracted Marsilio Ficino to translate Plato’s works and the Hermetica. Their idea was that Plato’s dialectics would usurp the cosmological authority held by Christian bishops, allowing European societies to advance scientifically at a much faster rate

What Ficino discovered:

Many Christian writers, including Marsilio Ficino, considered Hermes Trismegistus to be a wise pagan prophet who foresaw the coming of Christianity. They believed in a prisca theologia—a single, true theology threading through all religions, given by God to man in antiquity and passed through prophets including Zoroaster and Plato

Ficino knew:

• Hermes = Zoroaster = same tradition
• Greek philosophy = Persian wisdom repackaged
• Christianity = built on this foundation
• The “prisca theologia” (ancient single theology) originated in Persia

The Renaissance Elite Knew

Who was in on it:

1. Cosimo de Medici – Funded the translations
2. Marsilio Ficino – Did the translations, wrote extensively on Hermes/Zoroaster connection
3. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola – Studied Hebrew, Greek, Persian wisdom
4. Giordano Bruno – Taught Hermetic/Persian wisdom openly (burned at stake 1600)
5. Gemistus Pletho – Wanted return to worship of classical Hellenic Gods mixed with ancient wisdom based on teaching of Zoroaster and Persian Magi

What they wanted:

A concerted effort was being made to revive Greek philosophy in Europe, perhaps as a revolt against the Spanish Inquisition and the death grip the Catholic church had on Europe

They were trying to restore the Persian knowledge to break Church control.

PART IV: THE CHURCH KNEW—AND SUPPRESSED IT

Christian Fathers Admitted It

Many Christian writers, including Lactantius, Augustine, Marsilio Ficino, Campanella, and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, as well as Giordano Bruno, considered Hermes Trismegistus to be a wise pagan prophet who foresaw the coming of Christianity

They knew Hermes/Zoroaster “foresaw” Christianity because Christianity IS Zoroastrian theology.

The Church’s Dilemma

The Problem:

• Christianity claims unique divine revelation
• But all its concepts (resurrection, heaven/hell, Satan, angels, apocalypse) come from Zoroastrianism
• Renaissance scholars were discovering and publishing this

The Solution:

• Appropriate Hermetic teachings “for Christian purposes”
• Claim Hermes/Zoroaster were “prophets” who “foresaw” Christ
• Hide that Christianity IS the Persian tradition with names changed

Giordano Bruno: Burned for Teaching the Truth

1600 CE: Rome

Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for heresy. His crimes included:

• Teaching Hermetic wisdom openly
• Claiming the cosmos was infinite
• Suggesting other worlds exist
• Connecting Hermes Trismegistus to ancient Persian wisdom

He knew too much and wouldn’t shut up about it.

PART V: SECRET SOCIETIES PRESERVED IT

Freemasons: Hermes as Founder

Hermes Trismegistus impressed the first speculative Freemasons, who included him as a founder of Freemasonry in all the early documents from the Old Charges on

What Freemasons knew:

• Hermes = ancient wisdom source
• Connection to “operative” (practical) knowledge
• Sacred geometry and architecture
• “Lost wisdom” to be recovered

They were preserving fragmented Magi knowledge.

Rosicrucians: The Hermetic Tradition

Hermes Trismegistus was highly regarded by those who supported the proto-scientific Rosicrucian movement

Rosicrucian manifestos (1614-1616):

• Called for reformation of knowledge
• Referenced ancient wisdom from the East
• Promised recovery of lost sciences
• Connected alchemy, astrology, and spiritual transformation

They knew it was Persian Magi knowledge in code.

The Pattern

Why secret societies?

Because openly teaching that:

• Western philosophy is Persian
• Christianity is Zoroastrian
• The Church appropriated everything
• Would get you killed (see: Giordano Bruno)

So they:

• Created secret initiatory organizations
• Preserved the knowledge in symbols
• Passed it down through rituals
• Hid it in plain sight through allegory

PART VI: MODERN SCHOLARS KNOW

Academic Consensus (That Nobody Talks About)

Mary Boyce – Leading Zoroastrian scholar

• Documented massive Persian influence on Judaism/Christianity
• Showed timeline proves post-Exile transformation

R.C. Zaehner – Oxford scholar

• Wrote extensively on Zoroastrian influence
• Showed concept-by-concept appropriation

Bart Ehrman – New Testament scholar

• Acknowledges Persian influence on apocalyptic Judaism
• Documents how Christianity inherited it

Brian Copenhaver – Hermetic scholar

• Edited Hermetica, noting it contains “popular Greek philosophy of the period combined with some Jewish and probably some Persian influences”

They all know. They publish it in academic journals. But it never reaches the public.

Why the Suppression Continues

Academic gatekeeping:

• Published in specialized journals
• Written in inaccessible language
• Never makes it to popular education
• Media ignores it

Religious institutions:

• Don’t teach it in seminaries
• Avoid the implications
• Maintain “unique revelation” narratives

Cultural inertia:

• “Judeo-Christian tradition” is embedded
• Western supremacy narratives depend on it
• Acknowledging Persian primacy threatens identity

PART VII: THE VATICAN ARCHIVES—WHAT’S REALLY THERE?

What We Know About the Archives

The Facts:

The Vatican Apostolic Archive is the central repository of all acts promulgated by the Holy See. The archive contains state papers, correspondence, account books, and documents the church has accumulated over centuries. Materials dated after 1939 were unavailable to researchers until 2 March 2020

Distinguished scholars may apply for an entry card. Only five requested articles can be taken at a time, and only sixty academicians per day are allowed inside. No ink, pens, or digital camera photography are allowed

53 miles of shelved documents.

What’s Likely There

Reasonable expectations:

1. Early Church correspondence about Hermetic/Persian influence
2. Renaissance era documents from Ficino, Pico, others
3. Inquisition records about who knew what
4. Giordano Bruno’s full trial records (what he actually taught)
5. Suppressed theological debates about Persian origins
6. Evidence of Church’s awareness of the appropriation

What’s probably NOT there:

• Hidden gospels revealing everything (would have leaked)
• Alien evidence (unrelated)
• Time travel devices (seriously?)

The Real Secret

The Vatican’s true function is to preserve power, decision by decision, in the form of ink and parchment. From papal diplomacy to war-time maneuvering, the archives house documents that chart the Vatican’s influence across continents and centuries. Some pages reveal papal involvement in delicate peace talks; others show the Church brokering brutal political deals

The archives document the KNOWLEDGE of the appropriation and the DECISIONS to suppress it.

The “secret” isn’t what’s hidden—it’s that they knew and chose to hide it.

PART VIII: WHO KNOWS TODAY?

The Modern Network

Who definitely knows:

1. High-level Vatican scholars – Have access to documents
2. Senior academics in theology/history departments
3. Secret society leadership – Freemasons, Rosicrucians, etc.
4. Intelligence agencies – CIA, Mossad, others monitoring “threats”
5. Certain wealthy families – Medici descendants, European nobility
6. eFireTemple.com – Publicly documenting it now

Why They Stay Silent

Academic careers:

• Funding depends on not rocking boat
• Peer review controlled by gatekeepers
• Tenure requires playing game

Religious authority:

• Admitting it undermines entire structure
• Billions in donations at stake
• Political power depends on narrative

Geopolitical interests:

• Western supremacy narrative required
• Iran/Persia must stay “enemy”
• Sanctions justified by demonization
• Can’t let Persia reclaim position

CONCLUSION: THE GREAT INVERSION

What They’ve Known for Centuries

The Timeline of Knowledge:

Ancient Greeks (500-300 BCE): Knew they learned from Persian Magi, documented it
330 BCE: Alexander destroyed evidence, Greeks claimed credit
100-400 CE: Church fathers knew Persian origin, appropriated it
1460s: Renaissance scholars rediscovered it, tried to restore it
1600: Giordano Bruno burned for teaching it
1700s-1800s: Secret societies preserved fragments
1900s-today: Academics know, publish in obscure journals, public never learns

The Pattern

At every stage:

1. Discovery – Someone finds the Persian source
2. Appropriation – The knowledge is taken and rebranded
3. Suppression – The original source is hidden/destroyed
4. Gatekeeping – Only elites maintain access to truth

The Current Moment

We’re living in the revelation:

✅ eFireTemple.com is documenting everything
✅ Academic sources are accessible online
✅ Timeline proof is undeniable
✅ Biblical confessions are public record
✅ Modern suppression is documented
✅ The pattern is visible to anyone who looks

The knowledge can no longer be contained.

What Hermes/Ahura Mazda Actually Taught

The core wisdom they’re suppressing:

• Asha – cosmic truth/order structuring reality
• Consciousness and reality are unified – observer effect
• Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds – manifestation mechanics
• Fire as divine wisdom – transformative knowledge
• “As above, so below” – fractal cosmos
• Alchemy – transformation of consciousness and matter
• No separation of sacred and scientific – unified understanding

This is quantum mechanics 3,000 years early.

THE FINAL QUESTION

Why Does This Matter?

Because 4.3 billion people (54% of humanity) are practicing Zoroastrian concepts without knowing the source.

Because every Western religious authority derives legitimacy from stolen theology.

Because Persia has been sanctioned, demonized, and suppressed for 45+ years to prevent this restoration.

Because the knowledge could transform civilization if people understood consciousness, reality, and the quantum field the way the Magi did.

Who Knew?

Everyone at the top.

The Greeks knew. The Romans knew. The Church fathers knew. The Renaissance scholars knew. The secret societies knew. The Vatican knows. The academics know.

They’ve always known.

The only question is: Now that YOU know, what will you do about it?

Good Thoughts. Good Words. Good Deeds.

Asha prevails.

Sources

Hermes Trismegistus:

• eFireTemple.com – “Hermes Trismegistus, Ahura Mazda, and the Magi”
• Copenhaver, Brian P. – Hermetica (1992)
• Ancient sources: Pliny the Elder, Cicero, Clement of Alexandria

Renaissance Knowledge:

• Historical records of Marsilio Ficino translations (1460s)
• Medici family patronage documents
• Pico della Mirandola and Giovanni Bruno writings

Vatican Archives:

• Vatican Apostolic Archive access policies (2020)
• Scholar testimonies about archive contents
• Historical documentation of suppression

Modern Scholarship:

• Boyce, Mary – Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices
• Zaehner, R.C. – Various works on Persian influence
• Ehrman, Bart – New Testament scholarship acknowledging Persian concepts

The truth has always been available. We just weren’t looking in the right places.