# Hermes Trismegistus — The City of God character guide

> Hermes Trismegistus in The City of God by Augustine of Hippo.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Trismegistus, Hermes

**First appearance:** 0002-part-i-book-i

## Who they are

Legendary Hellenistic figure associated with wisdom and occult philosophy, cited on idolatry.

## In the story

### [Book VIII: Natural Theology and the Platonists](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-book-viii)

Quoted as confessing that the land was full of sepulchres and dead men worshipped as gods.

### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xxiii)

The Egyptian Hermes who taught that men can make gods by inviting spirits into statues, and who mournfully prophesied the abolition of these practices.

### [Chapter XXIV: Hermes' Confession of the Error of Making Gods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xxiv)

Confesses that his forefathers erred greatly and invented the art of making gods, yet grieves over the future abolition of this art.

### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xxvi)

Quoted extensively; his lament about Egypt being full of sepulchres is used to prove that pagan gods were once mortal men.

### [Of Porphyry's Epistle to Anebo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-i-xi)

Referenced indirectly through the Egyptian mysteries of Isis and Osiris, associated with the magical traditions Porphyry critiques.

### [Chapter XXXIX: About the Hebrew Written Characters Which That Language Always Possessed](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/chapters/part-ii-xxxix)

Mercury Trismegistus is mentioned as a figure from Egyptian wisdom traditions who lived after Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/characters/hermes_trismegistus
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_city_of_god_se/characters