The Magical Treatise of Solomon, Hygromanteia, available in English

An important new work has finally been translated into English in its entirety by Greek scholar Ioannis Marathakis.

The work known as Magical Treatise, Hygromanteia or Solomōnikē  (available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magical-Treatise-Hygromanteia-Sourceworks-Ceremonial/dp/0738731404/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325609462&sr=1-1) is a Greek magical book that survives in a fragmentary form in a number of manuscripts, the earliest of which dates to the 15^th century. These manuscripts, nineteen in number, though few of them contain a substantial part of the text, are scattered through the libraries of Europe, such as the British Library, the Bavarian Regional Library of Munich and the National Libraries of Athens and Paris.

Western scholarship appears to have discovered it as early as the late 16^th century, but it was not until the end of the 19^th that parts of the text were actually published, solely restricted to scholars with an understanding of Medieval Greek. However, it seems that various magicians of Western Europe had already used it from an even earlier date, since this Greek material has many similarities to various other grimoires, such as the Key of Solomon and the Grimorium Verum.

The Magical Treatise contains a complete handbook of planetary talismanic magic, including the angelic and demonic names of the 168 planetary hours of the week. Magical instruments, such as the knife of the art, the pens and the various kinds of virgin parchment are discussed in detail. Two methods of evocation follow, aiming to subdue the 120 demons of the four cardinal points, together with a detailed description of the ritual apparel, the ring of Solomon and the circle of art. The manuscripts also contain a miscellany of divinatory methods, most of them aiming to question spirits through a vessel of water.

This book presents an English translation of the oldest and most important manuscripts, as well as a lengthy introduction, discussing issues concerning the origin, contents and general philosophy of the Magical Treatise.

 

Ioannis Marathakis (Athens, Greece) was born in Greece. He studied Theology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, attending classes concerning the history of religion, history of philosophy, ancient Greek, Latin and Hebrew language, as well as Byzantine literature and palaeography. He is the author of a history of Solomonic literature, Anazetontas ten Kleida tou Solomonta (Searching for the Key of Solomon, 2007).

 

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