Magical Treatise of Solomon

Magical Treatise of Solomon
15th century Greek manuscript, now at the British Library, London
AuthorUnknown
LanguageMedieval Greek
GenreGrimoire

The Magical Treatise of Solomon,[1][2] also known as the Hygromanteia (Greek: Ὑγρομαντεία)[a] or Solomonikê (Greek: Σολομωνική),[4][b] is a collection of late Byzantine-era grimoires written in medieval Greek. A pseudepigraphon, the book purports to contain Solomon's instructions to his son Rehoboam on various magical techniques and tools to summon and control different spirits and their powers, astrological beliefs, select charms, different means of divination, and the magical uses of herbs. The Magical Treatise survives in fragments from a number of manuscripts dating from the 15th century CE. The book has been important for the history of European magic, serving as a link between the earlier Greek magical practices and the later grimoires of Western Europe. During the early modern period, the book begun to be translated in Latin, becoming the source for future European grimoires, most notably the Key of Solomon.[7][5]

  1. ^ Marathakis & Skinner 2011.
  2. ^ Marathakis 2012, pp. 108–120.
  3. ^ Torijano 2013, p. 305.
  4. ^ Rankine 2012, pp. 98–100.
  5. ^ a b Davies 2010, p. 15.
  6. ^ Marathakis & Skinner 2011, p. 34.
  7. ^ Marathakis & Skinner 2011, pp. 12–14.


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