Marsilio Ficino

Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) was the architect of the Renaissance Hermetic revival. Commissioned by Cosimo de' Medici to translate the Corpus Hermeticum before the works of Plato, Ficino introduced Hermes to the Latin West as a contemporary of Moses and the founder of the Prisca Theologia.

Contributions: Ficino's Latin translation (the Pimander, 1471) became an instant bestseller, shaping the thought of Pico della Mirandola, Agrippa, and Bruno. His work attempted to harmonize Hermeticism with Christian theology, viewing Hermes as a prophet of the Trinity.