Hermes Trismegistus is considered the author of the Emerald Tablet (Tabula smaragdina) which is perhaps the most famous set of alchemical recipes ever written. As his name implies this mythical god-man is associated with Hermes, the Greek messenger of the gods. He is lord and master of the three spheres of existence (mind, body and soul), salt, sulfur and mercury, and is considered the historical founder of alchemy.
Islamic alchemists credited Hermes Trismegistus with having authored the seventeen documents of the Corpus Hermeticum. These magical writings expand the teachings of the Emerald Tablet. They were introduced into the West during the Renaissance. Working under the commission of Cosimo Medici, Marsilio Ficino, founder of Neoplatonism, translated them into Latin.
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