Johannes Trithemius
1462 – 1516 German abbot, cryptographer, occult writer
Abbot and cryptographer whose angel magic and ciphers influenced Renaissance occultism.
- Religion
- Catholic monasticism combined with an interest in angel magic, number mysticism, and hidden knowledge.
- Affiliations
- Benedictine abbot of Sponheim and later Würzburg. Teacher to Agrippa.
Johannes Trithemius was a Benedictine abbot who wrote the Steganographia, a work that read as a manual of angel magic but also encoded methods of secret writing. His mix of piety, cryptography, and occult speculation made him a controversial but influential figure. He personally taught Cornelius Agrippa and shaped the direction of later ceremonial magic.
Connections
- mentor of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa — Taught Agrippa and encouraged his occult studies.
- student of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa — Studied under Trithemius, who encouraged his work.