Of the Causes of Wondrous Things.

Magi are exactly those people who were called Sapientes original Latin: "Wise Men" among the Latins; among the Greeks (since the time of Pythagoras, who, as Diogenes writes, was the first to use this name) they were called Philosophi, or "Lovers of Wisdom." Among the Indians, they were called Brahmins (or as they are known today, Brahmins, and in Greek Gymnosophistæ original Greek: "naked teachers"); among the Babylonians and Assyrians, they were called Chaldeans, named after the land in Asia from which they came; among the Celts and Gauls, they were called Druids, Bards, and Semnothei; among the Egyptians, Sacerdotes, or Priests; and among the Jews, they were called Kabbalists and Prophets. Thus, Magic—or the Art of Wonders—has been given a unique name by every nation.

7. We find, however, that most who were famous in this art understood the nature of all things most thoroughly. As mentioned, such men included Zoroaster, the son of Oromasius, among the Persians; Numa Pompilius among the Romans; Tespion among the Indian Gymnosophists; Zamolxis among the Thracians; Abaris among the Hyperboreans (those of the far North); Hermes among the Egyptians; and Buddha among the Babylonians. Beyond these, Apuleius also mentions by name Carinondas, Damigeron, Hismofes, Apollonius, and Dardanus, following in the tradition of Zoroaster and Osthanes.

Chapter II.

What Magic, or the so-called Art of Wonders, actually is.

Magic and the Art of Wonders is divided into two kinds. One has an evil reputation because it deals with unclean spirits; it is patched together from all sorts of incantations and impermissible, inquisitive arts. This is called Goetia original Greek: Γοητεία, referring to low magic, sorcery, or witchcraft involving spirits Sorcery. All learned and honorable people are entirely opposed to this, especially since it produces nothing true, essential, or consistent with reason, but consists of nothing but delusions of which not the slightest trace remains, as Iamblichus (a) Book on the Mysteries of the Egyptians. writes.

2. The other kind is Natural Magic, which every truly wise man loves, esteems, and honors as something very high and exceedingly fitting for all those devoted to the arts.

3. To learn and explore this art, the most excellent among the world’s seekers of wisdom—such as Pythagoras, Empedocles, Democritus, and Plato—willingly left their homelands and traveled with great effort to foreign lands...