This is the true ancestor of the famous grimoire the Key of Solomon. The book includes translations of 12 different manuscripts of the Hygromanteia. This book is sometimes called the Hygromanteia. Throughout history thousands of people have been fascinated by the grimoire the Key of Solomon. This is the original Greek book of magic that was the source of the Key of Solomon, and in turn the ancestor of most of the grimoire-based ceremonial magic practiced in Europe and the US from the 15th century to the present day. This is a ground-breaking work. For the first time (outside of a handful of pages in academic works) the full Greek original of the Key of Solomon appears in English. Contrary to popular opinion the Key of Solomon was not translated from a Hebrew original. During the gradual decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire, this precious text, along with many others, was taken from Constantinople to Italy probably around 1453 were it was translated into Latin and Italian. Abridged Latin copies entitled the Clavicula Salomonis circulated in Europe, going through many changes, languages and versions to become the Key of Solomon as we know it (some of those manuscripts are published as Volume IV of the present series). Now for the first time you can read the whole text (large slabs of which were left out of the Latin translations) arranged clearly in the order in which it was meant to be read.