Kircher, Athanasius: Athanasii Kircheri ... Oedipvs Aegyptiacvs, Hoc Est Vniuersalis Hieroglyphicae Veterum Doctrinae temporum iniuria abolitae Instavratio: Opus ex omni Orientalium doctrina & sapientia conditum, nec non viginti diuersarum linguarum authoritate stabilitum (Tomus Secundus [...] Pars Prima): Gymnasium sive Phrontisterion Hieroglyphicum (Roma: Ex Typographia Vitalis Mascardi, 1653)

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&] kircherus, ath., s.j. Oedipus Aegyptiacus. Romae, 1652—4.
3 vols. in 2. Folio. Hscalf (head of backs sl. dam.). With
sront., portrait, 14 large folding engravings, and over
400 woodcuts (numerous large ones). 480.—
Though. Kircher’s works sailed in their sirst purpose: the
deciphering os the hieroglyphics, to-day they appeal to us
srom a historical point os view, and they are os the greatest
importance, especially in the sield os comparative mytho-
logy and symbolism. Apart srom that his works have a
great deal os historical value as Kircher was one of the
sirst who tried to deal with Egyptian hieroglyphs in a
scholarly way.
The “Oedipus Aegyptiacus”, Kircher’s most important and
nwst extensive work (he spent 20 years os researches on it)
contain a mass os hieroglyphic knowledge. Os the various
subjects Kircher dealt with we mention “symbolica” (em-
blems, etc.), “grammatica (on writing and the deciphering
os various kinds os writings), Cabala, etc.
Vol. II deals mainly with hieroglyphic mathematics, medi-
cine, mecanics, magic, chemistry, and theology. Vol. III
(“Theatrum hieroglyphicum”) gives the supposed expla-
nation os the obelisk and other monuments.
Volkmann, Bilderschr. d. Renaissance 112—115: “An-

spruchsvolles Prachtwerk”; Caillet 5788: Tres rare et tres
recherche”; Jouin-Descreux 278/280.