Althotas
The presumed master" and companion of Cagliostro. Considerable doubt has been expressed regarding his existence. Figuier states that he was no imaginary character; that the Roman Inquisition collected many proofs of his existence, but none as regards his origin or end, as he vanished like a meteor. "But," states the French author, "he was a magician and doctor as well, possessed divinatory abilities of a high order, was in possession of several Arabic manuscripts, and had great skill in chemistry." His connection with Cagliostro will be found detailed in the article on that adept. Eliphas Levi states that the name Althotas is composed of the word "thot" with the syllables "al" and "as," which if read cabalistically are sala, meaning messenger or envoy; the name as a whole therefore signifies "Thot, the Messenger of the Egyptians," and such, says Levi, in effect he was. Althotas has been sometimes identified with Kolmer, the instructor of Weishaupt in magic, and at other times with the Comte de Sainte-Germain (both of whom see). It would indeed be difficult to say with any definiteness whether or not Althotas was merely a figment of Cagliostro's brain. The accounts concerning him are certainly conflicting, for whereas Cagliostro stated at his trial in Paris that Althotas had been his lifelong preceptor, another account says that he met him first on the quay at Messina, and the likelihood is that his character is purely fictitious, as there does not appear to be any exact evidence that he was ever encountered in the flesh by anyone.