out his system, which he founded under the
name of Illuminati on May 1, 1776, and assumed the "illuminated" name of
"Spartacus."

Kolmer remains the most mysterious of all the mystery men of his day; at
first sight one is inclined to wonder whether he may not have been
another of the Cabalistic Jews acting as the secret inspirers of the
magicians who appeared in the limelight. The name Kolmer might easily
have been a corruption of the well-known Jewish name Calmer. Lecouteulx
de Canteleu, however, suggests that Kolmer was identical with Altolas,
described by Figuier as "this universal genius, almost divine, of whom
Cagliostro has spoken to us with so much respect and admiration. This
Altotas was not an imaginary personage. The Inquisition of Rome has
collected many proofs of his existence without having been able to
discover when it began or ended, for Altotas disappears, or rather
vanishes like a meteor, which, according to the poetic fancy of
romancers, would authorize us in declaring him immortal."[501] It is
curious to notice that modern occultists, whilst attributing so much
importance to Saint-Germain and the legend of his immortality, make no
mention of Altotas, who appears to have been a great deal more
remarkable. But, again, we must remember: "It is the unvarying rule of
secret societies that the real authors never show themselves." If, then,
Kolmer was the same person as Altotas, he would appear not to have been
a Jew or a Cabalist, but an initiate of some Near Eastern secret
society--possibly an Ismaili. Lecouteulx de Canteleu describes Altotas
as an Armenian, and says that his system was derived from those of
Egypt, Syria, and Persia. This would accord with Barruel's statement
that Kolmer came from Egypt, and that his ideas were founded on
Manichaeism.

It would be necessary to set these statements aside as only the
theories of Barruel or Lecouteulx, were it not that the writings of the
Illuminati betray the influence of some sect akin to Manichaeism. Thus
"Spartacus" writes to "Cato" that he is thinking of "warming up the old
system of the Ghebers and Parsees,"[502] and it will be remembered that
the Ghebers were one of the sects in which Dozy relates that Abdullah
ibn Maymun found his true supporters. Later Weishaupt goes on to
explain that--

The allegory in which the Mysteries and Higher Grades must be
clothed is Fire Worship and the whole philosophy of Zoroaster or of
the old Parsee