I'm curious with all I hear about the Freemasons, or the Knights of Malta, or the Illuminati, if there is a historical context to trace back the practice of trying to influence society from behind the curtain of a shadowy group of organized men? Any research I do ends up with speculation and widely varying opinions. Thanks!
Reference to the existence of secret societies is recurrent throughout history. 'Hetaireia' in Athens (and wider greater Greece) are alluded to in surviving speeches by prosecutors and advocates, as well as in Platonic dialogues and some historical writers. These sources don't refer to a single large secret society like 'the Illuminati' as such, but they were definitely believed in, being blamed for orchestrating conspiracy against the public interest and such, such as 'The Thirty Oligarchs' who ruled Athens upon a coup against the democracy in the turn of the 5-4th centuries BCE.
Example source: News and Society in the Greek Polis, by Sian Lewis (1996)
Not sure who the first was, but Freemasonry is the oldest fraternity in the world. The history of Freemasonry is uncertain and dates back to "time immemorial".
Freemasons aren't currently a secret society. There were times long long ago where being a Freemason was considered "bad" in society and members didn't bring light to their membership. These days, members openly flaunt their membership through activity in charity, parades, vehicle emblems, etc.
Now, people will still say that because there are secrets it must be a secret society. The fact remains, the secrets exist to prevent people from claiming they are a Freemason (without actually being one) and nothing more. True members can quite easily out an impostor because of the amount of time and effort required to learn the work. Everything in Freemasonry is spoken word for word from memory and those going through the degrees must learn to do the same. That said, those who haven't done the work would have a difficult time pretending that they did. In other words, you can't just figure out a handshake and pretend to be one :).
The meetings are held away from the eyes of the public because there are examinations, floor work, etc. Politics and religion are strictly prohibited from being discussed in open lodge. Also, historically, meetings were held in such a way and Freemasonry is all about keeping true to historical roots.
Hope you find this information useful.
Source: I am one. Think there's a big conspiracy? We have enough trouble deciding what to have for dinner.