Upload
james-l-kelley
View
223
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
1/13
Publishedb
yManeyPublishing(c)Soc
ietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
AMBIX,Vol. 37, Part 3, November 1990
STEPHANUS OF ALEXANDRIA: PHARMACEUTICAL NOTIONS AND
COSMOLOGY IN HIS ALCHEMICAL WORK
By DR. MARIA PAPATHANASSIOU*
STEPHANUSof Alexandria is known as a commentator on Plato and Aristotle in early seventh
century Byzantium. 1 Among other non-philological works attributed to him is an alchemical
one entitled: "On the great and sacred art, on the making of gold." This work is divided into
nine "np&;Els", which are generally translated as "lectures". As it belongs to the category of
so-called rhetorical2 alchemy and especially to the commentaries3 on earlier alchemical
texts, many questions have arisen as to whether its author is really the above mentioned
Stephanus; but in this article I will not take part in that debate.'1
The only complete edition of the Greek text up to now is that ofJ. L. Ideler in 1842,5based on the transcription of the text in Cod. Monac. gr. I 12 by Dietz. This MS. is a
XV-XVIth century copy of that in the most ancient alchemical codex, namely the Cod.
Marc.gr. 299 of the XIth century at Venice. The true end of the last lecture of Stephan us is
not found in this famous MS., but in that in Cod. Paris.gr. 2327.6 A Latin paraphrase rather
than translation of the work exists in the edition of Pizimentus in 1573.7
When M. Berthelot published the texts of the Greek alchemists8 in 1888, he did not
include that of Stephanus in his edition because it had been already published by Ideler;
moreover he considered it was of minor scientific interest. Thus he gave only a brief
summary of the subjects treated in each lecture.9 Late in the 'thirties F. Sherwood Taylor
published a revised text of the first three out of the nine lectures, with English translationand commentary in Ambix.IO
According to the publication programme of the new collection "Les alchimistes grecs",
the work of Stephan us will appear in the sixth volume. 1 I But until this critical edition of the
Greek text, translated and annotated, appears, this alchemical work will only be accessible
to scholars having a good knowledge of the early mediaeval Greek language.
This article has two parts: in the first I study the relation of Stephanus's work to
pharmacy, and in the second, the cosmology pres en ted in it. 12 .
A. RELATIONSBETWEEN ALCHEMYAND PHARMACY
The adoption of pharmaceu tical methods in alchemy has already been recognized in the
past. 13 Here we will study these relations in Stephanus's text, but we will also refer to
passages from earlier alchemical texts, which have not been mentioned up to now.
The relation between alchemy and medicine-pharmacy in this work can be traced in the
following data:
I. The use of the word cp&p~
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
2/13
Publishedb
yManeyPublishing(c)Soc
ietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
122 MARIA P APATHANASSIOU
5. The references of some passages to the medicine and pharmacy as well as to their
methods.
The word cp&p~CXKOVappears only ten times in the Stephanus's text.
16
Three times it ischaracterized as JtVPlVOV(fiery),17 and once as A1JKOV(white).18 As it results from the
context, in the first case the adjective attributed is related to the burning effect of the
"pharmakon" and in the second case it is related to its colour or its quality to dyeing "white".
This may be related to the
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
3/13
PublishedbyManeyPublishing(c)SocietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
STEPHANUS OF ALEXANDRIA 123
reagent. The same figurative meaning we can attribute to the word ~o't&vll found in the
passage saying that "[the art] makes the multiplex matter of the plants to flourish by
pulverization of the aw ~ cx ' tcx (bodies)",3o because these "bodies" are substances used inalchemy.
A possible different case is that in which Stephanus refers to those people "who cook
together the ash of common plants with the like and melt together the ashes of bodies and
glasses with the like".31 It is evident that the persons doing such a work may be identified
with the alchemists, but the "plants" are clearly distinguished from the so called "bodies".
Earlier texts mention ~w~oi (soups)32 and X1JAo1Quices) of plants, and they do not seem
using the word figuratively.33 Stephanus also mentions the following plants:34 '1Pl~ (Iris,
because of the variety of colour of its flowers), KPOKO~KlAlKlCX~(saffron of Cilicia),
cXVcxyCXAAi~(anagallis), JtOV'tlOVp & (pontic rhubarb), {)&cpVll,b&cpVlVCX;UACX(leaves andwood of laurel),35 &vfro~ 'tOU KVlK01J(flower of saillower), X1JAo~'ti1~ cX~JtEAo1JQuice of
vines). As follows from the context, only the name of Iris has been used figuratively here.
The p o c hvoV ACXLOV(oil of roses) is mentioned once,36 bu tit is very doubtful if it wasreally used, as the same passage in earlier texts mentions the VL'tPEACXlOV(oil of natron)
instead of it.37
According to Stephanus, a very important role is attributed to substances giving a white
ash promising pycx ~Ey&ACX(important results)38 in healing and colorations by dyeing.
Those mentioned by him are the following:39 'tECPPCX(ash), KCX{)~ElCX(cadmia), aJto{)o~ 'twv
AE1JKlVWV~UAWV(ash of white poplar wood), 't
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
4/13
Publishedb
yManeyPublishing(c)Soc
ietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
124 MARIA PAPATHANASSIOU
confused with the tincture, it follows that the origin of both power and energy displayed by
ash is the material spirit with which all things are in communion. I think that this transition
from the qualities of some special materials to a material spirit giving the bodies the power
and energy required for them to be transformed into one another, is very important, becauseit points to a uniform substratum of energy underlying matter all over the ancient cosmos. In
this way, the ancient idea of the constitution of the world of the four cosmic elements (fire,
earth, air, and water) ,48 extended by the introduction of the Stoic material (or vital) spirit
underlying all and being in communion with all things,49 offers the alchemy the necessary
theoretical background for the hypothesis of transmutation of metals to gold and the
efficiency of alchemical operations.
The bodies used in the alchemical practices are subject to some elaborations. 50 One of
them is AE(wal~ (pulverization), which can be reduced to the finest condition
(~(axvwal~).51 The pulverisation ofa material body is compared to its "death", leading to
the separation of body (matter) and soul, namely the liberation of the spirit. For this reason,
the finer the matter is pulverized, the stronger is the activity displayed by the material
spirit.52 The kind of apparatus used for the pulverization is not mentioned by Stephanus,
who dislikes alchemical apparatus and is more interested in the philosophy of the subject.53
But research into the earlier alchemical texts reveals the use of mortar, pestle and
millstones. 54
As far as practices are concerned, an earlier text recommends that both pulverization
and boiling, after the addition of some liquid of plants, be made medically;55 in another
passage "Agathodaimon recommends that the pulverization be made strongly, according to
the method followed by the physicians for the collyria". 56Stephanus refers to the medical
practices only twice. First, when he speaks about ash, as we have already noted.57 This
means that the ash of various bodies was used for the preparation of drugs, as in
Dioscurides.58 Second, when he says that" [copper] is restored by tincture, whether divinely
or medically". 59
The word ~YJP(ov (xerion), called "elixir" after the arabic conquest, appears once in
Stephanus's text.60 In earlier texts it appears often61 and means a dry powder, which may be
another aspect of the "pharmakon", according to some indications.62 As an example, the
medical xeria are mentioned with the plasters, the unguents and the colours used in
painting.63 How much the alchemists imitated the physicians and the chemists becomes
clear from Democritus's exhortation: "Become [like the] sons of physicians in order to
understand the natures; at whatever time they want to prepare a medicine good for the
health (UYlElVOVcp&P!lCXKOV)they do not attempt to act upon inconsiderate impulse" .64
This is not to be considered as an exaggeration, because the alchemical practices on various
materials were considered to be something like the medical practices on the patient; this is
shown by a passage saying that "we laid hold of the genuine matter and we cured it through
additional operations" .65
Generally, alchemy is not a legitimate child of medicine or pharmacy; but it inherited
from them a great part of its practices and terminology, just as also happened with the art of
dyeing and metallurgy, especially of gold and silver. Stephanus refers once to goldsmiths,66
but he makes. allusion to them in his polemic against people needing an alchemical
apparatus for making gold, and calls them pitiful etc.67 On the contrary, Olympiodorus,
who has written on the alchemical apparatus and practices, calls the goldsmiths "friends" .68Their difference i~ due to the fact that Stephanus appreciates philosophy more, as we will see
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
5/13
PublishedbyManeyPublishing(c)SocietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
STEPHANUS OF ALEXANDRIA 125
in the second part. The branches of various arts which contributed to the development of
alchemy have not been exhausted here. Another, disregarded till now, is cookery, if we take
into account a passage saying that "the art of cookery has become needful to us in manycases" .69
B. THE ALCHEMICAL COSMOLOGY
The influence of the Pythagorean, Platonic, Aristotelic, Stoic and Neoplatonic
philosophies on Stephanus's work has already been recognized.70 This is not surprising, if
the writer is really Stephanus of Alexandria, the known commentator on Plato and Aristotle.
Among the negative aspects attributed to his work are included his rhetorical style,
combined with an absence of original mathematical and physical ideas,71 as well as his
dislike for the alchemical apparatus and his polemic against people using it for the making of
gold.Such a valuation of the text is based upon present ideas, which differ greatly from those
in Stephanus's time. On the other hand, in spite of all defects attributed to it in the last
hundred years, this work has been much appreciated by Greek, Arab and Latin writers who
have referred to it.72 This was exactly what inspired me to study it anew, searching for its
intrinsic principles, rather than the extrinsic ones used up to now. I think I have succeeded
in tracing them in the text and classifying them by subject into three classes: two general
(philosophy and science), and one special (chemistry).
In the first class (philosophy) are included:
I. The definition of philosophy as assimilation to God, as far as this is possible to man.73
(Princi. i)2. The research method of the philosopher. (Princi. ii)
According to Stephanus, the philosopher is a theoretician and able to comprehend
natural phenomena directly. His method consists of an inquiry into all theories, (a) by
examining their nature and suitably mixing them together, (b) by intellectually analysing
their complications and innumerable compositions, (c) by ingeniously constructing one
theory, taking all these into account. In this way he knows the theoretical and diagnostic
accuracy of these theories.74
3. The lessons 75 considered as a kind of training of the soul, which guides us from
material things to immaterial ones and from complex things to simple ones.76 (Princi. iii)
In the second class (science) are included:
I. The definition of the two principles of the science, which are sensation and experience.
The former gives the understanding of the phenomenon and the latter gives the practical
wisdom.77 (Princi. iv)
2. The intellectual nature of the science.78 (Princi. v)
3. The faith in the omnipotence of wisdom, which "can see the unseen and do the
impossible".79 (Princi. vi)
In the third class (chemistry) are included:
I. The distinction between mythical and mystical (or secret) chemistry.8o The former is
confounded in a multitude of words,81 while the latter deals with the world through the
Word of creation, and its method consists in images (symbols). (Princi. vii)
2. The decipherment of the secrets of the ancient alchemists and their presentation to an
audience.82 (Princi. viii)
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
6/13
Publishedb
yManeyPublishing(c)Soc
ietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
MARIA PAPATHANASSIOU
3. The unity of the world.83 (Princi. ix)
4. The power, energy and regeneration of the bodies burnt to ashes, because of their
nature imitative of the world and its elements, whence they have regeneration and
communion with a vital spirit, which is again given to them by fire, with the contribution of
the all-creating air.84 (Princi. x)
5. The vital spirit as the essential factor working in the alchemical experiments rather
than the tincture itself.85 (Princi. xi)
After this outline of the general principles we can understand Stephanus's text better.
The polemic of Stephanus against goldsmiths is due to the great difference between theory
and practice, beliefs and experience: The goldsmiths practise "aurifiction", 86as they either
falsify gold, or gild metals by dyeing. Stephanus calls them uneducated, ignorant,
uninitiated etc., because "they make gold irrationally, while saying it is difficult to make
it" .87 His argument that it is the JteXvaocpocXYX(VOLCX(all-wise sagacity) rather than theJtOAtrtp0Jto EJtL't'YlOELOTY1(multiform ability) which plays the most important role,88 as
well as his references to the "art with intellectual science"89 or to the "sweetly breathing
flower of practical philosophers,,,9o show how much he believes in the theoretical hypothesis
of "aurifaction". According to him, the work of the philosopher is an art combined with
science, a practical philosophy,91 a philosophical art of making gold.92
The transition from empirical knowledge to science needs the introduction of a theory.
As alchemy deals with the transmutation of metals into gold, the theory must be both a
mathematical and physical one. Stephanus, when speaking of the necessity that a
mathematical theory be introduced for the description of the &TO~CXKCXLcX~EPi1aw ~ cx ' tcx
(indivisible bodies),93 i.e. the four cosmic elements, attempts to introduce a relation ofequivalence between them and the perfect ones ( i .e . geometrical figures). It seems that he
makes allusion to the Platonic theory exposed in Timaios,94 but he also inserts Aristotelian
ideas and notions, as cX't~L (moist vapour) and KcxJtvw6'YlcXvcx{}u~(cxaL(smoky
exhalation).95 Then he uses a theological argument: "After the reception of soul by body,
God granted perfection to the being by again giving both of them a soul and ranging them in
the same line" .96On the other hand, when comparing the man as a perfect union of body and
soul with the Whole (or Nature), which is both one and many, as seen in the art of making
gold,97 he refers to the well-known mystical relation between microcosm and macrocosm.
Why Stephanus needs all this becomes clear from the description of the passion of copper
during the alchemical experiments. Stephanus affirms that "copper, like a man, has bothsoul and spirit,,;98 but he knows that copper is not gold. What is missing from the "being"
copper, is the perfection, which can be given to it, according to the principles x and xi. A
basic principle in alchemy is that of the unity of the world, expressed by many passages of
similar content referring to the one nature, identified with the whole. The physical bodies are
said to be composed of the four cosmic elements, which are in a dynamic state having births,
destructions, changes and reversions from one to another. This is the physical principle
underlying the possibility of the transmutation of various metals to gold.
As far as the mathematical sciences are concerned, it is necessary that all the sciences of
the quadrivium be introduced. Geometry offers its immaterial figures as a static model for
the description of the structure of atoms or indivisible bodies99 in the material world.
Arithmetic, considered as mystical Pythagorean number theory, provides the correspon-
dence between qualities of numbers and qualities of things in a dynamic state; this
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
7/13
PublishedbyManeyPublishing(c)SocietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
STEPHANUS OF ALEXANDRIA 127
is made through the exact calculation of the tn)V
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
8/13
PublishedbyManeyPublishing(c)SocietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
128 MARIA PAPA THANASSIOU
simply representative of the alchemy of his time. III I think his work points to the
introduction of an alchemical cosmology, embracing microcosm and macrocosm. Although
his research method [ i .e . the philosopher's method mentioned as principle ii], being based
upon known theories and pointing to a global idea of the world, does not always lead to a new
original theory, we cannot deny that Stephanus succeeds in introducing some original
explanations of alchemical phenomena, or in extending known correspondences to alchemy.
Although his text is divided into nine lectures, I do not think his aim is a simple teaching of
some alchemical notions or practices. I suppose rather that he desires to show the universal
character of alchemy, transforming it into cosmology and including it in the broad field of
science and philosophy. In this way, alchemy can share omnipotence with wisdom and gain
assimilation to God through philosophy.
NOTES
I. R. Vancourt, Les derniers commentateurs alexandrins d'Aristote; L'ecole d'Olympiodore. }.'tienne d'Alexandrie, (These),Lille, 1941. 1.G. Westerink, (I) Anonymous Prolegomena to Platonic Philosophy, Amsterdam, 1962, XXIV-XXV;
(2 ) The Creek Commentaries on Plato's Phaedo; I Olympiodorus, Amsterdam, 1976,20-23. H. Blumenthal, "John
Philoponus and Stephanus of Alexandria: Two Neoplatonic Christian Commentators on Aristotle?", in:
Studies in Neoplatonism: Ancient and Afodern, III Neoplatonism and Christian Thought, D. J. O'.Meara, 1982,54-63,
244-246.
2. C. A. Browne, Rhetorical and religious aspects of Greek alchemy, Ambix, 2 (1938),129-137. (Here 129-131).
3. H. D. Saffrey, "Presentation", in: Les Alchimistes grecs (=AG), I (texte etabli et traduit par R. Halleux), Bude,
Paris 1981, VII-XV. (Here XIII-XIV).
4. Against the opinion that Stephanus of Alexandria is the writer of this alchemical work are: H. U sener, D eStepha no Alexandrino, Bonn 1879 =Kl. Schriften III, Leipzig-Berlin 1914, 247-266, here 256. K. Krumbacher,
Ceschichte der byzantinischen Literatur, 1897, 62 I. K. H. Dannenfeldt, "Stephanus of Alexandria", Dictionary of
Scientific Biography (=DBS), XIII, 37-38. Pro this opinion are: 1\11.Berthelot, Les Origines de l'Alchimie, Paris,
1885, IOO, 200. E. O. von Lippmann, Entstehung und Ausbreitung der Alchemie, Berlin 1919, I04. L
Hammer-Jensen, "Die aelteste Alchymie", Kgl. Danske Vidensk. Selsk., I-list.-filol. Afedd. IV/2, K0benhavn 1921,
146,148. F. Sherwood Taylor (as in n.IO) 116-117. R. Vancourt (as in n.l) 30. A.J. Festugiere, La revelation
d'Hermes Trismigiste, I-IV, Paris 1944, I 239f. A. Lumpe, "Stephanos von Alexandricn und Kaiser
Herakleios", Class. and JHediaev. Dissertationes, 9 (I973), 150-159, here 158-159. O. Neugebauer, A History of
Ancien t iHa them atic alA stro nom y, I-III, Springer, Berlin, 1975, II I050, I051, n.53, 54. H. Hunger, Die
hochsprachliche profane Literatur der Byzantiner, I-II, .Muenchen, 1978, II 280. The question remains open for: 1.
G. Westerink (as in n.I), (I) XXV, (2) 22. E. Chauvon, "Etude sur Ie commentaire astronomique de
Stephanos d' Alexandrie", Afim. de licence dactylograph ii, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1979-1980, 18. P. Lemerle, Le premier
humanisme byzantin; Notes et remarques sur l'enseignement et culture a Byzance des origines au Xe siecle, Paris, 1971/Athens, 21985 (rev. Greek ed.) 335-336. H. D. Saffrey (as in n.3), XIII-XIV. G. Fowden, The Egyptian Hermes,
Cambridge D.P., 1986, 178.
5. Stephani Alexandrini, "De magna et sacra arte", in: I. 1. Ideler, Physici et medici graeci minores (= IDELER), II,
Leipzig, 1842, 199-253.
6. The missing end of the text is contained in Cod. Paris. gr. 2327, f.749~I3, as well as in Cod. Scorial. LV.I I., inJ. Bidez, F. Cumont, A. Delatte, J. Heiberg, O. Lagercrantz, F. Kenyon, J. Ruska, V. de Falco, Catalogue desMa nus crit s Alc him iques Grecs (=C1\IIAG), I-VIII, Bruxelles, 1924-32: I, 21; 11,5; V, 8, 99. O. Lagercrantz,
"Ueber das Verhaeltnis des Codex Parisinus 2327 (=A) zum Cod. Marcianus 299 (=1\11)", in: GiHAC II
(1927), 341-358, IV (1932), 399-432.
7. Democritus Abderita, De arte magna, sive de rebus naturalibus. Nec non Synesii, e t Pelagii, e t Stephani Alexandrini, e t
Mic heli s Pse lli in eundem com men tar ia. Dominicus Pizimentius ed., Padua, 1573. (Steph. p. 23-65).
8. M. Berthelot~Ch. Ruelle, Collection des Ancients Alchimistes Crecs (:;:::CAC), I (Introd.)-II (text grec)-III
(Traduction), Paris, 1888. (The Greek text will be given without reference to vol. II, while its French
translation in vol. III as Trad.)
9. M. Berthelot, Introduction a l 'i tude de la chimie des anciens et au moyen age, Paris, 1888, 288-295. E. Riess,
"Alchemie", in:Real En
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
9/13
PublishedbyManeyPublishing(c)SocietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
STEPHANUS OF ALEXANDRIA 129
I I . See n .3 .
1 2. P ap ers p re se nte d to th e 3 1st In te rn atio na l C on gre ss fo r th e H is to ry o f P ha rm ac y, A th en s, G re ec e, A pr il
1 5-1 8, 1 98 9, a nd to th e 1 8th In te rn atio na l C on gre ss fo r th e H is to ry o f S cie nc e, H am bu rg -M un ic h, B RD ,
August 1-9, 1989, respectively.
1 3. I . H am me r-Je nse n (a s in n .4 ), 4 2-4 3: " lV Iit a nd ere n W orte n, d as c he mis ch e W iss en d es Alte rtu ms m us s m an
bei den Aerzte n suc hen . Die Aer zte , die zug leic h Pharm ako logen waren , sam melten , rein igte n, roe stet en,
pul verisie rten die lV1 inerali en, machten daraus Sal ben und Tin ktu ren "; 58, 59 , 92, 93: "Di e Alchym isten sind
a ug en sc he in lic h b ei d en A e rz te n m eh r a ls be i d en H an dw er ke rn in d ie L eh re g eg an ge n,ja m an fra gt sic h hie r
oef ters , ob der e rs te A lchym is t n icht e in gri echi sch gebil de ter A rzt w ar "; 94, 96.
14. H. G. Liddell-R. Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon (=LS), Oxford, 1968, p. 1917: qJ
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
10/13
PublishedbyManeyPublishing(c)Soc
ietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
MARIA PAP ATHANASSIOU
des especesjaunes. C'est pourquoi l'on dit: "II y a deux blanchiments, l'une seche, l'autre liquide", c'est-a-dire
que dans Ie catalogue du jaune, tu trouveras des plantes et des mineraux. Tu trouveras aussi deux liqueurs:
l'une dans Ie chapitre dujaune, et l'autre dans celui du blanc. Dans Ie chapitre des liqueursjaunes, figurent les
produits obtenus avec les plantes jaunes, telles que Ie saffran, la chelidoine et autres semblables. Dans la liste
des compositions blanches, et parmi les matieres seches, sont toutes les (substances) blanches, telles que laterre de Crete (la craie), la terre de Cimole et autres analogues. I136-9: ils exposent aussi les liqueurs tirees de
seves et des sucs des plantes, des arbres, des fruits, des bois secs et humides. En composant des liqueurs avec
ces substances, ils ont constitue l'art.) See also n.46.
34. Ideler, 2002: f} JtoAAUXPW~lO
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
11/13
PublishedbyManeyPublishing(c)SocietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
STEPHANUS OF ALEXANDRIA
5 7. Id ele r, 2 9 17 -2 10 (. T ay lo r, 4 1.
58. Pedanii Dioscuridis, De materia medica, cd. Kuehn (C. Sprengler) , I, Lipsiae 1829, 75f. (A oy' O'tCXK't ij ), 801f .
(E PAO' 'tEqJPCX), and others.
59. I de ler, 210:U ' Taylor, 41.
6 0. Id eIe r, 2 I234.
61. C AG , ~ 'Y jPlO V : 2113, 2210,482,7113, 764, 127H, 131~) , 1438, 17522,23:) .23, 2 41, 20522186, 251n, 2523, 2575,
2582,2599,12,2604,28818,315,3323,352,31 I(;.n, 3 4620-21, 3472, 35420, 3581 8, 36120, 3753- 8, 38214 , 38614,
455,4112,41923,4210.1;, 439J() , 44013, 446~), 4471, 45513, 45711
62. CAG, 3117: Isis (sec n. 18). 41923: Chr. ~'tOL Yf:VEOf:W':;~'YjPlOU KCXLqJCXp~&KOU.(Trad. 4025-6: lorsqu'on veut
o bte nir to ute so rte d e c ou le ur, p rc pa re r la p ou dre d e p ro je ctio n c t la composi tion [chcrchcc].)
63. CAG, 41 11-4: Chr. cxiO OJ':; (bra ~'Yjpwv OJ':;EJrL 'twv iCX'tpLKWV~'YjPlWV, cxi oE OUV{}f:TOVEXOUOLTijV CPUOLV,
OJ':;cxi ~OAUV'tLKCXLTWV E~JrA&OTpWV, KCXLT < X EJrLXPlO~CXTCXKCXLn x ~WYPCXqJLK
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
12/13
Published
byManeyPublishing(c)SocietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
132 MARIA PAPA THANASSIOU
opera it s ur l es s ubst ances avec des enduit s p laces au dehors , e t f ai sant agi r I e f eu i l e ff ec tuai t l a prepara ti on .
1 76 1-5 : lis a g is se nt a in si p ou r m on tre r la pu iss an ce d e la pr ep ar at io n: p re na nt d es o bje ts d 'a rg en t e t le s
couvr ant d 'un endui tj us qu 'a l a m oit ie , i ls f ont chauf fer l a prepara ti on; e t l or squ' il s enl event l 'obj et , i l est dore
d an s la pa rt ie e nd uite , ta nd is q ue l'a utr e (p ar tie ) re ste i nta ct e) . S ee a lso n .2 0. In P a p. Le id . th ere a re m a ny
recipes to give objects of copper the appearance of gold: AG, 92 #27: XCXAKOVXPlJoocpcxvov~ noCllOl~. 95 #41:
XCXAKOVXpCOl~. 'Ew {tEAllL~ XCXAKOVciPyupolJ XPw!-tcx EXELV. 96 #46: XCXAKO~XPlJooCPCXVl1~.XCXAKOV
XPOl(XV XPlJOWL E!-tcpEpil EIvCXL... a!-toLOv YeXpdbo~ EXEL'to EnLXPw{}Ev 1 1 YPCXCPEV.97 # #48, 5 0, 5 3, 55:f \PyuPOl J X puow ou; ( gi ld ing of s il ver) .
87. Ideler , 23212-13.
88. I del er , 20134- 35 ' Taylor, 125.
89. I de1er, 21514- 15; c f. 20630 ,
9 0. Id e1 er, 2 00 17 ' T ay lo r, 1 21 .
91. C f. Phil os ophy as acqui si ti on of s ci ence ( Pl at o Euthd. 288d) and as pract ice of s ui tabl e art ( St oi c. i n Placito I.
Prooem.2).
92. Ideler, 24131. CAG, 705-6: Olymp. ' tEXVll~ E!-tCPLAoooCPOlJ.
93. Ideler, 20230-235, 22322-31, 22421-23,2261-4. Taylor, 127, LS, p. 81: cX!- tEpil~and p. 271: eX'to!-to~=indivis ible.
94. P l a to , T im aeus, 55e-56b. F. C orn fo rd ( as in n -4 I), 2 22 -2 24 . R . Ha lle ux ( as in n.4 1) , 8 5-9 0.
95. Idler , 2241-16, 2251-4 Aris totle, Meteorologica,
I . i ii 34ob24- 25, i v 341 b8- 13; II . i ii 358a2o- 24, i v 360b30-361a4; III. v i 3 78 aI 7-3 78 b6 . R . H al le ux (a n i n n.4 1), 9 7- 10 1.
9 6. Id ele r, 2 265-8.
97. Ideler,21631_37 .
98. I de ler, 21011-12 ' Tayl or , 41.
99 Ide1er, 22322-28, 22421-23'
100. Ide1er, 22522: IVCXeXnCcxw'tov dlpw!-tEV ' tov 6VO~LCX'tO~'tilv bUVCX!-tLV,22712-14, 22811[, c r . N o vum Tes ta men tu m
Graece (e d. E . N es tle -K . A la nd ), A po ka ly ps is , c h. 1 3, 1 7-1 8.
101. Ideler , 2258-13,19-20,33-37, 22625-37, 2 27 , 2 28 . O n th e so lu tio n o f th e r id dle s ee : H . K op p, D i e A l ch emie i n a e l te r e r
u n d n eu e re r Ze i t, Bd . II, H eidel berg , 1886, 157, 293.
102. Alloy of four metals . CAG, 962-36-7: Olymp. Tov YeXp!-toAlJ~bov EInov WOV 'to EK tWV 'tEOOcXPWVOW!-tcX'tWV,
w ~ nou C Pll Ol V 6 ZWOl!- tO~ . .. T& YeXp'tEOOCXPCXow!-tcx'tcx ~ 'tE'tPCXOW!-tCcxEo'tCv. (Trad. 10412-13,17-18: J 'ai dit
que I e p lom b est l 'oeuf ( phil os ophique), com pos e des quat re e lem ents ; Zosi me l 'expos e aus si quelque par t . ..
En eff et l es quat re cor ps f or ment l a te tr as om ie .)
103. I de ler, 2238-15, 22634-35, 2271-2' R. Eis ler, Wel tenmante l und Himmels: : :;e i t , M ue nc he n, 1 91 0, 45 1 A nm .4 . C CA G,V II, 1 04 14 -2 9 (C od . 7 = M on ac . 2 87 , f .I 05 v, A ') . C AG , 8 78 -8 84 : O ly mp . K CX L !- tU pL CXX PlJ OW PlJ XE tC X
YEYPCXcpl1KCXOl, c X A A e X K cxl i EpcX 't El JO C XV C X U 't cX ,... c X A A e X Kcxl {}EOEL~'tWV iEpwv 'tfi~
Eio~cXOEW~ cxv'twv npo~ 'teX 'tEOOCXPCXKAC!-tCX'tCXcXCPOPWV'tE~,nov !-tEV 'tilv cXvcx'toAilv bLCXbov'tE~ 'tfiLAElJKilL OUOCCXL ,'ti lv bE bUOlV ' ti lL SCXv{}i lL... 21820-25: Zos. ~LeX 'tOV'to KCXLouoCcx~ EKcXAEOEV'teX 'tEOOCXPCX
YPcX!-t!-tcx'tcx6 CPLAOOOCPO~'tilL EVWOEL 'til~ OUOLo'tll'to~ EAKOlJOCX~'to ESW{}EV bLCXXPL0!-tEVOVcpcXp!-tCXKOV.
Kcxl a'tL wonE p 'teX o'toLXElcx Ei~ ECXlJ'teXcXVCXAlJO!-tEVCXncXv'tcx KCX'tEpYcX~E'tCXL,ou'tw KCXL~ 'tExvll. Kcxl monEp
cxi 'tEOOCXPE~ 'tponcxl !-tE'tCX~CXAAO!-tEVCXLV LKW O lV ' teX ~ npo 't Epcx~ K PcX O EL~, 01J LW K C XL cxi ' tEX VC X L
'tcxI~ !-tE'tcx~oAcxI~VLKWOl 'teX~CPUOEL~~( Tr ad. 9321- 942: N on s eulem ent i ls ont decri t m il le pro cedes pour f ai re
de l'or ; m ais encor e i ls ont r it ua li se ces choses. 11s ont donne l es mesures des excavati ons e t des i nt er vall es e t
ass igne l es posi ti ons des entr ees e t des s or ti es de l eurs t em ples, en consi derant l es quatr e poin ts car di naux;
a tt ri buant I e l evant a l a s ubst ance b lanche , e t I e couchant a l a s ubst ance j aune. 2 1119-25: C 'est aus si pour cet te
r ai son que I e phi losophe appel ai t s ubst ances l es quatr e e lem ents . Pour uni fi er l eur s ubs tant ia li te , e ll es a tt ir ent
d an s leu r in te rie ur la pre pa ra tio n e nd uite a leu r e xte rieu r. D e m em e q ue le s e le me nts d isso us e n eu x
a cc om pli s s en t t ou te s c ho se s, d e m em e a us si l' art; e t d e m em e q ue l es q ua tre tra ns fo rm atio ns tr io mp he nt d esm el an ge s p re ce de nts, d e m em e a us si n os a rts , p ar l es tra ns mu ta tio ns, tri om ph en t d es n atu re s.)
104. I de ler, 22134-2229, and f or t he cor respondence bet ween m eta ls and p l anet s 24729- 36; the whol e t ex t is f ound i n
C o d . P a ri s . g r . 2327, f .73vI2-23, as wel l as in Cod . Scoria l . I.cp.II, f.69r: C M AG , V , 98 (coLI) .] . R . Part ingt on ,"T he O rig in s o f th e P la ne ta ry S ym bo ls fo r th e M eta ls", in th e " Re po rt o f d isc ussio n u po n c he mic al a nd
alchemical symbolism", Ambix , I (1 93 7),6 1-6 4. R . Ha lle ux , ( as in n .4 1), 1 54 -1 55 .
105. I de ler, 22211- 20. LS, 409: bL
8/13/2019 Papathanassiou -- Stephanus of Alexandria Pharmaceutical Notions and Cosmology in His Alchemical Work
13/13
Publishedb
yManeyPublishing(c)Soc
ietyfortheHistoryofAlchemyandChemistry
STEPHANUS OF ALEXANDRIA 133
a nc ie nts e xperi me nt, en dis ant que l'homm e e st l' im age du m onde ; c e que r appor te Zos im e dans s on l ivr e de la
Vertue. De me me la terre est l'image du monde.) ~
108. CAG, 808-12: Olymp. Jl&AlV TlVE~ OUPCXvav CXUTaV [Aycx{}oc>cxC~ovcx] EK&AEOCXV.Kcxl T&XCXWC>EXEl A6yov
C>lcXTO KOO~lKaV ~C~ll~CX. 'IEPOYPCX~~CXTEI~ YcXP TlVE~ TroV AiYUJlTCwV ~0'lJA6~EVOl K6o~ov EYXCXp&SCXlEV
ToI~ 6~EACOKOl~ ilEV ToI~ iEPCXTlKOI~ YP&~~CXGlV, c>p&KOVTCXEYKOA&JlTO'lJGlV oupo~6pov. TO C>E oro~cxCXUTO'VKCXT&OTlKTOVlm&pXEl Jlpa~ TTjv C>l&{}EGlV TroV &OTEpWV. (Trad. 8714-18: D'autre l'ont appe1e
[Agat hodem on] I e Ciel , e t peut- et re t ie nt- on c e la nguage par ce que Ie se rpent es t l 'im age du monde. En eff et,
c er ta ins hi erogr am ma tes e gypti ens, voula nt r et ra ce r I e monde sur le s obe li sque s, ou l'exprim er e n c ar act ere s
s acr es, ont gra ve I e s erpent Ouroboros . Or s on c orps es t cons te lle d 'a str es.) See a ls o H.J. Sheppa rd, " Eggs ymboli sm in Alc he my", i n: Ambix, 6 (1958),140-148, he re 141,146; " The Qur oboros a nd t he unity of m at te r in Alchemy: A study in origins", in Ambix, 10 (1962),83-96, here 83, 88,94-95.
109. Ide1er, 24431-37, 2451-7.
110. I de 1er , 2036- 14' E. We lle sz, " lYfusic i n the t rea tis es of gre ek Gnost ic s and Alc he mis ts ", i n: Ambix, 4 (1951),
145- 158, here 153- 154
II1. Taylor, 119.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1958)6L.140[aid=9048610]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1958)6L.140[aid=9048610]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1958)6L.140[aid=9048610]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1951)4L.145[aid=9048609]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1951)4L.145[aid=9048609]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1951)4L.145[aid=9048609]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1951)4L.145[aid=9048609]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1958)6L.140[aid=9048610]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1958)6L.140[aid=9048610]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1958)6L.140[aid=9048610]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1951)4L.145[aid=9048609]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1951)4L.145[aid=9048609]http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/external-references?article=0002-6980(1951)4L.145[aid=9048609]