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Transmutation Theory in the Greek Alchemical Corpus
- Author(s):
- Olivier Dufault (see profile)
- Date:
- 2015
- Group(s):
- Alchemy, Late Antiquity
- Subject(s):
- Allegories, Alchemy
- Item Type:
- Article
- Tag(s):
- Greek alchemy, Olympiodorus of Alexandria, transmutation, Zosimus of Panopolis, Alchemical allegory
- Permanent URL:
- http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/6h4g-hs13
- Abstract:
- This paper studies transmutation theory as found in the texts attributed to Zosimus of Panopolis,“the philosopher Synesius,” and “the philosopher Olym-piodorus of Alexandria.” It shows that transmutation theory (i.e. a theory explain-ing the complete transformation of substances) is mostly absent from the work attributed to these three authors. The text attributed to Synesius describes a gilding process, which is similar to those described by Pliny and Vitruvius. The commentary attributed to Olympiodorus is the only text studied here thatdescribes something similar to a transmutation theory. It is unclear, however, if this was a theory of transmutation or if the writer meant something more like the literal meaning of the word “ekstrophê,” a term used to describe the transformation of metals, as the “turning inside-out” of what is hidden in a substance. A similar conception of ekstrophê can be found in the works of Zosimus, who discussed transmutation to make an analogy with self-purification processes,which, from the perspective of his own anthropogony, consisted in the“turning inside-out”of the“inner human” (esô anthrôpos).
- Metadata:
- xml
- Published as:
- Journal article
- Status:
- Published
- Last Updated:
- 4 years ago
- License:
- All Rights Reserved
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