This page seeks to serve as a central listing of all editions and translations of Greek alchemical texts that are in progress or have recently been completed.
How to contribute
This list is a work in progress. All scholars are invited to contribute to the list with updates, errors, and missing information by writing to Alexandre Roberts (robe941@usc.edu).
The authors of scholarly studies and editions are also invited to post offprints of their work to the Alchemy Group of the free, not-for-profit, open access repository Humanities Commons. If you do not yet have a Humanities Commons account, you can register for a free account here.
Collaborators
- Flavio Bevacqua (University of Padua, Italy)
- Gerasimos Merianos (National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece)
- Alexandre Roberts (University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California)
Bibliography
The starting point for the following list is these publications:
- M. Mertens, Zosime de Panopolis. Mémoires authentiques, Les alchimistes grecs 4.1 (Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1995), XXII–XLIII.
- A. M. Roberts, “Framing a Middle Byzantine Alchemical Codex,” Dumbarton Oaks Papers 73 (2019): 69–102, esp. 88–90.
Editions cited
- Papathanassiou, Maria, ed. 2017. Stephanos von Alexandreia und sein alchemistisches Werk. Athens. M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, M9, M10
- Martelli, Matteo, ed./trans. 2011. Pseudo-Democrito. Scritti alchemici. Con il commentario di Sinesio. Textes et Travaux de Chrysopœia 12. Paris and Milan. [Republished with English translation in The Four Books of Pseudo-Democritus, ed. M. Martelli, supplement to Ambix vol. 60 (Leeds, 2013).] M24, M25, M26, A60(extracts)
- Mertens, Michèle, ed./trans. 1995. Zosime de Panopolis. Mémoires authentiques. Les alchimistes grecs 4.1. Paris: Les Belles Lettres.
- Steiner, Shannon, ed./trans. 2022. “Nikephoros Blemmydes: Concerning Gold Making.” In The Visual Culture of Later Byzantium (c.1081–c.1350), ed. Foteini Spingou, 432–444. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sigla
M = Marc. gr. 299
A = Paris. gr. 2327
B = Paris. gr. 2325
The List
(Arranged in the order of the table of contents of M, numbered accordingly. Currently, only those texts in M are listed; those in A and B but not in M will be added in the future.)
| M | A | B | Author (attributed) | Title (English) | Title (Greek) | M folios | Editions/Translations (complete) | Editions/Translations in Progress |
| 1 | Stephen of Alexandria | On the Great and Sacred Art of Making Gold, [Lecture 1] | Στεφάνου Ἀλεξανδρέως οἰκουμενικοῦ φιλοσόφου Πε(ρὶ) τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ θείας τέχνης τῆς τοῦ χρυσοῦ ποιήσεως | 8r-10r | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 2 | Stephen of Alexandria | Lecture 2 | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πράξις [sic] Δευτέρα | 10r-13v | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 3 | Stephen of Alexandria | Letter to Theodore | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἐπιστο(λὴ) πρὸς Θεόδωρον | 13v-14r | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 4 | Stephen of Alexandria | Lecture 3 on the Material World | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πε(ρὶ) τοῦ ἐνὕλου [sic] κόσμου, πρᾶξις Τρίτη | 14r-16v | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 5 | Stephen of Alexandria | Lecture 4 on [the Book] Concerning Action | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Εἰς τὸ Κατ’ ἐνέργειαν, πράξις [sic] τετάρτη | 16v-20v | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 6 | Stephen of Alexandria | Lecture 5 on a similar topic | τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὁμοίως, πράξις [sic] εʹ | 20v-23v | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 7 | Stephen of Alexandria | Lecture 6 | τοῦ αὐτοῦ φιλοσόφου πράξις [sic] ςʹ | 23v-28v | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 8 | Stephen of Alexandria | Lecture 7 | τοῦ αὐτοῦ πράξις [sic] ζʹ | 29r-33r | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 9 | Stephen of Alexandria | Lecture 8 on the the Division of the Sacred Art | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πε(ρὶ) τομῆς τῆς ἱερᾶς τέχνης, πράξις [sic] ηʹ | 33r29-36v | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 10 | Stephen of Alexandria | Lecture 9, Lesson [addressed] to the Emperor Heraclius | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Διδασκαλ(ί)α πρὸς Ἡρακλειο(ν) [sic] τὸν βασι(λέα), πράξις [sic] θʹ | 36v-39v; end missing | Papathanassiou 2017 | |||
| 11 | Heraclius | On Chemistry, to Modestus, Patriarch of Holy City | Ἡρακλείου βασιλ(έως) Πε(ρὶ) χίμης πρ(ὸς) Μόδεστον ἱεράρχ(ην) τῆς Ἁγίας Πό(λεως) | lacuna | ||||
| 12 | Heraclius | 35 Chapters on Making Gold | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἡρακλείου Κεφάλ(αι)α πε(ρὶ) τῆς τοῦ χρυσοῦ ποιήσεω(ς) ιαʹ | lacuna | ||||
| 13 | Heraclius | Meeting on the Philosophers’ Quest for the Sacret Art | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἡρακλ(είου) Σύλλογος πε(ρὶ) τῆς τῶ(ν) φιλο(σόφων) ἐπιζητήσεως τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης τέχνης | lacuna | ||||
| 14 | Justinian | A Letter | Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως Ἐπιστολή | lacuna | ||||
| 15 | Justinian | 5 Chapters on the Divine Art, and Discourse to the Philosophers | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰουστινιανοῦ Κεφάλαια εʹ πε(ρὶ) τῆς θείας τέχ(νης) καὶ διάλεξις πρὸς τοὺς φιλοσόφους | lacuna | ||||
| 16 | Komerios [read: Komarios?] | Discourse to Cleopatra | Κομερίου φιλοσόφου Διάλεξις πρὸς Κλεοπάτραν | lacuna | ||||
| 17 | Dialogue of Philosophers and Cleopatra | Διάλογος φιλοσόφων καὶ Κλεοπάτρας | 40r1?-43v; beginning missing | |||||
| 18 | Heliodoros | To Emperor Theodosios, on this Divine Art, in iambic verse | Ἡλιοδώρου φιλοσόφου Πρὸς Θεοδόσιον τὸν βασιλέα / Πε(ρὶ) τῆς θείας ταύτης τέχνης, διὰ στίχ(ων) ἰάμβων | 43v-48r | ||||
| 19 | Theophrastos | On the same Art, likewise in verse | Θεοφράστου φιλοσόφου Πε(ρὶ) τ(ῆ)ς αὐτ(ῆ)ς τέχν(η)ς ὁμοίως δι(ὰ) στίχων | 48v-53r6 | ||||
| 20 | Hierotheos | On the same Divine Art, in verse | Ἱεροθέου φιλοσόφου Πε(ρὶ) τ(ῆ)ς αὐτ(ῆ)ς θείας τέχν(η)ς, διὰ στίχων | 53r7-57r5 | ||||
| 21 | Archelaos | On this Divine and Sacred Art, in verse | Ἀρχελάου φιλοσόφου Πε(ρὶ) τ(ῆ)ς θείας ταύτ(ης) κ(αὶ) ἱερας [sic] τέχ(νης), δια [sic] στίχων | 57r6-62v20 | ||||
| 22 | Pelagios | On Making Gold | Πελαγίου φιλοσόφου Πε(ρὶ) χρυσοποιΐας | 62v-66r | ||||
| 23 | Ostanes | To Petasios on the same Sacred Art | Ὀστάνου φιλοσόφου πρ(ὸς) Πετάσιον πε(ρὶ) τ(ῆ)ς αὐτ(ῆς) ἱερᾶς τέχνης | 66rvo | ||||
| 24 | Democritus | On Making Purple and Gold, Physics and Arcana | Δημοκρίτ(ο)υ Πε(ρὶ) πορφύρ(α)ς κ(αὶ) χρυσοῦ ποιήσεω(ς), Φυσικὰ κ(αὶ) μυστι(κά) | 66v-71r | Martelli 2011 | |||
| 25 | Democritus | On Making Silver | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πε(ρὶ) ἀσήμου ποιήσεως | 71r-72v | Martelli 2011 | |||
| 26 | Synesios | Discourse to Dioskoros on the Divine Democritus’s Book | Συνεσίου φιλοσόφου πρὸς Διόσκορον Διάλεξις πε(ρὶ) τῆς τοῦ θείου Δημοκρίτου βίβλου | 72v-78r | Martelli 2011 | |||
| 27 | Anonymous Philosopher | On Divine Water | Ἀνεπιγράφου φιλοσόφου Πε(ρὶ) θείου ὕδατος | 78r-79r | F. Bevacqua (Univ. of Padua; ed./trans. Italian and English, as of August 2022) | |||
| 28 | Anonymous Philosopher | On Making Gold | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Περὶ χρυσοποιΐας | 79r-92v | F. Bevacqua (Univ. of Padua; ed./trans. Italian and English, as of August 2022) | |||
| 29 | Zosimos | On Excellence | Ζωσίμου Πανοπολίτου Πε(ρὶ) ἀρετῆς | 92v-95v | ||||
| 30 | Agathodaimon | A Chapter | Ἀγαθοδαίμονος Κεφάλαιον | 95v | ||||
| 31 | Hermes, Zosimos, Neilos and Africanus | Chapters | Ἑρμοῦ, Ζωσίμου, Νείλου<,> Ἀφρικανοῦ Κεφάλαια | 95v; all but first chapter missing | ||||
| 32 | Zosimos | 35 Chapters to Eusebeia | Ζωσίμου φιλοσόφου πρὸς Εὐσέβειαν Πε(ρὶ) τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ θείας τέχνης κεφάλαια λεʹ | 141r-163r; beginning missing | On Making Beer (f. 162r) G. Merianos (ed./trans. English) | |||
| 33 | Olympiodoros | On Zosimos’s Concerning Action | Ὀλυμπιοδώρου φιλοσόφου Εἰς τ(ὸ) κατ’ ἐνέργειαν Ζωσίμου | 163r-179r | ||||
| 34 | Zosimos | 15 Chapters to Theodore | Ζωσίμου πρὸς Θεόδωρον Κεφάλαια ιεʹ | 179r-180v | ||||
| 35 | Anonymous Philosopher | On Making Gold | Ἀνεπιγράφου φιλοσόφου Πε(ρὶ) χρυσοποιΐας | 181r–184v | F. Bevacqua (Univ. of Padua; ed./trans. Italian and English, as of August 2022) | |||
| 36 | Pappos | On the Divine Art | Πάππου φιλοσόφου Πε(ρὶ) τῆς θείας τέχνης | 184v-185r | ||||
| 37 | Moses | On the Doubling of Gold | Μωσέως Πε(ρὶ) διπλώσεως χρυσοῦ | 185r | ||||
| 38 | Eugenios and Hierotheos | Chapters | Εὐγενίου καὶ Ἱεροθέου Κεφάλαια | 185r-186r | ||||
| 39 | Zosimos | On Instruments and Furnaces | Ζωσίμου Πε(ρὶ) ὀργάνων καὶ καμίνων | 186r-188r | ||||
| 40 | Zosimos | On Divine Water | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πε(ρὶ) θείου ὕδατος | 188r | ||||
| 41 | Zosimos | On Instruments and Furnaces, Authentic Memoirs | τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πε(ρὶ) ὀργάνων κ(αὶ) καμίνων γνήσια ὑπομνήματα | 189r-196v, 112r-118r | ||||
| 42 | Dyeing, or Transformation of Fire-Copper into White-Copper | Βαφὴ ἤτοι μεταβολὴ πυροχάλκου πρὸς ἀσπρόχαλκον | 118r-118v | |||||
| 43 | Dyeing and Making Indian-Iron | Βαφὴ καὶ ποίησις τοῦ ἰνδικοῦ σιδήρου | 118v, 104r1 | |||||
| 44 | Dyeing for Swords and Stone-Cutters’ Tools | Βαφὴ πρὸς ξίφη κ(αὶ) ἐργαλεῖα λαξευτικά | 104r2-106r | |||||
| 45 | On Silver and Quicksilver and Cinnabar, fabrication | Πε(ρὶ) ἀσήμου κ(αὶ) ὑδραργύρου κ(αὶ) κινναβάρεως ποίησις | 106r-108r | |||||
| 46 | [Extracts] from Cleopatra’s On Measures and Weights | Ἐκ τῶν Κλεοπάτρας Πε(ρὶ) μέτρων καὶ σταθμῶν | 108v1-110r5 | |||||
| 47 | The Christian | On the Stability of Gold | τοῦ Χριστιανοῦ Πε(ρὶ) εὐσταθείας τοῦ χρυσοῦ | 110r–111v29 | ||||
| 48 | The Christian | On Making Gold, 30 Chapters | τοῦ αὐτ(οῦ) Πε(ρὶ) χρυσοποιΐας κεφάλαια λʹ | 96r-101r [?], 101r-103v29, 119r-128v | ||||
| 49 | On the Variety of Lead and On Gold-Leaf | Πε(ρὶ) διαφορᾶς μολίβδου κ(αὶ) πε(ρὶ) χρυσοπετάλων | 130r-131r | |||||
| 50 | Alphabetical Lexicon of Gold-Making | Λεξικὸν καταστοιχεῖον τῆς χρυσοποιΐας | 131r-136v | |||||
| 51 | Other Chapters by Different Makers, On Making Gold | ἕτερα κεφάλ(αι)α διαφόρων ποιητῶ(ν) περ(ὶ) χρυσοποιΐας | 136v-138r | |||||
| 52 | Agatharchides | On the Red Sea (now lost), extracts about gold mines from Photios, Bibliotheca | 138r-140v | |||||
| Nikephoros Blemmydes | On Making Gold by Means of Egg | Περὶ τῆς ὠοχρυσοποιίας | Paris. gr. 2509, ff. 137r–139r; Paris. gr. 2329, ff. 159r–161r | Steiner 2022 |
Last updated August 2022.