Alchemical lexica in Syriac: planetary signs, code names and medicines

Abstract

Technical terminology and Decknamen represent key hallmarks of the alchemical literature in different traditions. The opacity of this vocabulary makes the reading of alchemical texts difficult and, in order to cope with similar challenges, Byzantine, Syriac and Arabic scholars soon started compiling technical vocabularies. In my paper I shall investigate two (partially overlapping) lexica, which open the BL Syriac alchemical MSS Egerton 709 and Oriental 1593. On the one hand, I will explore the variety of sources used by the anonymous compiler(s) to assemble these useful tools (Byzantine alchemists as well as the Greek medical tradition; Syro-Arabic lexicography). On the other, particular attention will be given to the structure and mise en page of the two lexica, which will be compared with analogous alchemical dictionaries in the Byzantine (e.g. MS Marcianus gr. 299) and Arabic (e.g. MS Gotha 1261) traditions.

Exploring the ancient chemistry of mercury

“…Indeed, in his writings, Zosimus seems to classify different types of mercury in accordance with the metals used in its extraction. In a long list of code names used for mercury, he also refers to it as “water of copper” and “water of lead”, and he mentions various names given to “mercury from copper”, “mercury from lead”, and “mercury from tin” ( 19 , 20 ), as if the metals used in the cold extraction technique were conceptualized as sources of mercury along with cinnabar.…”