Alphidius, also known as Asfidus, Alfidius, Alvidius, is the author name of an unknown, probably medieval Arab alchemist. Nothing is known about him, except some citations and his writings in the 14th century.
His allegorical symbolism influenced the picture imagination of both the alchemical manuscripts known as
Splendor Solis
''Splendor Solis'' ("The Splendour of the Sun") is a version of the illuminated alchemical text attributed to Salomon Trismosin. This version dates from around 1582.
The earliest version, written in Central German, is dated 1532–1535 and is ...
and
Lamspring. He is also quoted both directly and indirectly in the early Renaissance alchemical manuscript
Aurora Consurgens which cites Alphidius on various accounts : '' Alphidius says men and children pass by Wisdom on the roads and on the streets and that She is trampled underfoot every day by pack animals and livestocks.'' or '' For the science of God shall never perish, as Alphidius attests it. He indeed says : ″Should anyone find this science, it will be for him a rightful and eternal nourishment.″''
An alchemist by the name of Alphidius also appears in the dialogue form ''Rosarium Philosophorum'' (first printed in
De Alchemia
''De Alchemia'' is an early collection of alchemical writings first published by Johannes Petreius in Nuremberg in 1541. A second edition was published in Frankfurt in 1550 by the printer Cyriacus Jacobus.
The full title reads: ''De Alchemia. Opu ...
). According to
Karl Christoph Schmieder there's a handwriting in Latin "''claves de quinque lapide philosophico et alia fragmenti de lapide philosophico Componendo''" from an Alphidius in the library of
San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Lorenzo, Santa Fe
* San Lorenzo Department, Chaco
* Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...
Monastery in
El Escorial
El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial ( es, Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or Monasterio del Escorial (), is a historical residence of the King of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, u ...
. The age is unknown to Schmieder, since an Alphidius is also mentioned in the
Turba Philosophorum
The ''Turba Philosophorum'', also known as ''Assembly of the Philosophers'', is one of the oldest European alchemy texts, translated from the Arabic, like the Picatrix. It is considered to have been written c. 900 A.D.
The text
To quote Plessner, ...
, but he suspects that it may be classified in the Middle Ages (12th century or earlier).
According to Buntz, he is possibly identical to the Asfidus mentioned by
Ibn Umail
Muḥammad ibn Umayl al-Tamīmī ( ar, محمد بن أميل التميمي), known in Latin as Senior Zadith, was an early Muslim alchemist who lived from to
Very little is known about his life. A Vatican Library catalogue lists one manusc ...
.
He was often confused with another Arab alchemist known as
Artephius Artephius (or Artefius) (c. 1150) is a writer to whom a number of alchemical texts are ascribed. Although the roots of the texts are unclear and the identity of their author obscure, at least some of them are Arabic in origin. He is named as the aut ...
.
Sources
* Joachim Telle: ''Alphidius.'' In: ''
Verfasserlexikon
The Verfasserlexikon (full title: ''Die deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters. Verfasserlexikon'') is a Medieval German literature reference book. Currently in its second fully revised edition, it comprises various encyclopaedic articles and accou ...
.'' 2004, Line 11, column 72–75
* Herwig Buntz: ''Alphidius.'' In: ''
Lexikon des Mittelalters
The ''Lexikon des Mittelalters'' ("Lexicon of the Middle Ages", LMA, LexMA) is a German encyclopedia on the history and culture of the Middle Ages. Written by authors from all over the world, it comprises more than 36,000 articles in 9 volumes. H ...
.'' Line 1, 1977, Column 458
References
{{Authority control
14th-century Arabic-language writers
14th-century alchemists