Zosima Panopolitan

Zosima of Panopolitan ( Zosima of Panopolis , c. 300 ) - an alchemist of the Roman era, who worked in Alexandria .

Born in Panopolis (now Akhmim , Egypt ). By origin Zosima was most likely an Egyptian , ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} or Greek . ^{[5] [6]} Rafael Patai however suggested that Zosima came from the Alexandrian Chaldeans.

There are 28 incomplete and distorted books of Zosima. They described some practical techniques: “fixation”, or hardening, Hg — probably the manufacture of mercury amalgams , “tetrasomats”; The techniques of imitations of Au and Ag are described. Zosim expressed the idea of ​​a philosopher's stone - a hypothetical substance capable of turning base metals into perfect ones - gold and silver. Zosim described a number of alchemical devices, the process of formation of lead acetate and indicated its sweet taste.

Zosima, apparently, was one of the first to mention the name “chemistry” in the understanding of “sacred secret art” (some authors believe that this name in the manuscript of Zosima’s work is a later insertion). Zosima sets forth the legend that this art was transferred to people by fallen angels who, after the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise, converged with human daughters and, in reward for their love, informed them of the techniques of "secret art". ^[7] .