Alexandria and Alchemy

Around 500 the Nestorians were banished from Syria. They moved to Persia where they were protected by the Shah. There they founded schools in the style of Alexandria and translated the works of Plato, Aristotle, and some of the early alchemical writers into Syrian. Astronomy, astrology, medicine, and alchemy were among the subjects taught at their schools— and from these schools we will see the science of Alexandria resurface. 

The first laboratory workers were alchemists, and their principal goal was the conversion of base metals into gold. Alchemy was first practised in Alexandria, and the Hellenistic phase of alchemy lasted until the seventh century AD, when the dramatic expansion of Islam occurred. For the next 500 years the chief practitioners of alchemy came from the world of Islam. Then, in the twelfth century, when Islamic power was in decline, Arabic alchemical manuscripts began to be translated into Latin, and the European phase of alchemy began. The art was practised in Europe for the next 500 years, before entering a slow decline. 

It was in the great school of Alexandria that these separate paths came together and eventually led to the alchemy and iatrochemistry of future generations and, eventually, the chemistry of modern science. 

Stephanos of Alexandria. "From The great and sacred art of the making of gold." In The alchemy reader, ed. Stanton J. Linden, 54-60.. ... 

Versluis, Arthur. "The Alchemy of art." In ALEXANDRIA Cosmology, Philosophy, Myth, and Culture. 3 ed. Phanes Press. 

The early center of alchemy was the intellectual capital of ancient Greece, Alexandria. Very little remains of the original alchemical manuscripts from ancient Greece. The rise of Christianity and concerns about disrupting the economy eventually led the Roman Emperor Diocletian to... 

These events horrified the young Khalid, and he withdrew from court life to study the sciences. In Alexandria, Khalid furthered his studies of alchemy under a Christian scholar by the name of Morienus, who is supposed to be have been a pupil of Stephanos of Alexandria (fl. 610—641), perhaps the most eminent alchemist in Egypt since the time of Zosimos. 

With the passing of Frater Albertus in 1984, there seemed to be a void in alchemical teachings and a lack of a central point where students could exchange information. By the early nineties, through the efforts of several PRS students, contact with a French group was made and the Philosophers of Nature (PON) was formulated to fill the void with fresh ideas and to carry on research in alchemy. The PON closed in the late nineties. Now we have the Internet—the new "Library of Alexandria." As we shall see, chemistry, left to grow unfettered, has nearly come full circle to rediscover the Hermetic Philosophy. 

About 3 AoD Alchemy spread from Alexandria to Syria, Mesopotamia drag) and Persia (Iran). 

---