The crucible of alchemy

Today there’s a clear delineation between the concepts of religion, magic, and science, but this is a relatively recent invention, and one that’s intricately entwined with the history of alchemy. In the 3rd century Roman province of Aegyptus, however, such a distinction wasn’t made in the same way that we do now. The world was understood on the basis of empirical evidence filtered through the philosophies and mythologies of a wide range of religions and cultures, and from this unique, curious mixture rose a new way of seeing. Some historians may try to argue in favour of a purely exoteric beginning for alchemy – that its roots are entirely material, artisanal, and proto-scientific – while others prefer focusing on its esoteric aspects, its myth and mysticism and even magic. The division between the two is a modern one, however, coined by British writer Mary Anne Atwood (see p124) in the 19th century. 1700 years ago, the multicultural artisans of Alexandria, the capital of Aegyptus, didn’t split ideas into hypothetical versus substantial applications or divide them into sections labelled real, fanciful, and downright made-up. Instead, they encompassed them all into one interconnected, holistic, practical yet arcane worldview that was full of possibilities. It’s this worldview that radically influenced how alchemy began, and it could have only arisen the way it did in the unique society of Alexandria.

Situated in the north of Egypt, on the Mediterranean coast and the now defunct Canopic branch of the Nile, then a sizeable channel capable of supporting the deepwater ships that ferried cargoes of metal in and out of the small port town of Rhacotis, the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt