Ed.: U. Weisser, “Buch über der Schöpfung und die Darstellung der Natur” von Pseudo-Apollonios von Tyana (1979).
GAS 4 (1971) 77–91; Ullmann (1972) 378–381; GAS 6 (1978) 102–103, 7 (1979) 64–66, 227–229; U.
Weisser, Das “Buch über das Geheimnis der Schöpfung” von Pseudo-Apollonios von Tyana (1980); F.W. Zim-
mermann, review of Weisser 1980, Medical History 25 (1981) 439–440; M. Dzielska, Apollonius of
Tyana in legend and history (1986) 99–108; P. Travaglia, Una Cosmologia Ermetica (2001).
Kevin van Bladel
Apollophane ̄s of Nisibis (280 – 220 BCE)
From Antioch “Mugdonia,” i.e., Nisibis (S B, s.v. Antioch, #3).
Entitled a treatise, Aristo ̄n, in honor of his friend and teacher the Stoic Aristo ̄n of Khios
(Ath. Deipn. 7 [281d]), emphasizing Aristo ̄n’s love of pleasure. Apollophane ̄s also wrote On
Physics arguing that there is no void inside the kosmos (D L 7.140), and
hypothesized that the soul has nine parts (rather than the usual Stoic eight: five senses,
generation, speech, reason), SVF fr. 405.
DPA 1 (1989) 296–297, C. Guérard; GGP 4.2 (1994) 561, P. Steinmetz.
PTK and GLIM
Apollophane ̄s of Seleukeia “Pieria” (223 – 187 BCE)
Court physician in service to Antiokhos III (“the Great”) of the Seleukid monarchy, also
probably wrote a history of his own day (Brown 1961), an important source for some events
in P’ Histories. Apollophane ̄s is a major figure in foiling a plot against Antiokhos in
220 BCE: “Apollophane ̄s, a physician for whom the king had great regard, discerned that
Hermeias [Antiokhos’ chief minister] had no scruples in his attempt to seize power, and
began to be concerned about the king” (Polubios 5.56.1). Warned of the looming treachery,
Antiokhos counter-plotted to entrap Hermeias, publishing a diagnosis of dizziness which
prevented the usual business schedule, and for which court doctors prescribed walks in the
cool morning hours announced to everyone. At the appointed time, Hermeias appeared,
but since the king had taken his stroll some hours earlier, Hermeias was slain with the
daggers of his presumed co-conspirators (5.56.13). Apollophane ̄s’ crucial speech regarding
the coming campaign against Ptolemy IV is quoted verbatim (5.58.3–8). Apollophane ̄s’
prominence is attested by a contemporary honorific inscription from Ko ̄s (Samama #133),
in which the king praises his doctor for supererogatory deeds, who is numbered among the
king’s “friends” (philoi), an elite Hellenistic title (Mastrocinque 147–149; cf. Welles #44;
Sherwin-White 1978: 131–132).
Apollophane ̄s was not content with merely political power: as an Erasistratean
(C A, Acute, 2.173, 175 [pp. 250, 252 Drabkin; CML 6.1.1, pp. 248,
250]), Apollophane ̄s would certainly have been a royal rival to A, and equally
interested in fashioning drugs and antidotes for use at court, including a cooling emollient
plaster suitable for use against burns (2.136 [p. 222 Drabkin; CML 6.1.1, p. 224]). An
anodyne salve for flank-pains (ad laterum dolores) consisted of mastic, powdered frankincense,
four ounces of myrrh, four ounces of ammo ̄niakon, four ounces each of mistletoe and
the kidney-fat from a calf or a goat. In recording this recipe, C (5.18.6) says it “softens
calluses, eases all sorts of pain, and is only slightly warming.” G, quoting A
in CMLoc 8.9 (13.220 K.), registers a similar Apollophanean compound, but augmented
with ground-down iris bulb. For hemorrhoids, he prescribed suppositories fashioned from
antimony-ore, acacia-gum, verdigris, the latex of the opium poppy, frankincense,
APOLLOPHANE ̄S OF SELEUKEIA “PIERIA”