325 = Hippiatrica Berolinensia 34.10). A Euboulos appears in V’s list of Greek writers on
agriculture (RR 1.1.9) added by C D to Mago ̄n’s agricultural treatise
(cf. C, 1.1.11). Pelagonius and Hierokle ̄s may have used sources derived from
Cassius Dionusios.
RE 6.1 (1907) 879 (#18), M. Wellmann; Fischer (1980); CHG v. 1; McCabe (2007) 159, 168, 236–237.
Anne McCabe and Philip Thibodeau
Euboulos (Pharm.) (250 BCE? – 80 CE)
A quotes two of Euboulus’ recipes: an enema for dysentery compounded
from realgar, copper, acacia, etc., in myrtle wine and infused with warm, diluted wine
(G CMLoc 9.5, 13.297 K.); and a phaia, possibly against venoms, compounded from
litharge, roast copper, verdigris, beeswax, terebinth, ammo ̄niakon incense, opop-
anax, etc. (CMGen 6.1, 13.911–912 K.; cf. 3.9, 13.650 K.). Phaia (dark) plasters are so-called
probably because of their colorful mineral ingredients.
RE 6.1 (1907) 879 (#19), M. Wellmann.
Alain Touwaide
E- ⇒ E-
Euclid of Alexandria (300 – 260 BCE)
We have remarkably little personal information about Euclid (Eukleide ̄s), arguably the most
influential mathematician who ever lived. P (Collection 7.35, p. 678.10–12 H.) says that
A P studied with Euclid’s students in Alexandria, suggesting a floruit in
the middle of the 3rd c. . P (In Eucl. p. 68.10–11 Fr.) makes Euclid a contempor-
ary of the first Ptolemy (d. 282), but his evidence does not inspire confidence. The standard
edition of Euclid’s works (Heiberg and Menge) includes the following complete texts in
Greek: Elements, 13 books (vv. 1–4) plus a 14th book written by H and a 15th book
at least in part due to a pupil of the elder I M (v. 5); Data (v. 6); Optics (in
two recensions) and Catoptrics (v. 7); Phenomena, Sectio Canonis, and Introductio Harmonica (v. 8).
Volume 8 also contains textual evidence relating to non-extant works ascribed in ancient
sources to Euclid: On Divisions, Fallacies, Porisms, Conics, and Surface Loci. Arabic evidence
indicates that Euclid also wrote on mechanics.
Mathematical texts are especially vulnerable to “improvements,” inserted “explanations,”
and recasting, as is shown, for example, by the 14th and 15th books of the Elements and the
two recensions of the Optics. Most Greek MSS of the Elements and all early printed versions
derive from an edition by T A, whereas the standard printed edition
purports to be pre-Theonine. There are considerable variations between our Greek text and
Arabic translations and also among the Greek MSS themselves. Because the texts are so
subject to tampering, it is really not possible to speak about exactly what Euclid wrote, but
only about whether a work is based on something Euclid could have written. Of the com-
plete works published in the standard edition, only the Introductio Harmonica is universally
rejected as non-Euclidean in this sense. Older scholars tended to consider the Catoptrics and
Sectio Canonis spurious, but both works have been defended as Euclidean in more recent
years (the Sectio is treated in a separate entry). Only the other surviving works which can be
EUBOULOS (PHARM.)