a skilled pharmacological technologist, as evinced by the five multi-staged, multi-ingredient
compounds recorded in the Latin translation of O’ Syn. 7.22 (6.160–161 BDM)
to treat nerve-pain. The ingredients of one of them, to be ground in a mortar and mixed
with beeswax, olive oil, and butter, include beaver castor, terebinth oil, opopanax,
chamomile, and other substances, to produce a narcotic salve (unguentum) called a Bromios
(sc. the god Bacchus, thus a drug acting like strong wine), “a pain-killer (anodinus) good for
luxations and wounded nerves.”
O. Holder-Egger, “Die Chronik des Marcellinus Comes und die oströmischen Fasten,” Neues Archiv 2
(1877) 59–109 at 107; RE 9.1 (1914) 622–623, H. Gossen; E. Jeffreys et al., trans. The Chronicle of
John Malalas (1986); M. and M. Whitby, trans., Chronicon Paschale 284–628 AD (1989); Temkin (1991)
214 – 215 and 222; B. Croke, ed., trans., comm., The Chronicle of Marcellinus (1995); Idem, Count
Marcellinus and his Chronicle (2001) 260.
John Scarborough
Iamblikhos (of Syria?) (ca 50 BCE – 450 CE?)
Wrote a geographical work used by the R C 2.16–19 on Asia Minor
and 4.1–3 on Europe, the Black Sea, and the Bosporos (see also 1.5). The Syrian name
Iamblikhos transliterates ya-mliku, “God rules,” and is attested from ca 50 BCE: C,
Fam. 15.1.2, S 16.2.10. Cf. L G. and P G.
(*)
PTK
Iamblikhos (Alch.) (200 – 800 CE)
Two alchemical recipes are ascribed to Iamblikhos (CAAG 2.285–287): a procedure for tinc-
turing a metal and another for making gold. Whether falsely attributed to the Neo-Platonic
philosopher I or actually written by an homonymous author is unknown.
(*)
Bink Hallum
Iamblikhos of Constantinople (ca 300? – ca 540 CE)
Leontios Skholastikos praises him as a virginal old man, who taught and practiced medicine
without fee (AP 16.272). P A, 3.48.4 (CMG 9.1, p. 258), records that he
prescribed a diet for dropsy; such a diet is described in some detail by A
T (2.455–461 Puschm.). Iamblikhos’ probable contemporary A A
records his digestif salt, like that of M (P.), but substituting for the anise and
seeds of elecampane and nasturcium instead arugula and thistle seeds: 9.24 ( p. 507 Cornarius;
omitted by Zervos 1911: 324–325).
RE 9.1 (1914) 651 (#5), H. Gossen.
PTK
Iamblikhos of Khalkis (Syria) (300 – 327 CE)
Studied Neo-Platonic philosophy with A L, then with P
T and subsequently established his own school in Apameia. He wrote numerous
works, among them a treatise in ten books on Pythagoreanism, commentaries on P
IAMBLIKHOS (OF SYRIA?)