Among philosophical works are commentaries in the Alexandrian tradition on A-
’s De Interpretatione and the third book of his De Anima; the latter is preserved in MSS as
Book 3 of the De Anima commentary of I P, with whose group he was
associated. Despite Stephanos’ professed Christianity, his text offers neither refutation of
such traditional doctrines as the eternity of the world, the existence of a fifth substance
(aithe ̄r), and the soul’s pre-existence, nor any overt attempt at revision or reconciliation of
pagan with Christian beliefs. This is not unusual; the same tendency is apparent in both Elias
and David. Neo-Platonic influences perhaps deriving from A A
via A T are evident in the work on De Anima. Only a fragment survives
of a Prolegomenon Philosophiae that served to introduce the Eisago ̄ge ̄ of P.
Stephanos wrote a commentary on P’s Prokheiroi kanones (Handy Tables), adapting
them to Christian reckoning and thus contributing to the transmission of Alexandrian
astronomy to the Byzantines; also his is an introduction to the commentary of T
A on the same book. Spurious astrological works include a horoscopic prophecy
concerning the Arabic peoples for the year 775 CE, and a treatise on the conjunction of
Saturn and Jupiter: CCAG 2 (1900) 181–186.
RE 3A.2 (1929) 2404–2405 (#20), F.E. Kind; KP 5.360 (#9), F. Kudlien; DSB 13.37–38, K.
Dannenfeldt; H. Blumenthal, “John Philoponus and Stephanus of Alexandria: Two Neoplatonic
Christian Commentators on Aristotle?” in D.J. O’Meara, ed., Neoplatonism and Christian Thought
(1982) 54–63; Wolska-Conus (1989); Roueché (1990); ODB 1953, A. Kazhdan; BBKL 10.1406–1409,
A. Lumpe; NP 11.960 (#9), V. Nutton; NDSB 6.516–518, M. Papathanassiou.
Keith Dickson
Stephanos of Alexandria (Alch.) (ca 580 – ca 640 CE)
Belonging to the generation of alchemical commentators, Stephanos is the author of nine
Praxeis (Lessons/readings) On the Divine and Sacred Art, and of a Letter to Theodo ̄ros (Ideler).
Praxis 9 is addressed to the emperor H, thus datable to his rule; astronomical
data further pinpoint his work to 617 (Papathanassiou).
In the alchemical corpus, Stephanos is mentioned with O among the
“ecumenical masters everywhere celebrated, the new exegetes of P and A”
(CAAG 2.425). In fact, he was named by He ̄rakleios as “ecumenical professor,” i.e., profes-
sor of the imperial school in Constantinople. Modern scholarship tends to consider this
Stephanos of Alexandria identifiable with the Neo-Platonic commentator on Plato and
Aristotle (see S A). He may have also interpreted the Handy Tables
of T A, and may have written an Apotelesmatic Treatise, explaining
the horoscope of Islam and addressed to his student Theodo ̄ros (Papathanassiou 113).
However, his identification with the Hippokratic commentator S A
remains problematic.
In his alchemical work, Stephanos comments on the early alchemists in a highly rhet-
orical style and links alchemy to medicine, astrology, mathematics, and music. He declares
alchemy compatible with Christianity and defines it as a “mystic” knowledge, inserted into a
cosmology founded on the principles of unity and universal sumpatheia. Alchemical
transformations are considered natural and enter into the close analogy and correspond-
ence between the micro-kosmos and the macro-kosmos, the human body and the four
elements, heavenly bodies and earthly bodies.
Methodologically, Stephanos aims to create a new system through critical comparison
STEPHANOS OF ALEXANDRIA (ALCH.)