Overview

"FOREMOST among the alchemists of the Hellenized world, the ""divine"" Zosimos practiced a sacred art in which metaphysical and metallurgical realities were fundamentally intertwined. Rather than being an exclusive product of Alexandrian syncretism, however, the dual spiritual and material emphasis of this alchemy reveals much deeper roots than expected: roots which extend deep into the religious cultures of the Ancient Near East. Through the methods of ""cultural biography"" and ""thick description"", Becoming Gold guides the reader deep into the temple culture of Roman Egypt, where the role of scribal priest intersects explicitly with the metallurgical craft traditions. Going beyond generalizations, Grimes explores the metal-coloring techniques developed in Egyptian polychromic statuary, as well as the rituals of statue animation performed by the priests of the House of Life. In this light, Zosimos is increasingly revealed as a scribal priest responsible for preserving and translating ancient Egyptian metallurgical recipes; a high-ranking goldsmith who oversaw temple statue makers. Against the wider backdrop of late antique religion and philosophy, Grimes also details the fascinating connections between alchemy, theurgy, and gnosticism. Here, Zosimos's spiritual attitudes are explored through the daimonic versus astrological influences upon alchemical operations; meditative practices using mirrors of electrum to attain divine gnosis; and the overarching imperative to transform the bonds of embodiment into vehicles for divinity. Zosimos reveals an alchemy in which spiritual and material realities are ultimately nondual; in which metals becomes living bodies for divine spirits; and in which the immortal soul--luminous and golden--radiates through its material forms."

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The first volume of the Panopolis Project began as a doctoral dissertation on Zosimos (Syracuse University, 2006). While some of the core material remains intact, much has been changed and expanded as Grimes's research has taken new directions over the intervening years. This current work, Becoming Gold, has benefitted from a wave of scholarship on Gr co-Egyptian alchemy in the past decade, as well as an influx of studies on Roman Egypt from many different disciplines, including socio-economics, politics, religion, art history, and arch ology. Exploring the Egyptian roots of Zosimus's life and work, Grimes concludes that ancient temple traditions of statue-making are absolutely critical for understanding Zosimus and the origins of alchemy.

The first volume of the Panopolis Series began as a doctoral dissertation on Zosimos (Syracuse University, 2006). While some of the core material remains intact, much has been changed and expanded as Grimes's research has taken new directions over the intervening years. This current work, Becoming Gold, has benefitted from a wave of scholarship on Græco-Egyptian alchemy in the past decade, as well as an influx of studies on Roman Egypt from many different disciplines, including socio-economics, politics, religion, art history, and archæology. Exploring the Egyptian roots of Zosimos's life and work, Grimes concludes that ancient temple traditions of statue-making are absolutely critical for understanding Zosimos and the origins of alchemy.

The first volume of the Panopolis Series began as a doctoral dissertation on Zosimos (Syracuse University, 2006). While some of the core material remains intact, much has been changed and expanded as Grimes's research has taken new directions over the intervening years. This current work, Becoming Gold, has benefitted from a wave of scholarship on Graeco-Egyptian alchemy in the past decade, as well as an influx of studies on Roman Egypt from many different disciplines, including socio-economics, politics, religion, art history, and archaeology. Exploring the Egyptian roots of Zosimos's life and work, Grimes concludes that ancient temple traditions of statue-making are absolutely critical for understanding Zosimos and the origins of alchemy.

The first volume of the Panopolis Series began as a doctoral dissertation on Zosimos (Syracuse University, 2006). While some of the core material remains intact, much has been changed and expanded as Grimes's research has taken new directions over the intervening years. This current work, Becoming Gold, has benefitted from a wave of scholarship on Gr co-Egyptian alchemy in the past decade, as well as an influx of studies on Roman Egypt from many different disciplines, including socio-economics, politics, religion, art history, and arch ology. Exploring the Egyptian roots of Zosimos's life and work, Grimes concludes that ancient temple traditions of statue-making are absolutely critical for understanding Zosimos and the origins of alchemy.

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