Osthanes

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Ostanes is also a spider genus (Thomisidae).

Osthanes or Ostanes is the name given to a legendary Persian Zoroastrian magus, astrologer, alchemist,philosopher, and sage. Though a number of historical "Ostanes" figures are mentioned in ancient texts,[1] it is unknown which one might have served as the basis for the legendary Ostanes.

Pliny the Elder identified him as the first person to write a treatise on magic. Similarly, various Hellenistic and Roman writers, based on Hellenistic texts attributed to him, regarded him as an authority on alchemy, necromancy, divination. His alchemical authority continued in medieval times as he is frequently cited in Arabic and Persian alchemical literature, such as an Arabic treatise titled Kitab al-Fusul al-ithnay ‘ashar fi 'ilm al-hajar al-mukarram (The Book of the Twelve Chapters on the Honourable Stone).

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Such as a son of Darius II; a mage accompanying Alexander to India; a mage accompanying Xerxes during his expedition to Greece (also a legendary teacher of Democritus).

[edit] Sources

  • Manfred Ullmann, Die Natur- und Geheimwissenschaften im Islam, Handbuch der Orientalistik, Abteilung I, Erg?nzungsband VI, Abschnitt 2 (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1972), p. 184
  • Georges C. Anawati, 'Arabic Alchemy' in Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic Science, ed. by Roshdi Rashed (London: Routledge, 1996), volume 3, p. 862.
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