History of Alchemy: From Alexandria to Early Modern Science

Origins (1st Century CE)

Earliest documented alchemy emerges in Alexandria, Roman Egypt—a crossroads of Egyptian metallurgy, Greek philosophy (four elements), and Near Eastern mysticism.

Transmission

• Flourished in Roman/Byzantine world until 5th century.
• Preserved and expanded in Islamic Golden Age (Jabir ibn Hayyan, Al-Razi).
• Re-entered Western Europe via Arabic-to-Latin translations (12th century).

Renaissance to Early Modern (14th–17th Century)

• Paracelsus: iatrochemistry, mineral remedies.
• Boyle: corpuscular philosophy, skepticism of transmutation.
• Newton: extensive alchemical manuscripts.
• Contributions: laboratory techniques, distillation, acid preparation, pharmacology, metallurgy.

Legacy

Alchemy’s experimental methods and theoretical frameworks directly fed the Chemical Revolution (Lavoisier, Priestley) and modern chemistry.