Innovation and Byzantine Alchemy in Context: The Constantinian Solidus and the Chrysopoetic Goal

Gerasimos Merianos

doi:10.5209/dmae.95753

Innovation and Byzantine Alchemy in Context: The Constantinian Solidus and the Chrysopoetic Goal

Gerasimos Merianos Institute of Historical Research, National Hellenic Research Foundation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5372-0074

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/dmae.95753

Keywords: Byzantine science, Byzantine alchemy, innovation, solidus, chrysopoeia

Abstract

The concept of innovation has not been thoroughly explored in the context of Byzantine science, much less so concerning Byzantine alchemy. This article argues that persisting historiographical biases depicting Byzantium as a stagnant culture also influence perceptions of Byzantine science as anti-innovative. Building on recent advancements in the study of innovation in Byzantine culture broadly, this article first conducts a preliminary examination of the relationship between science and innovation in Byzantium, revealing intriguing dynamics between the concepts of “tradition” and “innovation”. Next, it investigates a case study of innovation in Byzantine alchemy, namely how a monetary and economic innovation, the introduction of the solidus by Constantine the Great, likely influenced the perception of alchemy as primarily a chrysopoetic art. In essence, it explores how an external innovation can impact a scientific field, potentially leading to innovative conceptions and change within it.

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Published

2024-10-08

How to Cite

Merianos, Gerasimos. 2024. “Innovation and Byzantine Alchemy in Context: The Constantinian Solidus and the Chrysopoetic Goal”. De Medio Aevo 13, nº 2:: 307-19. https://doi.org/10.5209/dmae.95753