THE 20 MOST FAMOUS ALCHEMISTS IN HISTORY - SCIENCE - 2024

There are famous alchemists who had an important work in the development of scientific knowledge, especially in the field of chemistry, where they were key to achieving modern evolution.

The human being has always been interested in the hidden, the origin and the composition of things. Alchemy is not only a proto-scientific practice, but a philosophical discipline that tried to understand the composition of things and thus be able to recreate objects of value, such as lead-based gold.

The first signs of alchemical practices can be found in Egypt and Mesopotamia. The alchemists' goal was to create the Philosopher's Stone, which, it was believed, could not only turn metals into gold, but help man achieve longevity or eternal life.

Since ancient times, metals such as gold, mercury, lead, copper, iron and tin became famous. Then people believed that inside the Earth, they underwent a natural transformation whose final product was gold. Therefore, the alchemists wanted to obtain the key to this transformation.

You may also be interested in this list of the most important scientists.

Top 20 most famous alchemists in history

1- Hermes Trismegisto

The mythical Hermes Trismegistus is considered by most alchemists as the father of this science. In addition, he is also considered a connoisseur of the history before the Flood.

This mythical figure was conceived as a result of the fusion of the Egyptian god Thot, god of wisdom, and the Greek god Hermes, messenger of the Olympian gods.

It was Hermes Trismegistus who formulated the principles of alchemy: principles of gender, cause and effect, rhythm, polarity, correspondence, vibration and spirituality.

2- Greek sages

The Greeks, like Aristotle, Plato, and Empedocles, developed the concept that all things are made up of four elements: air, water, fire, and earth, and the three elemental principles, salt, mercury, and sulfur.

Aristotle's philosophical postulate that all elements and things tend to perfection, was interpreted by alchemists as the principle of the perfect proportion of these elements, that is, when the elements are mixed in the perfect proportion, they become in gold and the other metals they are mixtures where the perfect proportion has not been respected.

3- Geber

The most famous alchemist in the Arab world was the philosopher Abu Musa al-Sufi, known as Geber in the West. This sage was born in Kufa (Iraq) and lived in Tus (Khorasan, Iran), where he established a scientific laboratory.

Geber's works are a compilation of everything that was known about chemistry until then. Geber believed that metals were made of sulfur and mercury.

Many scientists question the existence of Geber since it is not known where he lived, although some believe that it could have been in Seville.

His most important book is The sum of the perfections of the magisterium, since thanks to him silver nitrate was discovered. Other outstanding works of the philosopher are The Seventy Books, The Book of the Balance, The Eastern Mercury, The Book of Glory, The Book of the Meeting and The Pure Book.

4- Al-Razí

Another famous Arab alchemist was Al-Razí, who lived in Baghdad in the 9th and 10th centuries. Razí classified materials into bodies and spirits. The bodies are stones, glass, salts and others. The spirits are mercury, sulfur, ammonia, etc.

The objective of his research was to determine the formula for the creation of gold through catalytic reactions. Ar Razí wrote a book on saline solutions.

This is considered to be related to the Arab tendency to use mineral remedies, rather than plant remedies as elsewhere in Asia.

5- Ko Hung

In ancient China alchemy also developed in parallel. Researchers consider the 3rd century BC as the beginning of the development of alchemy in the Celestial Empire, a time when the famous alchemist Ko Hung lived.

Others consider that only a historical document, such as the imperial edict dated 144 BC, where the creation of gold is prohibited can be considered as evidence of alchemical practices.

In the body of the lady of Tai, discovered in an archaeological expedition and dating from the second century BC, you can find residues of pure cinnabar, which according to Chinese alchemical texts, was recommended to consume.

6- Al-Biruni

In ancient India, according to the memoirs of an 11th century Persian physician Al-Biruni, the Hindus practiced a science similar to alchemy, which was called rasayana.

Centuries later Marco Polo recounted the practices of an ascetic Hindu sect, which practiced the ingestion of sulfur and mercury.

In the Sarva-darsana-samgraha, a Hindu philosophical treatise, the science of mercury is described as one of the practices by which liberation can be achieved.

7- Avicenna

Most famous as a physician, the alchemist Abū Ali al-Husayn, known in the West as Avicenna, wrote the famous Book of Remedies.

This book represents a classificatory study of minerals, rocks, and metals. Avicenna determined that there are four types: stones, sulfides, fusible substances, and salts.

He was criticized by his fellow alchemists as he believed that transmutation could not affect the internal nature of metals, but only their appearance.

8- Theophilus Presbyter

An important European alchemist of the 12th century was Theophilus Presbyter, of whom very little is known about his life. His main treatise Schedula diversarum artium was an important compilation of all the alchemical knowledge of the time.

In this treatise, Presbyter details chemical processes to obtain remedies and potions, a detailed description of the placement of the stained glass and the instruments and descriptions of how different metallic objects were manufactured at that time.

9- Nicolas Flamel

The French alchemist, also a scribe and copyist, Nicolas Flamel is considered to possess the ability to create the Philosopher's Stone.

According to the scholars of his life, during the Hundred Years War, Flamel obtained an ancient manuscript on alchemy and since then he has dedicated his life to studying it and deciphering its mysteries.

His goal led him to travel to Spain and meet the most important connoisseurs of the ancient Greek era and the Kabbalah, which is an esoteric school of thought of Judaism.

This character has had a lot of influence in popular culture and is frequently mentioned in studies and novels on alchemy, such as Foucault's Pendulum or Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

His book The Book of Hieroglyphic Figures is considered the most famous western text on Alchemy. In it, Flamel talks about his efforts to obtain the Philosopher's Stone and about creating homunculi. A homunculus is an agent or copy of a human being.

10- Paracelsus

The Swiss astrologer, physician, and alchemist Paracelsus was believed to have achieved the transmutation from lead to gold. The name Paracelsus was adopted by the physician in honor of the Roman physician Celsus (I AD).

After obtaining his doctorate in medicine at the University of Ferrara, Paracelsus dedicated himself to the study of minerals and his goal was to find a way to cure all human diseases.

His main book was The Great Surgery, in which he defended the importance of alchemy for medicine. Thanks to his studies, Paracelsus identified the symptoms of many diseases and was the first to identify the disease due to overwork.

In the epitaph of Paracelsus in the Church of San Sebastián it is stated that he cured all kinds of horrendous diseases.

11- Saint Albert the Great

The philosopher, geographer and theologian Saint Albert the Great stood out for his studies of alchemy. In 1250 he discovered arsenic, which is a toxic metalloid. Alberto Magno worked at the University of Paris, where he dedicated himself to the translation of ancient texts into Latin.

His work was more encyclopedic, he was in charge not only of classifying and describing the experiments of other alchemists and of adding his own considerations about them. His work laid the foundation for the work of his disciple Saint Thomas Aquinas.

12- Saint Thomas Aquinas

Santo Tomás de Aquino was a philosopher and theologian who excelled in various areas of knowledge. In his Treatise on the Art of Alchemy, which is divided into eight chapters, Aquino deals with topics such as the manipulation of matter and its change of state (solid to liquid), and the composition of mercury and how to prepare it in the laboratory. This treatise is preserved to this day in its entirety.

13- Roger Bacon

The scientist, theologian and alchemist Roger Bacon, better known as 'Doctor Mirabilis', allegedly wrote the Treatise Alchemy Speculum Alchemiae. This treatise is divided into 7 chapters, in which it is explained from the definition of alchemy to how to apply alchemical knowledge in medicine.

He is also considered the author of the Voynich Manuscript. Because the manuscript is in an unknown language, its possible content is only assumed based on the images it contains. His best known work is the Opus tertium, the Opus minum is also known.

14- Trevisano

The famous adventurer Trevisano lived in the 15th century. This Venetian alchemist was introduced by his father to alchemical science and studied al-Razí and Geber.

He traveled through Europe and Asia for sixty years searching for the secret of the Philosopher's Stone. It is considered that at the age of 82, before dying on the island of Rhodes, he discovered the secret of transmutation.

15- George Ripley

George Ripley, author of The Alchemist's Compendium, The Twelve Doors Leading to the Discovery of the Philosopher's Stone, and Liber Duodecem Portarum also lived in the 15th century.

All his works, in addition to his generous donations, led society at the time to believe that Ripley had really discovered the secret of transmutation.

It is said that Ripley donated generous sums to the knights of the island of Rhodes for them to fight against the Ottoman Empire. Thanks to her experiments antimony became a popular remedy in Europe.

16- Arnau de Vilanova

The prominent doctor Arnau de Vilanova treated important personalities of the clergy and the monarchy of his time, winning the grace of the latter. He is the author of the works Medicinalium introductionum speculum, Regimen Sanitatis ad regum Aragonum and other treatises.

His Treatise on Artificial and Pharmaceutical Wines, His Use of Alcohol in Medicine and many other innovations are considered related to his alchemical experiments. He translated the treatises of Avicenna.

17- Juan de Peratallada

The religious Juan de Peratallada devoted much of his life to developing the perfect formula of quintessence, which is the fifth element or ether of things.

According to Peratallada, this element can be found in the spirit of the wine, when it is distilled several times.

His research helped develop the method of alcohol distillation. It is considered one of the forerunners of latrochemistry.

18- Enrique Cornelio Agrippa

The historiographer Enrique Cornelio Agrippa de Nettesheim was a leading researcher of the occult. In his work De occulta philosophia libri tres Agrippa describes in detail different occult practices such as magic and alchemy. Due to his ideas he was constantly persecuted in Europe.

19- John Dee

The astrologer, navigator, mathematician and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I John Dee also excelled in alchemy. He spent many years of his life trying to communicate with angels. His goal was to understand the language of creation and achieve the pre-apocalyptic unity of peoples.

Despite studying different sciences and occult practices, Dee believed that all his actions help him discover and understand "the pure truths" of life and the human being.

During his life Dee accumulated the largest library in England and one of the largest in Europe at the time. After her death a work was published on her contacts with angels that was extremely popular in England. Her friendship with Edward Kelley, a famous medium of the time, is also the subject of speculation.

20- Edward Kelley

The alchemist and medium Edward Kelley, a friend of John Dee, is one of the most prominent figures in Alchemy.

Some believe that thanks to his ability to contact spirits and his collaboration with John Dee, he discovered the secrets of transmutation.

According to eyewitnesses, Kelley was able to turn metals into gold using red powders and potions. The French alchemist Nicolas Barnaud wrote that when Kelley appeared before King Rudolph II of Prague, he transmuted one pound of mercury into gold.