Cyranides (Ἀνώνυμος Κυρανίδες)

Life The Cyranides is an anonymous Greek compilation from the 4th century CE. Nothing is known of its actual compiler, as the traditional attribution to a mythical Persian king, Kyranos, is pseudepigraphic [1]. The text is a composite work that synthesizes material from Hellenistic and earlier sources within a syncretic milieu of Greek, Egyptian, and Near Eastern knowledge [1][2].

Works The single extant work is the Cyranides (Κυρανίδες), a treatise cataloging the magical and medicinal properties (dynameis) of animals, plants, and stones. It functions as both a lapidary and a herbal, surviving in multiple Greek manuscript versions and later Latin translations [1][2].

Significance The Cyranides is a crucial source for ancient magic, medicine, and natural philosophy, exemplifying a practical handbook of materia medica and sympathetic magic. Its enduring influence through the Byzantine and medieval periods illustrates the transmission and blending of Hellenistic scientific ideas with occult and folk traditions in late antiquity [1][2].

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: Cyranides: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-1962 2. Encyclopædia Britannica: Cyranides: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cyranides