Herbarium Apuleii Platonici
Encyclopedia
Herbarium Apuleii Platonici depicts 131 plants with their synonymy and instructions for their use in medicines and was first published in 1481 at Monte Cassino
near Rome
by Johannes Philippus de Lignamine
, a Sicilian courtier and physician to Pope Sixtus IV
. This was the first printed work on plants having numerous illustrations and is generally termed the first printed illustrated herbal
. The history of the work has been lost with the passage of time, leading to endless speculation on the identity of the author. In all probability 'Apuleius Platonicus' was a pseudonym
of Lucius Apuleius of Madaura
in Numidia
born AD124, while others writers refer to the him as Pseudo-Apuleius
. A study of the book shows some of the plants being endemic to North Africa
and lends support to the idea that the author was African.
The images are controversial and while crude in appearance, have been seen by some critics as sophisticated though stylised Roman art. The diverse textures of the images led some scholars to claim that they are woodcuts, while others see evidence of metal cuts. The plates figure snakes and scorpions beside the plants when they are regarded as a cure for poisonous bites or stings.
The publication of this work inspired the zealous Mainz
printer Peter Schöffer
to produce a similar work. He finished his illustrated Latin
herbal which he called Herbarius Moguntinus in 1484, in time for the Easter Fair in Frankfurt
. It sold well, prompting a second herbal, the Gart der Gesundheit, twelve months later.
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
near Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
by Johannes Philippus de Lignamine
Johannes Philippus de Lignamine
Johannes Philippus de Lignamine was a Sicilian printer/publisher from Messina active at Monte Cassino near Rome and a courtier to Pope Sixtus IV...
, a Sicilian courtier and physician to Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...
. This was the first printed work on plants having numerous illustrations and is generally termed the first printed illustrated herbal
Herbal
AThe use of a or an depends on whether or not herbal is pronounced with a silent h. herbal is "a collection of descriptions of plants put together for medicinal purposes." Expressed more elaborately — it is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their...
. The history of the work has been lost with the passage of time, leading to endless speculation on the identity of the author. In all probability 'Apuleius Platonicus' was a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Lucius Apuleius of Madaura
Madaurus
M'Daourouch is a municipality in Souk Ahras Province, Algeria, occupying the site of the former Roman town of Madauras, Madaure, or Madaura which is now a Roman Catholic titular see in the former Roman province of Numidia....
in Numidia
Numidia
Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later...
born AD124, while others writers refer to the him as Pseudo-Apuleius
Pseudo-Apuleius
Pseudo-Apuleius refers to the author of a Herbarium or De herbarum virtutibus, also referred as Herbarium Apuleii Platonici; it is a medical herbal of the 5th century....
. A study of the book shows some of the plants being endemic to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and lends support to the idea that the author was African.
The images are controversial and while crude in appearance, have been seen by some critics as sophisticated though stylised Roman art. The diverse textures of the images led some scholars to claim that they are woodcuts, while others see evidence of metal cuts. The plates figure snakes and scorpions beside the plants when they are regarded as a cure for poisonous bites or stings.
The publication of this work inspired the zealous Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
printer Peter Schöffer
Peter Schöffer
Peter Schöffer or Petrus Schoeffer was an early German printer, who studied in Paris and worked as a manuscript copyist in 1451 before apprenticing with Johannes Gutenberg and joining Johann Fust, a goldsmith, lawyer, and money lender.-Life and works:Working for Fust, Schöffer was the principal...
to produce a similar work. He finished his illustrated Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
herbal which he called Herbarius Moguntinus in 1484, in time for the Easter Fair in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. It sold well, prompting a second herbal, the Gart der Gesundheit, twelve months later.