Graeco-Egyptian Alchemy Between Byzantium and the East

In my paper I will give a general introduction to the origins and early developments of alchemy in the Graeco-Roman Egypt. On the one hand, I will discuss its possible Near-Eastern background, which is often evocated in the mythical narratives that ancient texts include about the discovery of the alchemical art. On the other hand, I will briefly present the reception of the earliest works on alchemy in Byzantium as well as in the Syriac and Arabic traditions.