Background
Anaxilas of Larissa was born around the 1st century BC.
Greek: Ἀναξίλαος, Ἀναξίλας
pharmacist philosopher physician scholars
Anaxilas of Larissa was born around the 1st century BC.
Because, in a magical papyrus now at Stockholm, Anaxilaus is reported as quoting a recipe of Pseudo- Democritus, Diels assumed that through Anaxilaus the author of the papyrus knew at least part of the treatise of Pseudo-Democritus on alchemy. Wellmann, through a comparison of Pliny’s Natural History (XXV, 154), where Anaxilaus is mentioned, and Dioscorides’ De materia medica (IV, 79), infers that Anaxilaus was one of the authors used by Sextius Niger. Other passages, in Sextus Empiricus, Psellus, and others, that are parallel to passages where Anaxilaus is mentioned suggest that he was one of the important sources for magical and alchemical authors. The Anaxilaus mentioned by Diogenes Laertius (I, 107) may or may not be Anaxilaus of Larissa, but there is no reason to identify either with the Anaxilaus cited by Diogenes Laertius (III, 2) as the author of a work entitled On Philosophers, as Schwartz has suggested.
Anaxilaus` exceptional knowledge of natural science allowed him to produce tricks that were mistaken for magic.
Quotes from others about the person
"The vapor of burning sulphur, and the light of a lamp fed by a particular unctuous substance, were made use of by Anaxilaus of Larissa to work various apparent miracles, which are referable not so much to magic, as to real experiments in physics." - Eusèbe Salverte, philosopher.
"Anaxilaus had composed a book quoted by Saint Ireneus and Saint Epiphanes, and entitled παίηνια [Tricks]." - Eusèbe Salverte, philosopher, 1847.
"Thus it seems that Anaxilaus believed that Democritus was involved in the imitation of silver...." - Jackson P. Hershbell, professor, March 1987.
"Under the year 28 BC Jerome reports the expulsion from Rome and Italy by Augustus of the Pythagorean and magus, Anaxilaus of Larissa." - Matthew Dickie, historian, 2003.
"What is positively known about the man [Anaxilaus of Larissa] is that he put together a collection of spells of an amusing character such as would entertain those present at a drinking-party. They were like the Tricks of Democritus called by the Greek name of Paignia [Paienia]. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lugdunum (Lyon) in the latter half of the second century AD, accuses the Gnostic heresiarch Marcus of using conjuring-tricks from the Paignia of Anaxilaus to impress his followers." - Matthew Dickie, historian, 2003.