BOOK I.

A 2
Ed. Chart. XIII. [865. 866.] Ed. Bas. II. (423. 424.)

...the theriac original: θηριακὴ (theriake); a complex herbal compound used as a universal antidote is better for the bites of vipers than the medicine called the Mithridatium original: Μιθριδάτειος (Mithridateios); an earlier antidote developed by King Mithridates VI of Pontus. For other purposes, however, the Mithridatium is not at all inferior, and there are some cases where it is actually better. These medicines do not possess the same power when they are taken after the consumption of deadly poisons as they do when taken in advance. The dosage that is sufficient to prevent any harm when taken beforehand must be increased fourfold or fivefold to be beneficial when administered afterward. Furthermore, in such cases, it should be given twice a day rather than once.

If someone were to take this medicine every single day, as did the Emperor Aurelius Antoninus Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor known for his daily use of theriac to safeguard his health who lived in our own time, or as Mithridates himself did, they will be entirely unharmed by substances known as lethal and deadly poisons. This is exactly what they say happened to Mithridates himself. When he preferred to die by a fatal poison rather than fall under the power of the Romans, he could find nothing capable of killing him. We hear these reports concerning Mithridates from history; however, we ourselves have personal knowledge of the time of Antoninus. To ensure his own safety, he first began by preparing the theriac every...

...it did not contain the Mithridatium, but was mixed with other things. For this reason, the theriac is more excellent than the so-called Mithridatium for the bites of vipers. For other conditions, the Mithridatium is no less effective, but there are instances where it is found to be even more excellent. However, these drugs do not have the same properties when taken after deadly substances as they do when taken before. The quantity of them which is sufficient to ensure one suffers nothing when taken in advance must be increased fourfold or fivefold to be helpful when given afterward. This must be done not just once daily, but twice.

Truly, if anyone should take the medicine every single day, just as the Emperor Aurelius Antoninus of our own time or Mithridates himself, he will be safe and immune from the so-called lethal and deadly poisons. It is said that Mithridates himself, when he preferred to die by a lethal poison rather than be subjected to the rule of the Romans, found nothing that could kill him. We hear of these things that happened to Mithridates. We ourselves, however, knew of the time of Antoninus, who first prepared the theriac for his own safety...