Pseudo-Democritus is the name used by scholars for the anonymous authors of a number of Greek writings that were falsely attributed to the pre-Socratic philosopher Democritus (c. 460–370 BC).
Several of these writings, most notably the lost works On Sympathies and Antipathies and Artificial Substances (Greek: Cheirokmēta), were probably written by the Pythagorean physician and pharmacologist Bolos of Mendes (fl.
[5] The original books dealt with a wide range of topics, including the transmutation of base metals into silver or gold, the artificial production of precious stones, and the purple-dyeing of wool, all of which are subjects also covered in the Stockholm and Leyden papyri (3rd century AD).
However, the preserved parts focus more strongly on the production of silver and gold, thus reflecting the main interests of later Greek alchemists.
[6] The original works were probably four books on dyeing: one on how to give base metals a yellow tinge (i.e., to 'dye' them gold), one on how to give base metals a white tinge (i.e., to 'dye' them silver), one on 'dyeing' stones (i.e., to create precious stones), and one on dyeing fabrics purple (using cheaper substitutes for the costly Tyrian purple).