Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation

Biographical Note

Macer Floridus is the alleged pseudonym of Odo de Meung, a French cleric and physician who lived during the 11th century and was the presumed author of the herbal poem De Viribus Herbarum (On the properties of plants). The use of "Macer" alludes to the Roman poet, Aemilius Macer (16 B.C.), who authored a poem on remedies for those afflicted with wounds from poisonous serpents. The herbal, commonly referred to as the Macer Floridus, was written in Latin hexameter verse and presented the medicinal uses of plants. The rhyming verse aided doctors and apothecaries in memorizing medicinal recipes and treatments, which made the herbal popular among those who practiced medicine during the Middle Ages.

The Macer Floridus is recognized as a signal of revival in botanical interest following the Dark Ages, so named for the lack of recordkeeping during this time. Though not derived from personal observation, the Macer Floridus was assembled from such sources as Naturalis Historia by Pliny the Elder (23—79), the Greek physicians Pedanios Dioscorides (40—90) and Galenos of Pergamon (130—201), as well as the gardening manual Hortulus by the Benedictine poet and botanist Walahfrid Strabo (808—849).

On 9 May 1477 printer Arnaldus de Bruxella issued the first print edition of De Viribus Herbarum, which included 77 plants and their medicinal uses. A second edition was printed in Milan in 1489. An illustrated edition became available in the year 1500 and presented 66 wood-cut plant illustrations.

Scope and Contents Note

This collection includes two cropped, handwritten leaves from De Viribus Herbarum, estimated to be from the mid-12th century, making these the oldest items in the Hunt Institute's collection. The pages contain information on the healing properties of sage and wild thyme as well as fragments of the descriptions of other plants.

Finding Aid

A finding aid for this collection is available online.

Other Resources

For a Modern English translation of the section about wild thyme, see the physic section of our online exhibition Virtues and Pleasures of Herbs through History.

For information about portraits of and biographical citations for this subject, see the Hunt Institute Archives Register of Botanical Biography and Iconography database.