Cuvier says of Agricola: “He was the first mineralogist who appeared after the renaissance of the sciences in Europe: he was to mineralogy what Conrad Gesner was to zoology.”
References.—“Biog. Générale,” Vol. I. pp. 410–411; Larousse (Pierre), “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. I. p. 141; “Dict. hist. de la médecine” (N. F. J. Eloy), Mons, 1778, Vol. I. pp. 50–52.
Agrippa, Heinricus Cornelius—ab Netiesheyem, Nettesheim—(1486–1535), German Doctor of Medicine, also a Doctor of Divinity, a soldier—knighted for valour on the battle-field of Ravenna—a diplomatist, an astrologer, etc. He was in turns, ambassador at Paris and London, historiographer to Emperor Charles V, professor at the university of Pavia, town physician in Friburg, private practitioner at Geneva, court physician to Louise of Savoy, chief magistrate of Metz, theological delegate to the schismatic council of Pisa, etc., and for three years was engaged in a military expedition to Catalonia. He is the author of several important works, the full collection of which was published at Lyons in 1550. The one by which he is best known is “De occulta philosophia,” which was translated in French by Levasseur.
References.—Morley (Henry), “The Life of H. Corn. Agrippa,” London, 1856; Bayle (Pierre), “Dict. Hist.”; Jos. Ennemoser, “History of Magic,” London, 1854, Vol. II. pp. 253–256; G. Naudé, “Apologie”; Larousse (Pierre), “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. I. pp. 143–144; Bolton (H. C.), “Chr. Hist. of Chem.,” p. 946; Gilbert, De Magnete, Book I. chap. i.
Albategnius—Machometes Aractensis, Muhammad Ibn Jabir—Al-Battani—(d. A.D. 929), is considered by Lalande one of the twenty greatest known astronomers. His principal work, “De scientia stellarum,” was published in 1537.
References.—Delambre (J. B), “Hist. de l’astron. moderne,” pp. 10–62; Houzeau et Lancaster, “Bibl. Générale,” Vol. I. part. i. p. 467; Vol. II. p. 71; Gilbert, De Magnete, Book VI. chap. ix.; “Engl. Cycl.” Vol. I. p. 84.
Alexander Aphrodisæus—Aphrodisiensis—a celebrated Greek scientist and the oldest commentator on Aristotle, who lived at about the close of the second century after Christ, and whose works were so highly esteemed by the Arabs that they translated most of them (Casiri, “Bibl. Arab. Hisp. Escur.,” Vol. I). The list of all of his publications appears in “Biog. Générale,” Vol. I. pp. 911–914.
References.—Fabricius (Johann Albert), “Bibliotheca Græca,” Vol. V. p. 650; Ritter (Dr. Heinrich), “Geschichte der Philosophie,” Vol. IV. p. 24; Gilbert, De Magnete, Book I. chap. i. and Book II. chaps. ii. xxv.
Amatus Lusitanus. See [Lusitanus Amatus].
Anaxagoras, born at Clazomenæ, one of the Greek towns of Ionia, in 500 B.C., three years before the death of Pythagoras, was a very eminent philosopher of the Ionic school, wherein he succeeded Anaximenes as a leader, and numbered among his many hearers and pupils Diogenes of Apollonia, Pericles, Euripides, Socrates and Archelaus. A very good analysis of Anaxagoras’ philosophical opinions is to be found in the “Biographical Dictionary of the Society of Useful Knowledge.” Gilbert alludes to him (De Magnete, Book II. chap. iii. and Book V. chap. xiii.) as believing that the loadstone was endowed with a sort of life, because it possessed the power of moving and attracting iron, and as declaring in fact that the entire world is endowed with a soul.