A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Πετρώνιος), a writer on pharmacy.

He lived probably in the beginning of the first century after Christ, as he is mentioned by Dioscorides (De Mater. Med. praef. vol. i. p. 2), who classes him among the later authors (comp. St. Epiphan. Adv. Haeres. i 1.3, p. 3, ed. Colon. 1682). Fabricisus (Bibl. Gr. vol. xiii. p. 361, ed. vet.) supposes his name to have been Petronius Niger

[NIGER], but this is uncertain, and in the latest edition of Dioscorides (l.c.), where the words καὶ Νικήρατος καὶ Πετρώνιος Νίγερ τε καὶ Διόδοτος occur, a comma is placed between Πετρώνιος amd Νίγερ. In Pliny (Plin. Nat. 20.32), he is called Petronius Diodotus, but probably the text is not quite sound [DIODOTUS]. He is mentioned by Galen (De Comlpos. Medicam. sec. Gen. 2.5, vol. xiii. p. 502), where the words Πετρώνιος Μούσας occur, which has made some persons consider Petronius Musa to be one and the same individual, and others conjecture that instead of Πετρώνιος, we should read Ἀντώνιος · probably, however, it is only necessary to insert a καὶ or a comma between the words. One of his medicines is quoted by Galen (Ibid. 5.11. p. 831).