The primary objective of my research was to offer a modern and technical translation of the Herbarius of Pseudo-Apuleius. This document dates back to the 4th century and contains medical prescriptions associated with plants. During the Middle Age, the book was quite successful as numerous copies are available. For a long time, however, it was despised and considered as a simple compilation of Greek works. The most recent edition with commentaries is from Ackermann in 1788 and there is unfortunately no sufficient French translation to fully benefit from the 1927 commentaries of E. Howald and H. Sigerist and from more recents studies on this text. We have therefore attempted to translate the text edited by these two experts and have tried to explain as well as critique and at times dispute their choices. In the Introduction and the notes section, we have been mindful to respect the text’s medical tradition, researching its original sources and its posterity. We hope this research will help better understand the role and importance of medicinal plants, also known as “the simple ones”, in the late antiquity.
