Meropium
Meropium secundum Dyascoridem multi oleum amigdalinum vocant.
Apparatus:
Meropium (-piũ C e) AC ef | Meropion B | {'t' misread as 'r'} | metopium Dioscorides Longobardus.
amigdalinum (-nũ C) AC f | amigdalũ B | amigdalarũ ms. e
Translation:
Meropium is according to Dyascorides the name many people give to oleum amigdalinum {"almond oil"}.
Commentary:
Simon's ultimate source is Dioscorides Longobardus, 1, 35, ed. Hofmann & Auracher (1883: 23-4) De amigdalinu {"On almond oil"}, where it says: Amigdalinu, quod multi metopium dicunt, … – "Almond oil, which many people call metopium," ....
Greek μετώπιον /metṓpion/ or/ μέτωπον /métōpon/, Latinised metopion, metopium, is used in different senses by different authors. Here Simon clearly refers to the meaning "almond oil" found in Dioscorides, cf. Wellmann's Greek text: αμυγδαλίνον ἔλαιον /amygdalínon élaion/, 1, 33, ed. Wellmann (1906-14: I). However, it is also an aromatic Egyptian ointment, to which Dioscorides also devotes a whole chapter, cf. Dioscorides Longobardus, 1, 36, ed. Hofmann & Auracher (1883: 36), De ydicrou qui, menpiu appellatur "On an ointment, called menpiu", the latter being a corruption of metopium, and cf. the Greek original in Wellmann, 1, 59, ed. Wellmann (1906-14: I.54), where a recipe is supplied for the preparation of this ointment.
Wilf Gunther 22/12/13
See also: Amigdala, Oleum de amigdalis