Anaxilaus

Anaxilaus of Larissa was a physician and Pythagorean philosopher. According to Eusebius, he was banished from Rome in B.C. 28 by Augustus on the charge of practicing magic. Anaxilaus wrote about the "magical" properties of minerals, herbs, and other substances and derived drugs, and is cited by Pliny in this regard. Some believe his exceptional knowledge of natural science allowed him to produce tricks that were mistaken for magic.