We call quicksilver ‘mercury’
We call quicksilver ‘mercury’ for the same reason as the planet, because “all things are filled with gods: things on earth, with heavenly gods, and things in heaven, with gods beyond heaven.” 1 Olympiodorus, one of the earliest authorities, still omits quicksilver, assigning lead to Saturn, electrum to Jupiter, iron to Mars, gold to the Sun, copper to Venus, tin to Mercury, and silver to the Moon.…