Root Cutters

• Ῥιζοτόμος = rhizotomos = root (ῥίζα, rhiza) + cutter (τέμνω, temnō)

In ancient greece Root Cutters (ῥιζοτόμος (rhizotomos)) was a person skilled in identifying and gathering use for pharmacological materials. More generally "an herbalist".

There are a LOT of Ancient Greek sources about them.
You'll find this word over and over.

For example, Medea was called a root cutter (ῥιζοτόμος (rhizotomos))
If you read enough Ancient Greek, you'll know that this word shows up all over the place.

Digging in

• In Ancient Greece, these were often herbalists, pharmacologists, or magicians skilled in identifying, harvesting, and using roots for potions, medicines, and spells.
• They appear frequently in classical texts — for example, Medea, the sorceress in Euripides’ Medea, is described as a skilled root-cutter, emphasizing her knowledge of herbal magic and poison.

What Did Root Cutters Gather?

Generally:

• Medicinal roots and herbs — for healing or poisoning
• Psychoactive plants — possibly including those containing alkaloids that alter perception
• Rare botanical substances used in mystery rites, purification, and divination
• Roots with pharmacological properties such as mandrake, opium poppy, henbane, belladonna, or aconite
• Plants related to ritual magic and necromancy

DMT?

By the fact that they're called root cutters, means they likely know about DMT.

Many plants containing DMT and related tryptamines are native to regions accessible by ancient Mediterranean trade routes.

• Mimosa hostilis and Acacia species (both rich in DMT) have relatives or close analogues in the Old World flora, especially in Acacia genus native to Mediterranean and Near East.
• The biblical Burning Bush is often linked by modern researchers to Acacia species with psychoactive resin, suggesting ancient knowledge of such plants.

Given the deep involvement of root cutters in collecting roots, barks, resins, and other plant parts with ritual or medicinal effects, it is very plausible that they handled plants with DMT-like compounds or at least plants with psychoactive properties that were precursors or analogues.

Summary

Root cutters (ῥιζοτόμοι) were specialized experts deeply embedded in the complex botanical and medicinal economy of the ancient Greco-Roman world. Their primary role was the identification, harvesting, and initial preparation of medicinal roots, barks, and other plant materials, which were highly valued for their healing, ritual, and sometimes psychoactive properties. These individuals were often knowledgeable herbalists, sometimes overlapping with local healers, midwives, or practitioners of folk medicine. Their expertise was crucial because the potency and safety of many plants depended heavily on correct harvesting methods—time of year, specific plant parts, and handling techniques.

The network of botanical supply began with root cutters who ventured into wild areas—forests, mountains, and marshes—to collect sought-after species. Their knowledge was passed down through apprenticeships or secret traditions, often guarded within families or guilds. After gathering, the raw materials were sold or traded to apothecaries (φαρμακοποιοί, pharmakopoi) and compounders, who were skilled in extracting active ingredients through methods such as decoction, infusion, or maceration. These professionals refined the crude roots into usable forms: powders, salves, ointments, and potions.

The processed remedies and magical concoctions were then distributed through a variety of channels. Urban pharmacists, temple attendants, and market vendors sold them to physicians, magicians, or the general public. Temples dedicated to healing deities like Asclepius often housed sanctuaries where such medicines were administered. Additionally, the trade routes of the Mediterranean enabled the import and export of exotic botanical goods, including spices and psychoactive plants from Egypt, Arabia, and beyond, broadening the pharmacopoeia available to root cutters and apothecaries.

In sum, root cutters formed the crucial first link in a specialized, multi-tiered network of plant-based medicine and ritual substances in the ancient world—connecting nature’s raw resources to the hands of healers, magicians, and consumers through skilled harvesting, preparation, and commerce.

Sources for Exploration

By no means exhaustive. Please do your own search.
What follows here was a 5 second search to give a quick taste...

Ancient Greek and Roman Texts

• Euripides, Medea
  • Medea is famously described as a skilled “root cutter” and sorceress with deep knowledge of herbs and poisons. This play highlights the cultural recognition of root cutters as powerful herbalists and magicians.
  • (Euripides, Medea, especially lines 346–351)
• Dioscorides, De Materia Medica (1st century CE)
  • This foundational pharmacological text catalogs hundreds of medicinal plants, roots, and their uses, reflecting the extensive botanical knowledge and trade networks of the period. While Dioscorides does not specifically focus on root cutters, his work implies their importance as collectors and suppliers.
  • (Pedanius Dioscorides, De Materia Medica, circa 50–70 CE)
• Pliny the Elder, Natural History (1st century CE)
  • Provides extensive descriptions of plants, their harvesting, and medicinal uses. Mentions collectors and herbalists, showing the multi-stage process from gathering to preparation.
  • (Pliny, Naturalis Historia, Book 25–28)
• Theophrastus, Enquiry into Plants (4th century BCE)
  • One of the earliest botanical treatises, describing plants’ habitats, harvesting times, and uses, underlying the specialized knowledge required by root cutters.
  • (Theophrastus, Historia Plantarum)
• Galen (2nd century CE)
  • As a physician and pharmacologist, Galen discusses the preparation and compounding of medicines, indicating the division of labor between gatherers (like root cutters) and medical compounders.
  • (Galen, On the Powers and Mixtures of Simple Drugs)

Secondary Scholarly Sources

• Green, Peter. The Greek Herbalists: Medicine, Botany and Science in Ancient Greece and Rome.
  • A modern study exploring the role of herbalists and plant knowledge in antiquity, including root cutters.
• Faraone, Christopher A. "The Transmission of Magical Knowledge in Ancient Greece."
  • Discusses practitioners of herbal magic, including root cutters, in the context of ritual and pharmacology.
• Ogden, Daniel. Greek and Roman Necromancy.
  • Explores magical practitioners, including herbalists and root cutters, and their place in ancient ritual life.
• Singer, Charles. A Short History of Medicine.
  • Offers an overview of the pharmacological practices of the Greco-Roman world and the roles of gatherers and compounders.
• Bremmer, Jan N. Greek Religion and Society.
  • Examines the religious and ritual context of herbal knowledge and the symbolic role of root cutters.