Methyl 12-methoxy-7-oxo-8, 11, 13-abietatrien-18-oate (10), prepared from (+)-dehydroabietic acid (9), was rearranged into methyl 7-isopropyl-6-methoxy-1, 10-dimethyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroanthracene-1-carboxylate (13) via a series of reaction : dehydrogenation with selenium(IV) oxide, sodium borohydrie reduction, and dehydration with boron trifluoride etherate. Reduction of 13 with lithium aluminum hydride afforded an alcohol (14), which was further reaffanged into 2-isopropyl-3-methoxy-5, 9-dimethyl-7, 8-dihydro-6H-cyclohepta[b]naphthalene (16) by treatment with methanesulfonyl chloride in pyridine. The alcohol 14 was then converted into 7-isopropyl-5, 6-dimethoxy-1, 1, 10-trimethyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroanthracene (22) by means of the following reaction : pyridinium chlorochromate oxidation, Huang-Minlon reduction, demethylation, oxidation with Fremy's salt, catalytic hydrogenation, and methylation. Compound 22 was also prepared from methyl 11, 12-dimethoxy-7-oxo-8, 11, 13-abietatrien-18-oate (23) via methyl 7-isopropyl-5, 6-dimethoxy-1, 10-dimethyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroanthracene-1-carboxylate (26). Treatment of 22 with DDQ produced an enone (29), which was converted into a diosphenol derivative (31) via a series of reaction : catalytic hydrogenation, and oxidations with Jones reagent and then with oxygen in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide. Demethylation of 31 with ethanethiol and anhydrous aluminum chloride afforded pygmaeocine E (1) and 3, 6-dihydroxy-7-isopropyl-1, 1, 10-trimethyl-1, 2-dihydroanthracen-2-one (32).