De Utilitate ex Animalibus Percipienda

Xeno'crates

(Ξενοκράτης) a physician of Aphrodisias in Cilicia (Galen, De Simplic. Medicam. Temper. ac Facult. vi. praef. vol. xi. p. 793), who must have lived about the middle of the first century after Christ, as he was probably a contemporary of Andromachus the Younger. (See Gal. De Compos. Medicam. sec. Loc. iii. l, vol. xii. p. 627, and De Ther. Ad Pis. 100.12. vol. xiv. p.260.) Galen says that he lived in the second generation before himself (κατὰ τοὺς πάππους ἡμῶν, De Simplic. Medicam. Temper. ac Facult. 10.1. vol. xii. p. 248).

Works

He wrote some pharmaceutical works, and is blamed by Galen (I. c.) for making use of disgusting remedies, for instance, human brains, flesh, liver, urine, excrement, &c

Περὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν Ζώων Ὠφελείας, De Utilitate ex Animalibus Percipienda

One of his woks was entitled Περὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν Ζώων Ὠφελείας, De Utilitate ex Animalibus Percipienda (id. ibid. 10.2.4, vol. xii. p. 261.) He is several times quoted by Galen, and also by Clemens Alexandrinus (Strom. i. p. 717); Artemidorus (Oneirocr. 4.24); Pliny (Plin. Nat. 20.82); Oribasius (Coll. Medic. 2.58, p. 225); Aetius (1.2. 84, 4.2. 35, 3. 14, pp. 75. 706, 760), and Alexander Trallianus (1.15, 12.8, pp. 156, 344).

Περὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν Ἐνύδρων Τροφῆς, De Alimento ex Aquatilibus

Besides some short fragments of his writings there is extant a little essay by Xenocrates, Περὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν Ἐνύδρων Τροφῆς, De Alimento ex Aquatilibus, preserved by Oribasius; which is an interesting record of the state of Natural History at the time in which he lived.

Editions

It was first published in Greek, with a Latin Version, by J. B. Rasarius, 1559, 8vo., Tiguri; and is inserted by Fabricius in the ninth volume of the old edition of his Bibliotheca Graeca, pp. 454-474.

There are three later and better editions, by J. G. F. Franz, 1774, 8vo. Lips., and by Adam. Coray, 1794, 8vo. Neap., and 1814, 8vo. Paris.

Further Information

See Fabric. Bibl. Gr. vol. ii. p. 68, xiii. p. 452, ed. vet.; Haller, Bibl. Medic. Pract. ; Choulant, Handb. der Bücherkunde für die Aeltere Meàicin.

[W.A.G]