A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

Smith, William

A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. William Smith, LLD, ed. 1890

an eminent physician at Rome, in the former half of the second century after Christ. He was a pupil of Marinus (Galen, Comment. in Hppocr. "De Nat. Horn." 2.6, vol. xv. p. 136), and not his tutor, as some modern writers assert. He was tutor to Lycus (id. ibid.) and Satyrus (id. ibid., De Anatom. Admin. 1.1, 2, vol. ii. pp. 217, 225, De Antid. 1.14, vol. xiv. p. 71 ), and Iphicianus (id. Comment. in Hippocr. "Epid. III." 1.29, vol. xvii. pt. i. p. 575). Some persons say he was also one of the tutors of Galen himself, but this is probably an error. He was so much superior to his medical colleagues that they grew jealous of his eminence, and formed a sort of coalition against him, and forced him to quit the city by charging him with killing his patients (id. De Praenot. ad Epig. 100.1, vol. xiv. p. 602). He died about the year 148 (id. De Anat. Admin. 1.2, vol. ii. p. 225). He was particularly celebrated for his knowledge of anatomy (id. De Libris Propriis, 100.2, vol. xix. p. 22), but wrote nothing himself, either on this or any other medical subject (id. Comment. in Hippocr. "De Nat. Hom." 1.25, 2.6, vol. xv. pp. 68, 136); his pupil Lycus professing to deliver his master's opinions (id. Comment. in Hippocr. "Aphor." iii. praef. vol. xvii. pt. ii. p. 562). He appears to have commented on the "Aphorisms" and the "Epidemics" of Hippocrates, but Galen says that his explanations were not always sound (Comment. in Hippocr. "Epid. I." i. praef. vol. xvii. pt. i. p. 6, De Ord. Libror. suor. vol. xix. p. 57). Several of his sayings have been preserved, which show more rudeness than wit, and (as Galen says) are more suitable to a jester than a physician (De Sanit. Tu. 3.13. vol. vi. p. 228, Comment. in Hippocr. "Epid. VI." 4.9, vol. xvii. pt. ii. p. 151; Pallad. Comment. in Hippocr. "Epid. VI." ap. Dietz, Schol. in Hippocr. et Gal. vol. ii. p. 113). He is mentioned in several other passages of Galen's writings, and also by Aetius (1.1, p. 39); and he is probably the physician quoted by Oribasius (Synops. ad Eustath. iii. p. 56).

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