Abstract
The Byzantine period saw a massive rise in the production of medical encyclopedias. These were mostly based on earlier models, mainly Galen. Only in few cases these models were criticized. The language of these texts was mainly learned Byzantine Greek; the vernacular was rarely used. Overall, there was a certain tendency toward the practical application of medicine rather than a development of new models. Medical practice centered around hospitals. Some of these institutions also had the facilities to offer a specialized treatment, for instance, for gynecological problems.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Primary Sources
Alexander, G. G. (Ed.). (1842). Theophilus Protospatharius de corporis humani fabrica libri V. E Typographeo Academico: Oxonii.
Duffy, J.M. (Ed.). (1983). Stephani Philosophi in Hippocratis Prognosticum Commentaria. Berolini: Academia Scientarum.
Ermerins, F. Z. (Ed). (1840). Anecdota medica Graeca. Luchtmans: Lugduni Batavorum.
Heiberg, I. L. (Ed.). (1921–1924). Paulus Aegineta (CMG IX 1–2). Lipsiae/Berolini: aedibus B.G. Teubneri.
Ideler, J. L. (Ed.). (1841–1842). Physici et medici Graeci minores. Berolini: Reimeri.
Ieraci Bio, A. M. (Ed.). (1996). Paolo di Nicea. Manuale medico. Napoli: Bibliopolis.
Olivieri, A. (Ed.). (1935–1950). Aetii Amideni Libri medicinales I–VIII (CMG VIII 1–2). Lipsiae/Berolini: aedibus B.G. Teubneri.
Puschmann, T. (Ed.). (1963). Nachträge zu Alexander Trallianus. Fragmente aus Philumenus und Philagrius, nebst einer bisher noch ungedruckten Abhandlung über Augenkrankheiten. Amsterdam: Hakkert.
Puschmann, T. (Ed.). (1878/79). Alexander von Tralles. Vienna: Braumüller.
Raeder, I. (Ed.). (1928-33). Oribasii collectionum medicarum reliquiae (CMG VI 1-2). Lipsiae/Berolini: Teubner.
Renehan, R. (Ed.). (1969). Leo the physician. Epitome on the nature of man (CMG X4). Berlin: Akademie.
Steph Bernard, I. O. (Ed). (1794–1795). Theophanis Nonni epitome de cvratione morborvm. Gothae: C.W. Ettinger.
Westerinck, L.G. (Ed.). (1985-95). Stephani Atheniensis in Hippocratis Aphorismos Commentaria. Berolini: Academia Scientarum.
Zipser, B. (Ed.). (2009). John the physician’s therapeutics. A medical handbook in vernacular Greek. Leiden: Brill.
Secondary Sources
Bennett, D. (2003). Xenonika. Medical texts associated with xenones in the late Byzantine period. Dissertation. London.
Bennett, D. (2017). Medicine and pharmacy in byzantine hospitals: A study of the extant formularies. Abingdon: Routledge.
Bliquez, L. (1999). The surgical instrumentarium of Leon Iatrosophista. Medicina nei Secoli, 11, 291–322.
Bouras-Valianatos, P. (2015a). Galen’s Reception in byzantium: Symeon seth and his refutation of galenic theories on human physiology. Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, 55, 431–469.
Bouras-Valianatos, P. (2015b). Contextualizing the art of healing by byzantine physicians. In B. Pitarakis (Ed.), Life is short art long: The art of healing in Byzantium (pp. 104–122). Istanbul: Pera Museum Publication.
Congourdeau, M. H. (1996). Le traducteur grec du traité de Rhazès sur a variole. In Garzya A (Ed.), Histoire et ecdotique des textes médicaux grecs. Storia e ecdotica dei testi medici greci. Atti del II Convegno Internazionale Parigi 24–28 maggio 1994. D’Auria, Napoli.
Constantelos, D. (1999). Medicine and social welfare in the byzantine empire. Medicina nei Secoli, 11, 337–355.
Horden, P. (1982). Saints and doctors in the early byzantine empire: The case of Theodore of Sykeon. Studies in Church History, 19, 1–13.
Hunger, H. (1978). Die hochsprachliche profane Literatur der Byzantiner (Vol. 2). Munich: Beck.
Miller, T. (1997). The birth of the hospital in the byzantine empire. Baltimore/London: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Nutton, V. (1988). Archiatri and the medical profession in antiquity. In From Democedes to Harvey: Studies in the history of medicine from the Greeks to the renaissance (pp. 191–226). London: Variorum Reprint.
Nutton, V. (2007). Galen in Byzantium. In M. Grünbart, E. Kislinger, A. Muthesius, & D. Stathakopoulos (Eds.), Material culture and well-being in Byzantium (400–1453) (pp. 171–176). Vienna: Verlag der oesterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
Zipser, B. (2005). Die Therapeutica des Alexander Trallianus: Ein medizinisches Handbuch und seine Überlieferung. In R.-M. Piccione & M. Perkams (Eds.), Selecta Colligere, II. Beiträge zur Methodik des Sammelns von Texten in der Spätantike und in Byzanz (Collana Hellenika) (pp. 211–234). Alessandria: Edizioni dell’Orso.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Zipser, B. (2017). Medicine: Byzantine. In: Lagerlund, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1151-5_325-2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1151-5_325-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1151-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1151-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities