The Galenic corpus is the collection of writings of

Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus ( el, Κλαύδιος Γαληνός; September 129 – c. AD 216), often Anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher in the Roman Empire. Considered to be one ...

, a prominent

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, surgeon and philosopher in the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

during the second century CE. Several of the works were written between 165–175 CE.

Description

produced more work than any author in antiquity,Kotrc RF, Walters KR. "A bibliography of the Galenic Corpus. A newly researched list and arrangement of the titles of the treatises extant in Greek, Latin, and Arabic". ''Trans Stud Coll Physicians Philad''. 1979 Dec;1(4): 256-304 His surviving work runs to over 2.6 million words, and many more of his writings are now lost. Karl Gottlob Kühn of

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

(1754–1840) published an edition of 122 of Galen's writings between 1821 and 1833. His edition, which is the most complete, although flawed, consists of the

text with facing-page

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

translation. The text and translation are mainly taken from the edition of Chartier 1638—39, Paris. Kühn's edition runs to 22

volume Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). Th ...

s, 676 index pages, being over 20,000 pages in length. More modern projects like th
''Corpus Medicorum Graecorum''
have still to match the Kühn edition. A digital version of the Galenic corpus, largely taken from Kühn's edition but using newer editions where available, is included in the ''

Thesaurus Linguae Graecae The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (TLG) is a research center at the University of California, Irvine. The TLG was founded in 1972 by Marianne McDonald (a graduate student at the time and now a professor of theater and classics at the University of Cal ...

'', a

digital library A digital library, also called an online library, an internet library, a digital repository, or a digital collection is an online database of digital objects that can include text, still images, audio, video, digital documents, or other digital ...

Greek literature Greek literature () dates back from the ancient Greek literature, beginning in 800 BC, to the modern Greek literature of today. Ancient Greek literature was written in an Ancient Greek dialect, literature ranges from the oldest surviving writte ...

started in 1972. Another useful modern source is the Frenc
Bibliothèque interuniversitaire de santé
(BIU Santé). According to Susan Mattern the most modern edition of the Galenic corpus is one-eighth of all classical Greek literature that survives.

List

With Greek and Latin Titles and ''standardized bibliographical abbreviations''
Liddell & Scott: Greek-English Lexicon
See also ''Cambridge Companion to Galen'': Appendices. Vol. and pp. notation according to Kühn edition). Ordered according to Coxe's taxonomy of 1846 (see References), which includes a summary of each work. Alternative names in (parentheses). ''Italicised'' citations from Galen's works refer to the Kühn edition. Galen's own

Bibliographies Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...

* On My (His) Own Books (''Lib. Prop.'') * On the Order of my Own Books (''Ord. Lib. Prop.'')

Introductory Treatises (Prolegomena, Εἰσαγωγή (Eisagôgê), Introductio)

: 2. The Best Doctor is also a Philosopher (A good physician must also be a philosopher) ''Si quis Optimus Medicus est, Eundum esse Philosophum'' (''Opt. Med.'')) : 3. Of verbal sophistry ''De Sophismatis in Verbo Contingentibus (Soph.)'' : 5. Of the appropriate writings of Galen. ''De Libris Propriis (Galeni)'' ''(Lib. Prop.)'' : 6. Of the order in which his writings are to be placed. ''De Ordine Librorum Suorum'' : 7. Of different sects in medicine (On Sects) ''De Sectis'' : 10. An exposition of the empiric sect ''De Subfiguratio(ne) Empirica (Subf. Empir.)'' : 12. Of the art of medicine. ''De Constitutione Artis Medicae'' : 16. Of the art of medicine. ''Ars Medicinalis''

I: Physiology and Anatomy

: 1. On The Elements According to Hippocrates ''De elementis secundum Hippocratem'' (''Elem.'') : 2. Of temperaments (On Mixtures): Περί κράσεων (peri kraseon); ''De Temperamentis'' (''Temp.''); book III was also translated as ''De Complexionibus'' (On the Complexions) : 3. Two commentaries of Galen on the books of Hippocrates, entitled, “Of the Nature of Man.” ''Galeni, in Librum Hippocratis, de Natura Humana (HNH)'' : 4. Of the atrabilis, or black bile. ''De Atra Bile, Libellus (Atr. Bil.) (At. Bil.)'' : 7. Of the bones (On Bones for Beginners) ''De Ossibus (Oss.)'' : 11. Is blood naturally contained in the arteries? ''An in Arteriis (Natura) Sanguis Contineatur (An sanguis in arteriis natura contineatur)'' (''Art. Sang.'') : 12. On Anatomical Procedures (Investigations) ''De Anatomicis Administrationibus'' (''AA'') : 13. Of the dissection of the uterus (On the Anatomy of the Uterus) ''De Uteri Dissectione'' (''Ut. Diss.'') : 15. Of the uses of the different parts of the human body (On the Usefulness/Utility of the Parts of the Body) ''De Usu Partium Corporis Humani (UP)'' : 16. Of the utility of respiration ''De Usu (Utilitate) Respirationis'' : 17. Of the causes of respiration ''De Causis Respirationis'' : 18. Of the use of the pulse ''De Usu Pulsuum (Pulsuum Usu)'' : 19. On the subsistence of the Natural Faculties ''De Substantia Facultatum Naturalium'' : 20. Of the dogmas, or opinions of (On the Doctrines of) Hippocrates and Plato ''De Hippocratis et Platonis Decretis (Dogmatibus) (PHP)'' V
21. Of the natural faculties ''De Facultatibus Naturalibus'' ''(De Naturalibus Facultatibus)'' (''Nat. Fac.'') II
: 23. Of the motion (movement) of the thorax (chest) and lungs ''De Motu Thoracis et Pulmonis'' : 24. That the qualities of the mind depend on the temperament of the body ''Quod Animi Mores Corporis Temperatura Sequantur'' : 25. Of the foetal formation ''De Foetuum Formatione (Foet. Form.)'' : 26. Of the semen (On Semen) ''De Semine''

II: Hygiene

Of the faculties or powers of aliments (On the Powers of Foods) ''De Alimentorum Facultatibus (Alim. Fac.)''
: On Good and Bad Humours (''Bon. Mal. Suc.'') : On the Ptisan, or Barley-water ''De Ptisana'' : On the Preservation of Health ''De Sanitate Tuenda'' (''San. Tu.'')

III: Etiology

: 1.4. Of (On) the Causes of Symptoms ''De Symptomatum Causis'' (''Caus. Symp.'') : 8. Of plethora ''De Plenitudine (Plen.)''
14. Of procatartic causes (On Antecedent Causes) ''De Causis Procatarcticis'' (''CP'')
: 15. Commentary On Hippocrates' 'Epidemics' ''In Hippocratis de Morbis Vulgaribus, Commentarii'' (''Hipp. Epid.'')

IV: Semeiotics

: 1. On the parts affected by disease (On Affected Parts) ''De Locis Affectis'' (''Loc. Aff.'') : 2. A concise treatise on the pulse for students (On the Pulse for Beginners) ''De Pulsibus Libellus ad Tyrones'' (''Puls.'') : 3. Of the difference of pulses ''De Differentiis Pulsuum (Diff. Puls.)'' : 4. On the knowledge of the pulse ''De Dignoscendis Pulsibus'' ''(De Pulsuum Differentiis)'' (''Dig. Puls.'') : 5. On the causes of the pulse ''De Causis Pulsuum (Caus. Puls.)'' : 6. Of prediction from the pulse ''De Praesagitione ex Pulsibus (Praes. Puls.)'' : 7. Synopsis of his sixteen books on the pulse ''Synopsis Librorum Suorum, Sexdecim, de Pulsibus (Syn. Puls.)'' : 12. Commentaries on the prognostics of Hippocrates (On Hippocrates' 'Prognostic') ''In Prognostica Hippocratis Comment.'' (''Hipp. Prog.'')

: 14. On Prognosis ''De Praegnotione ad Epigenem'' (''Praen.'') V

V: Pharmacy

: On the Powers (and Mixtures) of Simple remedies (Drugs) ''De Simp. Medicament. Facultatibus'' (''SMT'') : On Remedies Easy to Prepare: Περι ευποριστων (Peri euporiston); ''De Remediis Parabilibus'' : Of medicinal substitutes (On Substitute Drugs) ''De Substitutis Medicinis'' (''Suc.'') : Of the faculty or power of purgative remedies (On the Power of Cleansing Drugs) ''De Purgantium Medicamentorum Facultate'' (''Purg. Med. Fac.'') : Whom, with which, and at what time to purge (Whom to Purge, with what Cleansing Drugs and When) ''Quos Purgare Conveniat, Quibus Medicamentis, et Quo Tempore'' (''Cath. Med. Purg.'') : Of the theriaca (On Theriac to Piso) ''De Theriaca, ad Pisonem'' (''Ther. Pis.'') : On the use of the theriaca (On Theriac to Pamphilianus) ''De Usu Thericae, ad Pamphilianum'' : On Antidotes ''De Antidotis'' (''Ant.'') : Of the composition of local remedies ''De Compositione Medicamentorum Localium'' : On the Composition of Drugs (Medical Compounds) according to Places ''De Compositione Medicamentorum Secundum Locus'' (''Comp. Med. (Sec.) Loc.'') : Of the compounding of remedies in relation with their genera (On the Composition of Drugs according to Kind) ''De Compositione Medicamentorum per Genera'' (''Comp. Med. per Gen.'') : Of weights and measures ''De Ponderibus et Mensuris Libellus''

VI: Instruments of Clinical Practice

: Of venæsection in opposition to Erasistratus ''De Venæsectione, Adversus Erasistratum (Ven. Sect. Er.)'' : Of venæsection, (Bloodletting) in opposition to Erasistratus ''De Venae Sectione Adversus Erasistrateos Romae Degentes'' ''(Ven. Sect. Er. Rom.)'' XI:197-249 : Of venæsection, in opposition to Erasistratus of Rome ''De Venasectione Adversus Erasistrataeos qui Romae Degebant''

VII: Therapeutics

: 1. Of the method of curing diseases (On The Therapeutic Method) ''De Medendi Methodo, Seu de Morb. Curandis'' ''(De Methodo Medendi)'' (''MM'') : 4. Of remedies of easy preparation (On Remedies Easy to Prepare) ''De Remediis Paratu Facilibus Libellus'' (''Rem.'') : 12. Three commentaries on the Hippoc. treatise of the office of the physician. ''In Hippocratis de Officina Medici (In Hippocratem de Officina Medici)(Hipp. Off. Med.)''

Additional works

: Commentary on Hippocrates' Aphorisms ''In Aphorismos Hippoc.'' (''In Hippocratis Aphorismos'') (''Hp. Aph. Com.'') ''(Hipp. Aph.)'' : On Consolation from Grief (De indolentia) (''Ind.'') ::Newly discovered in 2005

Spurious

: On the Power of Centaura ''De Virtute Centaureae''

Fragments

Other (not in Coxe taxonomy)

: On Medical Experience ''De Experientia Medica'' ''(Med. Exp.)''
On Language and Ambiguity (Fallacies due to language) ''De Captionibus penes Dictionem''
: On Containing Causes ''De Causis Contentivus'' (''CC'') : On Demonstration ''Dem.'' : On My (His) Own Opinions ''De Proprius Placitis'' (''Prop. Plac.'') ::Was fragmentary in 1979; a complete Greek text was discovered in Thessalonica in 2005
On Examinations by Which the Best Physicians Are Recognised

: On Things said in Many Ways : Opportune Moments in Disease (''Morb. Temp.'') : On the affections of the mind : The Passions of the Soul ''De Propriorum Animi Cuiuslibet Affectuum Dignotione et Curatione (Aff. Dig.)'' V:40-1 : On Moral Character (''Mor.'') : The Faculties of the Soul Follow the Mixture of the Body (''QAM'') : On Propositions Missed out in the Expression of Demonstrations : On Propositions With the Same Meaning : On Slander ''De calumnia in quo et de vita sua'' : On Sects for Beginners ''De Sectis Ingredientibus (SI)'' : Introduction to Logic ''Institutio Logica (Inst. Log.)'' : ''Adversus Julianum (Adv. Jul.)'' : ''De Optima Doctrina'' (''Opt. Doct.'') : ''De Animi Cuiuslibet Peccatorum Dignotione et Curatione (Pecc. Dig.)'' Hippocratic commentaries : On the Elements according to Hippocrates (''Hipp. Elem.'') : On the Doctrines of Hippocrates and Plato ''De Placitis Hippocratis et Platonis (PHP)'' V : Commentary on Hippocrates' Aphorisms (''Hp. Aph. Com.'') : On Hippocrates' 'Epidemics' (''Hipp. Epid.'') : On Hippocrates' 'Prognostic' (''Hipp. Prog.'')

Collections
On Food and Diet. Grant M (trans.) Routledge 2000: 7 treatises
::On the Humours ::On Black Bile (''Atr. Bil.'') ::On the Powers of Foods ''De alimentorum facultatibus (Alim. fac.)'' ::On Uneven Bad Temperament (''Inaeq. Int.'') ::On the Causes of Disease (''Caus. Morb.'') ::On Barley

Collections

* Kühn, C.G. (ed.) Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia. Leipzig: C. Cnobloch, 1821–1833, rpt. Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1964-5. (Greek, Latin trans.) ''Editio Kuchniana Lipsiae'' * Galeni Scripta Minora. Leipzig 1884-93 3 vols. (Marquadt, Müller, Helmreich eds.) ''SM''

* Brock AJ. Greek Medicine, Being Extracts Illustrative of Medical Writers from Hippocrates to Galen. 1929 (repr. 1977) * Singer PN (trans.) Selected works by Galen. OUP 1997
Walzer R, Frede M. (trans.) Three Treatises on the Nature of Science: On the Sects for Beginners ; An Outline of Empiricism ; On Medical Experience. Hackett Publishing, 1985

BIUM Online sources

First printed editions of Galen at the Bibliothèque Interuniversitaire de Médecine of Paris (BIUM)
studies and digitized texts by the Bibliothèque interuniversitaire de santé see its digital librar
Medic@
CMG Online sources

by the
Corpus Medicorum Graecorum
' with further links to digitized editions, manuscripts and modern translations.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Galen Ancient Roman medicine Ancient Greek medical works