Review article

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY IN THE WORK OF NEMESIUS OF EMESA “ON THE NATURE OF MAN”

Georgios Panteleakos ; Department of Experimental Physiology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Goudi 11527, Athens, Greece
Effie Poulakou‑Rebelakou ; Department of History of Medicine, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Goudi 11527, Athens, Greece
Michael Koutsilieris ; Department of Experimental Physiology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University, Goudi 11527, Athens, Greece

Abstract

This study summarises the original medical information contained in the treatise On the Nature of Man by the Byzantine scholar Nemesius, Bishop of Emesa (4th century), written in ancient Greek. Nemesius’ work had a strong impact on later Byzantine scholarship, as witnessed by a number of treatises on human body that followed under a similar or identical title. This review introduces and summarises some of the basic views of Nemesius and compares them with those of Galen, one of the major contributors to medical knowledge of antiquity, in order to see how Galen’s theories on anatomy and physiology influenced Nemesius. We conclude that the medical information in the work of Nemesius reflects the high level of Byzantine medicine of the time, as well as deep influences from ancient Greek intelligentsia and Galen in particular.

Keywords

Byzantine medicine; Nemesius of Emesa; Galen; anatomy; physiology

Hrčak ID:

111072

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/111072

Publication date:

15.12.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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