Bones of Contention. Humanism, Translation, and Experience in Sixteenth-Century Translations of Galen’s De ossibus

Abstract

This article examines the editions of Galen’s De ossibus ad tirones (On Bones for Beginners) in Latin, Greek, and French printed in the sixteenth century – a period that saw more than two-dozen printings of the book. After a brief survey of the contents of the book, a description of the various editions and translations produced is given. The illustrations included in the editions up through the middle of the century are then described, and finally the role the book played in a dispute between Andreas Vesalius and his former teacher, Jacobus Sylvius, is examined, including an edition of De ossibus written by the Spanish physician, Luis Collado.