Palladius On The Hippocratic Aphorisms

Abstract

The Hippocratic Aphorisms have been the origin of a long tradition of study, commentary and adaptation throughout Antiquity and the Arabic, Latin and Hebrew Middle Ages. Since the Greek original of Palladius’ commentary to the Hippocratic Aphorisms is not extant, its Arabic translation deserves the attention of historians of medicine, in particular of those interested in the textual history of the Aphorisms itself. This work has great himma , because it encompasses the principles of the entire art of medicine and informs about the causes and therapies of all illnesses. Palladius’ commentary to the Aphorisms should prove to be a substantial addition, offering new material for solving problems of authorship, for analyzing the technique of late-Alexandrian commentaries, for understanding the history of Hippocrates and his Aphorisms in late Antiquity and Arabic scholarship, and for studying the early stage of the translation movement from Greek into Arabic. Keywords: Alexandrian commentaries; hippocratic aphorisms; Palladius