Events Coming Up

No current events.

Banner

EMail Print

Eventlist

Event 

Open Seminar: Galen of Pergamum (129-216 AD): Physician, Philosopher, and Spin Doctor
Title:
Open Seminar: Galen of Pergamum (129-216 AD): Physician, Philosopher, and Spin Doctor
When:
28.05.2015 19.00 h
Where:
Greek Centre Melbourne (Mezzanine) - Melbourne
Category:
Education

Description

Lecturer: Professor Han Baltussen
Entry: Free

Synopsis

Galen of Pergamum grew up during a period of intense study of the classical world of fifth century Athens. The second century AD became known as the "Second Sophistic", to indicate how this period was a revival of classical style and ideas.

Galen's father, an architect, ensured that he had a good education, which included attending lectures of several philosophical schools. But his early passion turned to medicine—according to one story as a result of a dream. His prolonged training in medical science did not make him forget about philosophy, and consequently he developed a thorough grounding in both.

Galen may therefore serve as a striking example of a new breed, a philosopher-physician. This role he avidly took on no doubt following an ideal he found articulated in one of Aristotle's minor works.

My talk will move on from a biographical sketch to the new insights, which the recent research has given us. Research into ancient medicine has been growing dramatically over the last three decades, enhancing our understanding of this medical genius and his tactics of self-presentation. His stunning productivity stands as an impressive monument to his energy and ingenuity.

The last complete edition (1822-30) has twenty-two fat volumes, which cover an amazing range of medical and philosophical topics, such as anatomy, medicaments, critiques of competitors, vivisection, dissection, herbal knowledge, Hippocratic theory, operations, the pulse, diagnosis, prognosis, veins and arteries, respiration, the composition of drugs and more!

We also know him as the personal physician to emperor Marcus Aurelius, but this is just one of many different aspects of his rich and unusual life as a physician living in the Roman Empire. I will draw on the recent research to create a picture of the most influential medical expert of the ancient world up to the nineteenth century, which reveal how much his success was the result of his skills as a competent philosopher and shrewd spin-doctor.


Bio

Han baltussen is the Hughes Professor of Classics at the University of Adelaide and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

He has published on a wide range of topics in intellectual history and is the author of Theophrastus On Theories of Perception (2000), Philosophy and Exegesis in Simplicius (2008) and has also edited several collections of essays, one on ancient philosophical commentaries, another on ancient consolations.

He is currently finalising an edited volume entitled The Art of Veiled Speech. Self-censorship from Aristophanes to Hobbes (with PJ Davis, expected June 2015), and preparing a monograph on grief and consolation in antiquity. His latest project involves a collaborative study of Stoic influences on the political thinking in the Enlightenment.


Sponsors

Our sincere thanks to: Panagis Zapantis (in memory of) for sponsoring this seminar.

During the course of the year considerable expenses are incurred in staging the seminars. In order to mitigate these costs individuals or organisations are invited to sponsor a lecture of their choice. Please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

You too can sponsor one or more seminars and (optionally) let your name or brand be known as a patron of culture to our members, visitors and followers, as well as the broader artistic and cultural community of Melbourne.

We also thank the seminars' corporate sponsors:

seminar sponsors

Venue

Venue:
Greek Centre Melbourne (Mezzanine)   -   Website
Street:
168 Lonsdale Street
Postcode:
3000
Suburb:
Melbourne
State:
VIC
Country:
Country: au

The Mezzanine floor (press "M" in the elevator) of Greek Centre Melbourne - located at the corner of Lonsdale and Russell streets in Melbourne, Australia.

Alphington Grammar Koinotika Nea - the Greek Community newsletter Requirements for Greek Citizenship

 

Advertisement
Banner
Advertisement