Aëtius of Amida

Aëtius of Amida (Greek: Ἀέτιος Ἀμιδηνός; Latin: Aëtius Amidenus; fl. mid-5th century to mid-6th century) was a Byzantine Greek physician and medical writer, particularly distinguished by the extent of his erudition. Historians are not agreed about his exact date. He is placed by some writers as early as the 4th century; but it is plain from his own work that he did not write till the very end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th, as he refers not only to Patriarch Cyril of Alexandria, who died 444, but also to Petrus archiater, who could be identified with the physician of Theodoric the Great, whom he defines a contemporary. He is himself quoted by Alexander of Tralles, who lived probably in the middle of the 6th century. He was probably a Christian, which may account perhaps for his being confounded with Aëtius of Antioch, a famous Arian who lived in the time of the Emperor Julian. He is amongst the earliest recorded Greek physicians of the Christian faith.

Life

Aëtius was born a Greek and a native of Amida (modern Diyarbakır, Turkey), a city of Mesopotamia, and studied at Alexandria, which was the most famous medical school of the age.

He traveled and visited the copper mines of Soli, Cyprus, Jericho, and the Dead Sea.

In some manuscripts he has the title of komēs opsikiou (κόμης ὀψικίου), Latin comes obsequii, which means the chief officer in attendance on the emperor.

Works

Aetius seems to be the first Greek medical writer among the Christians who gives any specimen of the spells and charms so much in vogue with the Egyptians, such as that of Saint Blaise in removing a bone which sticks in the throat, and another in relation to a fistula.

The division of his work Sixteen Books on Medicine (Βιβλία Ἰατρικά Ἑκκαίδεκα) into four tetrabibli was not made by himself, but (as Fabricius observes) was the invention of some modern translator, as his way of quoting his own work is according to the numerical series of the books. Although his work does not contain much original matter, and is heavily indebted to Galen and Oribasius, it is nevertheless one of the most valuable medical remains of antiquity, as being a very judicious compilation from the writings of many authors, many from the Alexandrian Library, whose works have been long since lost.

In the manuscript for book 8.13, the word ἀκμή (acme) is written as ἀκνή, the origin of the modern word acne.

• Aetii Medici Graeci Contractae ex Veteribus Medicinae Sermones XVI . Gryphius, Venetiis 1549 Digital edition by the University and State Library Düsseldorf

Aetius is recorded as having developed a concoction for contraception consisting of aloe, wallflower seed, pepper, and saffron. He is also known to have developed an abortifacient mixture, whose contents are not known.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

External links

• Olivieri's CMG Greek text (1935-1950)
• [1] History of Magic and Experimental Science, Part 2, by Lynn Thorndike who reviewed both Aetius and Galen