Title page of the 1st edition of Hippocratic texts by Aldus Manutius
Place where the object is located
Wellcome collection: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/dayr8byw/images?id=bzffcfwn
Story of the object
This is the title page of the editio princeps, the first collection of Hippocratic works in the original ancient Greek, published by Aldus Manutius in 1526 in Venice. It should be noted that various manuscripts were taken into consideration by the Editor, Gian Francesco, in order to complete such a laborious quest. Even more, he had to decide what was true Hippocratic work and what was erroneously ascribed to Hippocrates. The first full Hippocratic edition was his Opera Omnia, translated in Latin by Marcus Fabius Calvus in 1525, just one year before this one. Before these editions, the Hippocratic texts could be found in single publications (for example the edition of the De insomniis printed in 1481 in Rome by Andrea Brenta) or as part of a compendium of medical authors (for example the edition of 1483 printed by Hermann Lichtenstein in Venice). The Aldine editions brought together all recognized works of a specific author in an edited whole. The manuscript that formed the basis for the Greek Aldine edition was the Parisinus Gr. 2141 but numerous other manuscripts were available to Gian Francesco, such as the Parisinus Gr. 2253, the Bodleian Holkhamensis 92 etc.
The Hippocratic Corpus consists of some 60 treatises under the name of Hippocrates. The Corpus was not initially created as a collection of texts, but every treatise was independent. The heterogeneous collection of all texts known as Hippocratic Corpus was brought together in Hellenistic times, in Alexandria by the mid-3rd century BC. Alexandria hosted at that time numerous scholars who, among others, worked on the Hippocratic Corpus as glossators and commentators. It was at that time that the “Hippocratic Problem” was first up for discussion since no one was – and still is – sure about the genuineness of the treatises.
Hippocrates remained the “Father of Medicine” throughout antiquity and beyond, although scholars often studied him through Galen’s perspective. Taking into consideration that Galenism lasted until Renaissance, we should point out that Galen’s adoration towards Hippocrates aided in the endurance of the Hippocratic texts, which survived through Byzantium. Surprisingly, despite the traditional hostility of the clergy towards the medical profession because of the emphasis upon bodily rather than spiritual health, it was through the monasteries that the Hippocratic texts were preserved in Latin translations, were copied, and transmitted in the West in the early Middle Ages. Renaissance anatomists unhorsed Galen, by pointing out his anatomical mistakes, leading to the gradual eradication of his influence. On the contrary, after the translation of the Hippocratic corpus in Latin, Hippocrates’ prestige remained intact until nowadays.
• Cantor D. (2002). Reinventing Hippocrates. Aldershot: Ashgate.
• Fortuna S. (2007). The Prefaces to the First Humanist Medical Translations. Traditio 62, pp. 317-335.
• Jackson DG. (2012). Greek Medicine in the Fifteenth Century. Early Science and Medicine 17, pp. 378-390.
• Potter P. (1998). The editiones principes of Galen and Hippocrates and their relationship. In Fischer, Nickel, Diethard and Potter (eds). Text and Transmission: Studies in Ancient Medicine and its Transmission Presented to Jutta Kollesch. Leiden, pp. 243-61.
• Touwaide A. (2012). Printing Greek Medicine in the Renaissance. Scholars, Collections, Opportunities, and Challenges. Introduction. Early Science and Medicine 17, pp. 371-377.
The Hippocratic Corpus consists of some 60 treatises under the name of Hippocrates. The Corpus was not initially created as a collection of texts, but every treatise was independent. The heterogeneous collection of all texts known as Hippocratic Corpus was brought together in Hellenistic times, in Alexandria by the mid-3rd century BC. Alexandria hosted at that time numerous scholars who, among others, worked on the Hippocratic Corpus as glossators and commentators. It was at that time that the “Hippocratic Problem” was first up for discussion since no one was – and still is – sure about the genuineness of the treatises.
Hippocrates remained the “Father of Medicine” throughout antiquity and beyond, although scholars often studied him through Galen’s perspective. Taking into consideration that Galenism lasted until Renaissance, we should point out that Galen’s adoration towards Hippocrates aided in the endurance of the Hippocratic texts, which survived through Byzantium. Surprisingly, despite the traditional hostility of the clergy towards the medical profession because of the emphasis upon bodily rather than spiritual health, it was through the monasteries that the Hippocratic texts were preserved in Latin translations, were copied, and transmitted in the West in the early Middle Ages. Renaissance anatomists unhorsed Galen, by pointing out his anatomical mistakes, leading to the gradual eradication of his influence. On the contrary, after the translation of the Hippocratic corpus in Latin, Hippocrates’ prestige remained intact until nowadays.
• Cantor D. (2002). Reinventing Hippocrates. Aldershot: Ashgate.
• Fortuna S. (2007). The Prefaces to the First Humanist Medical Translations. Traditio 62, pp. 317-335.
• Jackson DG. (2012). Greek Medicine in the Fifteenth Century. Early Science and Medicine 17, pp. 378-390.
• Potter P. (1998). The editiones principes of Galen and Hippocrates and their relationship. In Fischer, Nickel, Diethard and Potter (eds). Text and Transmission: Studies in Ancient Medicine and its Transmission Presented to Jutta Kollesch. Leiden, pp. 243-61.
• Touwaide A. (2012). Printing Greek Medicine in the Renaissance. Scholars, Collections, Opportunities, and Challenges. Introduction. Early Science and Medicine 17, pp. 371-377.
Unit of the Educational Material connected (2 - 1)
Label
Venetiis : In aedibus Aldi, & Andreae Asulani soceri, Mense maii 1526.
Physical description: 6 unnumbered pages, 233 pages, 1 unnumbered leaves ; (folio). Notes: Text in Greek, Edited by: Franciscus Asulanus, Imprint from colophon, Signatures: *⁶ A-2E⁸ 2F10, Aldine device on t.p. and verso of final leaf, Capital spaces with guide letters, References: Renouard. Annali delle ed. aldine, 1953, p.102., Copy 1 Note: On fly-leaf is the signature of Johannes Sturmius. X100086
Physical description: 6 unnumbered pages, 233 pages, 1 unnumbered leaves ; (folio). Notes: Text in Greek, Edited by: Franciscus Asulanus, Imprint from colophon, Signatures: *⁶ A-2E⁸ 2F10, Aldine device on t.p. and verso of final leaf, Capital spaces with guide letters, References: Renouard. Annali delle ed. aldine, 1953, p.102., Copy 1 Note: On fly-leaf is the signature of Johannes Sturmius. X100086
