An interpretation of the preface to Medical Puzzles and Natural Problems 1 by Pseudo- Alexander of Aphrodisias in light of medical education

TY - CHAP

T1 - An interpretation of the preface to Medical Puzzles and Natural Problems 1 by Pseudo- Alexander of Aphrodisias in light of medical education

AU - Meeusen, Michiel

PY - 2018/2/1

Y1 - 2018/2/1

N2 - Among the writings of Alexander of Aphrodisias (fl. 200 AD), the famous commentator on Aristotle, there is a collection of Medical Puzzles and Natural Problems, which is generally considered spurious today.1 Finding its model in the Natural Problems ascribed to Aristotle (probably only partially authentic), the work is one of several witnesses to the revival of this branch of scientific inquiry, well known for its typical question and answer approach, in the Imperial era. Scholars agree that starting from Andronicus’ re-edition of Aristotle’s oeuvre in the first century BC, this genre gained in popularity in the first and second centuries AD and onwards.2 Other collections that have come down to us are the so-called Supplementary Problems,3 variously attributed to pseudo-Aristotle and pseudo-Alexander; the Medical Difficulties and Natural Problems, ascribed to Cassius the Iatrosophist;4 and the natural problems by Plutarch of Chaeronea (collected in his Table Talk and Causes of Natural Phenomena).

AB - Among the writings of Alexander of Aphrodisias (fl. 200 AD), the famous commentator on Aristotle, there is a collection of Medical Puzzles and Natural Problems, which is generally considered spurious today.1 Finding its model in the Natural Problems ascribed to Aristotle (probably only partially authentic), the work is one of several witnesses to the revival of this branch of scientific inquiry, well known for its typical question and answer approach, in the Imperial era. Scholars agree that starting from Andronicus’ re-edition of Aristotle’s oeuvre in the first century BC, this genre gained in popularity in the first and second centuries AD and onwards.2 Other collections that have come down to us are the so-called Supplementary Problems,3 variously attributed to pseudo-Aristotle and pseudo-Alexander; the Medical Difficulties and Natural Problems, ascribed to Cassius the Iatrosophist;4 and the natural problems by Plutarch of Chaeronea (collected in his Table Talk and Causes of Natural Phenomena).

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85045705715&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.4324/9781351205276

DO - 10.4324/9781351205276

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:85045705715

SN - 9781472487919

SP - 94

EP - 109

BT - Greek Medical Literature and its Readers

PB - Taylor and Francis

ER -