Xenocrates of Aphrodisias

Xenocrates (Greek: Ξενοκράτης; fl. 1st century) a Greek physician of Aphrodisias in Cilicia,[1] who must have lived about the middle of the 1st century, as he was probably a contemporary of Andromachus the Younger.[2] Galen says that he lived in the second generation before himself.[3] He wrote some pharmaceutical works, and is blamed by Galen[3] for making use of disgusting remedies, for instance, human brains, flesh, liver, bone ash, urine, excrement, etc. One of his works was entitled On Useful Things from Living Beings (Greek: Περὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν Ζώων Ὠφελείας).[4] He is several times quoted by Galen, and also by Clement of Alexandria;[5] Artemidorus;[6] Pliny;[7] Oribasius;[8] Aëtius;[9] and Alexander of Tralles.[10] Besides some short fragments of his writings there is extant a synopsis of a work on marine creatures, (Greek: Περὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν Ἐνύδρων Τροφῆς) preserved by Oribasius.

  1. ^ Galen, De Simplic. Medicam. Temper, ac Facult., vi. praef. vol. xi. p. 793
  2. ^ Galen, De Compos. Medicam. sec. Loc., iii. 1, vol. xii. p. 627; De Ther. ad Pis., c. 12. vol. xiv. p. 260.
  3. ^ a b Galen, De Simplic. Medicam. Temper. ac Facult., x. 1. vol. xii. p. 248
  4. ^ Galen, De Simplic. Medicam. Temper, ac Facult., x. 2. § 4, vol. xii. p. 261
  5. ^ Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, i. p. 717
  6. ^ Artemidorus, Oneirocr., iv. 24
  7. ^ Pliny, H. N., xx. 82
  8. ^ Oribasius, Coll. Medic., ii 58, p. 225
  9. ^ Aëtius, i. 2. 84, iv. 2. 35, 3. 14, pp. 75, 706, 760
  10. ^ Alexander of Tralles, i. 15, xii. 8, pp. 156, 344