Aëtius of Amida, Medical Practice 2.68
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/487
Context
We know little about the life of Aëtius (mid-5th to mid-6th
centuries), who is remembered as one of the great medical thinkers of Late Antiquity.
Originally from Amida in northwestern Mesopotamia, he studied in Alexandria and
travelled extensively in the Levant, and apparently he was associated with the Imperial
court as an erudite Christian. His encyclopedic manual on “medical practice” (ἰατρικά)
covers many topics pertaining to illness and injury, including much information on
substances, treatments, and natural remedies. In this passage, Aëtius discusses the
composition of rhoidarion, a red powdery application used probably as a cosmetic. This
recipe identifies talc as a special export of Caesarea Palestinae.
Text
Ῥοιδαρίου σκευασία. Σκευάζεται μὲν ποικίλως τὸ ῥοιδάριον· ἐστὶ δὲ καὶ
αὕτη ἀρίστη σκευασία. λαβὼν λαχχὰ ἀπόβρεχε ὕδατι καὶ λεάνας λίθον τὸν κουφόλιθον
λεγόμενον ἐπίχεε ἐκ τοῦ ἀποβρέγματος τῷ κουφολίθῳ καὶ ἔα ξηραίνεσθαι καὶ λαβὼν ῥίζαν
ἀγχούσης ἕψε σὺν ἐλαίῳ ἕως τὸ ἔλαιον πυρρὸν γένηται καὶ ἐπίβαλλε ἐκ τοῦ ἐλαίου ὀλίγον
καὶ λείου καὶ ἔα ξηραίνεσθαι ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ιε´ καὶ πάλιν ἐπίβαλλε ἐκ τοῦ ἀποβρέγματος τοῦ
λαχχᾶ καὶ ἔα ξηρανθῆναι, ἔπειτα βαλὼν εἰς ὀστράκινον ἄγγος καὶ φιμώσας ὄπτα· καὶ ἔσται
ῥοιδάριον καλόν. Κομίζεται δὲ τὸ κουφόλιθον ἀπὸ Καισαρείας τῆς
Παλαιστίνης. οἱ δὲ ἀποροῦντες κουφολίθου, ἀσβέστῳ χρῶνται εἰς τὴν
σκευασίαν.1
Textual Note
Ed. Olivieri 1935Corrigenda Note
Minor corrections (punctuation)Translation
The preparation of rhoidarion. Rhoidarion is prepared
variously, but this is the best preparation. Take lancha and steep it in water. Grind
down the stone called talc, and pour from the infusion (of lancha) into the talc, and
let it dry out. Take root of alkanet and boil it with olive oil until the oil becomes
reddish yellow, and add a little from the olive oil and emulsify, and let it dry out for
15 days. And again add from the infusion of lancha and let it dry; and then apply it to
a clay vessel, seal the mouth, and fire it. This will make the good rhoidarion. The talc
is brought from Caesarea Palestinae, but those lacking talc can
use lime for the preparation.
Translation Note
Trans. J. L. RifeWorks Cited
- 1 Aëtius of Amida, Aëtii Amideni libri medicinales i-iv, ed. Alexander Olivieri, Corpus medicorum Graecorum, 8.1 (Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1935), bk: 2, ch: 38.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Aëtius of Amida, Medical Practice 2.68,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/487.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Aëtius of Amida, Medical Practice 2.68.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/487.About this Entry
Entry Title: Aëtius of Amida, Medical Practice 2.68
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Aëtius of Amida, Medical Practice 2.68”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Aëtius of Amida, Medical Practice 2.68”
Additional Credit:
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife