Greek Medical Tradition (Age of Galen)

Timeline

1. c. 129–216Pergamon · AnatoliaAfter practicing at the Asclepieion in Pergamon, Galen went to Rome, where he integrated Hippocratic humoral theory with Plato's tripartite soul through animal dissection experiments, establishing a systematic anatomy, physiology, and therapeutics.
2. c. 200–350Alexandria · EgyptAfter the third century, Galen's works were widely copied at medical centers such as Alexandria; in debates between the Methodists and Empiricists, Galenism gradually gained dominance, and medical education incorporated rhetorical and philosophical training.
3. c. 350–500Constantinople · ByzantineIn the fourth and fifth centuries, the Byzantine court and church hospitals followed Galenic medicine; scholars such as Oribasius compiled medical anthologies, and Greek medical texts became the standard reference for medical practice across the Mediterranean world.