Alexander von Tralleis

Alexander von Tralleis (also Alexander von Tralles ; Greek Alexandros , Latinized Alexander Trallianus ; * around 525 in Tralleis , † around 605) was a Byzantine doctor.

Life

Alexander, the youngest son of the doctor Stephanos, came from the city of Tralleis in Lydia in Asia Minor . He went on educational trips to Italy, Africa, Gaul and Spain before settling in Rome , where he has lived and worked ever since. There he devoted himself primarily to practical work until he began to work on medical treatises in old age.

Fonts

Alexander is best known for his treatises on pathology and therapy. His book Therapeutics treats human ailments according to the scheme from head to toe starting with hair loss through phrenitis , epilepsy , melancholy , lung disease, cholera to podagra .

Alexander wrote the following writings:

Περὶ ἑλμίνθων (Perí helmínthon; De lumbricis; About the intestinal worms). Narrated in Codex Parisinus gr. Suppl. 631st from the 11th / 12th Century.
Περὶ ὀφθαλμῶν (Perí ophthalmon; De oculis; Over the eyes). Before the 10th century, probably incorrectly attributed to Alexander. Compilation of otherwise lost sources, especially Arab doctors. Passed down in Codex Marcianus gr. V 9 from the 15th century.
Περὶ πυρετῶν (Peri pyreton; De febribus; About the fever). Narrated in the Codex Laurentianus plut. 74.10 from the 14th century.
Θεραπευτικά (Therapeutiká; Therapeutics). Comprehensive medical lexicon in the galenic tradition. Partly handed down in the Codex Parisinus gr. Suppl 1297 from the 10th century and entirely in the Codex Laurentianus plut. 74.10 from the 14th century.

Teaching

Alexander gives his own experiences as a doctor, but he excerpts far more extensively from the writings of the doctors before him. There are parallels to Hippocrates of Kos , Aulus Cornelius Celsus , Galenos , Caelius Aurelianus , Oreibasios and many more. He takes the anatomical and physiological basis largely from Galenos, the diagnosis is based, among other things, on uroscopy , the treatment often follows the methodology of baths, bloodletting , diet (etics) and cupping .

The focus, however, is on drugs, the mostly herbal substances of which have already been listed by Pedanios Dioscurides , Pliny the Elder , Scribonius Largus and others. Magical practices such as amulets and the filthy pharmacy are rarely mentioned. Alexander's use of older literature documents the loss of medical knowledge in late antiquity. For example, Scribonius Largus knows the interesting treatment of the Podagra through the electric current that emanates from the live electric ray ( torpedo nigra viva ); Alexander, on the other hand, expressly describes the electric ray ( Νάρχμν ) as a remedy that can be roasted alive and mixed with other substances. Other fish and seafood are also used therapeutically: for example the black goby (for colic and dropsy), the sea bass (for hot liver dyscrasia) and the sea urchin (for erysipelas-like liver inflammation).

reception

Alexander's work would remain a textbook for doctors long after his death. It was translated from Greek first into Latin (Libri duodecim de re medica) and later into Arabic and printed until the 16th century.

Alexander received his own short entry in Hartmann Schedel's Weltchronik from 1493 as "Alexander der artzat" .

expenditure

Theodor Puschmann (ed.): Alexander von Tralles. Original text and translation together with an introductory essay. A contribution to the history of medicine. 2 volumes, Vienna 1878–1879 (reprinted Amsterdam 1963).
Barbara Zipser: Pseudo-Alexander Trallianus. De oculis. Introduction, text, translation and commentary. Dissertation, University of Heidelberg 2003.

literature

Iwan Bloch : Alexandros von Tralleis. In: Max Neuberger, Julius Pagel (ed.): Handbook of the history of medicine. Founded by Theodor Puschmann. Volume 1, Fischer, Jena 1902, pp. 535-544; Reprint Olms, Hildesheim / New York 1971.
Isabel Grimm-Stadelmann: Investigations on the Iatromagie in the Byzantine time . De Gruyter, Berlin 2020, ISBN 978-3-11-061292-9 , pp. 187-536.
David R. Langslow: The Latin Alexander Trallianus. The Text and Transmission of a Late Latin Medical Book. The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London 2006, ISBN 0-907764-32-0 (contains a critical partial edition of the Latin version of the therapeutics ).
Karl-Heinz Leven : Alexander von Tralles (Alexandros von Tralleis). In: Werner E. Gerabek u. a. (Ed.): Encyclopedia of medical history. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 31 f.
Alexios G. Savvides, Benjamin Hendrickx (Eds.): Encyclopaedic Prosopographical Lexicon of Byzantine History and Civilization. Vol. 1: Aaron - Azarethes. Brepols, Turnhout 2007, ISBN 978-2-503-52303-3 , pp. 139-140.
Barbara Zipser: Alexandros von Tralleis. In: Manfred Landfester (ed.): History of ancient texts. Lexicon of authors and works (= Der Neue Pauly . Supplements. Volume 2). Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2007, ISBN 978-3-476-02030-7 , p. 29 f.

Web links

Wikisource: Alexander von Tralleis - Sources and full texts

Literature by and about Alexander von Tralleis in the catalog of the German National Library
Alexander on epilepsy

Remarks

^ Theodor Puschmann: Alexander von Tralles.
↑ Iwan Bloch: Alexandros von Tralleis. Pp. 540, 544.
^ Scribonius Largus, Compositiones 162.
↑ Alexander von Tralleis: Precautions against Podagra and joint ailments.
↑ Loucis Mantis, with the participation of Werner E. Gerabek and Peter Proff: Alexander of Tralles and gastroenterology. With a subject indexing by Werner Gerabek. Medical dissertation Würzburg 1988, p. 242 f.
↑ On sheet CXXXVI you can read: “Alexander the artzat this time because of the greatness of his ingenuity. A prince of the doctor held. has expressed the lere der gantzen ertznei in three books. " (Alexander, a doctor of that time, was considered the best of his profession because of his sensuality [comprehension?]. He wrote down the entire medicine in three books.) Hartmann Schedel: Weltchronik 1493 Colored and annotated complete edition. Introduction and commentary by Stephan Füssel. Augsburg 2004, ISBN 3-8289-0803-9 ( Wikisource ).

personal data
SURNAME	Alexander von Tralleis
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Alexandros of Tralleis; Alexander Trallianus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Greek doctor
DATE OF BIRTH	at 525
PLACE OF BIRTH	Tralleis
DATE OF DEATH	at 605

[1] Theodor Puschmann: Alexander von Tralles.

[2] Iwan Bloch: Alexandros von Tralleis. Pp. 540, 544.

[3] Scribonius Largus, Compositiones 162.

[4] Alexander von Tralleis: Precautions against Podagra and joint ailments.

[5] Loucis Mantis, with the participation of Werner E. Gerabek and Peter Proff: Alexander of Tralles and gastroenterology. With a subject indexing by Werner Gerabek. Medical dissertation Würzburg 1988, p. 242 f.

[6] On sheet CXXXVI you can read: “Alexander the artzat this time because of the greatness of his ingenuity. A prince of the doctor held. has expressed the lere der gantzen ertznei in three books. " (Alexander, a doctor of that time, was considered the best of his profession because of his sensuality [comprehension?]. He wrote down the entire medicine in three books.) Hartmann Schedel: Weltchronik 1493 Colored and annotated complete edition. Introduction and commentary by Stephan Füssel. Augsburg 2004, ISBN 3-8289-0803-9 ( Wikisource ).