“You should consider a physician learned and wise, trained and skillful, if he can cure with drugs diseases which surgeons treat by making incisions” (Galen, Opt.Med.Cogn. I, 10, trans. A.Z. Iskandar). With these words, Galen (2nd century CE) reveals his profound preference for pharmacology over surgery. As a towering figure in the history of medicine, the physician from Pergamon, Galen, lends his name to ‘Galenic formulations,’ yet the origins of pharmacological practices are much more ancient and are often shrouded in myth. In Ancient Greece, traces of this medical knowledge can be found in the Mycenaean Linear B tablets, but the first systematic treatises date back only to the 4th century BC and focus primarily on simples. Jean-Marie Jacques has described the simples as the first “tool” to employ in cases of illness, and has stated that, if these fail, one should turn to the more complex compounded remedies. The science of compounded medicines and toxicology flourishes in the Hellenistic era, driven by the medical breakthroughs of Herophilean physicians, the patronage of Hellenistic rulers, and the introduction of exotic substances. Pharmacological texts proliferated across this era, but they were later overshadowed by the monumental syntheses that emerged in the Roman period, particularly the works of Dioscorides and Galen. Even in Latin literature, Celsus, Pliny the Elder, and Scribonius Largus contributed comprehensive treatises, preserving a mere fragment of what had once been a diverse corpus of medicinal knowledge. Our conference aims to investigate those aspects of the history of ancient and late-antique pharmacology that remain unexplored, not only by examining the substances used for healing but also by exploring the linguistic, cultural, and material contexts in which ancient remedies were acquired, prepared and administered. Through the analysis of both medical and non-medical technical texts (alchemy, cuisine, law, magic, philosophy, religion, and trade), the archaeological contexts and the tools they have uncovered, skeletal remains, illustrations from early manuscripts, paintings and sculptures from the past, and modern reproductions of ancient recipes, we will uncover the intricate networks of knowledge and practices that shaped the healing arts in the ancient world.

Practical details and contacts

Please submit a title and an abstract of no more than 300 words to Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. and Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. by June 15, 2025.

We welcome presentations (max. 30 minutes) given in Italian, English, French, Spanish or German. The organizers will notify authors of the acceptance of their papers by June 30, 2025.

No registration fee will be required. However, travel expenses and accommodation should be covered by the participants.

For any inquiries, please contact us at Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. and Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.

Scientific committee
Petros Bouras-Vallianatos (University of Athens)
Marie Cronier (IRHT, Paris)
Martina Dattilo (Università di Bologna)
Marco Maiuro (Sapienza Università di Roma, Columbia University)
Caterina Manco (Università di Bologna)
Laurence Totelin (Cardiff University)

Keynote speakers
Valentina Giuffra (Università di Pisa)
Alessia Guardasole (UMR Orient & Méditerranée, Paris)
Andrew Koh (Yale University)
Manuela Marai (indipendent scholar)
Dario Nappo (Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II)

For more info, https://www.academia.edu/128260077/Call_for_papers_Exploring_Ancient_Pharmacology_Drugs_Words_and_Practices