“You should consider a p hysician 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) reveal s his profound preference for pharmacology over surgery. As a towering figu re in the history of medicine, the physician from Pergamon, Galen, lends hi s name to ‘Galenic formulations,’ yet the origins of pharmacological practi ces 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 t ablets, but the first systematic treatises date back only to the 4th centur y BC and focus primarily on simples. Jean-Marie Jacques has described the s imples as the first “tool” to employ in cases of illness, and has stated th at, if these fail, one should turn to the more complex compounded remedies. The science of compounded medicines and toxicology flourishes in the Helle nistic era, driven by the medical breakthroughs of Herophilean physicians, the patronage of Hellenistic rulers, and the introduction of exotic substan ces. Pharmacological texts proliferated across this era, but they were late r 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 corpu s of medicinal knowledge. Our conference aims to investigate those aspects of the history of ancient and late-antique pharmacology that remain unexplo red, not only by examining the substances used for healing but also by expl oring the linguistic, cultural, and material contexts in which ancient reme dies were acquired, prepared and administered. Through the analysis of both medical and non-medical technical texts (alchemy, cuisine, law, magic, phi losophy, religion, and trade), the archaeological contexts and the tools th ey 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 3
00 words to
We welcome presentations (max. 30 minutes) given in Italian, English, French, Spanish or German. The organizers will notify authors of the acceptance of their pa pers 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
Scientific co
mmittee
Petros Bouras-Vallianatos (University of Athens)
Marie Cr
onier (IRHT, Paris)
Martina Dattilo (Università di Bologna)
Marco
Maiuro (Sapienza Università di Roma, Columbia University)
Caterina Ma
nco (Università di Bologna)
Laurence Totelin (Cardiff University)
For more info,&n bsp;https://www.academia.edu/128260077/Call_for_papers_Exploring_Ancient_Pha rmacology_Drugs_Words_and_Practices
DTSTAMP:20260405T140851 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome;VALUE=DATE:20250615 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome;VALUE=DATE:20250616 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR