A Critique of Byzantine Medical Thought: Timarion's Satire

Abstract

Written in the 12th century, the anonymous satire Timarion criticises Byzantine medical practices and the medical theories of the Galenic tradition. Timarion, the protagonist of the story, loses his right to live according to the four-humours theory because he suffers several illnesses and loses his bile on his return from Thessaloniki to Constantinople and dies. When his soul arrives in Hades, Timarion is informed that he will have to appear in court, but with the defence of his rhetoric expert Sophist teacher, he proves that the liquid he expelled from his body was an excess liquid, not necessary and essential for life, and returns to life. The four-humours theory, which was the basis of the Hippocratic and Galenic traditions, was thus ridiculed.

Keywords

• Timarion
• Byzantine Medicine
• Galen
• Symeon Seth
• Four Humours

Bizans Tıbbi Düşüncesinin Bir Eleştirisi: Timarion Hicvi

Abstract

12. yüzyılda yazıldığı tahmin edilen ve anonim bir hiciv olan Timarion metninde, Bizans tıbbi uygulamalarına ve izinde gidilen Galenci tıbbi geleneğin teorilerine ilişkin eleştiriler bulunur. Hikâyenin kahramanı Timarion, Selanik’ten Konstantinopolis’e dönüşü esnasında birkaç hastalık yaşayıp safrasını kaybettiği için dört sıvı kuramına göre yaşama hakkını kaybeder ve ölür. Ruhu Hades’e geldiğinde mahkemeye çıkacağının haberi gelen Timarion, orada karşılaştığı retorik uzmanı sofist hocasının savunmasıyla vücudundan attığı sıvının, yaşam için zorunlu ve gerekli olmayan aşırılaşmış bir sıvı olduğunu ispatlar, yaşama döner. Böylece Hippokrates ve Galen geleneğinin temeli olan dört sıvı kuramı alay konusu olur.

Keywords

• Timarion
• Bizans Tıbbı
• Galenos
• Symeon Seth
• Dört sıvı kuramı

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