HISTORY OF BOTANY. 11 



Galen (or L. Claudius Galenus) is styled b}^ a high 

 authority " one of the most eminent physicians of any age 

 or country."* He was born at Pergamus, in Asia Minor* 

 A.D. 130. His father was an architect and geometrician, 

 and appears to have been in good circumstances and to have 

 spared no expense in the education of his son, who often 

 mentions him in terms of great affection and respect. At 

 first he was intended for a philosopher, but changed his 

 profession before his father's death (which happened when 

 he was 20 years old) to that of medicine, which he studied 

 for some years with great assiduity in various cities and 

 under the most eminent professors. On his return to his 

 own country in 158 he was appointed physician to a school 

 of gladiators, and in his thirty-fourth year he went to Kome, 

 where he remained about four years, and then left ; it has 

 been asserted by some, to avoid the pestilence which broke 

 out there in 167. There is no reason to believe that this 

 was the cause of his departure, though it happened at the 

 same time. Galen could not have led a very pleasant life in 

 Kome, on account of his disputes with the other members of 

 his profession, for which there might be at least two 

 reasons, — first, he was without doubt altogether superior to 

 his contemporaries, then he was himself at times violent and 

 bitter in his language. He had hardly reached his own 

 country when he was summoned by the emperors M. 

 AureHus and L. Verus to attend them in one of their 

 northern campaigns, and after the death of Verus he 

 remained in Home some time as phj^sician to the imperial 



allegorical piece called the " Golden Ass," one of the few works that 

 have come down to us from the ancients having the character of what 

 we call light reading. It has been commented on by several critics, 

 and translated into different languages. 



•■'• Dr. W. A. Greenliill, in ' The Imperial Dictionary of Universal 

 Biography.' 



