Lecture by Anna Gili
11 November 2025 – 5 PM (CET)
The Royal Book (al-Kitāb al-Malakī), a medical encyclopaedia written by the Arabic physician al-Majūsī (930–994), includes an entire book devoted to the science of compound medicaments in its practical section. Rather than merely compiling lists of antidotes, it begins with a passionate defence of rationalist physicians' views on the necessity of using compound antidotes, emphasising their effectiveness as an essential tool in the battle against disease.
Notably, the Latin translation by Constantine the African (1020–1087), preserved in a single manuscript from Toledo, goes beyond simply translating al-Majusi's doctrines. It transforms them into a more philosophically informed discussion, substantiating the rationalist physicians' claims by explaining how medicaments exert their virtues, while also incorporating fragments of earlier Latin learning.
This talk will present a selection of passages to highlight the main features of this neglected text and its Latin adaptation.
To register for this event please follow the link:
The Arabic and Latin Science of Compound Medicaments
The Royal Book (al-Kitāb al-Malakī), a medical encyclopaedia written by the Arabic physician al-Majūsī (930–994), includes an entire book devoted to the science of compound medicaments in its practical section. Rather than merely compiling lists of antidotes, it begins with a passionate defence of rationalist physicians' views on the necessity of using compound antidotes, emphasising their effectiveness as an essential tool in the battle against disease.
Notably, the Latin translation by Constantine the African (1020–1087), preserved in a single manuscript from Toledo, goes beyond simply translating al-Majusi's doctrines. It transforms them into a more philosophically informed discussion, substantiating the rationalist physicians' claims by explaining how medicaments exert their virtues, while also incorporating fragments of earlier Latin learning.
This talk will present a selection of passages to highlight the main features of this neglected text and its Latin adaptation.
To register for this event please follow the link:
The Arabic and Latin Science of Compound Medicaments
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