GALEN’S METHOD OF HEALING

BOOK I.

Chapter 1. Dearest Hiero, you and several of our other companions have often urged me to write a systematic method of healing for you. While I truly desire to please you, and I also intend to help future generations as much as I am able, I have hesitated and postponed this work for many reasons. I think it is best to explain these reasons now, before starting the actual treatise. Understanding them will be useful for the arguments I will make later. The most important reason of all is the risk The Greek text breaks off here at the syllable "kindu-", likely intended to be "kindyneuein," meaning to run a risk or be in danger of something.

GALEN’S METHOD OF HEALING

BOOK I.

Chapter 1. Since you, my dearest Hiero, and certain other friends have now urged me many times to write a method of healing for you, and since I certainly desire to gratify you as much as possible, and have determined to help future generations to the best of my ability, I have nevertheless always hesitated and postponed this for many reasons. I believe it would be better to set these reasons out now, before I begin the work itself, for they offer some utility for what will be said later. The most important of all these reasons was that I [feared] in vain me The Latin text breaks off at "frustra me," corresponding to the Greek above, indicating a fear of writing in vain or for an unappreciative audience.