PEDANIUS DIO

SCORIDIS ANAZAR

beus, On Medicinal Material, Book One. Preface by Jean Ruel of Soissons, Translator.

A large ornamental woodcut initial Q features foliage and floral motifs within a square frame.

Although, most friendly Areius, many have written on the composition, powers, and testing of medicines, both among the ancients and the more recent authors, I will attempt to show you that my desire to undertake this work was neither vain nor devoid of reason. This is because some of them produced nothing complete, while others handed down in writing many things they had learned by hearsay and inquiry. Indeed, Bithynus Iolas and Heraclides Tarentinus, having completely omitted the treatment of herbs, touched upon the subject in very few words. Nor did all of them record anything about metallic substances or aromatics. However, the herbalist Crateuas and the physician Andreas, who seem to have been more diligent in this part than others, left behind many roots that are especially useful, as well as herbs that were not at all noted. Nevertheless, it is proper to subscribe to the opinions of the ancients, who, even if few things are credited to them, are still known to have expended great diligence. One should lend less assent to the younger writers, among whom Julius Cassius, Niceratus, Petronius Niger, and Diodorus, all of the Asclepiadean school, deemed the native and commonly known medicinal material worthy of being set down exactly by their pens. And, having grasped the powers and testing of medicines only cursorily, and not collecting their effects through any experience, but rather pouring forth words in a vain study of offering causes, and writing one thing instead of another, they cast the subject into a heap and a pile of controversies. Indeed, Niger, who is considered excellent among them, contends that euphorbium is the juice of the chamelaea growing in Italy, and that androsamon is the same herb as hypericum; furthermore, he explains that aloes grow fossil in Judea, and many things similar to these, despite the evidence that entirely refutes their truth. From which it can be gathered by conjecture that they did not accept these things by visual faith, but rather by narration from others. The same men also erred in their order, some of them disagreeing and clashing with powers joined by no kinship, while others, arranging their writings according to the letters of the alphabet so that they might be more easily committed to memory, separated the genera and their effects from their own knowledge. We, however, from the beginning of our youth, so to speak, drawn by a constant desire to know the material, and having traveled through very many regions (for you know that we have led a military life), have compiled this commentary into six books at your urging. This work we dedicate to you, Areius, complying with gratitude of mind because of the affection with which you pursue us. For nature is wont to be prone to friendship not only toward those who are cultivated in all learning, but especially toward those with whom a necessity of the same art intervenes, and toward us even somewhat more peculiarly. Indeed, the singular friendship of the excellent man Licinius Bassus toward you provides no small argument of your integrity, which we learned while living together with you, when we observed the mutual benevolence between you, worthy of emulation. I would wish to warn you, and those who will happen upon these commentaries, not to judge our ability by the words, but rather by the care and expertise applied to the subjects. For we ourselves have known many things most accurately through usage; others also...