Oribasius

, Julian the Apostate’s physician, was born either at Pergamus or Sardes, in the beginning of the fourth century. He first studied in the school of Zeno the Cyprian at Sardes; and then went to Alexandria in Egypt, where he finished his studies, and afterwards became an eminent professor there, about 150 years after the death of Galen, and was esteemed the greatest scholar and physician of his time.

He wrote 70 books of collections, which he chiefly compiled from the works of Galen, and the other physicians who preceded him, and his own experience, at the desire of Julian the emperor, about A. D. 360; of which the first 15 are now only remaining, and two more on anatomy. Of these his works he made an epitome, for the use of his son Eustathius, in nine books. His “Theory of Diseases” is that of Galen, from whom he principally took it; yet something new may be found in his works, not mentioned by any author before him; and both he and JEtiu* have preserved several useful fragments of antiquity from Archigenes, Herodotus, Leonides, Eunapius, Posidonius, Apollonius, and Antyllus, and some others. There is a good edition of his “Anatomica” in Greek and Latin, 4to, a Dundass, L. Bat. 1745. ²