Systematizing Knowledge

Maria Mavroudi, a Byzantine scholar, explains the differences in scientific knowledge development between the ancient world and today. She highlights the importance of the Hippocratic Corpus and Galen in ancient medicine, noting that Greek was the scientific language of the time. The second century AD was a period of knowledge systematization, with authors like Dioscorides and Artemidorus contributing to various fields. Galen's works were influential, but his prestige led to forgeries. Knowledge was seen as a common pool, with abridgements adding new insights. The concept of copyright was different, often attributing works to ancient authorities for credibility.

What challenges did scholars face when using the works of Galen?

In what ways did the process of abridging ancient texts involve the addition of new knowledge?