Dear Classical Wisdom Members,
I really enjoyed this interview.
The book was excellent, the historical figure and his contributions fascinating, and my interlocutor was extremely knowledgeable.
I loved learning about the man who was described as a Greek, a Roman, a Doctor and a Thinker. Not only was Galen’s life superbly interesting (Gladiators! Emperors! Life changing dreams and more!), there is also so much to glean with regards to the ways in which ancient medicine is still relevant today as well as the ways in which we should view the ideas as… historical artifacts.
Either way, Galen was hugely impactful both in his time and afterwards. Indeed, his texts account for an astonishing 10% of ALL extant ancient works… an astounding fact that illuminates not only his prolificacy but also his influence. After all, his works were copied again and again for a reason and were considered authoritative texts for centuries.
So what can Galen teach us now? Which of his ideas are helpful? Which are harmful? With so much material to comb, there are only a select few in the entire world who can sort the wheat from the chaff…
Enter Katherine D. Van Schaik. She is a MD, PhD, MA and author of “How to Be Healthy: An Ancient Guide to Wellness”.
In a fantastic culmination of both the right and the left brain, Katherine received her PhD in ancient history at the same time as her MD at Harvard, and so is uniquely poised to interpret, understand and appreciate the ancient physician Galen.
So please enjoy this conversation with Katherine as we explore the life of Galen, his contributions, ancient medicine and what we can still take from his work today.
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom
