accurate transcription, excepting the use of 16th c. orthography (Bendz, v. 1, pp. 12–14;
Drabkin, p. ). All subsequent edited texts are thus based on the first printed editions, since
actual MSS are no longer extant.
Methodists took medical doxography as essential to the understanding of the principles
in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics. Acute and Chronic Diseases is a lengthy catalogue of
individuals and their suggested treatments for various ailments (usually firmly criticized),
often beginning with A (probably of Bithunia). This is a medical history in the
service of current medical practice, and the work emphasizes the many mistakes of prior
physicians: e.g. P K, whose surgeries for hernias are likened to “murder
with the hands”: Acute 3.165).
Besides doxographical accounts of phrenitis, lethargy, sunankhe ̄, stupor, catalepsy, pleur-
isy, pneumonia, heart ailments, etc., Caelius/So ̄ranos follow the custom of ancient medical
and philosophical writing by disputing with the “living presence” of their predecessors. Acute 1
closes with “replies” to D, E, Askle ̄piade ̄s, T L,
and H; and 2 has “replies” to those plus P and H. Of
particular interest is Acute 1.10 and 11, “Venesection” and “Cupping,” the latter the most
complete account of the procedure to survive from antiquity. The complex ancient debate
about hudrophobia (Acute 3.9–16) attests to the quandary of patients presenting symptoms
of this supposedly always-fatal illness, but who survived without ill effect.
Ed.: J.C. Amman, with appendix by T.J. Almeloveen, Caelii Aurelianii Siccensis medici vestusti, secta
Methodici, De morbis acutis & chronicis libri VIII (1755); V. Rose, Caeli Aureliani de salutaribus preceptis in
Anecdota Graeca et Graecolatina 2 vv. (1864–1870; repr. in 1 v. 1963) 2.181–192; Idem, Sorani Gynaeciorum
vetus translatio Latina... cum additis textus reliquiis a Dietzio repertis atque ad ipsum codicem Parisiensem (1882);
I.E. Drabkin, with English trans., Caelius Aurelianus On Acute Diseases and On Chronic Diseases (1950);
G. Bendz, with German trans. by I. Pape, Caelii Aureliani Celerum passionum libri III. Tardarum passionum
libri V 2 vv. (1990–1993) = CML 6.1.
G. Bendz, Studien zu Caelius Aurelianus und Cassius Felix (1964), rev. by R. Browning in CR 15 (1965)
230 – 231; J. Pigeaud, “Pro Caelio Aureliano,” in G. Sabbah, ed., Mémoires III. Médecins et Médecine dans
l’Antiquité (1982) 105–117; J. Pigeaud, “Les origines du méthodisme d’après Maladies aiguës et Maladies
chroniques de Caelius Aurélien,” in Mazzini and Fusco (1985) 321–338; John Scarborough, “The
Pharmacy of Methodist Medicine: The Evidence of Soranus’ Gynecology,” in Mudry and Pigeaud
(1991) 203–216; Önnerfors (1993) 301–317; A.M. Urso, Dall’autore al traduttore. Studi sulle Passiones
celeres e tardae di Celio Aureliano (1997); P.J. van der Eijk, “Antiquarianism and Criticism: Forms and
Functions of Medical Doxography in Methodism (Soranus and Caelius Aurelianus),” in van der Eijk
(1999) 397–452; B. Maire, “Le triangle méthodique: Soranos, Caelius Aurelianus et Mustio,” in
N. Palmieri, ed., Rationelle et irrationnel dans la médecine ancienne et médiévale (2003); BNP 2 (2003) 894– 895
(#II.11), V. Nutton; Tecusan (2004) 10–14.
John Scarborough
Caepio (15 – 35 CE)
Roman author of a treatise discussing roses – including one variety said to have a 100
petals (P, 21.18). Pliny specifies that he wrote during the reign of Tiberius, and he
may be identical to the quaestor Caepio Crispinus, a notorious informant (T Ann.
1.74).
W. Smith, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1867) 535; RE 3.1 (1897) 1280 (#2), A.
Stein, (#3), E. Groag; GRL §495.4.
Philip Thibodeau
CAEPIO