Andreas (of Athens?) (345 – 355 CE)
Brother of a bishop Magnus, composed a Paschal canon valid for 353– 553 CE, and a work
on Paschal canons. An Andreas “philosopher,” likely the same man, is credited with a work
on solar eclipse; and an Andreas of Athens is credited with a work on astrological predic-
tions from conjunctions in Taurus. Little survives, and only in Armenian.
DPA 1 (1989) 196–197, J.-P. Mahé.
PTK
Andreas of Karustos (ca 250 – 217 BCE)
Personal physician to Ptolemy Philopato ̄r, mistaken for Ptolemy and murdered before the
battle of Raphia (P 5.81.6). His writings include a pharmacopoeia and a history of
medicine, On Medical Genealogy, wherein Andreas traced, e.g., H’ “descent”
from Askle ̄pios and He ̄rakle ̄s, and preserved anecdotes and traditions occasionally in con-
flict with other accounts of Hippokrate ̄s’ life (von Staden 1999: 150–157). In On Poisonous
Animals and Against False Beliefs (Ath., Deipn. 7[312d–e]), he described the poisonous moray eel.
The latter text seems to have treated popular belief and non-medical wonders rather than
the history of scientific medicine. In Casket, he likened plant leaves to skolopendra (centipedes)
in that their astringent properties aid victims of poisonous bites (An.25 von Staden).
D, although chiding Andreas and K for omitting useful roots and
herbs (pr.1), conceded they were exact describers of plants. P, citing Andreas as a
medical authority for 14 books (1.ind. 20 – 28, 31–35), reported his opinions that because
poppy is adulterated in Alexandria, instant blindness does not ensue (22.200; cf. Dioskou-
ride ̄s 4.64.6), and chickpeas, a digestive aid to women and the elderly, do not cause flatu-
lence (22.102). In To S o ̄sibios, an epistolary work treating obstetrics, inter alia, and dedicated
to Ptolemy Philopato ̄r’s minister, Andreas concurred with the He ̄rophilean theory of
difficult parturition, adding that the light weight of paralyzed or emaciated fetuses further
complicates labor (S Gyn. 4.1 [CMG 4, p. 131]).
Andreas (Vind. Med. Gr. 1, f.3V) © Österreichische Nationalbibliothek
ANDREAS OF KARUSTOS