The Encyclopedia of Ancient Natural Scientists: The Greek tradition and its many heirs

(Ron) #1

reveals the importance given to wine both as nutriment and as drug (frr.41, 45–47). More
general texts are On Edibles or On the Properties of Foods, whence Athe ̄naios, Gale ̄n and O-
 preserve many literal quotations. He addressed morpho-pathology in On the Construc-
tion of the Body, examining the proportion of individual body parts and their predisposition
to disease. He wrote also on therapy discussing the use of hellebore and of clysters. A work
Pathology is mentioned (-G Def. Med. 19.457 K.).


J. Bertier, Mnésithée et Dieuchès (1972); G. Wöhrle, Studien zur antiken Gesundheitslehren (1990) 160–169; AML
623 – 624, R. De Lucia; BNP 9 (2006) 102, V. Nutton.
Daniela Manetti


Mne ̄sitheos of Kuzikos (200? – 160 BCE)


Composed a work on the virtues of cabbage, O Coll. 4.4 (CMG 6.1.1, p. 100), a
version of which appears in C, Agric. 156–157 and P 20.80–81. He eschewed
hellebore as dangerous, Oreib., Coll. 8.9 ( p. 261), and described the testing of human milk,
for color, smell, taste, and even viscosity, by storing it overnight in a glass, horn, or shell (i.e.,
non-reactive) vessel, ibid. inc.32 (6.2.2, pp. 124–126). He, or his Athenian homonym, also
wrote on anatomy, cf. ibid. inc.7 ( p. 84) and 8.38 (6.1.1, pp. 288–290).


R.M. Grant, Dieting for an Emperor (1997) 300–302.
PTK


M ⇒ I M C


Moderatus of Gade ̄s (ca 25 – 75 CE)


Neo-Pythagorean philosopher, wrote Lectures on Pythagoreanism in ten or 11 books. P-
’s portrayal of Moderatus’ student Lucius as an interlocutor in Quaestiones Conviviales
(8.7–8) establishes Moderatus’ approximate date as well, perhaps, as his observance of strict
Pythagorean asceticism. The Lectures, quoted in P’ Vita Pythagorae (48–53),
were a source from which Porphurios and other authors of late antiquity apparently drew
much information on Pythagorean teachings. I S, Anthologium 1 ( p. 21
W.-H.) reports Moderatus’ metaphysical definitions of number and monad.


Dillon (1996) 344–351.
Alexander Jones


M. Modius Asiaticus (30 – 90 CE)


An inscribed honorific bust from Smurna (CIG 3283 = Kaibel #306 = fr.12 Tecusan)
records this Methodist; he may be the pharmacist whose name is transmitted as K
T.


G. Kaibel, Epigrammata Graeca (1878/1879; repr. 1965); Schefold (1997) #204.
PTK


Molpis (250 – 50 BCE?)


Listed (with P, E, N, and N) by H
 T, in G, Comm. in Hipp. Artic. 4.40 (18A.735–736 K.), as having reduced


MOLPIS
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