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

(Ron) #1
K. Deichgräber; Matthews (1975; repr. 1990, 1998) 68, 72–73, and 399–400 [postscript to 1990
repr.]; V. Nutton, “Archiatri and the Medical Profession in Antiquity,” PBSR 45 (1977) 191–226; Idem,
“Continuity or Rediscovery: The City Physician in Classical Antiquity and Mediaeval Italy,” in
A.W. Russell, ed., The Town and the State Physician in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment
(1981) = Wolfenbütteler Forschungen 17; M.E. Vázquez Buján, “Vindiciano y el tratado «De natura
generis humani»,” Dynamis 2 (1982) 25–56; P. Migliorini, “Problemi Testuali in Vindiciano (Paris.
Lat. 7027, cc. 3r–13v),” in Mazzini and Fusco (1985) 237–252; Önnerfors (1993) 281–288;
A. Debru, “L’Anonyme de Bruxelles: un témoin latin de l’hippocratisme tardif,” in R. Wittern and
P. Pellegrin, edd., Hippokratische Medizin und antike Philosophie, v.1 (1996) 311–327; A. Debru, “Doctrine
et tactique doxographie dans l’Anonyme de Bruxelles: Une comparaison avec l’Anonyme de
Londres,” in van der Eijk (1999) 453–471; L. Cilliers, “Vindicianus’ Gynaecia and Theories on
Generation” in H.F.J. Horstmanshoff and M. Stol, edd., Magic and Rationality in Ancient Near Eastern
and Graeco-Roman Medicine (2004) 343–367.
John Scarborough

V ⇒ A


M. Vipsanius Agrippa (40 – 12 BCE)


Born 64/63 BCE to an obscure but wealthy family, lifelong friend and doubly son-in-law
to A. He fitted and trained the fleet, orchestrated naval victories against Sex.
Pompeius – wherein his improved grapnel proved effective – and M. Antonius, served in
political positions of authority and distinction, was consul 37 BCE, then held extraordinary
grants of imperium and tribunicia potestas. Traveling widely, Agrippa governed Gaul, repre-
sented Augustus’ interests broadly in the east, and quelled a rebellion in Spain (20 BCE).
His munificent building program at Rome (Pantheon, aqueducts, an expanded sewer, gran-
ary, etc) and in the provinces (roads from Lugdunum) earned him enduring popularity.
Lost are his autobiography, Commentarius de Aquis, geography, and map of the empire,
intended to perfect I C’s efforts. It is unclear if the geographical treatise repre-
sented a continuous commentary or supplementary notes. Whether Agrippa’s map resembled
more closely E’ or the P M continues to be debated, but its
display on a colonnaded wall in the Porticus Vipsania suits better a rectangular deployment.
The map, completed by Augustus himself after Agrippa’s death, probably represented the
entire inhabited world. P cites Agrippa almost exclusively for quantitative data (dis-
tances, lengths, circumferences) occasionally criticizing their veracity (3.16–17, 4.91, 4.102)
or comparing with numbers from other geographical authors (4.45, 4.60, 4.77). Agrippa
also described topography (5.9–10, 6.39). S may have relied on Agrippa for figures
for Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily.


GRL § 332 – 333; Dilke (1985) 41–53; OCD3 1601 – 1602, B.M. Levick; TTE 8, R.T. Macfarlane; BNP 1
(2002) 391–392 (#1), D. Kienast.
GLIM


M. Vitruuius Pollio (ca 30 – 20 BCE)


Professional architect and engineer, born ca 85 BCE, author of De Architectura Libri Decem, the
only comprehensive summary of architecture to survive from antiquity, and possibly the
only one ever written. The work presents the best panorama of what a broadly educated
Roman professional with a “liberal arts” education would have known of the works of the
leading scientists and mechanical authors of antiquity.


M. VIPSANIUS AGRIPPA
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