Exhibition Lecture: Galen's Gynaecology

This lecture is given in conjunction with ISAW's exhibition The Empire’s Physician: Prosperity, Plague, and Healing in Ancient Rome. The exhibition is made possible by generous support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and the Leon Levy Foundation. Additional support provided by Dr. Angelo D. Reppucci.

Unlike his hero Hippocrates, Galen did not write any dedicated gynaecological texts, in part because he was committed to an integrated vision of the medical art. For him, the female body, in sickness and in health, was essentially a variation on the male theme. On the other hand, he did discuss women’s anatomy and physiology at length in his general works and he certainly counted female patients amongst his clientele. This lecture will explore his ideas about women’s bodies as they related to his therapeutic activities: how did theory and practice interact? Did he, in fact, treat his female patients differently?

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