The “Galenic Question”: A Solution Based on Historical Sources and a Mathematical Analysis of Texts

Abstract

How many different writers authored the huge number of texts attributed to Galen of Pergamum (129~216 Anno Domini (AD)), medical doctor and philosopher, a giant in the history of medicine? The quest to find out which texts were his and which ones were written by others is known as the “Galenic Question”. We propose a “solution” to it through a multidisciplinary approach based (a) on historical research and (b) on a mathematical analysis of the Greek texts. The historical approach considers historical independent sources and anachronisms. The mathematical approach is based on a mathematical theory concerning deep language variables, rarely consciously controlled by any author, and is therefore capable of giving indications on the similarity of texts, with little or no bias. The multidisciplinary approach has convinced us that at least three authors wrote the texts attributed to Galen. The first two were very likely real historical persons: (a) a certain Galen living between the end of the I century Before Christ (BC) and the second half of the I century AD, and (b) the historical Galen of Pergamum (II–III centuries AD). We believe the third (c) to be represented by several unknown authors hiding under the name Galen, but likely living after Galen of Pergamum’s death.

Keywords

• classical Greek
• deep language variables
• Galen of Pergamum
• history of medicine
• statistical analysis
• linguistics