Vienna Dioscurides

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Vienna Dioscurides is an ancient Byzantine illuminated manuscript of Dioscorides's De Materia Medica. It is one of the most significant and well-preserved medical manuscripts from antiquity, providing valuable insights into the medical knowledge and practices of the time.

History

The manuscript was created in the early 6th century, during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. It was commissioned by Anicia Juliana, a prominent Byzantine noblewoman, as a gift to the city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). The manuscript is named after its current location, the Austrian National Library in Vienna, where it has been preserved since the 16th century.

Content

The Vienna Dioscurides contains a wealth of information on herbal medicine, including detailed descriptions and illustrations of various plants and their medicinal uses. The text is written in Ancient Greek and is accompanied by over 400 full-color illustrations, which are considered masterpieces of Byzantine art.

Sections

The manuscript is divided into several sections, each focusing on different aspects of pharmacology and botany:

• Herbs and Plants: Detailed descriptions of various herbs and plants, their properties, and medicinal uses.
• Animal Products: Information on the use of animal-derived substances in medicine.
• Minerals: Descriptions of minerals and their applications in medical treatments.

Significance

The Vienna Dioscurides is a crucial source for understanding the development of medicine and pharmacology in the Byzantine Empire. It also provides valuable insights into the transmission of medical knowledge from the classical world to the Middle Ages.

Preservation

The manuscript has been carefully preserved and studied by scholars over the centuries. It remains an essential resource for researchers in the fields of history of medicine, Byzantine studies, and art history.

See also

• De Materia Medica
• Dioscorides
• Byzantine medicine
• Austrian National Library