Apollonius () was the name of several

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

s in the time of

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

: *Apollonius Antiochenus (or Apollonius of Antioch) was the name of two physicians, father and son, who were born at

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

, and belonged to the

Empiric school The Empiric school of medicine (''Empirics'', ''Empiricists'', or ''Empirici'', ) was a school of medicine founded in Alexandria the middle of the third century BC.Heinrich von Staden, ''Herophilus: The Art of Medicine in Early Alexandria: Edition, ...

. They lived after Serapion of Alexandria, and before Menodotus, and therefore lived in the 2nd or 1st century BC. One of them is probably the physician called Apollonius Empiricus; the other may be Apollonius Senior. *Apollonius Archistrator, was the author of a medical prescription quoted by Andromachus, and must therefore have lived in or before the 1st century BC. Nothing is known about the events of his life. *Apollonius Biblas, lived probably in the 2nd century BC, and wrote, after

Zeno Zeno may refer to: People * Zeno (name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Zeno (surname) Philosophers * Zeno of Elea (), philosopher, follower of Parmenides, known for his paradoxes * Zeno of Citium (333 – 264 B ...

's death, a book in answer to a work he composed on the meaning of certain marks ('' charakteres'') that are found at the end of some chapters in the third book of the ''Epidemics'' of

Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; ; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician and philosopher of the Classical Greece, classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is traditionally referr ...

. It seems likely that he is not the same person as Apollonius Empiricus. His name is probably connected with the word ''bibliakos'', and suggests that he was a " book worm". *Apollonius Cittensis, (or Apollonius of Citium), 1st century BC, the oldest commentator on Hippocrates whose works are still extant. ''See Apollonius of Citium''. *Apollonius Claudius, must have lived in or before the 2nd century AD, as one of his antidotes is quoted by

Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...

. Nothing is known of his life. *Apollonius Cyprius, (or Apollonius of Cyprus), was the pupil of Olympicus, and the tutor to Julianus. He was a native of

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

, belonged to the

Methodic school The Methodic school (''Methodics'', ''Methodists'', or ''Methodici'', ) was a branch of medical thought in ancient Greece and Rome. It arose in reaction to both the Empiric school and the Dogmatic school (sometimes referred to as the Rationalist ...

, and probably lived in the 1st century AD. Nothing more is known of his life. *Apollonius Empiricus, perhaps one of the physicians called Apollonius Antiochenus. He lived, according to

Celsus Celsus (; , ''Kélsos''; ) was a 2nd-century Greek philosopher and opponent of early Christianity. His literary work '' The True Word'' (also ''Account'', ''Doctrine'' or ''Discourse''; Greek: )Hoffmann p.29 survives exclusively via quotati ...

, after Serapion of Alexandria, and before Heraclides of Tarentum, and therefore probably lived in the 2nd century BC. He belonged to the

, and like Apollonius Biblas, wrote a book in answer to

's work on the marks (''charakteres'') in

. This was answered by Zeno, and it was this second work that drew from Apollonius Biblas his treatise on the subject after Zeno's death. He is also mentioned by

. * Apollonius Glaucus, must have lived in or before the 2nd century AD, as his work ''On Internal Diseases'' is quoted by Caelius Aurelianus. Nothing is known of his life. *Apollonius Herophileius, is perhaps the same person as Apollonius Mus. He wrote a pharmaceutical work entitled ''Peri Euporiston'', (), and of which some fragments are quoted in Cramer's ''Anecd. Graeca Paris'', as still existing in manuscript in the Royal Library in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. He lived earlier than Andromachus who quotes him, and also before Archigenes; hence he may have lived in or before the 1st century BC. He was a follower of

Herophilus Herophilos (; ; 335–280 BC), sometimes Latinised Herophilus, was a Greek physician regarded as one of the earliest anatomists. Born in Chalcedon, he spent the majority of his life in Alexandria. He was the first scientist to systematically p ...

, and is said by

to have lived for some time at

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

. His work, ''Peri Myron'', ''On Ointments'', is quoted by

Athenaeus Athenaeus of Naucratis (, or Nαυκράτιος, ''Athēnaios Naukratitēs'' or ''Naukratios''; ) was an ancient Greek rhetorician and Grammarian (Greco-Roman), grammarian, flourishing about the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century ...

, and he is also mentioned by Caelius Aurelianus. *Apollonius Hippocraticus, is said by

, to have been a pupil of

, and must therefore have lived in the 4th century BC. He is blamed by

Erasistratus Erasistratus (; ; c. 304 – c. 250 BC) was a Greek anatomist and royal physician under Seleucus I Nicator of Syria. Along with fellow physician Herophilus, he founded a school of anatomy in Alexandria, where they carried out anatomical research ...

for his excessive severity in restricting the quantity of drink allowed to his patients. *Apollonius Memphites (or Apollonius of Memphis), was born at Memphis in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, and was a follower of Erasistratus. He must therefore have lived around the 3rd century BC, and is probably the same person as Apollonius Stratonicus. He wrote a work ''On the Names of the Parts of the Human Body'', and is quoted by Erotianus,Erotianus, ''Gloss. Hipp.''

, Nicolaus Myrepsus, and other ancient writers. *Apollonius Mus, a follower of

. Nothing is known about his life, but he must have lived in the 1st century BC, as

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

mentions him as a contemporary. He was a fellow-pupil of Heraclides of Erythrae, and composed a long work on the opinions of the sect founded by

. He also wrote on

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

, and is perhaps the same person as Apollonius Herophileius. *Apollonius Ophis, is said by Erotianus, to have made a compilation from the Glossary of difficult Hippocratic words by Bacchius; he must therefore have lived about the 2nd or 1st century BC. He may be the same person as Apollonius Pergamenus, or Apollonius Ther. *Apollonius Organicus, is quote by

, and must therefore have lived in or before the 2nd century AD. Nothing is known of his life. *Apollonius Pergamenus (or Apollonius of Pergamon), is perhaps the same person as Apollonius Ophis, or Apollonius Ther. He was born at

Pergamon Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; ), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greece, ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north s ...

Mysia Mysia (UK , US or ; ; ; ) was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor (Anatolia, Asian part of modern Turkey). It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on the east, Phrygia on the southeast, Lyd ...

, but his date is uncertain; he is quoted by Oribasius, and must have lived before the 4th century AD. He is probably the author of a long extract on Scarification preserved by Oribasius. *Apollonius Pitaneus (or Apollonius of Pitane), was born at Pitane in Aeolia, and must have lived in to before the 1st century AD, as an absurd and superstitious remedy is attributed to him by Pliny. *Apollonius Senior, is quoted by Erotianus, and must therefore have lived in or before the 1st century AD. He may be one of the physicians called Apollonius Antiochenus. *Apollonius Stratonicus, was probably not the son, but the pupil, of Strato of Beryta. He is likely the same person as Apollonius Memphites, and may have lived about the 3rd century BC. He was a follower of

, and wrote a work on the Pulse, which is quoted by

. *Apollonius Tarensis (or Apollonius of Tarsus), was born at Tarsus in

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

, and lived perhaps in the 1st or 2nd century AD. His prescriptions are several times quoted by Galen. *Apollonius Ther, is perhaps the same person as Apollonius Ophis or Apollonius Pergamenus. He is quoted by Erotianus, and must have lived in or before the 1st century AD. Another physician of this name, who is mentioned by

Apuleius Apuleius ( ), also called Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis (c. 124 – after 170), was a Numidians, Numidian Latin-language prose writer, Platonist philosopher and rhetorician. He was born in the Roman Empire, Roman Numidia (Roman province), province ...

,Apuleis, ''Met.'', ix. init. as having been bitten by a mad dog, must (if he ever really existed) have lived in the 2nd century AD. The name occurs in several ancient authors, belonging to one or more physicians, without any distinguishing

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

Notes

Attribution

* Ancient Greek physicians {{Set index article, ancient Greece