Rufus of Ephesus

Rufus of Ephesus was an ancient physician and medical writer from the Asia Minor city of Ephesus. He lived in the Roman Empire at the turn of the 1st to the 2nd century AD

Life

Rufus probably lived at the time of the Roman Emperor Trajan ( 98-117 ) in Ephesus. He probably benefited from a good education and it should be part of the local intellectual elite. It can be assumed that he in Alexandria, one of the then most prestigious centers for science and medicine, studied.

In his views Rufus follows Hippocrates, whose doctrine he adapted to his own idea. He became famous because of his precise observations and his clinical work.

Rufus has written widely on various medical topics that are partially lost. Have been preserved writings on body parts, about urology, via joint diseases, over the pulse teaching and history. Rufus of Ephesus Soranus applies not only as one of the most important physicians of his time.

Editions and translations

• Hans Gärtner ( eds.): The questions of the doctor to the sick. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1962.
• Alexander Sideras (ed.): About the kidneys and bladder. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1977.
• Manfred Ullmann ( ed.): casebooks. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1978, ISBN 3-447-01966-2.
• Manfred Ullmann ( ed. ): The signature of Rufus of Ephesus on the jaundice in Arabic and Latin translation. Göttingen 1983
• Jutta Kollesch, Diethard Nickel ( ed.): Ancient Healing Art - Selected texts. Reclam, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-15-009305-4.
• Peter E. Pormann (ed.): Rufus of Ephesus. On Melancholy. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2008, ISBN 978-3-16-149760-5.