International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Erika Gielen
KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; 
[e-mail]
From Flatulence to Intestinal Erosion: 
Medical Knowledge in the Non-Medical Oeuvre of Nicephorus Blemmydes
Nicephorus Blemmydes, born in Constantinople at the very end of the 12
th
century, was one 
of the key figures of the literary and theological scene in the Empire of Nicaea. To most scholars, 
Nicephorus Blemmydes is especially known as clergyman, who actively participated in in theological 
debates with the Latins and Armenians on the procession of the Holy Spirit and the use of (un)
leavened bread. Besides, he also acted as teacher, his most famous pupil being the future emperor 
Theodore II Lascaris. His two most famous and most popular works, his Epitome logica and Epitome 
physica, were clearly written for purposes of higher education, offering a useful overview of what a 
young student was supposed to know about logic and physics. Yet, besides monk and philosopher, 
there is one other important aspect of the person of Blemmydes, which has hardly been studied up 
to now: Blemmydes the physician.

---

136
In his Autobiographia, Blemmydes himself states that he had “occupied himself with the theory 
and practice of medicine for about seven years.” This is not a complete surprise, giving the fact that 
medicine was his father’s profession. However, there is no evidence of Blemmydes himself acting as 
a physician in a city or hospital. Moreover, some medical works have been ascribed to Nicephorus 
Blemmydes, yet their authenticity is most uncertain. The aim of this presentation is to show that this 
statement of his about his years of medical education and actual practice should nonetheless not 
be discarded as excessive boasting about an exceptionally broad education. I will analyze various 
passages from several of Blemmydes’ (non-medical) works (De virtute; De anima; Autobiographia; 
Typikon …) that unmistakably point at Blemmydes’ medical interests and knowledge. In this way, 
one will be able to better appreciate the multifaceted personality of Nicephorus Blemmydes.