Pedanius Dioscorides
Pedanius Dioscorides
Pedanius Dioscorides (c.
40 in Anazarbus,
Cilicia - c.
90) was an ancient
Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist who practised in
Rome at the times of
Nero. He was a a surgeon with the army of the emperor so he had the opportunity to travel extensively seeking medicinal substances from all over the Roman and Greek world. Dioscorides is famous for writing a five volume book
De Materia Medica that was a precursor to all modern pharmacopeias. In fact it remained in use until about CE 1600. All that was written was a mere commentary on Dioscorides' work with minor additions from Arabian and Indian sources.