International conference dedicated to pharmacological knowledge in antiquity, bringing together scholars in classics, ancient medicine, archaeology, and paleopathology. Topics include: Texts on pharmacology, Words for pharmacology, Remedies, economy, and society, Tools and techniques, Paleopathology and contemporary reconstructions.

Programme

November 24, 2025

14:30–15:00 Welcome and Introduction 

Session 1: Pharmacological Texts 1 

Chair: Caterina Manco 

• 15:00–15:35 Pilar Pérez Cañizares (Universität Wien): Therapeutic Strategies and Pharmacological Practice in the Hippocratic Treatise De internis affectionibus
• 15:35–16:10 Nicola Reggiani (Università di Parma): The Transmission of Pharmacological Knowledge in Greek Papyri

16:10–16:40 Coffee Break 

• 16:40–17:15 Francesco Serratì (ENS, Paris): Fumigazione e fomentazione nei testi medici greci su papiro
• 17:15–17:50 Alessia Guardasole (UMR Orient & Méditerranée, Paris): Galen’s Nosology in His Pharmacological Works

17:50–18:00 General Discussion 

November 25, 2025 

Session 2: Pharmacological Texts 2 

Chair: Valentina Giuffra 

• 09:30–10:05 Anna Magnaldi (Sapienza Università di Roma): Nec pudeat: rimedi ripugnanti e dolorosi nel Liber Medicinalis
• 10:05–10:40 Giuseppe Trovato (Università degli Studi di Messina): Prime osservazioni sui Physica di Teodoro Prisciano

10:40–11:10 Coffee Break 

Session 3: Tools and Techniques 

Chair: John Wilkins 

• 11:10–11:45 Mª Ángeles Alonso Alonso (UNED, Madrid): Strumenti e attrezzi della farmacologia all’epoca romana: terminologia, tipologia e rappresentazione iconografica
• 11:45–12:20 Isabella Bonati (Universidade de Lisboa): ‘Cast (the Ingredients) into the Pot’: A Journey Between Receptaria on Papyrus and Material Culture

12:20–12:30 General Discussion 

12:30–14:30 Lunch Break 

Session 4: The Words of Pharmacology 

Chair: Alessia Guardasole 

• 14:30–15:05 Anna Monte (Università degli Studi di Udine): Ophthalmic Recipes on Papyrus: Remedies, Ingredients, and Vocabulary
• 15:05–15:40 Natalia Kulikova (Jagiellonian University, Krakow): The Term Misy in Celsus’ De medicina: its Meaning and Linguistic Equivalents in Dictionaries and Translations of the Treatise

15:40–16:15 Coffee Break 

• 16:15–16:50 John Wilkins (University of Exeter, emeritus): What is the οὐσία (Substance) of a Drug? Galen’s Answer

Session 5: Drugs and Society 

Chair: Alessia Guardasole 

• 16:50–17:25 Jurgen R. Gatt (University of Malta): Challenging Hippocratic Prescriptions: The Role of the Patient in Ancient Pharmacology

17:25–17:35 General Discussion 

20:00 Conference Dinner 

November 26, 2025 

Session 6: Drugs and Economy 

Chair: Martina Dattilo 

• 09:30–10:05 Dario Nappo (Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II): Medicine is no Luxury. The Economic Meaning of Ancient Spice Trade

Session 7: Paleopathology and Contemporary Reconstructions

Chair: Martina Dattilo 

• 10:05–10:40 Valentina Giuffra (Università di Pisa): Paleopathology and Ancient Pharmacology: Therapeutic Evidence from Ancient Human Remains

10:40–11:10 Coffee Break 

• 11:10–11:45 Manuela Marai (Center for Hellenic Studies, Harvard University): Galen and the Science of Compounding Remedies
• 11:45–12:20 Andrew Koh (Yale University): Navigating Scylla and Charybdis: Advancing Ancient Pharmacology through Transdisciplinarity

12:20–12:45: General Discussion and Closing Remarks

Link

• Link to the Conference

Organizers

• Martina Dattilo: martina.dattilo3@unibo.it
• Caterina Manco: caterina.manco2@unibo.it
• Matteo Martelli: matteo.martelli@unibo.it