Pelagonius and Latin Veterinary Terminology in the Roman Empire: 11 (Studies in Ancient Medicine, 11) - Hardcover

'This is an imposing achievement, not only in terms of the size of the finished product, but much more in the breadth and depth of the material coverage - which are staggering - and in the lucidity, good sense and finality of the presentation, discussion and synthesis...This book is not for specialists only, far from it: it contains a mass of material and discussion on the use, welfare and treatment of animals, and on relations between their owners, keepers and healers - an important but neglected chapter of Roman social history; it offers an extraordinary number of instructive insights into the Latin language at various periods and registers; and it has much to say on topics of quite general relevance, such as stylometry, 'technical languages' in the ancient world, human medicine and magic, and the transmission of non-literary texts. In short, it is a book that every Latinist and Roman social historian can learn from and should know.' D.R. Langslow, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 1997. 'This is one of the most important books to have been published on ancient medicine for some time...This is a big book (almost a series of books, for even Adams admits to two) in every sense of the word.' Vivian Nutton, Medical History, 1996. '...il devrait figurer dans toutes les grandes biblioth~eques generales et dans les bibliotheques specialisees.' Danielle Gourevitch, l'Antiquite Classique, 1996.

The language of Latin veterinary medicine has never been systematically studied. This book seeks to elucidate the pathological and anatomical terminology of Latin veterinary treatises, and the general linguistic features of Pelagonius as a technical writer. Veterinary practice in antiquity cannot be related directly to that of the modern world. In antiquity a man could claim expertise in horse medicine without ever passing an examination. Owners often treated their own animals. The distinction between 'professional' and layman was thus blurred, and equally the distinction between 'scientific' terminology and laymen's terminology was not as clear-cut as it is today. The first part of the book is devoted to some of the non-linguistic factors which influenced the terminology in which horse diseases and their treatment were described.