Pharmacological Substances from Asia in Late Antique Medical Works

Abstract

This article investigates the amplification of European pharmacology with Asian pharmacological substances in Late Antiquity, particularly during the fifth and sixth centuries CE. Additionally, it examines how Asian materia medica was perceived in terms of efficacy, luxury, and accessibility. By analyzing a wide range of medical texts alongside archaeological and commercial sources, the article identifies three major chronological phases in the diffusion of Asian pharmacological ingredients into the Mediterranean: the early Roman imperial period (1st–2nd c. CE), Late Antiquity (5th–6th c. CE), and the early Middle Ages (9th–10th c. CE). It critically assesses the challenges of interpreting textual references to these ingredients, questioning assumptions about their availability and usage. Through detailed case studies for each ingredient, the article highlights the complex interplay of trade, cultural exchange, and medical knowledge. It also calls for a re-evaluation of Late Antique pharmacological sources, such as Aetios of Amida, in light of manuscript transmission, later interpolations, and the lack of reliable modern critical editions. Ultimately, the study contributes to a global history of medicine by situating Late Antique pharmacology within broader Eurasian networks of knowledge and commerce.