A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

ASCLEPIADES,

a Greek Physician, of whom we read this Inscription at Rome.

L. ARUNTIO SEMPRONIANO
ASCLEPIADI.
Imp. Domitiani Medico. T. F. L.
In Fronte P. XX.
In Ag. P. XX.

Authors mention two of this name who were Physicians: He who was Physician to Domitian possibly was the last of the two, and he who was Cicero's Friend, the first. But here we must observe, that these Greek Phy∣sicians when they came to Rome, took upon them a Praenomen, the name of a Family, and a Surname, although in their own Country they had only one Name or Surname. And the Reason of this was, because their Free∣dom being given them at Rome, they were in∣corporated into the Tribes, and adopted in∣to the Families of the Republick. Thus As∣clepiades, who according to the Custom of the Greeks had but one name, assumed here 3 pre∣ceeding Names, Lacius Aruntîus Sempronlands, that of Asclepiades continuing still as an Ag∣nomen or 2d. Surname.

Reinesius, in his Inscriptions publish'd a lit∣tle while ago, makes this Asclepiades diffe∣rent from him, who is mention'd by Au∣thors as famous for the Books he wrote about Medicaments; and he thinks that he who is meant in this Inscription was the Son or Grandson of Aruntius the Physician, to whom 250 Sestertia magna, were given as Pliny tells us as a Reward, Book 9. of his History.

There is a 3d. Asclepiades according to an Inscription which we find at Arignan.

C. CALPURNIUS ASCLEPIADES.
Prufa ad Olympum Medicus,
Parentibus & sibi fratrib.
Civitate VII. à divo Trajano imperavit.
Natus III. Nonas Martics, Domitiano XIII. Cos.
eodem die quo & uxor ejus
VERONIA CHELIDON.
cum qua vixit an. LI.
studiorum & morum causâ.

probatus à viris clariss.
adjedit Magistratibus Pop. R.
ita ut in aliis & in Prov. Asi••
Custodiar—in urna
Iudicum
Vixit ann. LXX.

CAIUS CALPURNIUS AS∣CLEPIADES, a Physician of the Ci∣ty of Prusa at the Foot of mount Olympus, obtain'd of the divine Emperour Trajan, 7 Cities for his Father and Mother, himself and his Brethren; and was born the 5th. Day of March, under the 13th. Consulship of Domitian, on the very same day that his Wife VERONIA CHELIDON was born, with whom he liv'd 52 Years being approv'd by Persons of the first Quality upon the account of his Learning and good Behaviour, he was Assessor to the Magi∣strates of the People of Rome, not only in Asia, but a so in other Provinces. He liv'd 70 Years.

This Asclepiades was never made a Free-man, as Rei••esins thinks, since he took upon him the name of CAIUS CALPUR∣NIUS ASCLEPIADES, and there is no L, in the Inscription, to signifie that he was Libertus. His Country was the City of Prusa, which is still to this Day call'd Prussa in By¦••••inia, at the Foot of Mount Olympus. From this Place the 1st Asclepiades originally came, who was Cicero's Friend, and the Author of a Sect which pretended to cure Diseases by a moderate way of living rather than by Me∣dicines; for Strabo and Galienus say, that he was of the City of Prusa in Bythrnia: And if we compute the Times in which these 2 As∣clepiadas's liv'd, he who is meant in this In∣scription, might be Grandson to the former, and inherit his Learning and Reputation; since he obtain'd by the Bounry of the Em∣peror Prajan, probably upon the account of delivering him from some dangerous Disea∣ses, the Possession of 7 Cities, which is a very remarkable particular of History. He was born under the 13th. Consulship of Domitian, which answers to the Year from the building of Rome DCCCXL. and to that of our Lord, LXXXVIII. and be died in the 70th. Year of his Age under the Empire of Antoninus Pius, in the Year of Rome DCCCCX, and con∣sequently he was Physician under Trajan, H••d••anus, and Antoninus, and also under ma∣ny Magistrates, which shews that he was in a free Condition and highly esteem'd.

Besides these 3 Ascl••p••ade•••• who were Phy∣sicians, we find also another call'd TITUS AELIUS ASCLIPIADES, in Gruter, who was made free by the Emperor, and one nam'd PUBLIUS NUMITO∣RIUS ASCLEPIADES, a Freeman and Sextum-vir of Verona, and lastly one LUCIUS FONTEIUS FOR∣TIS, of the Race of the Asclepiades's, or at least of their Profession; for in succeeding times the Name of Asclepiades was us'd for the Title of a Sect, or of Professors of Phy∣sick.