Joannes GALENUS
61. GALENUS (Γαληνός) or PEDIASIMUS (Πεδιάδιμος); also called POTHUS (Πόθος), and HYPATUS (s. PRINCEPS) PHILOSOPHORUM (Γπατος τῶν Φιλοδόφων). He was Chartophylax, keeper of the records of the province of Justiniana Prima, and of all Bulgaria, under the emperor Andronicus Palaeologus the Younger (A. D. 1328-1341).
Works
Joannes Galenus was a man of varied accomplishments, as his works show, and the eminence which he attained among his countrymen is evinced by his title of " Chief of the Philosophers." He wrote:
1. Ἐξήγησις εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοκρίτου Σύριγγα (Exegesis in Theocriti Syringem.)
Ἐξήγησις εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοκρίτου Σύριγγα, Exegesis in Theocriti Syringem.
Editions
This was first published by Henry Stephens in his smaller edition of Theocriti aliorumque Poetarum Idyllia, 12mo., Paris, 1579: it is reprinted in Kiessling's edition of Theocritus, 8vo., Leipzig, 1819.
2. Scholia Graeca in Oppiani Halieuticas. De Piscilus.
Scholia Graeca in Oppiani Halieuticas. De Piscilus.
Editions
Harles thinks the scholia published by Conrad Rittershusius with his edition of Oppian, 8vo., Leyden, 1597, are those of Joannes Galenus.
3. Πόθος
Πόθος, Desiderium, a short iambic poem in two parts, respectively entitled Περὶ γυναικὸς κακῆς, De Muliere mala, and Περὶ γυναικὸς ἀγαθῆς, De Muliere bona.
Editions
These verses were first published by Lucas Holstenius in his edition of Demophili, &c. Sententiae Morales, 12mo., Rome, 1638.
They were reprinted by Gale in his Opuscula Mythologica, Ethica, Physica, 8vo., Cambr. 1671; and by Fabricius in his Bibl. Gr. vol. xiii. p. 576, ed. vet. It is from the title of these verses that Joannes is thought to derive his surname of Pothus.
4. Περὶ τῶν δώδεκα ἄθλων τοῦ Ἡρακλέους
Περὶ τῶν δώδεκα ἄθλων τοῦ Ἡρακλέους, De Duodecim Labores Herculis.
Editions
This piece was printed by Allatius in his Excerpta Varia Graecorum Sophistarum, 8vo., Rome, 1641. He gave it as the work of an anonymous author; but Fabricius thinks it may be a work of Joannes Galenus, "forte Pediasimi" (Bibl. Gr. vol. vi. p. 54).
Works still in MS
Joannes' other works are still in MS.: they consist of
I. Commentaries and Expositions of the Greek poets, as,
5. Allegoria Anagogica, in quatuor primos versus Lib. IV. Iliados.
Allegoria Anagogica, in quatuor primos versus Lib. IV. Iliados.
6. Εἰς τὴν Ἡσιόδου Θεογονίαν ἀλληγορίαι
Εἰς τὴν Ἡσιόδου Θεογονίαν ἀλληγορίαι, Interpretatio Allegorica in Hesiodi Theogoniam.
7. Τεχνολογία εἰς τὴν τοῦ Ἡσιόδου ἀσπίδα
Τεχνολογία εἰς τὴν τοῦ Ἡσιόδου ἀσπίδα, Commentarius Grammaticus in Hesiodi Scutum.
8. Allegoria Tantali.
Allegoria Tantali.
9. On Allegorical Interpretation
He wrote also a work on the science of allegorical interpretation, De triplici Ratione Allegoriae Fabularum Poeticarum, sc. Physica, Ethica, Theologica.
II. Philosophical and Scientific Works.
10. Exegeses in quosdam >Aristotelis libros
Exegeses in quosdam >Aristotelis libros, especially on the Analytica priora.
11. Introductio
Introductio and Scholia to the works of the Astronomer Cleomedes [CLEOMEDES]. His other scientific works are,
12. Arithmeticarum Quaestionum Expositio.
Arithmeticarum Quaestionum Expositio.
13. In quaedam Arithmetica loca obscura.
In quaedam Arithmetica loca obscura.
14. Γεωμετρία καὶ δύνοψις περὶ μητρήσεως καὶ μερισμοῦ γῆς
Γεωμετρία καὶ δύνοψις περὶ μητρήσεως καὶ μερισμοῦ γῆς, Geometria, el Compendium de Mensuratione et Divisione Terrae.
15. De Cubo Duplicando.
De Cubo Duplicando.
16. Opusculum de Septem Planetis.
Opusculum de Septem Planetis.
17. De Symphoniis Musicis.
De Symphoniis Musicis.
III. Miscellaneous.
Two other works of Joannes are also enumerated.
18. De Consanguinitate
De Consanguinitate apparently on canon law.
19. De Novem Musis
De Novem Musis, possibly an allegorical commentary.
Further Information
Fabric. Bibl. Gr. vol. vi. p. 371; vol. xi. p. 648, &c.; Bandini, Catal. Codd. Laur. Medic. vol. ii. col. 95, 162.
From William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Text provided under a CC BY-SA license by Perseus Digital Library, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Tufts University. Data accessed from https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-pdlrefwk/ on 17 October 2026.