Burgundio of Pisa and Pietro D'Abano Translators of Galen's De Sectis: Preliminary Notes for an Edition

Abstract

Galen’s introductive work De sectis was translated from Greek into Latin in late antiquity. This translation is used and in part quoted in Agnellus’ commentary on De sectis (VI c.), as well as in Ps. John’s commentary, which looks like a remake of Agnellus commentary, and is preserved in numerous manuscripts from the 13th century. In 1185, Burgundio of Pisa, judge and translator of classical texts, provided a new translation of De sectis from Greek, which is incomplete, probably because its manuscript lost some folios. About one century later, Pietro d’Abano completed Burgundio’s translation. This article explores the Greek and Latin sources of Burgundio and Pietro d’Abano, and reconstructs the circulation of Galen’s De sectis from antiquity to 13th century.