His writings are of value for two reasons :--
(1) They often give us a text superior to that of
the MSS. of the Corpus. Sometimes this text is
actually given in Galen's quotations ; sometimes it
is implied in Galen's commentary.
| On the value of Galen for a reconstruction of the text
see especially I. Ilberg in the I'roleyomena to Kéhlewein's
edition Vol. I., pp. xxxiv-xlix and lviii-lxii. |
(2) They sometimes throw light upon the interpretation
of obscure passages.
Galen's ideal of a commentator is beyond criticism.
He prefers ancient readings, even when they are
the more difficult, and corrects only when these give
no possible sense. In commenting he is of opinion
that he should first determine the sense of the text
and then see whether it corresponds with the
truth.
Unfortunately he is not so successful when he
attempts to put his ideal into practice. He is intolerably
verbose, and what is worse, he is eager so
to interpret Hippocrates as to gain support therefrom
for his own theories. A good example of this
fault is his misinterpretation of Epidemics III. XIV.
Littré gives as another fault his neglect of observation
and observed fact.
Galen wrote commentaries, which still survive, on
the following :--
Nature of Man.
Regimen of People in Health.
Regimen in Acute Diseases.
Prognostic.
Prorrhetic I.
Aphorisms.
One book in ancient
times.
