Heraclides of Tarentum, was a Greek physician of the Empiric school

Empiric school

The Empiric school of medicine was an ancient school of medicine in ancient Greece and Rome. They were so called from the word empeiria because they professed to derive their knowledge from experiences only, and in doing so set themselves in opposition to the Dogmatic school...

 who wrote commentaries on the works of Hippocrates

Hippocrates

Hippocrates of Cos or Hippokrates of Kos was an ancient Greek physician of the Age of Pericles , and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine...

.

He came from Tarentum

Tarentum

Tarentum may refer to:* Taranto, Apulia, Italy; on the site of the ancient Roman city Tarentum; formerly the Greek colony Taras. See also: History of Taranto* Tarentum, Pennsylvania, United States** Tarentum Bridge, in the above place...

, was a pupil of Mantias

Mantias

Mantias, a Greek physician who was the tutor of Heraclides of Tarentum, and one of the followers of Herophilus; and who lived therefore most probably in the 3rd century BC. Galen says that he was no ordinary physician, and that he was the first who wrote a regular work on pharmacy...

, and probably lived in the 3rd or 2nd century BC, somewhat later than Apollonius Empiricus

Apollonius (physician)

Apollonius was the name of several physicians in the time of Ancient Greece and Rome:*Apollonius Antiochenus, , was the name of two physicians, father and son, who were born at Antioch, and belonged to the Empiric school. They lived after Serapion of Alexandria, and before Menodotus, and therefore...

 and Glaucias

Glaucias (physician)

For other persons with the same name, see GlauciasGlaucias was a Greek physician of the Empiric school who wrote commentaries on the works of Hippocrates....

. He belonged to the Empiric school

Empiric school

The Empiric school of medicine was an ancient school of medicine in ancient Greece and Rome. They were so called from the word empeiria because they professed to derive their knowledge from experiences only, and in doing so set themselves in opposition to the Dogmatic school...

, and wrote some works on Materia medica

Materia medica

Materia medica is a Latin medical term for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing . The term 'materia medica' derived from the title of a work by the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the 1st century AD, De materia medica libre...

, which are very frequently quoted by Galen

Galen

Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus , better known as Galen of Pergamon , was a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher...

, but of which only a few fragments remain. Galen speaks of him in high terms of praise, saying that he was an author who could be entirely depended upon, as he wrote in his works only what he had himself found from his own experience to be correct. He was also one of the first persons who wrote a commentary on all the works in the Hippocratic Corpus

Hippocratic Corpus

The Hippocratic Corpus , or Hippocratic Collection, is a collection of around 60 early Ancient Greek medical works strongly associated with the physician Hippocrates and his teachings...

. He is several times quoted by Caelius Aurelianus

Caelius Aurelianus

Caelius Aurelianus of Sicca in Numidia was a Roman physician and writer on medical topics. He is best known for his translation from Greek to Latin of a work by Soranus of Ephesus, On Acute and Chronic Diseases. He probably flourished in the 5th century, although some place him two or even three...

and other ancient authors.