Simone Simoni
Encyclopedia
Simone Simoni was an Italian philosopher and physician.
After graduating in medicine from the University of Padua
, Simoni moved to Geneva
where he became professor of philosophy and engaged in controversy with Jakob Schegk
. Expelled by the city for his heretical views, he moved to Paris
and subsequently to Leipzig
(where he was accused of Arianism
in 1575) and Heidelberg
(where he was forced to leave in 1579). In 1581 he became court physician to Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
in Prague
; there were unconfirmed rumours that he had converted to Catholicism.
Simoni moved on to Poland
to become court physician to Stephen Báthory
. When the King died in 1586, SImoni was accused of having prescribed the wrong treatmentand after a bitter dispute his rival Nicholas Buccella was appointed personal physician to the new king Sigismund III Vasa
. SImoni moved to Moravia
, where he spent the rest of his life.
Simoni wrote a commentary on Aristotle
's De Sensu. He gave a notably crisp formulation to the principle that physicians should undergo preliminary preparation in Aristotelian natural philosophy
: Ubi desinit physicus, ibi medicus incipit [The physician starts where the natural philosopher leaves off].
After graduating in medicine from the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
, Simoni moved to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
where he became professor of philosophy and engaged in controversy with Jakob Schegk
Jakob Schegk
Jakob Schegk was a polymath German Aristotelian philosopher and academic physician.-Origins and education:...
. Expelled by the city for his heretical views, he moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and subsequently to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
(where he was accused of Arianism
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
in 1575) and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
(where he was forced to leave in 1579). In 1581 he became court physician to Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
; there were unconfirmed rumours that he had converted to Catholicism.
Simoni moved on to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
to become court physician to Stephen Báthory
Stephen Báthory
Stephen Báthory may refer to several noblemen of Hungarian descent:* Stephen III Báthory , Palatine of Hungary* Stephen V Báthory , judge of the Royal Court and Prince of Transylvania...
. When the King died in 1586, SImoni was accused of having prescribed the wrong treatmentand after a bitter dispute his rival Nicholas Buccella was appointed personal physician to the new king Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
. SImoni moved to Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, where he spent the rest of his life.
Simoni wrote a commentary on Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
's De Sensu. He gave a notably crisp formulation to the principle that physicians should undergo preliminary preparation in Aristotelian natural philosophy
Natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science...
: Ubi desinit physicus, ibi medicus incipit [The physician starts where the natural philosopher leaves off].