Abstract

John of Alexandria is an obscure figure. Little is known of his life: hisfloruitis placed in the first half of the seventh century A.D. He was a practising doctor; the exact significance of the epithet ‘sophista’ which is found on the superscription to his commentary on the sixth book of Hippocrates'Epidemicsis uncertain: but itmayindicate an interest beyond the purely medical. Apart from the commentaries on theEpidemicsandDe Sectis, the only other work ascribed to him with any certainty is a commentary on the Hippocratic textOn the Nature of the Child, although four other works traditionally attributed to Philoponus and of a purely medical nature have been ascribed to him.