Galen, as gladiator doctor in Pergamum, friend of several members of the Roman upper class, and family physician of the emperors in Rome, was well acquainted with the living conditions of all strata of Roman society of the second century A.D. For the first time, in this book all of Galen's writings are analyzed as a contribution to the social history of the Roman Empire. The author considers the special perspective offered by Galen's background, career, and motives for writing. The material is presented first following Galen's biography; the study then branches out to chapters on slavery and other overarching aspects of the world Galen knew.

Heinrich Schlange-Schöningen lectures on ancient history at the Free University Berlin, Germany.