History
Hippocrates, Galen and the Four Temperaments
On a Greek island around the fifth century BC, and in Rome six centuries later, two physicians who never met gave us the language of temperament we still use.
Journal
Galen
Every entry in the journal tagged Galen.
History
Galen's Nine Temperaments: The Missing Centre of the Four
In On Mixtures Galen laid out nine states of the body: one perfectly balanced centre and eight ways of leaning off it. The four temperaments everyone knows are only four of the eight, and the balanced ninth was the one he prized most.
History
A Short History of the Four Humors
From Hippocrates to Avicenna to the Renaissance: how a theory of bodily fluids became a lasting map of human character.