Cornelius Celsus—ancient encyclopedist, surgeon–scientist, or master of surgery?

The Roman nobleman Cornelius Celsus (25 BC–AD 50) wrote a general encyclopedia (De Artibus) dealing with several subjects, among which some had medical content (De Medicina), an eight-volume compendium, including two books about surgery (VII + VIII). It is the most significant medical document following the Hippocratic writings. In 1443, Pope Nicolas V rediscovered the work of Cornelius Celsus, despite it having been forgotten for several centuries, and it was the first medical and surgical book to be printed (AD 1478). Up until the nineteenth century, 60 editions were published in Latin as well as numerous translations in European languages, the last of which was a French translation in 1876. While Celsus’ work is the best account of Roman medicine as practiced in the first century of the Christian era and its influence persisted until the nineteenth century, there is controversy as to whether Cornelius Celsus himself actually practiced as a surgeon or was only an encyclopedist who collected in the Latin language the medical knowledge available at that time.

The detailed analysis of the surgical techniques described by Celsus, the modifications tailored to the findings, possible complications, detailed description of pre- and postsurgical activities, give the general impression that he himself practiced surgery at least within his family and among his dependents. In addition, his descriptions give a clear insight into the astonishingly high standard of surgical knowledge available at the time of Celsus.

His work thus reflects the state of knowledge of his time, which is why he also assumed the role of teacher and scientist. As such, his meets the modern criteria addressed to a surgeon–scientist, who apart from the practical surgical activity, also had a role as teacher of surgery and scientist. Whether Cornelius Celsus had inaugurated a new surgical technique and was the first to describe that, and as such can be described as a master of surgery, cannot be corroborated.

Cornelius Celsus deserves a firm place in the history of surgery because with his publication De Medicina, Book VII + VIII, he has preserved Roman surgical knowledge in the first century of the Christian era and, thanks to the use of Latin in medicine and surgery, this continues to be retained up till the present day.