Galen is the second person who made major contributions to science and medicine in the second century A.D. Hippocrates was of course the first. Usually, we know very little about scientists at this time, but Galen we have more about his career and personality. We know this from the anecdotes contained in his works, three in particular shed light on his life: On Prognosis, On his own books, and On the order of his own books (Lloyd 136).

Galen was born at Perganum in 129 A.D. His father was an architect who self educated Galen on such subjects as mathematics, grammar logic, and philosophy. But when he was 16, his father was persuaded by a dream to arrange for his son to be taught medicine also.

Galen traveled to Corinth, Smyrna, and Alexandria to conduct his studies, but in 157 A.D. he returned to Perganum to an appointment as surgeon to the gladiators. He remained in this position for four or five years. After this he traveled to Rome where he made a reputation for himself but quickly became disgusted with the way the system of Rome worked. He learned that the civil strife that had plagued his home city had come to an end, so he returned after spending nearly three years in Rome.

Soon after his arrival home, he was summoned to attend to the emperors, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, who were soon planning a campaign to invade foreign lands. When Galen met up with the Roman army a terrible plaque had stricken the army and Galen spent a miserable winter with the troops. After this Galen pleaded to Marcus Aurelius to remain in Rome as physician to the emperor's son Commodus. From this point on he was not only well established, but he would continue to receive imperial favor for the rest of his career. The date of his death is uncertain, but is estimated to be 199 or 200 A.D., but there seems to be some evidence that he lasted through ten years into the next century (Lloyd 138).

Some of Galen's greatest contributions to science and medicine was his work of anatomy and physiology. He wrote numerous books on the dissection of humans, but largely on apes and other similar animals. His work the nervous system of pigs is well documented. In fact, to this day there is a certain nerve in the neck that is named after Galen, that he located with help of dissection and testing of individual nervous muscles on pigs. Galen was dedicated to his work and contributed many hours of diligent study to his subjects, and because of that he set the standard for future physicians.