Clocks as Symbols 2

Abstract

AbstractChapter 4 contextualizes Galen’s attitude toward clocks by investigating the semiotic fields of sundials and water clocks under the Roman Empire. This chapter shows how—across a range of media, such as sarcophagi, gemstones, friezes, and obelisks—sundials had become symbols connoting a range of concepts, including the human lifespan, immortality, the idea of the “scientific thinker,” Greek paideia, and Roman imperial power. This chapter reveals the kinds of social capital available to medical writers and practitioners who associated themselves with clock technology and allows us to revisit with fresh eyes Galen’s appeal to this technology in Affections and Errors. Ultimately, I propose that, here, Galen can be understood as adapting common clock tropes of his day in order to promote his own scientific method as the best way to live one’s life.