A Religious Polemic in Galenic Garb? Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq’s (d. 260/873) Kitāb al-Karma (On Vines) and his Encomium of Wine

A Religious Polemic in Galenic Garb? Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq’s (d. 260/873) Kitāb al-Karma (On Vines) and his Encomium of WineRhetoricaSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/X6I3RYUH/tei

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.IgnacioSánchezA Religious Polemic in Galenic Garb? Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq’s (d. 260/873) Kitāb al-Karma (On Vines) and his Encomium of Winehttp://syriaca.org/cbss/X6I3RYUHhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/X6I3RYUHhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/X6I3RYUHRhetorica41:32023250-278Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq (192–260/808–873) is mainly known as a translator of Greek works into Arabic, but he was also a prolific author. This article focuses on one of his least known treatises, On Vines (Kitāb al-Karma), which still remains unedited. On Vines is an eclectic and unclassifiable work that combines different genres. It has been traditionally considered a dietetic treatise on the properties of vine products inserted in the Galenic tradition. But On Vines is also a disputation on the excellence of trees written in the form of questions and answers and, ultimately, a polemical encomium of wine that relies for its effect on the opinions of ancient Greek authorities such as Homer, Diogenes, Aristotle, Socrates or Theophrastus. In this article I analyse the structure of the treatise, identifiying its generic affiliations and the rhetorical strategies deployed by Ḥunayn. I discuss specially the long sections on wine and Ḥunayn's defence of the virtues of this drink against its critics, arguing that the structure of the treatise is also determined by the religious implications of praising wine in an Islamic environment. Sánchez, Ignacio. “A Religious Polemic in Galenic Garb? Ḥunayn Ibn Isḥāq’s (d. 260/873) Kitāb al-Karma (On Vines) and His Encomium of Wine.” Rhetorica 41:3 (2023): 250–78. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1353/rht.2023.a910300. Ignacio Sánchez, A Religious Polemic in Galenic Garb? Ḥunayn Ibn Isḥāq’s (d. 260/873) Kitāb al-Karma (On Vines) and His Encomium of Wine,” Rhetorica 41:3 (2023): 250–78, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1353/rht.2023.a910300.