Medicus

IllnessFamilial relationshipsMedicineIllegitimacyDeceitful old manMurder

The Doctor

The famous doctor Hippocrates is jealous of his nephew’s skill in medicine, which surpasses his own. The nephew is summoned to treat a prince plagued with an apparently incurable malady; the nephew correctly surmises that the issue stems from the fact that the young man is, in fact, a bastard, and lack of knowledge of his true father had hindered all previous medical treatment. When the prince's mother discretely reveals her son’s true parentage, Hippocrates’ nephew is able to heal the young man, gaining great acclaim. Hippocrates summons the young man to him, pretending to wish to learn his methods, but kills him instead. Shortly thereafter, Hippocrates himself falls ill with a sickness (often dysentery) that his nephew would have been able to cure, and dies – a warning to the emperor, should he, too, hastily and foolishly kill his own son.

Note
Nishimura notes some analogous motifs and references: Motifs: TMI F956.2: Illegitimacy of child discovered by urinalysis; Q211: Murder punished; TU3254: Medicus. Analogues: Konponsetu Issai Ubu Binaya Zoji, 20 (Taishozo 24, 301bc); Najo-kyo (Taishozo 14, 896c-902a; see Chavannes, No. 499); The Book of Tales by A.B.C., 175 (104), ‘Son and father'.

Critical Literature
Nishimura (2001), Campbell (1907), Clouston (1884)

Medicus appears in the following versions and secondary versions

Medicus is narrated in the following occurrences

Narrator	Pages
Ancilles	Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17, Edinburgh National Library of Scotland Advocates MS 19.2.1, Auchinleck Manuscript, London British Library Arundel 140, London British Library Cotton Galba E IX, London British Library Egerton 1995, Middle English Version A, Oxford Balliol College Library MS 354 (Richard Hill's Commonplace Book), Oxford Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 175, Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3354
Anxilles	A (Seven Sages), Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9245, Cambridge University Library MS Gg.6.28, D (Sept Sages de Rome), French A/L Overlap, L (Sept Sages de Rome), M ('Male Marastre'), Old Swedish Version A: Sju vise mästare, Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 573
Auguste	French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages, Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3516
Ausire	K (Sept Sages de Rome)
Fifth Master	Basel Universitätsbibliothek UBH E II 3, Continental Group x, Fulda Hochschul- und Landesbibliothek Hs. B 11, Latin Version H, Polish Version H, Thystorye of ye vii wyse Maysters of rome (English, 16th c.)
Jesse	Cambridge University Library MS Ff. 2, 38
Josephas	Anonymous Verse Version, Bühnenfassung / Stage adaptation: Sebastian Wild, Tragedj, Colmar Bibliothèque Municipale Ms. 55, German Version H, H (Historia Septem Sapientum), Hans von Bühel, Dyocletianus Leben, Hystorij von Diocleciano, Old Swedish Version H: Sju vise mästare, Prosafassung / Prose Version, Scots Version H: Rolland, Seuin Seages, Spanish Version H: Los Siete Sabios de Roma, Versfassung / Verse Version, Wien Schottenstift Cod. 33 (407)
Lentulus	Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 95
Maxencius	Edinburgh National Library of Scotland MS. 16500, Asloan Manuscript
Second Master	British Library, Additional MS 15685, German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus, Latin Version A: Allegatio/Libellus, S (Scala Coeli)
Waldach	Aventewr von Diocleciano

Medicus appears in the following manuscripts