NEW YORK – Every area of contemporary medicine, a new exhibit argues, has felt the influence of one ancient Greek physician: Galen.

The Empire’s Physician: Prosperity, Plague, and Healing in Ancient Rome, the first digital exhibition from the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) at New York University, delves into Galen’s role as a doctor, a thinker, and a witness to historical events including the Antonine Plague. Contemporary health workers, scientists, and first responders will share perspectives on their work’s connections to antiquity, and public events kick off with a March 11 lecture on Science and Spectacle in Galen’s Rome.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) provided support for ISAW’s first foray into digital exhibitions, as well as, in 2016, for a physical exhibit on Time and Cosmos in Greco-Roman Antiquity.