Contenitore e contenuto nella Capsula eburnea in inglese medio

The so-called Capsula eburnea is a pseudo-Hippocratic prognostic treatise written in Greek (4th-5th century AD) and then translated into Latin and Arabic; the Arabic version was later translated again into Latin. Both Latin versions had great diffusion all over Europe during the Middle Ages and they were translated into vernacular languages. This essay analyses the Capsula eburnea tradition in Middle English and focuses on the words used for “container” and “content” in the narrative prologue of the Capsula eburnea: by container is meant the box that was found in the tomb of Hippocrates while the contents are the secrets about life and death preserved in the Capsula eburnea.