Final answer:
Galen was an Ancient Greek Doctor who influenced medical thought with his theory of the four humors, and his work endured until it was later built upon during the Renaissance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Galen, also known as Galen of Pergamon, was an Ancient Greek Doctor who significantly contributed to the field of medicine. Living under Roman rule, he crafted a theory of human health that emphasized the balance of the four humors of the body, influenced by the earlier theory of the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) posed by the Greek philosopher Anaximenes. Galen's medical theories were shaped by these ancient concepts and persisted until the advent of modern medical science.
It's interesting to note that during the Renaissance, a period of great cultural, artistic, and scientific rebirth, there was a resurgence in the study of human anatomy spearheaded by artists and scientists. Scholars such as Leonardo da Vinci performed dissections to better understand human physiology, indirectly continuing the legacy of ancient thinkers like Galen. This period saw a rapid expansion of human knowledge, challenging and sometimes overturning long-held beliefs, like the geocentric model, much of which relied on the foundational work of figures like Galen.