Salmawaih ibn Bunan (died 840) was an Assyrian Nestorian Christian physician who translated works of Galen from Greek into Arabic. [1] He flourished at the time of the Abbasid caliphs al-Ma'mun ( r. 813–833) and al-Mu'tasim ( r. 833–842), serving as private physician to the latter. [2] It is reported that al-Mu'tasim trusted Salmawaih to such an extent that he called him "father", and that he prayed in person over Salmawaih's grave when he died. [3]
He was a patron of the fellow Nestorian physician and translator Hunayn ibn Ishaq, helping him in his translation of Galen's On The Therapeutic Method. [4] His scientific work included studies on the harmful effects of aphrodisiacs. [5] He was a rival of the fellow Nestorian physician Ibn Masawayh. [5]