Quintus Serenus Sammonicus

Quintus Serenus Sammonicus was a Roman writer best known for his medical poems, meant to help those at home treat all sorts of maladies—everything from hemorrhoids to insomnia. He allegedly was the first person to write the word abracadabra; in those moments when home remedies failed to work, he suggested calling upon the gods. He was killed in 211, along with other supporters of the emperor Geta.