Avicenna (980-1037), Islamic Persian physician. Avicenna is a Latinised form. His full Arabic name is Abu-Ali Al-Husain Ibn Abdullah Ibn Sina. Avicenna, who based much of his work on earlier Greek and Roman writers, wrote medical treatises such as 'The Canon of Medicine' and 'The Book of Healing'. His books were translated into Latin in the 12th century and were the basis of medicine in Europe until the 17th century. Avicenna also wrote on astronomy and alchemy. He served several rulers within what is now Iran.