Heroic Healers: Chiron and the Thessalian Doctors
From the fragmentary evidence in the Iliad, two main focal points become apparent. First, Thessaly emerges as the earliest setting for a medical tradition through the references to Thessalian warriors trained in the techne of healing.
The ancient Greek origins of sports medicine
The ancient link between medicine and sport is said to be best examplified in Galen (130-201 AD). His writings on the value of exercise and hygiene are often taken to be the first scientific works of this kind.
Plague and theatre in ancient Athens
Until a recent archaeological discovery, our understanding of what happened in Athens during the plague had been almost entirely reliant on the gripping narrative of Thucydides, which seems so dramatically shaped that some have wondered whether the historian embellished his vivid, harrowing eye-witness report.
The death of Alexander the Great
Alexander, King of Macedonia, conqueror of the Persian empire, died in Babylon at sunset on the 10th of June, 323 BC. He was not yet 33 years old, had been king for 12 years and 8 months and had shown himself to be fully deserving of the title.
Sexual attitudes, preferences and infections in Ancient Egypt
The prevalence of STDs in Ancient Egypt has been found to be low. This state of affairs was maintained for centuries.
Stonehenge and its people: thoughts from medicine
This paper considers the nature of Stonehenge and other Neolithic sites from an unusual perspective, that of medicine.
Rethinking the Role of Health Care in Early Christianity
The distinct aspect of our approach to health care is drawn from recent advances in medical anthropology. In its most general sense, an anthropological approach seeks to apply the insights and theories that develop from the observation of actual societies. Such insights may help place an ancient culture in comparative perspective.
The plague of Athens, 430-427 BC
One of the earliest, and perhaps better known of the epidemics that struck the ancient world was the
The Madness of the Emperor Caligula
Throughout the centuries the name of Caligula has been synonymous with madness and infamy, sadism and perversion.
Early history of wound treatment
The first written records containing medical information date from about 2500 BC. Clay tablets from this time have been discovered in Mesopotamia and the first medical papyri from Egypt are probably some seven hundred years younger…