In ancient Greek medicine illness was initially regarded as a divine punishment and healing as, quite literally, a gift from the gods. However, by the 5th century BCE, there were attempts to identify the material causes for illnesses rather than spiritual ones and this led to a move away from superstition towards scientific enquiry, although, in reality, the two would never be wholly separated. Greek medical practitioners, then, began to take a greater interest in the body itself and to explore the connection between cause and effect, the relation of symptoms to the illness itself and the success or failure of various treatments.
More about: Ancient Greek Medicine10 days left
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Definition
Timeline
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800 BCE - 700 BCEHomer's Iliad is composed with mention of medical treatment in Greek warfare.
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700 BCEFirst Greek medical school opens in Cnidus.
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c. 500 BCEAsclepius becomes principal god of worship at Epidaurus.
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c. 460 BCE - c. 370 BCETraditional dates for the life of Hippocrates in Greece, the "father of medicine" and inventor of the Hippocratic Oath for physicians.
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400 BCE - 390 BCEA sanctuary to Asclepius is built at Agrigento.
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325 BCE - 280 BCELife of Herophilus of Chalcedon, who studied the brain and the nervous system, attributing intelligence to the brain.
