Ancient Medicine: Sickness and Health in Greece and Rome

Second Edition

Ancient Medicine: Sickness and Health in Greece and Rome is an updated edition of Liam A Faulkner’s bestselling lively overview of disease and healing in the ancient world. Informed by years of study, Ancient Medicine condenses an encyclopedia’s worth of knowledge into an easily digestible and highly enjoyable book that offers and informative snapshot of the very beginnings of the practice of medicine.

In the west, we trace the origins of modern medicine back to Classical Greece, but what did doctors in the ancient world actually believe? How did the theories they developed about disease and the human body inform the practices they employed when trying to heal their patients? And how did the teachings of one group of people grow to dominate all others, shaping the course of medical thought for over two millennia?

Beginning with an overview of the ancient world, Ancient Medicine traces the rise and development of rational medical thought. From the first doctors mentioned in Greek myth and recorded in the epics of Homer, to the Father of Medicine, Hippocrates of Kos, this concise text explores how ancient perceptions of the human body and illness changed over time and the impact such notions had upon the development of western medicine.

Assuming no prior knowledge, Faulkner’s lively and engaging style takes readers on a journey through the origins of modern medicine, complete with twenty-five pictures and illustrations, quotes from ancient texts, and suggestions for further reading at the back of the book.

Ancient Medicine is perfect for both students and history buffs alike.