The Greeks were the first to use rational systems of medicine, based upon belief in natural causation, rather than magical and religious elements, which resulted in a new conception of disease, accounting for causes and symptoms of illness. Greek Medicine places ancient Greek medicine, from Homer to the Alexandrians, within its historical and intellectual context by presenting a selection of source material in translation. The book provides a chronological account on the most important aspects of ancient medicine, and includes chapters on specific areas of medicine, such as gynecology, dietetics, pharmacology and surgery.

Preface Introduction 1 Abbreviations 3 I Pre-rational and irrational medicine in ancient Greece and neighbouring cultures 5 II The rise and development of rational medicine in ancient Greece 18 III Philosophy and medicine in the fifth century I: Alcmaeon and the Presocratic philosophers 31 IV The Hippocratic Corpus and the Hippocratic question 40 V Philosophy and medicine in the fifth century II: Presocratic philosophy and the Hippocratic Corpus 51 VI Philosophy and medicine until the fourth century: 'Sicilian' medicine and its influence 61 VII Early Alexandrian medical science 84 VIII Hippocratic deontology 101 IX Disease and human physiology 107 X Epidemic disease 123 XI Prognosis and diagnosis 136 XII Dietetics and regimen 146 XIII Pharmacology 157 XIV Anatomy 168 XV Surgery 178 XVI Gynaecology 191 Chronological table 203 Glossary of technical terms 205 Bibliography 209 Concordance of quoted passages 229 General index 233