CLASS 2640 - Introduction to Ancient Medicine

(crosslisted) ARKEO 2640, BSOC 2640
(HB) (CA-AS)

Spring. 4 credits.

C. Roby.

An introduction to the origins and development of Western medicine in ancient Greece and Rome. We will read a variety of sources on the ancient theory and practice of medicine, including pre-Hippocratic works, the Hippocratic corpus, and the prolific and opinionated Galen. These texts will be complemented by secondary sources which will put them in scientific and social context, as well as by visual and material evidence. Questions to be considered will include the treatment of women, the relationship between medicine and magic, the evolving state of the arts of anatomy and physiology, and rival schools of thought about the right way to acquire medical knowledge. All readings will be in English.