Greek Med.

Akhilleus

Greek hero of The Iliad, nearly invincible, avenges Patroklos by killing Hektor.

Patroklos

Akhilleus' closest companion, killed by Hektor.

Hektor

Trojan prince, greatest Trojan warrior, killed by Akhilleus.

Gaia

Primordial Earth goddess, mother of Titans.

Tartarus

Deep abyss where defeated gods (Titans) are imprisoned.

Eros

God of love and desire.

Titans

Pre-Olympian deities, overthrown by Zeus.

Ouranos

Sky god, castrated by Kronos.

Kronos

Titan who overthrew Ouranos; later defeated by Zeus.

Zeus

King of Olympian gods, ruler of the sky.

Castration of Ouranos

Kronos castrates his father, leading to Aphrodite's birth.

Prophecy of Zeus' Overthrow

A warning that one of Zeus' children may dethrone him.

Olympians

Twelve major Greek gods of Mount Olympus.

Prometheus

Titan who gave fire to humans; punished by Zeus.

Pandora

First woman, released evils into the world.

Homer

Poet of The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Theogony (Hesiod)

Tells the origins of gods and Zeus' rise.

Works and Days (Hesiod)

Includes Pandora's myth and moral teachings.

Iliad

Epic poem about the Trojan War, focusing on Akhilleus.

The Homeric Conception of the Body

The Iliad presents the body as separate functions, not a single entity.

Accuracy of Homeric Wound Descriptions

Detailed, anatomically accurate injuries, like Hektor's death.

Arrow Extractions in The Iliad

Describes cutting around wounds, removing arrowheads, and using salves.

Healing in The Iliad

Warrior-physicians (Machaon, Podaleiros) wash wounds, bandage, and use medicinal salves.

Contagion in The Iliad

Apollo sends a plague to punish the Greeks.

Fable of the Hawk and Nightingale

Works and Days tale warning against injustice and abuse of power.

Myth of the Five Races

Works and Days describes five human ages: Golden, Silver, Bronze, Heroic, and Iron.

Asklepios

God of medicine, symbolized by a serpent-entwined staff.

Cult of Asklepios

Healing sanctuaries (Asclepieia) at Epidaurus / Kos

Spread of the Cult of Asklepios

Expanded across Greece and Rome, blending religious and medical practices.

Machaon & Podaleiros

Healers in The Iliad, sons of Asklepios.

Cheiron (Chiron)

Wise centaur, tutor of heroes, expert in medicine.

Apollo

God of prophecy, music, healing, and the sun.

Pharmaka

Medicinal substances, including potions and drugs.

Hippocrates

 Known as the "Father of Medicine," Hippocrates is credited with many advances in healthcare. His work laid the foundation for modern medical ethics.

Hippocratic Oath

Early medical ethics, emphasizing patient care and 'do no harm.'

Epidemics Book I - Medical Ethics

Urged observation, avoiding harm, and acknowledging medical limits.

Difficulties in Interpreting Diseases

Hippocratic doctors struggled with diagnosis, relying on symptoms and environmental factors.

Malaria in Ancient Greece

Referenced in Hippocratic texts as a common disease.

'Disease is Warfare' Metaphor

Greek medical texts compared illness to battle.

Advertising in Ancient Medicine

The Asclepieion at Epidaurus promoted healing through public inscriptions.

The Canon

Hippocratic text outlining the ideal physician's qualities.

Scientific Method in Tradition in Medicine

Defended observation / logic in medicine over divine explanations.

Psyche

Soul/breath of life, leaves the body at death.

Phrenes

Seat of thought/emotion, located in the chest.

Thumos

Courage/honor in battle.

Techne

Greek term for craft / art

Soma

Greek word for 'body,' contrasted with psyche (soul).

Thanatos

Personification of death.

Chaos

The void from which the universe emerged.

Nature of Man & Theory of Humors

Health depends on balancing blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

Nature of Man & Theory of Plague

Plagues were seen as divine punishment or environmental imbalances.

Archaic Period (800-480 BC)

Rise of city-states, early Greek literature, Persian Wars.

Classical Period (480-323 BC)

Height of Athens, democracy, philosophy, ended with Alexander's death.

Hellenistic Period (323-31 BC)

Spread of Greek culture after Alexander the Great.

Roman Greece (31 BC - 475 AD)

Greece under Roman rule, cultural blending.

Golden Age of Athens

5th century BC, peak of philosophy, drama, and art.