Ancient Medical Practices: Egypt, Greece & Rome

Flashcards reviewing the development of medicine in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Ancient Egypt (3000 – 500 BCE)

Believed sickness was caused by evil spirits or angry gods, so healing involved spells and natural remedies.

Imhotep

An ancient Egyptian physician, recognized as one of the earliest recorded physicians in history, moving medicine away from magic to practical treatments.

Mummification

The process used by Ancient Egyptians to preserve dead bodies for the afterlife, involving removing organs and drying the body.

Ancient Greece (c. 1200–146 BCE)

Began to believe that disease had natural causes, not just magic or gods.

Hippocrates

Lived around 460–370 BCE, believed in the Four Humors, created the Hippocratic Oath, and emphasized observation & records.

Hippocratic Oath

A promise that doctors make to do no harm to their patients, keep patient information private, and act honestly and respectfully.

Ancient Rome (c. 753 BCE–476 CE)

Borrowed Greek ideas about medicine and public health.

Galen

A famous doctor from Rome (around 130 CE) who expanded on Hippocrates’ ideas and dissected animals to learn about anatomy.

Romans' Public Health Contributions

Construction of aqueducts, public baths, sewers, toilets, and army hospitals to improve public health.