CLASSICS FINAL OFFICIAL TERMS

The Plague of Athens — A deadly epidemic during the Peloponnesian War described by Thucydides that showed the limits of medicine and challenged divine explanations of disease

Asklepios — Greek god of healing whose sanctuaries offered cures through rituals and incubation, representing divine medicine

Miasma — The idea that disease is caused by pollution or contamination in the environment

Incubation — A healing practice where patients sleep in a sanctuary to receive divine dreams for cures

Anatomical votives — Offerings shaped like body parts given to gods in hopes of healing specific ailments

Rational medicine — Medical practice based on observation and natural causes rather than divine intervention

Hippocrates — Greek physician associated with rational medicine and clinical observation

Divine medicine — Healing through gods, rituals, and religious practices

Thales of Miletus — Early philosopher who explained nature through natural elements (water), influencing scientific thinking

Maschalismos — Ritual mutilation of corpses to prevent revenge, reflecting beliefs about the body and soul

Hippocratic medicine — Medical tradition emphasizing observation, prognosis, and regimen

Humoral theory — The belief that health depends on balance of four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile

Dogmatists — Physicians who emphasized theory and underlying causes of disease

Empiricists — Physicians who relied on observation and experience rather than theory

Plato — Philosopher who influenced ideas about the body and soul

Empedocles — Philosopher who proposed the four-element theory (earth, air, fire, water)

Pythagoras / Pythagorean school — Philosophical movement emphasizing harmony and balance, influencing medicine

Elemental theory — The idea that everything is composed of four elements, forming the basis of humoral theory

Plato’s theory of the soul — The idea that the soul has three parts: reason, spirit, and appetite

Environmental determinism — The belief that climate and geography influence health and behavior

Scythian Anariees — A group described as gender-nonconforming, explained medically as a disease

Ancient Greek geography — The study of how environment affects health and human traits

Women’s anatomy — Ancient understanding of the female body, often inaccurate and biased

Womb / uterus — Believed to move within the body and cause disease (“wandering womb”)

Amulets — Objects worn for protection or healing, blending magic and medicine

Odor therapy — Using smells to influence the body, especially to move the womb

Seed / semen — Male reproductive fluid central to theories of reproduction

Maternal seed — The idea that women also contribute reproductive material

Encephalo-myelogenetic theory — The belief that reproduction originates from the brain and spinal cord

Hematogenetic theory — The belief that reproduction originates from blood

Pangenetic theory — The belief that reproductive material comes from the entire body

Abortifacients / contraceptives — Substances used to prevent or terminate pregnancy

Midwives — Women who assist in childbirth and provide reproductive care

Wet-nurses — Women who breastfeed others’ children

Breastfeeding / lactation — Seen as important for infant health and linked to humors

Dissection — Cutting open dead bodies to study anatomy

Vivisection — Cutting open living bodies to study function

The Museum of Alexandria — A major center of learning where anatomical research and dissection were practiced

Herophilus — Physician who studied the brain, nerves, and differences between arteries and veins

Erasistratus — Physician who studied physiology and believed arteries carried pneuma

Clepsydra (water clock) — A device used to measure time, including pulse rate

Physiology — The study of how the body functions

Poison — A harmful substance used in medicine and politics

Mithridates VI — King who experimented with poisons and antidotes to build immunity

Pharmaka — Substances that can act as both medicine and poison

Cosmetics — Products used to enhance appearance

Cosmeceuticals — Substances used for both cosmetic and medical purposes

Tattoos / brands — Marks placed on the body for identity, punishment, or decoration

Regimen — A plan of diet, exercise, and lifestyle for maintaining health

Emetics — Substances that induce vomiting

Purgative — Substances that clear the bowels

Enema — Fluid inserted into the body to cleanse the intestines

Venesection / bloodletting — The removal of blood to restore humoral balance

Plethora — An excess of blood in the body

Cupping — A technique using suction to draw out fluids

Bathing — Used as a treatment and for maintaining health

Exercise — Physical activity used to maintain bodily balance

The Colosseum — Roman arena where injuries provided medical experience

Galen — Roman physician who used animal dissection and developed theories of humors and pneuma

Experimental anatomy — Studying the body through experimentation

Pulse — A key indicator of health studied by Galen

Disability / impairment — Physical differences understood through social and medical frameworks

Adunatos / perosis — Terms referring to weakness or disability

Deformities — Physical abnormalities often stigmatized

Mobility aids — Tools used to assist movement

Hephaestus — Greek god with a physical disability, showing cultural views of impairment

Breath / pneuma (Galen) — Vital life force believed to move through the body

Animal dissection — The use of animals to study anatomy and function

Geras — Old age, associated with physical decline