clas3051 lecture 2
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Pre-rational Medicine in Near East and Greece. CLAS3051 Lecture 2. Interplay Between Greece, Egypt, Babylon, etc. 1500ish: great decay in civilization in Europe In Archaic period (900 – 500 BC) major influence on Greeks Civilizations of Great antiquity to the Greeks Commerce. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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CLAS3051 Lecture 2Pre-rational Medicine in Near East and Greece
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Interplay Between Greece, Egypt, Babylon, etc.1500ish: great decay in civilization in EuropeIn Archaic period (900 500 BC) major influence on GreeksCivilizations of Great antiquity to the GreeksCommerce
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Greek View of Egyptian MedicineHomer: 'everyone is a healer', 'the bountiful land produces many drugs(Archeology shows trade in medical goods like opium and coriander)Herodotus (5th c BC) says that they have medical specialists(Herodotus also says Babylonians have no doctors, and seek medical advice from passers by)Very difficult to work out interdependence
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Egyptian MedicineInformation recorded in written text, using hieroglyphs, on papyrus (pl. papyri) documents
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PapyrusReed-like plantGrows in Nile deltaPounded into sheetsWritten upon with black sticky stuff
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Preservation of PapyriIn ideal dry conditions of desertLast for thousands of yearsTreasure hunt in late 19th, early 20th centuriesLeads to forgeries
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Ebers Papyrus (LI.1)Dated to 1500 BC!?Some content as early as 3000 BCBegins with spellsOther sections less magical: i.e. diseases of the head
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What Concepts of Medicine Does it Represent?How does one become ill?How does one become better?What forces are at work for and against us?
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Hearst Papyrus (LI.2)Bancroft Library: near perfect fake?Roughly same date as Ebers pap.coprotherapy from copros 'dung'What process is taking place?How is this like the prayer in the Ebers pap.?
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Sumerian Cuneiform Tabletscuneiform lit. means 'wedge-shaped'preserved through firing of clay in disasters3000 BC onwards
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Sumerian IncantationsLI.4 How is it like Egyptian ones?LI.5-6 what picture of disease do they offeron what principle do they operate?
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Greek Pestilence from godsArtemis and Apollo, brother and sisterHere, killing children of NiobeBringers of diseaseHealers of disease
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Zeus's RoleAlso brings sudden deathBlindness to PolyphemusWhat is his relationship with disease in Hesiod Works and Days L1.13-14?
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Wounds in HomerHomer thought to be a 'medical officer' (!) by German scholarEmphasis on anatomical correctnessTreatment of Menelaos by Machaon in bk. 4 fairly realistic
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Healing CultsAmphiaraus and AsclepiusHow did these work? LI.21
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AsclepiusHuman son of ApolloTaught by ChironOver-used magical artsKilled by Zeus, but made a godAssociated with snake, staff
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Temple Complex of Asclepius at EpidaurusBest known for this well-preserved theatreThis a late (4th c. BC) additionNot crucial to its healing functionTestament to prosperity of 'cult'
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Location of Epidaurus
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Sanctuary of AsclepiusWhat happened here?LI.22-23: myth and legendLI.24-26: contemporary accounts
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Evidence from InscriptionsSometimes called 'epigraphic' evidence from Greek for 'carving upon'Tens of thousands of these documentsRecords of healings at EpidaurusForm of advertisement
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Votive OfferingsRepayment to the godsOften in shape of limb or organHere probably in thanks for restored health of child
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Surgery at EpidaurusBronze medical instruments found at siteSee LI.23,25
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Evidence from Manuscript TraditionBooks copied through the agesBy 9th c. AD, looked like this
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Spread of the Cult of AsclepiusCame to Athens in late 5th c. BC L.27
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Organization of Asclepius CultSo-called Asclepiadai, travelling priests of godLI.29 shows agreements between these groups
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Mixing of Scientific Medicine with ReligionCult influenced by Hippocratic medicine?Hippocratic by cult practices?What distinguished these?Which was preferable to Greeks?