Category: Antiquity
-
Anastasius the “odd-eyes”
Zeynel Karcioglu Although Anastasius I was one of the most capable Byzantine emperors, he and his reign are little known or discussed in modernity (Figure 1). This may be due to his reign being overshadowed by the more dramatic rule of his close follower, Justinian. Becoming emperor in 491, Anastasius died at the age of…
-
Alcmaeon of Croton, philosopher physician
Steph MagowanRoyal Holloway, University of London Alcmaeon of Croton remains one of the lesser known Presocratic writers, not only because of the sparse nature of his extant work but also because of his fragmentary treatment in modern scholarship. He is mentioned in passing but rarely fully examined, often even excluded entirely in work dealing with…
-
Virgil and the Aeneid
Patrick GuinanChicago, Illinois, United States “Arma virumque canto” (“I sing of arms and of a man”) Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro 70 -19 BC), the greatest of the Augustan poets, was born in a village near Mantua and studied philosophy and rhetoric in Milan, Rome, and Naples. His literary career benefitted from the support and patronage…
-
Medicine in ancient Nineveh
Hussain A. Al-SardarEssex, United Kingdom Introduction Mesopotamia is the land between the Tigris and Euphrates, currently in the southern part of Iraq. Many civilizations developed and vanished in this very fertile part of the world. The first civilization was that of the Sumerians, who invented the cuneiform tablets for writing, by using a stylus to…
-
Death in ancient times
George DuneaChicago, IL British Medical Journal, Volume 294, 18 April 1987 “Many a physician has slain a king!” the emperor Hadrian shouted aloud as he lay on his deathbed. But Augustus when he was near death gathered his friends to ask if, in the manner of actors, he deserved applause for having played well his…
-
The death of Alexander the Great
George DuneaEditor-in-Chief Possibly the greatest warrior of all times, Alexander of Macedon died aged 32 at Babylon. Within 12 years he had overthrown an empire that had lasted two centuries, conquered the greater part of the Eastern world, became worshiped as a god, and forever changed the course of history.1 Fair and light skinned, and…
-
Eumenes: Even horses need to take regular exercise
“During this siege, as he [Eumenes] perceived that the men, cooped up in such narrow limits and eating their food without exercise, would lose health, and also that the horses would lose condition if they never used their limbs. . . . He arranged the largest room in the fort . . .as a place…
-
Comparison of ancient Mesopotamian and Hippocratic medicine
Burton R. AndersenChicago, Illinois, United States The accomplishments of the ancient Greeks in literature, science, and government have been widely recognized and admired. Ancient Greek medicine has also been held in high esteem; however, their practice of medicine merits careful examination and comparison with other ancient medical cultures. Different cultures have employed in various ways…
-
Abulcasis, the pharmacist surgeon
Fadlurrahman ManafSurabaya, Indonesia Abu Al-Qasim Khalaf Ibn Al-Abbas Al-Zahrawi (AD 936–1013 AD), also known in the West as Abulcasis, was one of the most renowned surgeons of the Muslim era.1 Born in Zahra, six miles northwest of Cordova, he studied there, taught, and also practiced medicine and surgery.2 In addition to his knowledge of medicine…