CLST 10.10 Ancient Medicine
This course will explore the Greek and Roman origins of medicine in the West. We will analyze how disease came to be understood as a natural phenomenon, and we will examine the different procedures, philosophies, and social roles of doctors in the ancient world. In this investigation, we will encounter many questions with which we are still grappling today, such as: What constitutes scientific thinking? How do science and cultural context determine and reflect one another? What is human nature? Is a disease a moral failing? How do we understand gender and sex in medical terms? All readings will be in translation, and no prior knowledge of medicine or Greco-Roman antiquity is necessary.