Ancient Medicine

"The book takes a broad view, exploring the place of medicine in ancient society on many different levels. There is a particular focus on the life and work of doctors - the diseases they faced, how they obtained their knowledge, and their relationship with local communities. Vivian Nutton also investigates the connections between medicine and the religious beliefs of Antiquity, asking if there were fixed boundaries between medicine and magic. Finally, he examines different approaches to medicine across the ancient world, from the great cities such as Roman to countries such as Egypt or Roman Britain." "Many of the texts cited are here made accessible for the first time, as they have previously only been available in medieval translations into Arabic. The book does not just provide new evidence to back up the standard arguments; it also argues for a change of perspective. By refusing to take Hippocratic medicine as the universal standard of ancient medical practice, greater emphasis is given to the alternatives, and Galen of Pergamum, the great Hippocratic physician, is set in a new historical context." "The result of a lifetime's research, this comprehensive volume is essential reading for anyone concerned with the history of medicine."--Jacket.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.