Topics in Ancient Science and Technology (314-0-1)

Topic

Ancient Medicine

Instructors

Nick Winters

Meeting Info

Kresge Cent. Hall 2-380 Kaplan: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

We will study the theory and practice of Greek and Roman medicine, looking at ancient texts in translation, ancient artifacts and materials, and some modern scholarship. As a term project, students will learn to think like ancient physicians, diagnosing and prescribing treatments for patients from the Hippocratic case studies. During class discussion, we will engage critically with primary sources and examine the differences between ancient and modern science from a balanced historical perspective. We will also investigate the social, cultural, and economic forces that have affected the development of western medicine throughout its history.

Class Materials (Required)

Lloyd, G. E. R. Hippocratic Writings. Penguin Classics.
Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1983. ISBN 978-0140444513

McKeown, J. C. A. Cabinet of Ancient Medical Curiosities:
Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from the Healing Arts of Greece
and Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
ISBN 978-0190610449

Upson-Saia, Kristi, Heidi Marx, and Jared Secord. Medicine
Health, and Healing in the Ancient Mediterranean (500 BCE-600
CE): A Sourcebook. Universitv of California Press. 2023.
ISBN978-0520299726

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area