Ancient Greece 's Influence On The Life Of The Greek Peoples

A mystery still remains pertaining to the medicine and healing practices during the Roman Empire, but one can gain a great deal of insight by studying the pieces of history that were left behind. Whether it is tools, medicinal materials and buildings, bones, or even writings, there is much that can be learned from the times of the Roman Empire. Many people during the Roman Empire believed that disease or illness could be a result of a curse from the gods and that they are ill because of wrongdoing. Christians during this time witnessed Jesus healing diseases and illnesses that doctors could not. As for these so-called doctors, there was no formal qualification, and if they were wealthy enough or knew individuals that were rich, a small amount of training may have been possible; even then,

In the Nacirema point of view this is how they see hospitals. In the Nacirema ritual article they call the people who dehumanize other people medicine men. The medicine men manage their sick patients dressed in costumes and

The logic and principles of medieval medicine shaped those of Modern medicine. Never was there a more efficient method perfected, so much that it remained through history through so many hundreds of years. Today’s concepts of diagnosis, relationships with the church, anatomy, surgery, hospitals and training, and public health were established in the Middle Ages.

The Ancient Greeks began to believe that illnesses had a natural cause – in about 400 BCE, a doctor

Before logical thought was regularly applied to functions of the human body, people made sense of daily misfortunes by attributing them to the moods and wills of the gods. In the minds of the Greek, afflictions were the result of disobedience and to live in good health was a blessing that only divine intervention could provide (History of Medicine 1). Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing, was often the one called upon in times of need. Asclepian temples were constructed in Greece and in the surrounding areas, and these sites of worship also became the centers of healing; Ill Grecians undertook lengthy pilgrimages to the temples in hopes that the God’s supposed restorative powers could ameliorate their tribulations (Greek Medicine 1). An orator at that time, Aeschines reported his encounter with godly healing by praising Asclepius: “No longer counting upon mortal skill, I placed all my hope in divinity. I came, Asclepius, into your sacred wood and I was cured in three of a wound I had in my head for a year” (Palatine Anthology 13). When cures were not left up to the divine, the rituals to rid a body of disease were primitive and mainly consisted of attempts to expel demons (Longrigg 14-16). Although the idea that sickness and religion are intertwined is

Here patients who are very sick can seek treatment, but the medicine men will not accept a patient no matter how ill if the gift is not generous enough. The ceremonies that take place are very harsh, but yet fair proportions of patients survive and recover from the treatment. The neophyte entering the temple must strip their clothes and expose their body to their natural functions. They are then bathed and excrement is removed from their body. On the other hand, female patients are examined closely, then manipulated, and prodded by the medicine man.

Many individuals ponder how remarkable it is that humans have lasted this long in a world full of war and through chaotic times. One element that has helped humanity is the use of medicine and healthcare systems. Medicine and healing have been around for many centuries, and has made countless advances in the system and cures to diseases within many civilizations. Instead of discussing the change of medicine over all time and around the world, we will narrow the ways in which a civilization heals their sick into a smaller time period and this period was the era of the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. In the Ancient and Medieval Worlds, medicine and health were very important to help the ill and infirm, and many medical techniques were developed

answers though science, the Greeks thought that sickness was a punishment and healing a gift from

The Healing Hospital paradigm is a new aspect that many hospitals are now taking into consideration, although modern medicine has many branches which in most cases have based their principles on scientific medical attention that involved the use of drugs to achieve the desired effects needed for a patient’s revival or progress health wise. However with the inclusion of the healing paradigm, most hospitals are seeing a positive increase in patient response to treatment and faster recovery time. Healing as the Oxford English Dictionary states, is the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again

Patients who were admitted were treated in an inhumane manner. “They were beaten badly, restrained with iron collars, abandoned and even cared for by untrained staff members”(History Cooperative). Room space was very limited as well as sanitary precautions. Living spaces were never cleaned and patients were forced to sit in their own waste for long periods of time. Another example of an early asylum is Saint Mary of Bethlehem, also referred to as “bedlamb” due to the treatments the patients received. In this asylum staff would make their violent patients be displayed like freaks.

Much can be said about the Greeks and their contribution to Western Civilization greatly and how they paved the way. The Greeks subsidized Western Civilization greatly, contributing areas of architecture, government, and many more. The Greeks built the Parthenon, a temple dedicated the infamous goddess Athena, who they viewed as there patron. The famous temple has columns and groundwork that characterizes Greek architecture. The architects were concerned with conducting a sense of perfect balance to reflect cooperation and order in the universe. They were the first to think of the idea of democracy, a system in which people govern themselves rather than being ruled by a king; they also valued beauty and imagination.

Human beliefs about the causes of illness and injury vary from one era to another. In the Neolithic times (c.a 8000- 9000 b.c ), illness and injury being common phenomena’s, were directly associated to natural events manipulated by higher powers which also controlled climate changes and other natural events. Overtime, healing ceremonies, songs, sacred objects, and incantations were developed as means of pacifying the evil forces which were believed to cause diseases, and illnesses. Then, during the period of intellectual development, ways of western medicine was first implemented by Hippocrates, who was regarded to as the most celebrated Greek practitioner and till date is known as the father of medicine. Hippocrates helped overcome the

The ancient Greeks were the first ones to break with the supernatural conceptions of health and disease that had so far dominated human societies. They made a physiocratic school of thought, realizing that maintaining good health and fighting illness depend on natural causes and that health and disease cannot be dissociated from physical and social environments nor from human behavior (Tountas, 2009, P. 185). They defined health as a state of dynamic equilibrium between the internal and the external environment. Pythagoras, the great mathematician, brought his theory of numbers into the natural sciences - at that time medicine was not yet a definable subject.

The Greeks invented the Olympic games which is being played in today’s modern world. The Greeks started the Olympic games to add a special sporting event, where they can play multiple types of games in one. “Every four years the Greeks held a special sporting festival at olympos- the olympic games. These inspired the modern Olympic which began in 1896”

The history of medicine is an extensive and distinguished one, as healers sought to alleviate illnesses and fix injuries since the dawn of humanity. Shamen and pagan priests would visit the sick and injured in their homes. They used a blend of rituals and medical techniques, to cure these ailments. Herbs, acupuncture and prayer were commonly used for the healing process. The ancient physicians also stitched wounds, set broken bones, and used opium for pain. (Shuttleworth, 2010) (Gormley, 2010) As medicine practices progressed, so did the care for people. Christianity heavily influenced this progression. The Church’s role in providing for the sick became firmly established. It partly began as the Roman Empire turned to Christianity. After 400 AD, many monasteries were constructed generally including accommodations for travelers, the poor, and the sick. The monarchs of the sixth century reinforced this and directed that buildings should be attached to cathedrals. These buildings were to be known today as hospitals. Soon enough, religious institutions provided most of the healthcare to the poor, while physicians continued to make small house calls to the upper class. The religious institutions back then are still used today and known as Catholic healthcare systems.