Hygiene In Ancient Greece

In first century AD, the baths were a place of leisure time during many Romans daily routine.  People from almost every class, men and women ( but not children) could attend the public baths or thermaes3, which could be compared to modern day fitness clubs. Public baths were not only for cleaning purposes only, but in many ways, the baths were the ancient Roman equivalent of community centres. The baths were only part of what the thermae (large bath complex)

2.2 Describe how to make an individual aware of the effects of poor hygiene on others

Generations of people have considered handwashing a measure of personal hygiene. In 1847, Dr. Semmelweis insisted that healthcare providers wash their hands with disinfecting agents between patients. This early hand hygiene practice resulted in a decrease in mortality rates among hospital patients (CDC, 2002). The CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee published the Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings in 2002 that is based on hand hygiene foundations developed in generation past. In 2014, this guideline is still available online and used as a reference

In touch, pages 84-85, it says, “a medieval knight wore a lock of his lady’s pubic hair into battle…(it) symbolized her life-force, which he was carrying with him.” I cannot fathom carrying around a lock of someone’s pubic hair with me, even if they were special to me. The second is in Smell on page 9, “Napoleon told Josephine, ‘Not to bathe’ during the two weeks that would pass before they met, so he could enjoy all her natural aromas.” Being less than incredibly clean is so against what we would consider desirable today, that it really stood out to

In Ancient Greece, the Greeks implied that the mythological deities were a huge role that impacted their lives. Hospitality generous reception, warmth of kindness, and making the guest feel as comfortable as possible; however, greeks were frightened of having surprising visitors knock on their door. Many of the Greeks did not want to be punished by the gods or specifically by the mighty Zeus. It was

The ancient Greeks were known for many reasons; developing and creating a democracy, scientific and philosophic thought, and their humanistic point of view. The Greeks had a combination of beliefs and “cults of gods and goddesses.” Although they did not have any prophets or scriptures, many Greeks created a place for their religious emotions in “the sacred ceremonies of mystic cults.” Unlike other civilizations, the Greeks did not have a formal priest that lead religious or political content. In place of a formal priest, their religious rituals were directed by citizens that were selected to perform as priests. As a part of their belief system, they attempted to satisfy the gods and asked oracles to “divine the future” through prayers, offerings, and ritual purification. The view of after death differed from Mesopotamians and Egyptians. Their view of after death was the belief that if the person was ran by their own physical aspirations, “the soul would be liberated after death.”

Another controversial topic were their views on hygiene. The Greeks and Romans had many similar ideas regarding hygiene while the Europeans during the Middle Ages had different views regarding hygiene. The Greeks did not have running water but they understood what hygiene was and were aware of staying clean and healthy. The Romans however, were very advanced in trying to stay clean.

The topic was chosen for a number of reasons, including the great need for improving hand hygiene, to preserve and promote positive care of patients, looking into issues which may hinder hand hygiene compliance.

Depending on where you were social class wise, it determined your practice of hygiene. The lower class people just forgot about bathing and never did, while

Bathing played a major part in ancient Roman culture and society. Bathing was one of the most common daily activities in Roman culture, and was practiced across a wide variety of social classes. Though many contemporary cultures see bathing as a very private activity conducted in the home, bathing in Rome was a communal activity. Roman bathhouses offered amenities in addition to the bathing ritual. Ancillary spaces in the bathhouse proper housed food and perfume-selling booths, libraries, and reading rooms.

Leonardo Da Vinci has proved that disease had a common thread within them and they usually spread with direct contact of other infected individuals, animals, and parasites. Thus, Da Vinci created a system of hygiene that resonates and begin after the 16th century (Biow). He ushered in the practice of using soap, keeping one’s environment clean, disposing of garbage and waste correctly, and the correct redirection of excrement safely (Biow). In his efforts, the city of Milan greatly reduced the number of disease affected individuals and city overall became cleaner (Vereycken). Although Da Vinci was well known for his works in the anatomical field, his work in personal hygiene and sanitation has started a revolution towards cleanliness and proper infection control in medical establishments after the 16th

In the Dark Ages, sanitation was a concept not understood by society. Sanitation is the promotion of hygiene and the process of keeping places free from dirt, infection and disease by removing excess debris. Europeans believed that uncleanliness was next to godliness; bathing and personal health was ignored and became uncommon in homes, villages and towns. Personal hygiene was not a priority during this time. “The only thing that smelled worse than peasants’ clothing in the Middle Ages were their dirty, rotting teeth. People didn’t use toothbrushes or toothpaste” (Allen 8). The attempts to cover the atrocious scent failed, serious measures were taken to smell good by chewing herbs and mixing vinegar and wine to create a mouthwash. Worms became a severe complication and were believed to be the

The winner would be awarded with oil, which was not used for cooking or eating but for anointing the basis of the rich, young athletes. Olive oil was so important that greek philosophers Thales of Miletus and Democritus used astronomy to predict poor or prosperous harvests. Olive oil also has many other uses in Ancient Greece based on social status. For instance, the lower class did not consume olive oil; whereas, the rich were able to cook with the oil, use it for lighting, and for cleaning their bodies. Olive oil was a valuable medicine because of its use by Ancient Greek doctors; Hippocrates claimed that 60 different conditions could be treated with the oil, such as skin conditions, wounds and burns, gynaecological ailments, ear infections, as well as many others.

Starting with the Middle Ages, access to medical help was limited. The clergy and some of the wealthy were only ones permitted to practice medicine at the time. As a result, most hospitals became extensions to monasteries that were located in cities. If people from the countryside needed medical help, they would have to travel to the city or receive no help at all. Sadly, access to personal hygiene during this time was not any easier. “…the generally low level of personal hygiene especially when compared to modern standards, can be attributed more to the limited facilities available for washing and the attendant inconvenience of using them”(Newman). For

The history of personal hygiene goes back centuries even millenniums. Some cultures performed personal hygiene for religious purposes such as the Hindu’s. They believed that if you did not bath that it was a sin. They were based on ritual purity and were not informed by an understanding of the causes of diseases and their means of transmission. Regular bathing was a trademark of Roman civilization. They constructed elaborate baths in urban areas to serve the public. They baths were like very large swimming pools.