Ancient Medicine Archive

2023
- Sep 18, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 11, Preface (II) Sep 18, 2023
- Sep 11, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 11, Preface (I) Sep 11, 2023
- Sep 6, 2023 The first Socratic dialogues: Simon the Shoemaker Sep 6, 2023
- Sep 4, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 10, Preface Sep 4, 2023
- Aug 28, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 9, Preface Aug 28, 2023
- Aug 21, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 8, Preface Aug 21, 2023
- Aug 16, 2023 Oribasius and Rufus treat men's sexual health Aug 16, 2023
- Aug 14, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 7, Preface Aug 14, 2023
- Aug 7, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 6, Chapter 2: Agnos or Lugos Aug 7, 2023
- Jul 31, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 6, Chapter 1: Abrotonum Jul 31, 2023
- Jul 24, 2023 Galen, Simple Drugs, Book 6, Preface Jul 24, 2023
- Jul 19, 2023 Before we begin: The Prefaces to Books 6–11 of Galen’s Simple Drugs Jul 19, 2023
- Jul 17, 2023 Rufus of Ephesus on Sexual Health Jul 17, 2023
- Jul 9, 2023 Galen on Designer Drugs Jul 9, 2023
- Jun 21, 2023 Catching fish Jun 21, 2023
- May 27, 2023 Poetic Adventures in ChatGPT 3 Translation May 27, 2023
- Apr 30, 2023 Perfumery is a dyer’s and witch’s art Apr 30, 2023
2022
- Dec 21, 2022 More on menstruating women and mirrors Dec 21, 2022
- Dec 14, 2022 Spell for unknown effect Dec 14, 2022
- Nov 29, 2022 Venerean Arts Nov 29, 2022
- Apr 30, 2022 The Metamorphosis of Pamphile Apr 30, 2022
- Feb 3, 2022 Aetius of Amida on the Choking Cure of St. Blaise Feb 3, 2022
2021
- Dec 30, 2021 Going Skythian Dec 30, 2021
- Nov 26, 2021 A Myrrh and Iron Gall Ink from the Magical Greek Papyri Nov 26, 2021
- Nov 3, 2021 Encouragement for the unwounded Nov 3, 2021
- Sep 6, 2021 Pseudo-Alexander wonders why his friend Apollonius didn't ask him earlier to write a book Sep 6, 2021
- Aug 13, 2021 Literary Barbarism Aug 13, 2021
- Aug 6, 2021 Galen on whether healthy living belongs to medicine or physical training Aug 6, 2021
- Jul 30, 2021 Bedside manner in Rome: some sayings attributed to the physician, Quintus Jul 30, 2021
- Jul 23, 2021 Do truffles come from thunder and other questions Jul 23, 2021
- Jul 16, 2021 Galen’s Commentary on Hippocrates’ Fractures Jul 16, 2021
- Jul 9, 2021 Two reasons Galen wrote commentaries Jul 9, 2021
- Jul 2, 2021 Bathing with Galen's Friend Jul 2, 2021
- Jun 25, 2021 Aristotle on wine-drunk vs. beer-drunk Jun 25, 2021
- Jun 19, 2021 Two Texts on Scent: Aristotle and Theophrastus Jun 19, 2021
- Jun 12, 2021 What doctors say they saw Jun 12, 2021
- Jun 4, 2021 Galen on Sleep, Health and Heartbreak Jun 4, 2021
- May 29, 2021 Galen isn’t writing for… May 29, 2021
- May 21, 2021 “Implausible explanations of things that don’t happen”: Galen on Sabinus on first times May 21, 2021
- May 14, 2021 Aristotle and Michael of Ephesus on how cicadas sing May 14, 2021
- May 7, 2021 Testimony May 7, 2021
- Apr 30, 2021 Fire and water: Jean Bodin’s use of ancient medicine to justify the murder of women for crimes of witchcraft Apr 30, 2021
- Apr 23, 2021 Aristotle's Library Apr 23, 2021
- Apr 16, 2021 Sleepwalking Apr 16, 2021
- Apr 9, 2021 Easter foods to have avoided Apr 9, 2021
- Apr 2, 2021 Eggs and Invisible Ink Apr 2, 2021
- Mar 26, 2021 Cat Bites Mar 26, 2021
- Mar 19, 2021 Herodian on the long peak of the Antonine Plague’s second wave Mar 19, 2021
- Mar 15, 2021 A Prescription for Julius Caesar Mar 15, 2021
- Mar 12, 2021 Socrates’ Meteorology II Mar 12, 2021
- Mar 5, 2021 Holding it in Mar 5, 2021
- Feb 26, 2021 Aristotle on Art and Nature: Tools Feb 26, 2021
- Feb 19, 2021 A Mytilenean Peripatetic School? Galen on Primigenes of Mytilene Feb 19, 2021
- Feb 17, 2021 About Ashes Feb 17, 2021
- Feb 15, 2021 Mardi Gras with Galen: a recipe for ancient Roman pancakes Feb 15, 2021
- Feb 12, 2021 Love Doctor: Aretaeus on Love-Sickness and Melancholy Feb 12, 2021
- Feb 5, 2021 A fragrant perfume from the Dynameron of Nikolaos Myrepsos (the Perfumer) Feb 5, 2021
- Jan 29, 2021 Galen on fear, depression and the health of the body: the story of Maiandros Jan 29, 2021
- Jan 22, 2021 Galen on the Death of Aristotle of Mytilene Jan 22, 2021
- Jan 15, 2021 Dream Spells: Dream Spell of Three Reeds Jan 15, 2021
- Jan 8, 2021 Recreating Democritus’ Party Tricks II: Egg Yolks Jan 8, 2021
2020
- Dec 31, 2020 Aromatherapy for Headaches and Heartache Dec 31, 2020
- Dec 30, 2020 Dinner Advice for New Year’s Eve Dec 30, 2020
- Nov 3, 2020 Dream Spells: a spell from Pachrates given to Emperor Hadrian Nov 3, 2020
- Oct 19, 2020 Aristophanes and Plato on Socrates’ Meteorology Oct 19, 2020
- Oct 6, 2020 Body and Soul Oct 6, 2020
- Sep 25, 2020 River Tales Sep 25, 2020
- Sep 8, 2020 Aromatherapy in Ancient Egypt and Greece Sep 8, 2020
- Aug 4, 2020 Grasshoppers Aug 4, 2020
- Jul 26, 2020 Aristotle on menstruating women and mirrors Jul 26, 2020
- May 5, 2020 Zosimus on the Demonic Origin of the Wicked Arts May 5, 2020
- Apr 20, 2020 Worse than the worst of plagues: Cassius Dio on Commodus’ reign and the second wave of the Antonine plague Apr 20, 2020
- Apr 15, 2020 Theophrastus on Art and Nature II – Natural and Artificial Ecology Apr 15, 2020
- Apr 8, 2020 “Omens like these” – plague and the fall of the Republic Apr 8, 2020
- Apr 6, 2020 Antisthenes’ Response to Athenian Racism Apr 6, 2020
- Apr 4, 2020 Theophrastus on Art and Nature I – Pigments Apr 4, 2020
- Apr 2, 2020 “I suppose the same thing happened in foreign countries as well...” Cassius Dio on the Plague at the time of Augustus Apr 2, 2020
- Apr 1, 2020 “Whoever wants to become a good person” – some advice from Galen Apr 1, 2020
- Mar 31, 2020 Partying: a neglected branch of moral philosophy Mar 31, 2020
- Mar 23, 2020 “Those who couldn't be cured” – Galen on the Armenian Bolus and the Great Plague Mar 23, 2020
- Mar 21, 2020 Aristotle on the Difficulty of Keeping Friends Close Mar 21, 2020
- Mar 20, 2020 Sacrifices – Plato on Diotima and the Plague of Athens Mar 20, 2020
- Feb 23, 2020 More on Providential Ecology from Herodotus and Plato Feb 23, 2020
- Feb 14, 2020 Pseudo-Galen, what is a soul and what is a body? Feb 14, 2020
- Feb 12, 2020 Plato on Providence in Laws X Feb 12, 2020
- Feb 6, 2020 Reading with Galen: when good authors say false things Feb 6, 2020
- Feb 1, 2020 Before we begin: Aetius of Amida’s Medical Books Feb 1, 2020
- Jan 29, 2020 A Prayer to Isis Jan 29, 2020
- Jan 24, 2020 Forever Young Jan 24, 2020
- Jan 20, 2020 Conspiracy Theories Jan 20, 2020
- Jan 14, 2020 Nicknames Jan 14, 2020
- Jan 8, 2020 Recreating Democritus’ Party Tricks Jan 8, 2020
2019
- Dec 10, 2019 Shopping with Galen (and a bit on the epistemology of drugs) Dec 10, 2019
- Nov 18, 2019 More dream spells Nov 18, 2019
- Nov 13, 2019 Before we begin: Oribasius’ Medical Collections Nov 13, 2019
- Nov 1, 2019 Galen rants against Chrysippus because he’s a immigrant Nov 1, 2019
- Oct 28, 2019 Alternative Medicine (or: Three Conversions) Oct 28, 2019
- Oct 11, 2019 Dream spells Oct 11, 2019
- Sep 25, 2019 Why you probably shouldn’t invite Democritus to your dinner party Sep 25, 2019
- Sep 11, 2019 Some fumigations for lizards, snakes and scorpions Sep 11, 2019
- Sep 9, 2019 Almost Healthy Sep 9, 2019
- Aug 22, 2019 Marcellus Sideta On Lycanthropy. A translation of the first account of werewolves. Aug 22, 2019
- Jun 16, 2019 Elderflower Cordial Jun 16, 2019
- May 20, 2019 ‘Who slept among the heroes of Sardinia’ — Aristotle on time and memory May 20, 2019
- May 18, 2019 Aristotle and Solon on acting our natural age May 18, 2019
- May 5, 2019 Spontaneous Generation: Galen and Alexander against the Platonists on why the world soul doesn’t make mosquitos May 5, 2019
- May 2, 2019 A sweet-smelling, summer-time deodorant from Crito May 2, 2019
- Apr 30, 2019 Spells for Walpurgisnacht: Apuleius and Plato on why we should learn magic Apr 30, 2019
- Apr 28, 2019 Spontaneous Generation: Aristotle on why life is not decay Apr 28, 2019
- Apr 25, 2019 “Don’t get me wrong, I respect them…” — Michael of Ephesus on his colleagues Apr 25, 2019
- Apr 23, 2019 Just some drugs made out of poop Apr 23, 2019
- Apr 21, 2019 Spontaneous Generation: fire animals, animals that look like twigs, and mosquitos Apr 21, 2019
- Apr 20, 2019 Contained within the limits of the stars: the cycles of our common matter Apr 20, 2019
- Apr 18, 2019 Dionysius of Aegea’s Diktyaka: a guide to the major physiological questions of late antique medicine Apr 18, 2019
- Apr 16, 2019 Sources for the Pneumatist School Apr 16, 2019
- Apr 14, 2019 The Spontaneously Generated Animals of Aristotle’s Historia Animalium Apr 14, 2019
- Apr 12, 2019 Pseudo-Galen, what is a heart? Apr 12, 2019
- Apr 10, 2019 Sources for the Pneumatist School of Medicine Apr 10, 2019
- Apr 8, 2019 Pseudo-Galen, what is nature? Apr 8, 2019
- Apr 6, 2019 Theophrastus, what is the best season for growing things? Apr 6, 2019
- Apr 3, 2019 Aristotle on Ctesias on the Manticore and Unicorn Apr 3, 2019
- Mar 31, 2019 How to market soap in antiquity Mar 31, 2019
- Mar 27, 2019 Plato on Providential Ecology Mar 27, 2019
- Mar 25, 2019 ‘I wasn’t paying attention’ - Things Aristotle said, part II Mar 25, 2019
- Mar 23, 2019 Aphrodite Kallipygos Mar 23, 2019
- Mar 21, 2019 Endings Mar 21, 2019
- Mar 20, 2019 "Let him whip me when I'm not around" - Things Aristotle said, part I Mar 20, 2019
- Mar 14, 2019 Pseudo-Alexander on why oil doesn't mix with water, how the soul is joined to the body, and why the head is like a little heaven Mar 14, 2019
2018
- Dec 19, 2018 Providential Ecology in Herodotus and Aristotle Dec 19, 2018
- May 27, 2018 Galen on Hippocrates in Stobaeus: a fragment of Antyllus? or, Antyllus and the Pneumatist School May 27, 2018
- Apr 16, 2018 Prophecy and Pharmacy: Apollonius and Iarchas talk about divination as a safe way to learn about drugs Apr 16, 2018
- Apr 11, 2018 An ancient debate on music therapy Apr 11, 2018
- Apr 10, 2018 Bullshit biology: some ancient sources on the scarab beetle Apr 10, 2018
- Apr 7, 2018 Know your sorcerer: the Suda on different kinds of magic Apr 7, 2018
- Apr 7, 2018 Galen on what to do with a patient who thinks the sky will fall Apr 7, 2018
- Apr 6, 2018 Heraclides of Pontus on the joy of madness Apr 6, 2018
- Apr 5, 2018 Draw down the moon, hide it in a mirror. On Thessalian medicine women Apr 5, 2018
- Apr 4, 2018 Two ways to talk about eggs Apr 4, 2018
- Apr 3, 2018 A Metaphor for Easter Apr 3, 2018
- Apr 1, 2018 More on philosophers and magic, and Anaxagoras on teaching philosophy to cattle Apr 1, 2018
- Mar 29, 2018 A path home, star men, and the origins of astronomy Mar 29, 2018
- Mar 28, 2018 How to live a long life: learn magic or get some exercise Mar 28, 2018
- Mar 19, 2018 Galen's advice on how to never get sick ("read my books and pay attention") Mar 19, 2018
- Mar 15, 2018 Julius Caesar's Prescription Mar 15, 2018
- Mar 14, 2018 Pedlars and Peddlers, Hucksters and Trash-talkers Mar 14, 2018
- Mar 11, 2018 Aristotle's Lost Book On Magic Mar 11, 2018
- Mar 11, 2018 Animal Magic Mar 11, 2018
- Mar 7, 2018 Plum, crimson, vermilion, scarlet Mar 7, 2018
- Mar 1, 2018 Michael of Ephesus on providence and good behaviour Mar 1, 2018
- Feb 28, 2018 Soda and onions Feb 28, 2018
- Feb 27, 2018 "When the soul is inflamed", part II Feb 27, 2018
- Feb 27, 2018 The double difference of mushrooms Feb 27, 2018
- Feb 26, 2018 Notes from Cambridge on Amber and Land Crocodiles Feb 26, 2018
- Feb 17, 2018 "When the soul is inflamed", part I Feb 17, 2018
- Feb 11, 2018 Galen on jargon and bad style Feb 11, 2018
- Feb 8, 2018 Galen on how to avoid kakozelia and sound like Hippocrates Feb 8, 2018
- Feb 8, 2018 Advice for having children Feb 8, 2018
2017
- Mar 26, 2017 Athenaeus of Attalia's Advice on Old Age Mar 26, 2017
- Mar 9, 2017 Habituation and the health of mind and body Mar 9, 2017
- Feb 27, 2017 Strabo and Galen on the Dead Sea Feb 27, 2017
- Feb 2, 2017 More from Michael of Ephesus on dreams Feb 2, 2017
- Jan 12, 2017 Athenaeus of Attalia on meats by season Jan 12, 2017
- Jan 4, 2017 A Neoplatonist’s Hymn Jan 4, 2017
2016
- Sep 22, 2016 Advice for autumn weather Sep 22, 2016
- Sep 14, 2016 Athenaeus’ Back to School Advice Sep 14, 2016
- Sep 2, 2016 Solids, Liquids, Gases Sep 2, 2016
- Aug 23, 2016 Byzantine Silk Aug 23, 2016
- Jul 22, 2016 Galen and Palladius on Mental Exercise and the Boundaries between Medicine and Philosophy Jul 22, 2016
- Jul 19, 2016 Michael of Ephesus talks about his dreams Jul 19, 2016
- Jul 17, 2016 Michael of Ephesus on death and the decisions of Providence Jul 17, 2016
- Jul 16, 2016 (Plato on) Democritus and Aristotle (on Plato) on Art and Nature Jul 16, 2016
- Jul 14, 2016 Alexander and the Peach Tree Jul 14, 2016
- Jul 13, 2016 John of Alexandria on Hippocrates and the Pneumatic School Jul 13, 2016
- Jul 12, 2016 “The Soul is an Octopus”– Ancient ideas of life and the body — Chiara Thumiger Jul 12, 2016
- Jul 10, 2016 Invasive species Jul 10, 2016
- Jan 8, 2016 Moving Causes Jan 8, 2016
- Jan 6, 2016 An ambiguous reference in [Galen] Medical Definitions 31 (XIX 356K) Jan 6, 2016