1002 History of Medicine GCSE History AQA

1. WALT: Identify the
factors of change in
Ancient Greece.
WILF
D – Describe Greek knowledge of medicine.
C – Explain the factors that led to advancement in Greek medicine.
A – Evaluate the progress of Greek medicine.

2. Beat the Teacher …
Rewrite in your books and correct my mistakes… (If there are any, you may even
need to rewrite some of it, for bonus marks can you improve my answer…)
Eggtipician medicine was based around a lot of
scientific knowledge. They were less advanced than
prehistoric society, and were not influenced by
religion.
They continued to believe that illnesses were caused
by the gods and evil sprites, but they also developed a
new natural theory.
This theory said that illness was caused when channels
in the body became blocked.
For example undigested foot
in the bowels blocked the
channels and so make
people ill.

3. Did you beat me?
Egyptian medicine was based around little scientific
knowledge. While they were more advanced than
prehistoric society, they were still heavily influenced by
religion.
They continued to believe that illnesses were caused by
the gods and evil spirits, but they also developed a new
natural theory.
This theory said that illness was caused when channels in
the body became blocked. For example undigested food
in the bowels blocked the channels and so make people
ill.

4. What’s this?
Key Words.
Progression –Process of developing
towards a more advanced state.
(Getting better)
Regression – Return to former or
less developed state (Getting
worse)

5. Introduction to Greeks…
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW2INUc1gSE
Take introductory notes on the Key Points of Greek Medicine…
Q. How does Greek medicine compare to that of
Egyptian and PreHistoric. Is a period of Regression
or Progression?

6. Mind Map
• In your table groups draw an individual mind map for the
Ancient Greek Factors of Change using the following
headings
• a) government
• b) economy
• c) individuals
• d) technology
• e) communications
• f) religion
• g) education
• h) war
Now Swap and add extra information to your mind maps.

7. More information
• http://educationforum.co.uk/ancientgreeks.htm

8. Greeks
• Ancient Greece, as with Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt, played an important part in medical history.
The most famous of all Ancient Greek doctors was Hippocrates. By 1200 B.C., Ancient Greece was
developing in all areas - trade, farming, warfare, sailing, craftsmanship etc. Their knowledge of
medicine developed accordingly.
• Gods dominated the lives of the Greeks. Natural occurrences were explained away by using gods. This,
however, did not occur in medicine where Ancient Greek physicians tried to find a natural explanation
as to why someone got ill and died.
• The Greeks were practicing medicine 1000 years before the birth of Christ. In the ‘Iliad’ by Homer,
injured soldiers were treated by doctors and the Greek leader in the tale, Menelaus, was treated for an
arrow wound by a doctor-in-arms, Machaon.
• However, not all Ancient Greeks turned to physicians when ill. many still turned to the gods. The god
Apollo was consulted at a temple in Delphi and by the sixth century B.C., many turned to the god
Asclepios for help. Places called asclepeia were built for those in poor health. These were like temples
and here people came to bathe, sleep and meditate. The poor were also allowed to beg for money in
these buildings. Those who went to asclepeias were expected to leave offerings to Asclepios. The
asclepeias were run by priests. Patients to asclepeias were encouraged to sleep as it was believed that
during sleep they would be visited by Asclepios and his two daughters, Panacea and Hygeia. A visit by
these three was expected to cure all ailments. Those who were not cured could stay at the asclepeia
where they were. Written accounts have survived of those who were cured:
• Hermodicus of Lampsacus was paralysed in the body. When he slept in the temple the god healed him
and ordered him to bring to the temple as large a stone as he could. The man brought the stone which
now lies before the abaton (where people slept).
• During the period 600 B.C. to 400 B.C., the Ancient Greeks also made great advances in philosophy.

9. Greeks
• Medicine was very important to the Ancient Greek. Ancient Greek Culture was such that a high
priority was placed upon healthy lifestyles, this despite Ancient Greece being much different to the
Greece of the modern World.
• Ancient Greece was much different to the Greece of today. In Ancient Times Greece was a
collection of City States. Each of these was independent from the others but shared a similar
culture and religious beliefs. Despite the lack of a coherent government the Greeks developed a
society that matched, if not bettered, that of the Ancient Egyptians.
• Medical practice in Ancient Greece, like Egypt, was based largely upon religious beliefs. The Cult of
Asclepios grew in popularity and was a major provider of medical care. This cult developed old
theories and introduced several treatments not too dissimilar from modern 'alternative medicines'.
• The Ancient Greeks though made major strides in medical knowledge. The works of Hippocrates
and his followers led to several scientific facts being recorded for the first time: and perhaps more
significantly the work of these philosophers began a tradition of studying the cause of disease
rather than looking solely at the symptoms when prescribing a cure.
• The legacy of the Ancient Greek world on medical practice has been great. Hippocrates theory of
the Four Humours was, for a long time, the basis upon which to develop medical reasoning.
Likewise the methodology employed by the Greeks has, to a large extent, been retained and
modified to form what we now consider to be conventional medicine.

10. Hippocrates
What is the Hippocratic Corpus

11. Four
Humors

12. How significant was Hippocrates?
How significant was Hippocrates to the history of medicine…
Hippocrates was significant to the history of medicine as he …
However not everyone was convinced … only the … believed…
religious influences weren’t yet abandoned …
Therefore …
Hippocrates came up with the idea that the causes of illness and disease were
natural not supernatural …
In the long-term, Hippocrates development of the Four Humours was of huge
importance and helped doctors make new discoveries about the way the body
worked.

13. Find the Fiction …
• Write down ONE TRUE statement that you have learnt from
today’s lesson and TWO FALSE statements from todays
lesson.
Hippocrates believed in the Four Tumours
Hippocrates believed in the Four Blooper
Hippocrates believed in the Four Humours

14. facebook
Wall Photos Flair Boxes Hippocrates Logout
Hippocrates is …
View photos of Hippocrates (5)
Send Hippocrates a message
Poke message
Wall Info Photos Boxes
Write something…
Share
Information
Networks:
Birthday:
Political:
Religion:
Hometown:
Friends
Galen Paré Harvey
Caius Hippocrates
Hippocrates
September, 460 BC
Press
Imhotep to Hippocrates.
PreHistoric Man to Hippocrates.
Asclepios to Hippocrates
Hippocrates to
Hippocrates

15. Wall Photos Flair Boxes Hippocrates Logout
Personal Information
facebook
Hippocrates is …
View photos of Hippocrates (5)
Send Hippocrates a message
Poke message
Wall Info Photos Boxes
Basic Information
Information
Networks:
Birthday:
Political:
Religion:
Hometown:
Photos
Networks:
Sex:
Birthday:
Hometown:
Activities:
Interests:
FavouriteMusic:
FavouriteMovies:
Favourite TV Shows:
Favourite Books:
My New Book
Updated last
Tuesday
1 Albums
What I have done that is
significant
Events:

16. Introduction
• The Ancient Greeks built a large settled civilisation
around the Mediterranean between 800-400BC
Government
• Ancient Greece wasn’t one big country
• It was made up a several smaller ‘city states’ organised
in different ways
• Some were aristocracies (ruled by the rich)
• Some were monarchies (ruled by a king)
• Some were democracies (ruled by the people)
Greek city states competed with each other to be the best
at things

17. Economy
• The Greeks were settled, they traded and became rich.
• They had slaves so had the money and time to spend
developing ideas and theories
Religion
• Like the Egyptians the Greeks had many gods
• They explained events and nature by reference to the
gods – for instance war might occur because Zeus was
angry and illness could be taken away by the god of
healing Askelpios
• Large temples called Askelpians were built in honour of
the god of healing where sick people went for care

18. War
• The Ancient Greeks were frequently at war with their
neighbours the Persians
• Wars involved hand to hand fighting causing many open
wounds and injuries
Education
• The Greeks could afford to spend time and money on
education
• They built primary schools and secondary schools .
• Learning, thinking, writing and philosophy were highly
valued in Ancient Greece.