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In classical antiquity, particularly in the Hippocratic Corpus, obesity was considered the cause of disease and, in the extreme, death. This attitude mirrors the general ideology of the times where any deviation from the norm and from logic was unacceptable. The image of balance and of the ideal body weight was clearly depicted in ancient Greek art. The same attitude is reflected in the Hippocratic texts where obesity is again condemned as a deviation from the norm. The cause of obesity refers to the surplus of one of the liquids circulating in the body. Thus treatment points mainly to restoring the balance of liquids. This is accomplished by diet, drugs, and most importantly exercise. Walking, running, wrestling, and other practices are advised together with baths, massage, rest, and the "appropriate" life style.

Greek World↗

PubMed2004

The treatment of cancer in Greek antiquity.

Literary sources provide considerable information on the existence of various malignant tumours in the classical period. Based on a close reading of the ancient Greek medical treatises, this paper traces the history of the treatment of cancer by examining the theories of tumour formation, as they were codified by leading physicians of antiquity, together with the therapeutic methods they proposed in their writings. The discussion focuses on a series of medical texts beginning with the Hippocratic corpus (ca. 460-370 B.C.) and the voluminous works of Galen (129-199 A.D.) and extends to medical handbooks (Oreibasios, Aetios of Amida, Paul of Aegina) composed in subsequent centuries up to the end of the ancient world (VII c. A.D.).

Greek World↗