At first notion, people today may assume that the physicians of ancient Greece are not relevant to modern medicine and the healing arts. But such a presumption is gravely incorrect. While some ancient methods such as bloodletting are shelved in the archives of error, mostly everything else the Greeks practiced gave birth to all of the medical fields we have today. And doctors have not forgotten this, because they still recite, at least ideally, the Hippocratic Oath of Physicians. Now it has been altered so much to fit personal preferences that I'd argue the modern recitation can no longer be called the Hippocratic, but the ancient Greek as the mortal father of medicine still holds sway over our minds and actions in the field.
Bringing ancient medicine back into our everyday lives is invaluable, whether one is actually a Hellenist or not. The history of healing in ancient Greece is very wealthy and diverse, and the adoption of it remains beautiful and powerful.
To the Greeks, everything was religious and spiritual. The physical and spiritual worlds interacted on a daily basis. For this reason, the Greeks believed, one, that the best healing and medicine took place when the mind, body and soul were treated and balanced. Neither was left to neglect. One method through which the physical and spiritual body could be tended to was through the Asklepios Healing Temples. Asklepios is the son of Apollon (the God of healing), and is the God of physicians and medicine. These temples were built to Him for the purpose of healing the sick. Afflicted people would travel to these locations and sleep inside the building, where the God would either heal them or send them messages, signs or omens through dreams that would help them achieve recovery.
One's spirituality and connection to the Divine is proven to have immense healing powers, both for the mind and physical body. That's why religious people are less depressed than non-religious or atheists, and if you tell your psychiatrist that your religion helps you deal with your mental health issues, they will tell you to keep doing it as a form of therapy. The benefit of a balanced mind, body and soul is self-evident. Your bodily health will do little good if your mind and spirit is in tatters, and vice versa. All of the essential properties that make up the human body and experience have to be healthy.
Secondly, the Greeks understood that a person's health relied heavily on proper diet and exercise. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said as much. Moderation, which means to have a healthy balance in all things, was at the center of Greek life. To neither starve nor overindulge, but to reach and practice healthy living consistently. When it comes to diet and exercise specifically, we may find it lamentable that most people today are seriously lacking in either one or the other. Obesity and laziness are epidemics of their own, and they cause the body and mind to decay and make them prone to disease and disorders.
For years, especially when it was summertime or warm enough, I would go on runs every night through my City. At one point, I reached 7 miles nonstop. This was part of my mission to lose the weight I had gained years ago and maintain a healthy body mass. Of course, I also had to combine this with healthy eating. It does little good to exercise if you're just going to put the junk right back inside you when you're done. It's like trying to pump water out of a boat with a giant hole in it. I lost the weight and had never felt better in my life, both physically and mentally. Since then, I have always recommended that people do simple exercise like running. Not only will it keep you healthy, it will give you a great outlook on life.
Third, it was not long before Botany and its medical benefits found its way into the Greek physician's world and that of their patients. In ancient Greek theology, mostly everything was a gift from the Gods, and miraculous plants would have been no exception. In fact, profound ones such as Oregano, were believed to have been planted by Aphrodite Herself, and in humans, the plant can help produce white blood cells that aid in recovery and strengthen immunity. There are so many wonderful benefits to Greek herbology that, if one is interested in adopting it for their life, I have put a link to an information site at the bottom of this post.
The Greeks knew that the answers to the ailments of life were placed in the universe around us by the Gods. They only needed to discover them. Everything the Gods give to humans, is Divinely blessed. The Gods love for us to live, and live to the fullest. Therefore, their gifts and blessings to us will aid in that goal.
Finally, the ancient Greeks began to perfect the practice of surgery. They advanced so well in this art for ancient times that they were able to treat and seal wounds, repair fractured and broken bones, remove bladder stones, and even treat cataracts (a condition that causes impaired vision). Necessity, as Plato would say, is the mother of invention. They had to figure out some way to address life's all too common problems, but what makes the Greeks so exceptional in this was that they rose to these challenges. They never gave up. That's the lesson we should take from them as well. Not just for our careers or education, but for the survival and sustainment of our blessed selves.
All of us today would grow immensely by adopting most or all of ancient Greek medicine into our lives. The ancient Greeks certainly did not have all of the medical advances and technologies that we do today, but part of the Greek way was to take what was available to you and make it the best you possibly could, to make the best version of yourself and your City.
In the Goodness of the Gods,
I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,
Chris Aldridge.