Ancient Rome Flashcards
Why was Alexandria an important place in the Roman Empire?
It was inherited from the Greeks along with all of its libraries and universities. It was the centre of medical learning.
How was the Roman Empire different to the Greek empire?
Large cities with many people living cramped together as opposed to small city states.
Very centralised with a strong government with quick communication so that ideas, treatments and disease spread very quickly.
Romans were less interested in theories and their efficient, well-organised nature meant they liked practical solutions to everything.
The Romans were frequently at war and had thousands of soldiers permanently stationed all over the empire.
There were even more wealthy people than in the Greek empire.
Who were the first doctors in Rome?
Greek doctors captured as prisoners of war.
Why would you expect the Romans to try and improve public health?
They would’ve had no choice but to improve this since people were now living in large groups rather than in small cities of less than 20,000 people. Diseases would’ve spread quicker so the government would have had to find a solution of some sort if they wished to keep the empire strong.
Why would a centralised government and war have an impact on roman health?
A centralised government would’ve meant that ideas, including medical treatments, spread very quickly across the empire. It also meant that everybody was a priority for the government and that public health became a very important factor in maintaining such a huge empire.
War meant that injuries were more frequent so the Romans had no choice but to find out more about certain illnesses associated with this and the surgery required to treat soldiers. What’s more, soldiers would carry disease with them all over the empire.
How were doctors trained in Ancient Rome?
Some medical students learned by reading the Hippocratic Collection but only the wealthiest could afford such expensive copies.
Others read them in the great libraries of Rome or Alexandria, and many became apprentices, watching experienced doctors, then copying them.
However, medical training was not compulsory for doctors- anyone would call themselves a ‘doctor’.
What are the similarities between Greek and Roman medicine?
> Originally Greek ideas were put into practice when trained doctors used the Hippocratic Collection for medical teaching in Alexandria.
Hippocrates’ ideas such as the theory of the four humours and clinical observation were still used, as many Greek doctors flocked to Rome in order to make a better living and passed on their ideas.
Both believed in gods, and the Romans ‘borrowed’ the Greek god Asclepius because when they asked their own gods for a terrible plague to end, it didn’t work, so they turned elsewhere. Consequently, they too built temples dedicated to him.
Medicine was centred around the home and herbal remedies were used by the women in the family who passed their ideas from mother to daughter.
Why were the Greek and Roman empires so closely connected?
When the Greek empire gradually faded out, the Romans took over most of their old land.
What were some differences between Greek and Roman medicine?
> The Romans believed that ‘bad air’ or Miasma made people ill, and so both kept themselves clean and did not build towns near marshes.
Doctors were a last resort for the Romans, who preferred not to get ill in the first place. They believed in PREVENTION rather than CURE, which (as well as the cramped living conditions) led to the development of PUBLIC HEALTH.
Further development of surgery- people learned how to remove tonsils and cataracts.
GALEN made progress in the knowledge of the anatomy.
To invade and control countries, what did the Romans require?
A strong army.
They had many army surgeons who would treat injured or ill soldiers.
The army needed to be kept healthy.
What did healthy people mean for the government?
More workers paying taxes to Rome, and workers were less likely to rebel.
Describe some of the key features of Roman public health scheme.
Public toilets, so waste would go into the sewers instead of into the streets.
Public baths for washing and exercising.
Sewers to remove waste which emptied into rivers.
Clean water to wash in, brought into towns from springs in the countryside via aqueducts.
Public fountains and running water for drinking and washing.
Free hospitals for soldiers inside FORTS that also had their own bath-house, water supply and latrines.
Why were the Romans able to create public health schemes?
They were brilliant engineers and builders and so were able to design and create the sewers and aqueducts that were needed, and repair any damages.
They were very rich as they took lots of taxes from the counties they controlled, so could pay for what was needed.
Who was the Roman goddess of healing?
Minerva
What were the strengths of Roman public health?
> Public fountains were used for drinking and washing, providing water for the poor who couldn’t afford to have it piped into their homes.
Aqueducts brought fresh water into towns
Public officials (e.g Water Commissioners) focused on public health.
The Romans ensured that towns, villas and army forts were built in healthy places away from marshland and polluted water.
They were well organised and had engineers from the army to keep public health systems working and to deal with any repairs.
Bath houses wee built for washing, bathing, socialising, exercising and business. Every town had one and they were cheap to use.
