A History of the Mind and Mental Health in Classical Greek Medical Thought

Chiara Thumiger

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781107176010
• eBook ISBN: 9781316814796
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ancient & Classical Philosophy

The Hippocratic texts and other contemporary medical sources have often been overlooked in discussions of ancient psychology. They have been considered to be more mechanical and less detailed than poetic and philosophical representations, as well as later medical texts such as those of Galen. This book does justice to these early medical accounts by demonstrating their richness and sophistication, their many connections with other contemporary cultural products and the indebtedness of later medicine to their observations. In addition, it reads these sources not only as archaeological documents but also in the light of methodological discussions that are fundamental to the histories of psychiatry and psychology. As a result of this approach, the book will be important for scholars of these disciplines as well as those of Greek literature and philosophy, strongly advocating the relevance of ancient ideas to modern debates.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Title page
• Copyright information
• Table of contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1 Mental Disorder and History: Methodological and General Issues
• Part I The Body of the Insane
• Part II The Mind of the Insane
• Conclusions
• Appendix Dates and Dating
• Texts and Translations Used
• Bibliography
• Index Rerum
• Index Locorum
• Index of Greek Words