Medicine in ancient Rome

Medicine in ancient Rome combined various techniques using different tools. There was a strong Greek influence on Roman medicine, with Greek physicians including Dioscorides and Galen working and writing on medicine in the Roman Empire with knowledge of hundreds of herbal and other medicines.

Ancient Roman medicine was divided into specializations such as ophthalmology and urology. A variety of surgical procedures were carried out using many different instruments including forceps, scalpels and catheters.

Introduction

The Roman Empire was a complex and vigorous combination of Greek and Roman cultural elements forged through centuries of war. Later Latin authors, notably Cato and Pliny believed in a specifically Roman type of healing based on herbs, chants, prayers and charms easily available to any head of a household. It was not until the establishment and development of military and political contacts between Greece that Greek medicine made its entry into Italy. However, It was not until the introduction of the healing god Asclepius in 291 BC and the arrival of the Greek doctor Archagathus in 219 BC that foreign medicine was publicly accepted.