Comprehensive study of the social and medical history of dissection in classical antiquity and the parallel development of anatomical texts.
The first comprehensive history of dissection in classical antiquity. It reveals how the practice evolved from the social and cultural contexts of the fifth century BC to the High Roman period, before exploring in depth its contribution to the development of classical anatomical literature into Late Antiquity.
Hardcover
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Summary
Comprehensive study of the social and medical history of dissection in classical antiquity and the parallel development of anatomical texts.
The first comprehensive history of dissection in classical antiquity. It reveals how the practice evolved from the social and cultural contexts of the fifth century BC to the High Roman period, before exploring in depth its contribution to the development of classical anatomical literature into Late Antiquity.
Description
Dissection is a practice with a long history stretching back to antiquity and has played a crucial role in the development of anatomical knowledge. This absorbing book takes the story back to classical antiquity, employing a wide range of textual and material evidence. Claire Bubb reveals how dissection was practised from the Hippocratic authors of the fifth century BC through Aristotle and the Hellenistic doctors Herophilus and Erasistratus to Galen in the second century AD. She focuses on its material concerns and social contexts, from the anatomical subjects (animal or human) and how they were acquired, to the motivations and audiences of dissection, to its place in the web of social contexts that informed its reception, including butchery, sacrifice, and spectacle. The book concludes with a thorough examination of the relationship of dissection to the development of anatomical literature into Late Antiquity.
Critic Reviews
“'This book fills a large gap by investigating Greek and Roman ideas about anatomy from early Greece until late Antiquity together in their cultural and historical contexts. It combines a refreshingly critical attitude to the sources with a clear and elegant exposition of the development of early Western ideas about the structures and workings of the body.' Vivian Nutton, UCL”
'exquisitely detailed' James Uden, The Times Literary Supplement
'… a welcome addition to the literature on the social history of ancient medicine.' Chiara Cecconi, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
'This extremely well researched medico-historical inquiry will remain a reference for years to come … This is a sum of information, refined analysis of sources (even beyond 'just' the medical literature), vast knowledge, and mastery of secondary literature that result in a magisterial analysis and a compelling case.' Alain Touwaide, Doody's Reviews
About the Author
Claire Bubb is an Assistant Professor of Classical Literature and Science at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University.
Dissection is a practice with a long history stretching back to antiquity and has played a crucial role in the development of anatomical knowledge. This absorbing book takes the story back to classical antiquity, employing a wide range of textual and material evidence. Claire Bubb reveals how dissection was practised from the Hippocratic authors of the fifth century BC through Aristotle and the Hellenistic doctors Herophilus and Erasistratus to Galen in the second century AD. She focuses on its material concerns and social contexts, from the anatomical subjects (animal or human) and how they were acquired, to the motivations and audiences of dissection, to its place in the web of social contexts that informed its reception, including butchery, sacrifice, and spectacle. The book concludes with a thorough examination of the relationship of dissection to the development of anatomical literature into Late Antiquity.
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