This page cannot be viewed in frames

Go to page

If you have found a spelling error, please, notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.

Anatomy was not so known to ancients

This post is also available in: Polish (polski)

Roman mosaic with athletes. Dated on 1st CE
Roman mosaic with athletes. Dated on 1st CE

Currently there is great admiration for ancient Greeks or Romans. Their culture or level of civilization is admired; also medicine. However, it cannot be denied that in the latter field the ancients were not always right, especially when it comes to the functioning of our body.

A great example is the message of Hesiod or Alcaeus, who in their works mention that in the event of severe heat – literally – we should “wet the lungs”. Plato himself stated in his dialogue “Timaeus” that: “From the passage of egress for the drink, where it receives and joins in discharging the fluid which has come through the lungs beneath the kidneys into the bladder and has been compressed by the air”.

In turn, in Plutarch’s “Symposiacs” the characters of one of the conversations conclude that the human body has two holes in the mouth; one feeds solid food into the esophagus and the fluid into the lungs. Everything in directed by the tongue.

Sources
  • Mikołaj Szymański, Ab ovo. Antyk, Biblia etc., Warszawa 2004

IMPERIUM ROMANUM needs your support!

If you like the content that I collect on the website and that I share on social media channels I will be grateful for the support. Even the smallest amounts will allow me to pay for further corrections, improvements on the site and pay the server.

Support IMPERIUM ROMANUM!

Support IMPERIUM ROMANUM!

Find out more!

Check your curiosity and learn something new about the ancient world of the Romans. By clicking on the link below, you will be redirected to a random entry.

Random curiosity

Random curiosity

Discover secrets of ancient Rome!

If you want to be up to date with newest articles on website and discoveries from the world of ancient Rome, subscribe to the newsletter, which is sent each Saturday.

Subscribe to newsletter!

Subscribe to newsletter

Spelling error report

The following text will be sent to our editors: