About this book
De Graecorum Medicis Publicis by Rudolf Pohl probes the public face of ancient Greek medicine with crisp scholarship and forensic attention to sources. Pohl’s inaugural dissertation traces the evolution of public physicians—from early healers and Asclepiadic families through civic doctors and the Roman archiatri—using epigraphy, inscriptions and classical texts to reconstruct how communities selected, paid and regulated medical officials.
Rich in philological detail, the book surveys terminology, institutional practice, collegia of physicians, duties tied to public health, and the social status of medical practitioners in Greek city-states. Pohl combines historical context with careful analysis of documentary evidence (inscriptions and literary citations), offering readers a methodical account of how medicine functioned as both profession and public service in antiquity. The tone is scholarly yet readable, making complex source criticism accessible.
A compelling Science audiobook for historians of medicine, classicists, archaeologists, medical professionals curious about antiquity, and students seeking an authoritative, source-based study of civic healthcare in the ancient Mediterranean. Listen to gain a foundational understanding of how public medical practice developed and shaped civic life in the Greek world.
