Alexandria

The city of Alexandria is a lasting tribute to Alexander the Great. It plays an important role in the development of medicine in both the Greek and Roman eras.

Alexander the Great not only had a talent on the battlefield (he created a huge empire between 334 and 326 BC) but was also a man who appreciated science and philosophy. A lasting tribute to this is the City of Alexandria, in the modern day Egypt. This city was unique in ancient times as it provided physicians and doctors with opportunities that had hither to been denied.

In Alexandria was built a massive library that contained the works of all of the greatest philosophers of the day, such as Aristotle and Plato. These men argued that the soul of a person left the body upon death and that, therefore, dissection of the body was permissible. The influence of these philosophers in Alexandria was such that dissection was, for the first time, allowed to happen in Alexandria. This allowed doctors to see the workings of the body and must have led to a greater understanding of physiology. (For a short period of time the dissection of LIVE people, criminals who were condemned to death, was allowed to happen in Alexandria).

These practices led to the development of theories of a nervous system (Herophilus) which were later developed and tested by doctors such as Erastistratus.

Ancient Greece Section - pages in this unit

Unit home page - Hippocrates: Background - Hippocrates: Theory of the Four Humors - The Cult of Asclepious - The City of A lexandria - Public Health in Ancient Greece - Activities - External Links

	Greek and Roman Medicine The second book in the History of Medicine series. This book is an ideal resource for students following the Medicine Through Time course at GCSE level. The book provides a clear understanding of the key ideas that formed medical practice throughout the Ancient and medieval worlds, making the content 'must know' material. Brilliantly summarised and supported by a wide range of images.

Textbooks	Revision Guides

In this unit:

Recommended Resources

Medicinethroughtime.co.uk - new site. Including Blog and use of twitter for free text / IM revision tips.

SchoolsHistory.org.uk highly recommends these sites:

Schoolhistory.co.uk - fantastic range of interactive games, revision materials and links.
ActiveHistory.co.uk - outstanding use of ICT to engage pupils.
Thinkinghistory.co.uk - a brilliant range of learning activities from Ian Dawson
JohnDClare.net - simply the best for Modern World GCSE students
History.org.uk - resources and CPD materials from the Historical Association.
Historyboxes.com - make your lessons 'real' with artefacts and living history provided by experts
Schoolshistory.com - same author as this site, just put together in a slightly different way!