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Medicine in Homer

  • 1st Edition - July 23, 2025
  • Latest edition
  • Editor: Eric Altschuler
  • Language: English

Medicine in Homer explores injuries in the great epic poems of Homer from the perspective of contemporary medical professionals. This foundational text describes injuries includ… Read more

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Description

Medicine in Homer explores injuries in the great epic poems of Homer from the perspective of contemporary medical professionals. This foundational text describes injuries included in both Odyssey and The Iliad, drawing on connections to neurology, toxicology, and genetics in ancient Greek times. As human anatomy remains unchanged, a careful study of trauma anatomy in Homer provides a unique window into the epics, their composition, and the development of medicine available today.

Key features

  • Discusses the war injuries and care in Homer's epics through an anatomical and medical point-of-view
  • Includes clearly labeled drawings and illustrations
  • Discusses the implications of studying medicine in Homer

Readership

Surgeons, trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, medical students

Table of contents

Section 1 Introduction

1. Introduction, synopsis of chapters and the Homeric question

2. Homer and orthopaedics

3. Physicians and other medical personnel in Homer

4. Thersites’ cleidocranial dysostosis and the story of the Iliad and Odyssey

5. Which translation of Homer should you use?

Section 2 Trauma in Homer

6. A trauma registry of Homer’s Iliad

7. A trauma registry of Homer’s Odyssey

8. Trauma medicine in Homer

9. Upper extremity injuries in Homer

10. Chest trauma in Homer

11. Abdominal trauma in Homer

12. Lower extremity injuries in Homer

13. Maxillofacial trauma in Homer

14. Trauma in Homer: A classicist’s analysis and perspective

Section 3 Neurology, Toxicology, Infectious Disease and Genetics in Homer

15. Neurotrauma and other neurology in Homer

16. A Case of antisocial personality disorder in Home

17. Plants, poisons, potions and plague in Homer

18. Eight generation genealogy of Homer’s Trojans

Section 4 Further Perspectives on Medicine in Homer

19. Dating Homer’s linguistics with genetic methods

20. The Iliad’s and Odyssey's mythological networks

21. Did Homer write both the Iliad and the Odyssey?

22. Earthworks and geology in Homer

23. Women in Homer: A veteran’s perspective

24. War and medicine in Homer: a combat veteran’s perspective

25. Conclusion and future studies

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: August 6, 2025
  • Language: English

About the editor

EA

Eric Altschuler

Eric Altschuler, MD, PhD is Associate Chief and Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Metropolitan Hospital and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York Medical College. Dr. Altschuler is also an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Altschuler is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine and Electrodiagnostic medicine. In addition to clinical work in general PM&R and electro-diagnostics, Dr. Altschuler is a widely published and recognized expert in clinically applied and basic cognitive neuroscience. Dr. Altschuler was the first to report the use of mirror therapy for hemiparesis following stroke and for a combination amputation/orthopedic injury. Dr. Altschuler was the first to publish the use of animal assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) now in wide use for patients across the world.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Metropolitan Hospital; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York Medical College, NY, USA

View book on ScienceDirect

Read Medicine in Homer on ScienceDirect