A Gentlemanâs Health: Plutarch and the âAge of Hypochondriaâ

Michiel Meeusen

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28 A Gentlemanâs Health: Plutarch and the âAge of Hypochondriaâ

äºPlutarch and his Contemporaries

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Michiel Meeusen

Michiel Meeusen
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Page Range:: 410â422

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004687301_029

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Abstract

As the âmost Greek of Greeks,â Plutarch had a keen interest in the world of medicine, which was by far the most Greek of Greek arts. Throughout his oeuvre, Plutarch quotes past doctors in support of his own arguments and stages contemporary physicians as interlocutors in his dialogues. As the evidence shows, there seems to have been something of a trend towards medical âpopularizationâ in the high Roman empire, with certain theories, concepts and beliefs relating to health and healing becoming increasingly âpopularââto the extent that some scholars contemptuously speak of an âAge of Hypochondria.â Numerous other eminent literary authors also wrote extensively about medicine and health related topics, and expected their readers to share that interest. The existence of such learned lay individuals, including amateur doctors (ÏÎ¹Î»á½·Î±ÏÏÎ¿Î¹), is a characteristic that distinguishes Graeco-Roman medicine from that of many other societies. Within this fascinating, and still under-explored field, my interest will be specifically in the uptake and use of medical knowledge as well as the formulation of health-related concerns in contemporary literary milieus. By using Plutarchâs oeuvre as our starting point, this paper aims to contribute to our better understanding of how and why medicine, as a branch of technical learning, with its related experiences, was held in such high regard by the educated elite in the high imperial era, serving as a token of Greek culture and, indeed, acculturation in an increasingly Roman world.

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Plutarch and his Contemporaries

Sharing the Roman Empire

ä¸ç¼ï¼ Brill's Plutarch Studies, å·ï¼ 14

ISBN:: 9789004687301

åºçç¤¾:: Brill

å°å·åºçæ¥æ:: 18 Jan 2024

Subjects
- Classical Studies
  - Ancient History
  - Greek & Latin Literature

Front Matter

PartÂ 1 Residents of Empire: Politics and Civic Life

PartÂ 2 Among Philosophers: Debates and Disputes

PartÂ 3 Facing the (Super)natural

PartÂ 4 Readers and Spectators

PartÂ 5 Uses of the Past

PartÂ 6 Cultural Practices: Inhabiting and Subverting the Norms

Back Matter

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PDFä¸è½½æ¬¡æ°	19	4	0

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28 A Gentlemanâs Health: Plutarch and the âAge of Hypochondriaâ

Abstract

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