Hospitals and Treatment Facilities in the Ancient World

Hospitals and Treatment Facilities in the Ancient World

Overview

Today's hospitals and facilities for medical treatment have a history that dates back to the Roman Empire, when military hospitals were organized to treat and repair the critically important Roman Army. Perhaps the most rudimentary form of the hospital prior to this were the healing temples of ancient Greece. Healing temples were sacred sites created for the sick to receive divine aid. They were often associated with public baths and spa-type facilities whose priest-physicians administered rituals of healing, massage, and herbal medicines. Overall, Greek medicine combined a philosophy of proper living, with regular exercise, proper diet, and massage, augmented by herbal drugs and regular visits to a healing temple for ritual devotions and tribute. Physicians, surgeons, and other specialists would typically provide specific treatments including surgeries and amputations at the home of the patient. Both Greek and Roman cultures were engaged in bloody wars and found it necessary to make advances in the medical treatment of wounds and illnesses. The Roman Empire was built by and dependent upon its powerful military, and although it was not a physician-friendly society, it did advance the concept of the military hospital, as well as the public water supply and sanitation systems.

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