But his power
     Swells with the swelling evil of this time,
     And holds men mute to see where it will rise. 
     He could stay swift diseases in old days,
     Chain madmen by the music of his lyre,
     Cleanse to sweet airs the breath of poisonous streams,
     And in the mountain-chinks inter the winds. 
     This he could do of old—­(5)

a quotation which will give you an idea of some of the powers attributed to this wonder-working physician.

     (5) Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold, Macmillan & Co., 1898,
     p. 440.

But of no one of the men of this remarkable circle have we such definite information as of the Crotonian physician Democedes, whose story is given at length by Herodotus; and his story has also the great importance of showing that, even at this early period, a well-devised scheme of public medical service existed in the Greek cities.  It dates from the second half of the sixth century B.C.—­fully two generations before Hippocrates.  A Crotonian, Democedes by name, was found among the slaves of Oroetes.  Of his fame as a physician someone had heard and he was called in to treat the dislocated ankle of King Darius.  The wily Greek, longing for his home, feared that if he confessed to a knowledge of medicine there would be no chance of escape, but under threat of torture he undertook a treatment which proved successful.  Then Herodotus tells his story—­how, ill treated at home in Crotona, Democedes went to AEgina, where he set up as a physician and in the second year the State of AEgina hired his services at the price of a talent.  In the third year, the Athenians engaged him at 100 minae; and in the fourth, Polycrates of Samos at two talents.  Democedes shared the misfortunes of Polycrates and was taken prisoner by Oroetes.  Then Herodotus tells how he cured Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus and wife of Darius, of a severe abscess of the breast, but on condition that she help him to escape, and she induced her husband to send an expedition of exploration to Greece under the guidance of Democedes, but with the instructions at all costs to bring back the much prized physician.  From Tarentum, Democedes escaped to his native city, but the Persians followed him, and it was with the greatest difficulty that he escaped from their hands.  Deprived of their guide, the Persians gave up the expedition and sailed for Asia.  In palliation of his flight, Democedes sent a message to Darius that he was engaged to the daughter of Milo, the wrestler, who was in high repute with the King.(6)

(6) The well-known editor of Herodotus, R. W. Macan, Master of University College, Oxford, in his Hellenikon.  A Sheaf of Sonnets after Herodotus (Oxford, 1898) has included a poem which may be quoted in connection with this incident: 

NOSTALGY Atossa, child of Cyrus king of kings, healed by Greek science of a morbid breast, gave lord Dareios neither love nor rest