In this beautifully produced book, Summerton, a qualified medical doctor with many years of experience across different healthcare settings, turns his attention to medicine in the ancient world. His work investigates not just the ideas and practices of the ancient Greeks and Romans, but also the potential benefits these might have for today's modern practitioner or patient. An intriguing task, no doubt, and one of immediate relevance with the book published at the tail end of the coronavirus pandemic.
Summerton chooses to focus explicitly on Roman approaches to healthcare during the period of the Pax Romana (‘the Roman peace’) a roughly 200-year period from the Emperor Augustus’ accession in 27BC to the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180AD. Each main chapter in the book explores a particular aspect of medicine during this period, with a twofold approach: (i) outlining the Roman beliefs and practices using a variety of ancient evidence, and (ii) exploring the possible benefits of these findings for the modern world. The chosen chronological span is not restrictive, and there is considerable attention paid to the ‘Greek impact’ (p.2) on Roman medicine. The book also contains a wide range of extracts from Ancient Greek and Roman writers – including several key passages from the Hippocratic corpus and Galen, which would be especially helpful for anyone preparing resources for GCSE History's Health and the People paper.
Summerton's interest in Roman Britain also shines through in the work, and there are some fascinating examples brought into the discussion which do not often make an appearance in the usual accounts of ancient medical history. Among my favourites – a list of collyrium stamps recovered from Roman Britain, recording location and the name on the stamp (p.39; Plates 11 & 12), a votive offering of a pair of eyes made in sheet-gold from Wroxeter (Plate 9), and the informative and well-illustrated account of the Temple of Nodens at Lydney (esp. p.106–109; Plates 28–31). The numerous colour plates support the discussions very well, and it is pleasing to see so many artefacts and sites from the length of Roman Britain featured here too. Summerton's ability to draw in local examples alongside discussions of more famous sites such as the sanctuary at Epidaurus ensures the book's appeal to anyone with an interest in Roman Britain – and provides plenty of inspiration for local excursions.
Throughout his discussions, Summerton often draws on his own personal experience as a doctor, which brings an innovative and engaging perspective to the work. He reflects on his findings in the context of 20th/21st century medical practice and ethics, considering a wide range of pertinent topics – effectiveness of regulatory systems, design of hospital environments, arguments on theory vs. experience, the use of psychological and physical therapies – which provide any reader with a valuable insight into ongoing modern debates, as well as a tempered approach on how to draw lessons from the ancient past.
Ancient medicine isn't always the most accessible of topics, and Summerton's book does a great deal to break down some of the more complex ideas for a modern reader while highlighting the intricacies of many of the Greco-Roman practices. As with any book, there are a few points which would have benefitted from a little more elaboration – for example, discussions of Seneca could have integrated the Stoic context more clearly from the start – and it would have been useful to see more consideration of social classes, gender, and status in discussions about access to and use of different healthcare options. Nonetheless, there is a vast amount of valuable information within this book, and it should certainly appeal to students working on any number of topics linked to the history of medicine, ancient religious practice, and Roman Britain.
Open access
