This work brings together Philip van der Eijk's previously published essays on the close connections that existed between medicine and philosophy throughout antiquity. Medical authors such as the Hippocratic writers, Diocles, Galen, Soranus and Caelius Aurelianus elaborated on philosophical methods such as causal explanation, definition and division and applied key concepts such as the notion of nature to their understanding of the human body. Similarly, philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle were highly valued for their contributions to medicine. This interaction was particularly striking...

Diocles of Carystus (4th century BCE), also known as "the younger Hippocrates," was one of the most prominent medical authorities in antiquity. He wrote extensively on a wide range of areas such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, therapeutics, embryology, gynaecology, dietetics, foods and poisons. In his writings, he betrays strong philosophical influence, and his views present striking connections with the Hippocratic Corpus, Plato, Aristotle and Theophrastus. The study of Diocles' ideas has long been hampered by the absence of a reliable collection of the remaining evidence. This book...