The Birth of Physiology

The treatment of mental health has been rapidly growing and improving over the past few decades, but it actually goes back thousands of years.

Whether it was the Ancient Greek physician Galen’s humoral theory - in which people’s mental health was determined by imbalances in the levels of four different substances in the body - or Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ meditations for guidance and self-improvement, ideas of mental health and its treatment have ranged from the intriguing to the totally bizarre, but many of them still have uses to this day.

Tristan is joined once again by Dr Nick Summerton practicing doctor and author of ‘Greco-Roman Medicine and What it Can Teach Us Today’, published by Pen & Sword.

The OSPP Four Temperaments Test

For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!