A Good Place to Be

Abstract

The founding of a city requires certain hygienic and meteorological conditions. The climate must be moderate, neither too hot, nor too cold; neither too dry, nor too moist; fresh air and water are crucial. Ancient medical writers such as the authors of the Hippocratic Corpus, Celsus and Galen prescribe ideal conditions for the city. Wind-directions, local climate (heat, cold, humidity), quantity and quality of air and water and a clean environment were crucial factors to establish a healthy city. Did their opinions correspond with the opinions of non-medical ancient sources like Vitruvius, Varro, and Columella? And, finally, were these conditions really realised in practice, as proved by excavations? According to his book Res rusticae, the Roman author M. Terentius Varro improved the hygienic situation by cleaning polluted air, when he changed the position of doors and windows. If this story is true, there is evidence that there was some knowledge of improving health, bringing theory into practice.