Dietetics in Hippocratic Medicine: Definition, Main Problems, Discussion

Abstract

According to this paper, In the classical Greek literature that pre-dates the philosophers Plato and Aristotle, descriptions of dietary practice are particularly numerous in comedy, because it is a reflection of daily life. It is on these important problems that this paper on Hippocratic dietetics will focus. It begins by clarifying what Greek doctors understood by the Greek word diaita (Siaixa), since the modern definition, which restricts diet to food, does not correspond exactly to the conceptual understanding of the ancient doctors. This discussion in Regimen in Acute Diseases of the importance of habit became famous and was lengthily quoted by Galen in his treatise on habits. In conclusion, the first writings of Greek doctors constitute an extremely important source for the study of alimentary practices and discourses in classical Greek antiquity. Keywords:Acute Diseases; diaita; dietary practice; Greek literature; Hippocratic dietetics