Identifying the connection between Roman conceptions of ‘Pure Air’ and physical and mental health in Pompeian gardens (c.150 BC–AD 79): a multi-sensory approach to ancient medicine

Abstract

ABSTRACT Different genres of Roman literature commented on the relationship between the condition of the environment and health. They often refer to clear, pure or good air as a beneficial aspect of the environment. Yet, unlike fetid air, they provide few descriptions of what constituted healthy air quality. Aside from the association between the environment and bodily condition, they also did not explain how the link between the two was made. This paper utilizes a comparative study of ancient literature and the archaeological remains of Roman gardens in Pompeii: archaeobotanical samples; fresco paintings; location; and surviving features. The following questions are addressed in this study. How did the Romans identify and define pure air? How did air connect to the body? What were the qualities of pure air and how did they benefit the body? Inhalation and sensory perception were both ways air was linked to the body. The author argues that sight, sound and olfaction were used to identify the qualities of pure air. Through this process, the beneficial properties of pure air were, in accordance to ancient perceptions of sensory function, taken into the body and affected health. Thus, sensory perception was the bridge between the environment and health.