In antiquity, anatomical votive offerings were given to the Gods, typically to Asklepios and other deities whose cultus was interwoven with healthcare before the temples were destroyed. When I was diagnosed with something that needed to be surgically removed, though, due to the long tradition of her association with gynecological matters, I decided that I … Continue reading In Which I Make Anatomical Votive Offerings
Tag: health
The Phaedo, piety, and public health
While reading some passages about the relationship of the lover of wisdom to the body in Damascius’ commentary on the Phaedo this week, a mesh of associations captured me like a net, and I started thinking about something I first encountered as a teenager — the idea that, if we fall ill, or if something … Continue reading The Phaedo, piety, and public health
