The Hippocratic background to Aristotle’s gynaecology

Connell, Sophia (2024) The Hippocratic background to Aristotle’s gynaecology. In: Bartos, H. and Vojta, L. (eds.) Aristotle Reads Hippocrates. Studies in Ancient Medicine 59. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. ISBN 9789004703537. (In Press)

Abstract

This chapter details overlaps between the ancient medical works on women’s health and Aristotle’s De generatione animalium and Historia animalium Book 7. With respect to Hist. an. 7, Balme dismissed any medical influence on the grounds that Aristotle “makes statements that conflict with Hippocratic views”. While Balme’s attitude toward Hippocratic influence has been popular in the past, the medical background to Aristotle’s biology is now receiving increasing philosophical attention. However, with certain exceptions, the way in which Aristotle’s biology interacts with ancient gynaecology has not been systematically investigated. This chapter takes some steps towards finding Hippocratic and other medical influences in the field of Aristotelian gynaecology. Directing one’s attention in this manner reveals certain tension within Aristotle’s biological project as well as his attempts to resolve them.

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