I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius, and Hygieia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses as my witnesses, that, according to my ability and judgement, I will keep this Oath and this contract. Our Book Club readings for January are from Hippocrates, the so-called “Father of Medicine”. In the surviving treatises (which may have been by Hippocrates himself, or by his followers) we can see that instead… Read more
As usual, over the holiday season there will be no Book Club in December, but we will resume in the new year when we will be reading selections from non-fiction texts. Here is a preview of what is coming up; look out for announcements at the beginning of January, February, and March with details of the selections, links to free online versions, and the dates for live discussions. Hippocrates Plutarch… Read more
Poseidon, receiving for his lot the island of Atlantis, begat children by a mortal woman, and settled them in a part of the island, which I will describe. Looking towards the sea, but in the centre of the whole island, there was a plain which is said to have been the fairest of all plains and very fertile. Near the plain again, and also in the centre of the island… Read more
Epeios first fashioned the feet of that great Horse of Wood: the belly next he shaped, and over this moulded the back and the great loins behind, the throat in front, and ridged the towering neck with waving mane: the crested head he wrought, the streaming tail, the ears, the lucent eyes—all that of lifelike horses have. So grew like a live thing that more than human work, for a… Read more
So when all other contests [aethloi] had an end, the goddess Thetis laid down in the midst great-hearted Achilles’ arms immortally wrought; and all around flashed out the cunning work with which mighty Hephaistos overchased the shield fashioned for the the dauntless-spirited descendant of Aiakos. ….. Then among the Argives Thetis dark-veiled in her deep sorrow for Achilles spoke these words [mūthos]: “Now all the contest [agōn] prizes [aethla] have… Read more