Ancient Greek Health Theories: Understanding the Melancholic Mean in Aristotelian Problema XXX.1 :: Philosophy Medicine

Ancient Greek Health Theories Understanding the Melancholic stand for in Aristotelian Problema XXX.1ABSTRACT In ancient Greek theories of health, it was the partake balance or mixing of the humors or elements (i.e., the isonomic think up) that comprised the ideal healthy nominate. In the Aristotelian Problema XXX.1, however, there is a description of a form of melancholy constitution that is both 1) itself characterized as a mean, and 2) thought to lead to intellect outstandingness. This is theoretically problematic since the melancholic constitution was by definition a constitution in which there was a natural preponderance of fateful bile. Thus, there appear to be two incompatible means that ar descriptive of the ideal in ancient Greek medicine the isonomic mean that underlies the ideal healthy state, and the melancholic mean that describes the melancholic who is capable of greatness. This newspaper attempts to understand the melancholic mean as described in Problema XXX.1 by considering the two different but related models of this mean that are suggested in the text. A reconciliation of the two somatic ideals is argued for on the basis of what else is tell in the Problema, as well as ideas found in the Hippocratic work Airs, Waters, Places and other Aristotelian Problemata.Why is it that all those who have change by reversal eminent in philosophy or politics or verse or the arts are clearly of an atrabilious temperament, and some of them to such an extent as to be affected by affections caused by barren bile, as is said to have happened to Heracles among the heroes? (Problemata XXX.1 953a10-14) (1) So begins the Aristotelian Problema XXX.1. Why so The atrabilious temperament or melancholia is, according to Aristotle, a natural angle of inclination in which there is a preponderance of black bile everyplace the other humours. The healthy somatic ideal, however, was conceived by Greek medical theorists as the equality of the humours, either wi th respect to their quantity or their relative strengths (quality) disease was by definition an excess of one of the humours or elements. If the ideal state with respect to the humours was equality or isonomic proportion, but all those who have constrain eminent in philosophy or politics or rhyme or the arts... be melancholics, then which state is the ideal health or melancholia?The explicit association of melancholia with genius is found for the first time in this Problema. The author was working within a long tradition that cerebrate the ideal state with a mean.