PR-2237IRE Ancient Rome

TEACHERS
N OTE
Roman Legions
After Rome defeated the armies of Macedonia around 200 BC, captured Greek physicians often
accompanied Roman armies on military campaigns. The Greeks had a medical tradition dating
back to the time of Hippocrates, who lived between 460 BC and 370 BC. Through experiments
with animals, the Greeks had learnt how to set broken bones and heal wounds.
In various parts of Britain archaeologists have discovered some of the world’s first hospitals. They had
excellent plumbing and sewerage systems designed for good hygiene, for some had flushing toilets where
water carried away waste products. The Romans believed ‘the smell of excrement’ was a source of disease.
The hospital buildings were divided into separate wards, probably to isolate infectious diseases.
Their excellent engineering skills no doubt prevented serious epidemics, for in those times more people died
from disease than from wounds on the battlefields of the Empire.
The work done by the ‘medic’ on the battlefields added to Roman medical knowledge for there was much
practical experience to be gained treating thousands of wounded soldiers and practising simple surgical
procedures. Eventually, medical personnel were attached to all military units, the Roman army being the first
military force to have medical units on the battlefield.
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