Reviving Ancient Greek Wisdom: Rediscovering Revolutionary Cures and the Mediterranean Diet
Archaeologists have rediscovered the remarkable medical knowledge of Dioscorides, an ancient Greek physician who traveled extensively throughout the Roman Empire in search of natural cures. Dioscorides documented thousands of links between illnesses and plants, minerals, and vegetables that could treat them. His major work, De materia medica, written over 1,500 years ago, served as a pharmacopoeia of medicinal plants and medicines and remained widely read for centuries. Dioscorides' discoveries included the use of cardamom to treat sciatica and kidney stones, as well as unconventional remedies like beaver testicles for abortions and spider webs for wound healing.