Diseases in the Metaphor of Persius

Abstract

Medical metaphora is quite widespread in ancient licterature; the description of a sick body is often used by greek and Roman philosophers and writers to define a critical conditions of the State, in which just one corrupt part can ruine the entire system. Especially Persius, in his Satire, uses this way of expression to flog Roman people's corrupt habits. Reading Persius' poems and studing his satiric metaphora, in comparing it to Ippocrates' description of a considerable number of diseases, we can reconstruct the digree of diffusion of the greek ancient medicine in Rome in the I century A.D., before of Galen's arrival.