Traumatic Physical Injuries in the Iliad and Odyssey, Edition 2012

Book, edition 2013

The book Traumatic Physical Injuries in the Iliad and Odyssey by Konstantinos and Panagiotis Mallios, published by HYGEIA, was officially presented during a special event on July 10, 2013.

In his speech, Vascular Surgery Professor Michail Sechas highlighted the scientific and organized manner in which the material was collected and the overall topic was presented. Author K. Mallias, after thanking HYGEIA for undertaking the publication, presented in detail the topic concerning the injuries encountered in the Iliad and the Odyssey, providing interesting trivia concerning medical issues in antiquity.

As mentioned by the authors, the aim of the book is to pinpoint deadly and non-deadly injuries, the war weapons used and the injured body organs, as arising from the events unfolding in the Iliad and the Odyssey. A total of 212 injuries were recorded, with more severe prognosis for injuries of the abdomen, neck and head. The detailed description of each injury reads like a well-documented Coroner’s Report, demonstrating that the author of the epic poems had a good grasp of the anatomy and function of the various human body organs. These findings further support that Homer had knowledge of the divine art of Asclepius.