Homeostasis: Mental and Physical Balance in Classical Latin Poetry
Location
Turner Gymnasium
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Start Date
4-17-2024 12:00 PM
End Date
4-17-2024 1:15 PM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Keywords
Homeostasis, Humors, Latin Poetry, Horace, Catullus, Anatomy, Circulatory, Endocrine, Nervous
Abstract
Homeostasis of the bodily functions was not a known concept in Ancient Rome. The physicians of Ancient Rome understood the balance of four humors: blood, cholera, phlegm, and melancholy. The development of humoral theory is associated originally with Hippocrates (ca. 460–370 BCE), while Galen (130-200 CE) further elaborated on the topic. If there was any sort of imbalance in the humors, that would lead to disease. This concept of the maintenance of the balance, both mentally and physically, is also expressed in classical Latin poetry. In some of their works, Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65-8 BCE), more commonly known as Horace, and Catullus (84 - ca. 54 BCE) express the importance of emotional balance, or the consequences of imbalance. In Horace’s Odes 1.11, he examines the importance of living in the present in order to avoid anxiety. Later in his Odes 2.10, he gives counsel to a friend by assuring him to live according to the “golden mean” for a balance in life. In Carmen 8, Catullus is struggling to find the balance between love and hatred from a past relationship, demonstrating the contentions he is making within himself. This attention to mental balance directly corresponds to the need for balance in the body, or good physical health. Present-day physicians define good health as a result of homeostasis in the body. For example, in the study of anatomy and physiology, homeostasis is maintained throughout the circulatory, endocrine, and nervous systems. Some mental health conditions also arise from chemical imbalances. Even though homeostasis is more of a modern subject, the Romans had an early understanding of mental and physical balance. This poster will include the three poems listed above and corresponding examples of homeostasis in the body.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Elza Tiner
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Homeostasis: Mental and Physical Balance in Classical Latin Poetry
Turner Gymnasium
Homeostasis of the bodily functions was not a known concept in Ancient Rome. The physicians of Ancient Rome understood the balance of four humors: blood, cholera, phlegm, and melancholy. The development of humoral theory is associated originally with Hippocrates (ca. 460–370 BCE), while Galen (130-200 CE) further elaborated on the topic. If there was any sort of imbalance in the humors, that would lead to disease. This concept of the maintenance of the balance, both mentally and physically, is also expressed in classical Latin poetry. In some of their works, Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65-8 BCE), more commonly known as Horace, and Catullus (84 - ca. 54 BCE) express the importance of emotional balance, or the consequences of imbalance. In Horace’s Odes 1.11, he examines the importance of living in the present in order to avoid anxiety. Later in his Odes 2.10, he gives counsel to a friend by assuring him to live according to the “golden mean” for a balance in life. In Carmen 8, Catullus is struggling to find the balance between love and hatred from a past relationship, demonstrating the contentions he is making within himself. This attention to mental balance directly corresponds to the need for balance in the body, or good physical health. Present-day physicians define good health as a result of homeostasis in the body. For example, in the study of anatomy and physiology, homeostasis is maintained throughout the circulatory, endocrine, and nervous systems. Some mental health conditions also arise from chemical imbalances. Even though homeostasis is more of a modern subject, the Romans had an early understanding of mental and physical balance. This poster will include the three poems listed above and corresponding examples of homeostasis in the body.