An introduction to fever in the Roman Empire

Fever was a common malady in the ancient Mediterranean world. It was generally regarded as a disease in its own right, or, more accurately, a complex of diseases rather than as a symptom of an underlying condition. Accurate diagnosis of the type of fever was essential in order to prevent a simple fever turning into a more serious ailment. This paper is based on the medical works of the Roman Celsus who lived in the first century A.D. and the Greek Galen, (c. AD 129-200), both of whom spent at least part of their lives in Rome.