Ancient Dissections in the Greco-Roman World and Its Influence on Modern Medical Studies

Abstract

Human dissection is a foundational element to modern medicinal studies, yet in the ancient Greek and Roman world it was heavily restricted by cultural, religious, and moral beliefs. This paper explores how these prohibitions influenced the development of anatomical science and future medical practices. The Greco-Roman concepts of impurity, sacred symbolism of the skin, and overall widespread fear of corpses created strong resistance to dissecting the human body. Despite these constraints, physicians such as Herophilus and Erasistratus conducted methodological and controversial human dissections in Hellenistic Alexandria, making groundbreaking discoveries about the brain, nervous system, circulatory structures, and lower internal organs. After this brief period in the 3rd century BCE, anatomical study reverted to animal dissections, which were more accepted among society, most notably in the work of Galen. Although limited by many cultural boundaries, these methods introduced significant findings that informed medical professionals for centuries to come. This paper argues that ancient dissections, both human and animal, served as crucial antecedents to modern anatomy, establishing practices, and scientific techniques that continue to shape medical education and research today.